The Fox & Castle, Old Windsor

Welcome to The Fox & Castle, Old Windsor

A very warm welcome from our team at the Fox & Castle, a beautiful village pub dating back to the 16^th Century situated in Old Windsor.  A charming black & white beamed building steeped in history awaits you, just a short walk from Windsor Great Park.

We pride ourselves on our warm & friendly atmosphere, creating a relaxed and peaceful haven all year round.  From cosy dinners next to our traditional log burning stoves in the winter months, to sipping cocktails in the sunshine whilst enjoying our award winning gardens in the summer, you will not be disappointed.

Wholesome pub classics make up much of our menu, alongside a variety of seasonal specials, including an array of vegetables grown in our garden. Highlights include fabulous fresh fish sourced mainly from Brixham & Newlyn markets, local game meats and a great selection of innovative plant-based options.   A children’s menu is also available and traditional roast dinners with all the trimmings served every Sunday.

All types of events and functions can be catered for at the Fox & Castle, including weddings and other large celebrations with garden marquees and heated outdoor seating.   We provide a large selection of set menus, buffet menus & drinks packages suit any occasion & budget.

Convenient stop if you are travelling to Ascot Racecourse, Legoland or Windsor Castle.  Nearest hotels are Beaumont Hotel (Beaumont Estate) and Runnymede Hotel in Runnymede-on-Thames. 

We are family and dog friendly and look forward to welcoming you soon!

Our History

No-one knows for certain the age of the Fox and Castle. It has been said that the first building on the site was ‘pre-fabricated’, in that the wooden framework was brought to the site on carts drawn by oxen, and after it was erected, the walls were filled in with wattle and daub. This seems reasonable, as this would have been a regular method of building in areas where wood was readily available. It has also been suggested that the Inn served in its earliest days to accommodate masons carrying out building at the Parish Church. If we believe this, it would tend to lend credence to the reputed age of the Inn – about 500 years, as this would tie in with the rebuilding of the church after its destruction by French mercenaries in 1216.

The Fox and Castle is adjacent to some of Old Windsor’s common land, which after the enclosures became known as Old Windsor Green This included a pond, shown in many drawings, which became a stagnant rubbish tip and was finally filled in 1920.

In the course of its history, the Fox and Castle has been owned by at least three different breweries and currently belongs to the Courage Brewery. Many landlords remained at the Inn for a considerable time. At times, the pub was simply called the Fox or the Old Fox

From 1500 onwards, the Fox and Castle seems to have served also as the village bakery – which probably not only provided bread for the village, but may well have assisted villagers by allowing them to cook their dinners in the ovens. The best documented baker was Mr Reuben Canter, who was dubbed ‘the Midnight Baker’ as he worked, as was customary until the 1950s, through the night to produce the early morning bread, which could be bought fresh for breakfast.

Mr Canter was responsible for providing bread for the poor through Village Charities, and he also supplied soup in times of hardship. The Charity of Mrs Bonnell provided money (£333.6.8d worth of 3% consols) to give a feast to 75 needy persons each Christmas. This started in 1831 and the villagers sat down on the village green outside the Fox on Christmas Eve to a meal of beef (2 lbs. Each) with plum pudding, vegetables, bread and strong beer. This continued until 1865, when it had to be discontinued because of ‘riotous behaviour’. Thereafter the food bought with the charity was distributed to the needy villagers in their homes.

At other times, the Fox & Castle was the butcher’s shop for the village; and at one time, under a publican called Cornwell, it was a Fish & Chip shop. Cornwell Close, the new road behind the pub, is named after him. At this time (possibly the 1930s), reference is made to Sunday evening cycling parties who regularly visited the Fox & Castle for suppers of crusty bread, and for the pickled onions for which the landlord’s wife, known as ‘Auntie’, ws famous. Regulars at the Fox & Castle included two brothers, one of whom was a bookie’s runner and the other a poacher; and als a man known as the ‘King of the Jewel Thieves’.

Even today, the Fox & Castle has secrets to disclose. When some building work was being done in the 1980s, a pair of small dancing shoes were discovered hidden in the chimney. There is a legend of the ghost of a little girl being seen. I was assured that at certain times, the resident German Shepherd dog showed signs of complete terror in one corner of the main bar room, and refused to go near one doorway.