Some of you expressed astonishment after my last post, that a dog was allowed into a pub in England. I checked to see what the policy is regarding dogs in such establishments, and found that there are no restrictions preventing dogs from being in areas where food is being served as long as the individual business puts in place measures to prevent a dog from having access to the kitchen and food storage areas.
The historic Fox Inn is where sixteen of our family enjoyed a delicious five course Christmas lunch. It was formerly a late 17th century cottage, and an 18th century attached house, which served as the parish ‘Poor House’ before becoming an ale house.
At the front, it has what is known as a ‘Catslide’ roof where the end extends almost to the ground. This conjures up a very funny picture in my mind, of cats having lots of fun at night, sliding down the roof.
The Fox currently has a resident dog, a three-legged B&W Collie, who gets lots of love and attention from the customers, including my two grandchildren.
On Christmas morning there was a large gathering of locals waiting to see the horse which was due to come into and right through the pub. This tradition has something to do with keeping the bridle path open to the public, and so I was told, dates back to the 16th or 17th century.
He was extremely well-behaved and ridden by a young girl who kindly posed outside for photos.
I still have a few more photos from Christmas, but they will have to wait for another day. Right now, I have to get out of my house, as our realtor is coming to show someone around. Think I’ll go and hang out at the gym, so I’ll catch up with you all later.
anotherdayinparadise 
Very beautiful pictures..! 🍁
I loved the lobster lunch your daughter ordered in your later post but this one is sooo quintessentially country village!
Yes, I so agree with you. English customs and traditions can be really quirky. 🙂
I would love to take you on vacation with me so that I could have such lovely photos to share!🙃
Haha. I’m sure we’d have lots of fun together, Lorna. 🙂
Yup! 🙂
How nice to witness such a lovely tradition, Sylvia!
Yes, it was an added bonus to our lovely visit. 🙂
I got a kick out of the horse tradition, Sylvia — love the photos. 😀
Thanks so much, Jet. Luckily none of the pub patrons got a kick from the horse. 😀
These two beautiful blonds are your grandchildren? I’m not surprised 😀 What a joy it must be to ride a horse on Christmas. Looking forward to the sequel. 🙂
Thanks, Paula, although I’m not sure that my 16-year-old grandson would enjoy being called a beautiful blonde. 😀
Well, I hope he won’t read it then 😆
I can assure you that he won’t. 😄
I’m relieved, but he is still a very handsome blond 🙂
😘
Of course animals are as important as people in UK so no way are they going to be left out in the cold. Not so liberal minded over here in Australia, though some country places allow dogs in the outside dining areas. Lovely photo of your beautiful Granddaughters.
Yes, the British are really very fond of their pets. btw, The grandchild with the long darker hair is my 16-year-old grandson. He’s going through the ‘I won’t cut my hair’ phase. 😀
Oops!!!
Not to worry, Pauline. If I didn’t know better, I might also make the same mistake. 😃
Some old customs are bizarre but I guess this one is really rather quaint I’m sure the young lady will in future years enjoy telling of the Christmas morning she rode into the pub 🙂
A lovely gathering of the family then Sylvia and a little blue sky on the day too – marvellous .
Hope all goes well with the realtor visits !
How funny, I had to do a double-take! I can’t imagine, but great story telling. You guys really had many neat adventures this holiday travel.
hahahahaha – because a dog in the pub didn’t cause enough of a reaction – let’s just Go Big or Go Home with the horse!! That is awesome! I love the differences in culture all around me!
Glad you enjoyed this sequel, Kate. I guess if you’d been there at the time, you would have asked someone, “Did that just happen?” 😀
Oh dear, the cat slide roof brought to mind a rugby ditty I was told some years ago….
😳😃
It is nice to know that some remnants of sense remain in that over-regulated country. I suppose that here people would abuse such privileges by allowing pets to wander or poop unchecked.
