Real ale enthusiasts in Oxfordshire are drawing up a list of pubs which have closed.

A growing number of pub landlords are deciding they can no longer make it worthwhile running a business as energy costs and other costs are hitting profit margins.

Pub closures which have recently been highlighted by the Oxford branch of real ale enthusiasts CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) include The White Hart at Wytham, The Prince of Wales in Iffley and the Old Anchor Inn in Abingdon.

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Now Dave Richardson has listed more village pubs which he would like to see reopen soon.

They are: The Bat & Ball in Cuddesdon, The Crown in Marcham, The Crown in Stadhampton; The Plough in Appleton and The Blacks Head Inn in Bletchingdon.

Mr Richardson said: "It's always sad when a village loses its only pub, and that is happening to an increasing number in Oxfordshire including Marcham, Stadhampton, Appleton and now Cuddesdon.

Oxford Mail:

"We can only hope that pub companies such as Admiral, which owns the Bat and Ball, will show some patience and flexibility as this is such a difficult time to run a pub.

"Better times are hopefully coming, but some villages may be without a pub for quite a long time.

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"If this is the case then villagers should consider community ownership, and there's lots of advice on the CAMRA website about how to go about this."

One pub which looks set to be taken over by a community group is The Crown in Marcham.

The pub in Packhorse Lane was put up for sale for £425,000 earlier this year.

A steering group in the village has applied to make the pub an ‘Asset of Community Value’.

Oxford Mail: The Crown at Stadhampton

Neil Rowe, on behalf of the residents' group steering committee, said the Vale council has until May 19 to determine if a Valued Community Asset Order should be granted.

He added: "The site is still under offer from a developer but the sale has yet to complete.

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"If the order is granted it would remain in place whoever owns the freehold.

"This will give the community a voice over future use of the site and any subsequent planning application for at least five years."

Oxford Mail:

Mr Rowe said if the application was successful the steering group will 'reach out to the current owners and the developers to discuss the options and the best way forward for all all parties'.

The Blacks Head Inn closed in January due to the cost of living crisis and has not yet reopened.

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

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