Russell Brand’s rotting pub to reopen after never serving a single pint

Detailed summary

He sold the pub for £975k after letting it fall into disrepair.

For the last five years, it’s been unkempt and unused, but Russell Brand’s abandoned pub is finally going to reopen its doors.

The now-convicted rapist, 51, bought The Crown Inn in Pishill, Oxfordshire, in December 2021 for £850,000 before selling it off in April 2026.

Under Brand’s ownership, the 17th-century establishment never sold a single pint, as he intended to convert the garage into a ‘conspiracy hub’ for recording his podcast.

Unfortunately for the sex offender, his attempts were unsuccessful, and he faced planning disagreements and the wrath of locals.

Now behind bars after being found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault committed between 2004 and 2009, what happens to the pub is the least of Brand’s worries.

But after being sold to John Bloomer for £975k, the 600-year-old building is in the final stages of its revamp.

The Crown Inn has revealed it will reopen to the public on December 5 following a ‘short winter break’.

Bloomer and his wife, Jane, held a pop-up at the pub’s thatched barn in summer, which proved a hit while the rest of the building underwent refurbishments.

The main area is now getting its finishing touches, with the inn’s website confirming: ‘We’re finishing the renovation of the main pub and reopen there on December 5, Thursday to Sunday.

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