When Jim and Claire Alexander bought The Killingworth Castle at the end of 2012, it was a relief to take down what remained of the crooked, plastic brewery letters that represented the long-term neglect of a once proud and focal building in the village of Wootton. The letters’ removal also revealed the date stone (WS & K) on the front of the building as 1637, now visible next to the new signage.
It is thought that the pub was built by a Thomas Killingworth. The Killingworth family is thought to have originated from the North of England where the name crops up around the Newcastle area.
The inn was situated on the main road from London to Worcester and Aberystwyth, a veritable 17th century motorway by today’s standards.
The structure was built of local stone, quite possibly from the quarry that used to be situated just yards up the road. It is possible the building started life as a farmhouse and later became an inn as brewing beer was a common method of supplementing a farmer’s wages around that time. Also the building’s stabling was extensive, with part still retained under pub ownership and the other section now a private residence on Castle Road.
The village is known to have had up to four pubs though time. When Thomas Killingworth built his ‘castle’ down by the main ‘Woodstock Weye’ road, he mainly attracted travelling trade and villagers who used the spring across the road.
Through time the building has been changed a considerable amount, but you can still see the County Firemark on the top of the front wall of the pub: a black square that indicated that the pub had insurance. Without the mark the Fire Brigade would simply not help in an emergency: quite a comparison to today’s culture of health and safety.
1637 – Built by Thomas Killingworth.
1680 – Thomas died and the pub was run by his son William and wife, Silence.
1719 – The road was a turnpike and became important for the carriage of goods until the railways came in the 1830s.
1740s – The stable range was constructed.
1767 – Catherine Hedges is registered at the inn.
1768 – Then known as The Red Lion, the inn was listed for sale with enquiries to Mrs Hedges.
1769 – Run by Sidebotham.
1772 – Advertised to let.
1773 – Mark Higgins recorded at the Inn and the family stays until 1915 (142 years).
1780s – The left hand side of the inn was added as a self-contained cottage.
1877 – A clubroom for village functions is documented above part of the stables.
Late 18th / early 19th Century – barn was erected for malt storage and a third story added.
1919 – Belcher and Daniels became trustees.
1930s – Winston Churchill used to test his cars on drives out to the pub from Blenheim Palace. He was often accompanied by his friend and founder of the Morris Motors, William Morris.
1935 – Belcher and Habgood acquire the freehold.
1939 – Around the outbreak of WW2 the hugely popular landlady Mrs Ida Clarke took over the helm. Affectionately known as ‘Ma Clarke’ or ‘Aunty Ciss’, along with her husband Syd, they ran the business during wartime and were famous for their determination in providing beer to the locals (at the expense of selling to locally billeted soldiers). She retired in Wootton and was known to have her 100th birthday at the pub.
1944 – Morland & Co. officially take over the freehold having acquired Belcher & Habgood.
1995 – Part of the stables were converted to letting rooms
Late 1990s – Greene King Brewery bought the freehold and licensees came and went under tenancy agreements
2012 – Freehold bought by Yubby Inns, a new company formed by Claire and Jim Alexander, owners of the multi-award winning pub, restaurant and B&B, The Ebrington Arms in Ebrington near Chipping Campden. After a huge refurbishment programme, the pub is reopened in time for Christmas.
2013 – The pub is named ‘Restaurant of the Year’ by the Oxford Mail and Times. Two new dining rooms were added into the old building after new phase of renovations. The garden, that had been metres tall with weeds was landscaped and al fresco dining area created. The pub was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand and was named ‘Pub of the Year' again by the Oxford Mail.
2014
Another big renovation project ensues, with the addition of eight new ensuite letting bedrooms in the adjoining stable block.
2015
Rooms open for business and pub awarded runner-up in CAMRA North Oxon Pub of the Year.
2017
Plans to add new private dining area.
Won a Gold Star for our breakfasts and landscaped further out the front to add to our kerb appeal!
2018
Awarded our second AA Rosette for our food, ensuring we’re firmly on the road map for foodie breaks, not just for tourists heading to nearby Blenheim Palace and Bicester Village but also to local foodies and those from further afield after a UK minibreak with gastronomic delights!
Our beers went organic so not only can you eat and stay here, you can enjoy our own organic ales too!
Mini refurb before Christmas with gorgeous warm chocolate brown tones!
2019
A hugely busy year so far, we have changed the entrance into the pub to make it a safer turn into the car park.
We have been awarded 3 Stars in the Soil Association’s #OrganicServedHere awards scheme which has seen us commit to providing organic food on our menus - currently over 65% of all of our food is organic!
We’ve also had our busiest ever start to the B&B side of the season with UK and international holiday makers using the pub’s eight rooms.
2020
Well it was really a year we would rather forget as we had to close in March due to Covid19 but we started doing takeaways when we could and reopened on July 4 and had a fantastic Summer and period before Christmas before closure happened again!
We remained busy, redecorating the bedrooms, landscaping the garden area, adding a brand new, safer entrance into the car park and completely rebuilt two of the old back barns, now exciting new dining spaces.
We have retained our 2 AA Rosettes and Michelin recommendation for the third year.
2021
Started again with closure due to that damned Covid but we ran a weekend takeaway & partially reopened (outside) on 12th April. Bookings for tables and rooms opened. Sadly after everything we’d already been through with lockdowns, we suffered a bad kitchen fire in August so we operated in a temporary kitchen until December when we launched our brand new kitchen, now said to be one of the best in the whole of the UK!
We’ve been awarded ‘3rd Most Instagrammable Country Pub in the UK’. We sold our sister pub this year, The Ebrington Arms, and it’s been great to have all focus on The Killy.
2022
Nominated in the Top UK Gastropub list by Big7 and received a Gold 4 star award for our bedrooms! We retain our Michelin Recommendation and 2 AA Rosettes. The new tasting menu was launched and very successful.
2023
Finished new dry stone wall and landscaping to the pub’s frontage to make it look super smart. New front terrace which will come into its own this Summer. It’s been an amazing year with three huge notable occurances! We celebrated our 11th birthday at the pub on December 1st - no mean feat after plagues, kitchen fires and cost of living crises!!! We received our 3rd AA Rosette putting us in the top 3% of dining in the UK and in December we’ve just been listed in the UK’s Top 50 Gastropubs list - in January we will find out our position. Happy New Year!
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Thank you to local historian Sally Stradling, part time tutor in Vernacular Architecture at Oxford University (OUDCE) and Heritage Consultant /adviser on historic/listed buildings and landscapes.