OLD FOX Fox Road
This information on the Old Fox was provided by Jim McNeill chair of Living Easton,
you can visit the Living Easton website here
The Old Fox closed 15th May 2004.
Easton
- The Forgotten Hamlet, Ellery, L. W., 1986.
An imposing three-story building of c.1700,
this inn, situated close to the river Frome, now covered by the M32 motorway is famous
for it’s connection with Dr. W. G. Grace, Easton doctor and father of international
cricket in the period, c.1870-1915, and who used to drink here occasionally, after
cricket fixtures at the Gloucestershire County Cricket Ground, in nearby Horfield
and elsewhere, before returning to his Surgery nearby, at 59 Stapleton Road.
Bristol
Illustrated News, May 1966.
The Old Fox in Fox Road, Eastville, Bristol, is in Bristol’s
east end, tucked in off the main road to the north-east on the way out of town. Under
the recently acquired managership of Harry and Maureen Campbell, it has acquired
a reputation for being one of the best pubs in which to have a hot lunch in the city.
Following the sophisticated London trend of making the East End a popular good-value
eating district, the Campbells provide a three-course, 8/6d traditional British lunch,
generously served and of the kind of quality which is attracting hungry top executives
from all over Bristol. The bar-restaurant is most attractive, decorated with wrought
iron and brasses. Harry Campbell’s service is cheerful and efficiently unobtrusive
and his wife’s cooking is first class and ample. This is the place for roast beef,
roast pork and lamb, succulently cooked vegetables, good apple pie with cream and
all the insufficiently praised delights of the English table. The beer is good too
and although the wine list is limited you can get a glass of wine with your meal.
At present, it is very much a pot luck restaurant - there is a set menu every day
- but the luck of the pot is well worth the trip east to Eastville.
Avon Drinker,
the magazine for public house customers produced by CAMRA.
CAMRA was formed in the
early 1970s and grew from a membership of 2,000 in 1973 to a total of 21,000 a year
later. It was a response to the replacement of real ales by gas-pressured ales by
the Big 6 breweries at the time. In September 1974 a subsidiary company, CAMRA (Real
Ale) Investments Ltd., was set up to run a chain of real ale pubs across the country.
Their first pub was the Old Fox, it was soon followed by the opening of White Gates
at Hyde, Manchester. The Fox continued to trade during its renovation and officially
opened to much publicity in October 1975 and was an instant success. It originally
had the following range of ales; Breakspears from Henley-on-Thames, Clubs from Pontyclum
and Wadsworths. It was, at the time, the most interesting range of Real Ale yet assembled
in Bristol. It is interesting to note that the two local breweries, Smiles and Butcombe,
were created at this time.
The Avon Drinker, No.2 August / September 1977, reported that the Old Fox was installing a cellar cooler, a blessing for which landlord Peter Bull will no doubt be thankful after last year’s problems. The Avon Drinker, No.3 October/November, 1977, listed the Old Fox as one of the three outlets for tickets for the Avon Beer Festival.
In August 1978, Neil Harris wrote in the Avon Drinker, A trip to the Fox is always
stimulating because it’s such an excellent boozer and, despite its ups and downs,
has always done a good job for the Campaign. The purchase of the Fox was made possible
by Courage breweries selling off their smaller uneconomic pubs.
MATTHEWS’S New Hiftory of Briftol or COMPLETE GUIDE and
BRISTOL DIRECTORY For the YEAR 1793-4
for thofe who are fond of bathing and swimming, the spacious bath and drefsing houfes, pleafant gardens and good accommodations of Mr. Rennifon, near to Stokes-croft turnpike; and the conveniences for bathing in the River Froom, at the Fox, Baptift-mills, about half a mile from Briftol.