Hehehe Yes, I ‘m sure you’re right, Col. If certain people can throw it, why restrain the pets? 😕
Danke wunderschöne Bilder ich wünsche dir einen schönen Mittwoch liebe Grüße und Umarmung Gislinde
Thnks so much, Gislinde. Happy Wednesday to you. 🙂 xx
I say they need to change the tradition into an elephant instead of a horse to make it more exciting. 😀 Also, they should call that roof a “Rommelslide” from now on. 😀 😀 😀 HNY, Syl.
Hahaha You really made me laugh this morning, Rommel. I’m sure you’d enjoy sliding down that roof. An elephant wouldn’t fit through the narrow, low doorway of the old pub. Even my brother-in-law had to keep his head down. 🙂
Happy New Year to you dear Friend !
Thanks so much, Stefan. 🙂
I’m feeling very left out in this house sale business! I’ve lived in this one for 27 years, owned one in the Algarve for 11, and had a little street house in Hartlepool for about 10 years before that. Further back my memory doesn’t go 🙂 And you use a realtor, rather than show people round yourself? Love the pub and it’s sliding cats 🙂
Oh yes, some of us rolling stones gather no moss and don’t let the grass grow under our feet. 😀 I think it must be rather nice to have lived for so long in one place, Jo. At least you get to know the locals and all the goings on. Maybe in the next reincarnation, I’ll give it a try. Hubby’s sister and husband have lived in the same country cottage for over 50 years. Unfortunately realtors are the way to go here. They put your house on their internet site and then people fly down from New York to have a closer look. Got another lot coming today, plus the ones who came yesterday want a second visit. Sounds hopeful, but hubby better get his skates on with the renovations. 🙂
What a wonderful and unique place to celebrate your Christmas dinner, Sylvia! The people seem very welcoming and warm. The exterior is how I picture old English pubs or inns. The dog is so friendly looking and a pretty black and white. The horse is so regal and well groomed. Thank you again for sharing another photo from England, Sylvia. Happy Hump day!
Happy Hump Day to you too, Robin. Glad you enjoyed my photos. 🙂 xx
Would love to know who all passed through those doors over the years!
Oh yes, I’m sure it would be a fascinating parade indeed to watch. 😕
Keep well in 2016!
Thank you. I’ll do my best. 😃
Lovely pictures of the places and people at the place. I really like the last picture of the young girl on the horse back. She is so cute.
Thanks so much, YC. She was very cute indeed. 😃
Love pubs and the English way of letting animals around the house. When I met up with blogger friend Seonaid( at Breathofgreenair), all three dogs were at our feet inside the pub. Love it. We are far too restrictive in Sweden.
I agree with you, Ann Christine. Dogs are part of the family and love to be with their owners, and as long as they’re well behaved, I don’t see any harm in allowing them inside.
Lovely photos and post, I didn’t know about the tradition of a horse trotting through the pub…very interesting. We were in England last year, and we couldn’t get over how good the food was in pubs….lovely when you are travelling to have some hearty winter food.
Thanks so much, Gerrie. we had a fabulous Christmas lunch. We’d all made our choices online, and the main courses ranged from traditional turkey to lobster, and everything in between. We ate there several time during the week and I always enjoyed what I had. 🙂
Awww what a nice story! I love the pictures. In the Netherlands I often see dogs in restaurants and I think it’s very sweet. I’m happy to know the entire family can be there together, for a special meal 🙂
Thanks, Lucy. We did have a great Christmas all together. 🙂
What a beautiful place to spend Christmas.
Yes it really was, Debra. 🙂
Dogs yes of course, but so far I haven’t seen a horse inside a pub!
Well, I’m sure the horse will be there next Christmas day, Gilly. You’ll have to make a plan. 🙂
What a charming place for Christmas lunch! I remember dogs being allowed in restaurants when I visited Germany in the 1970s. Being from the U.S., this shocked me, but I remember thinking how well behaved those pets were. I’m not sure American dogs would be so quiet 🙂
Yes it really was the perfect place for Christmas lunch, Carol.I remember being in a restaurant in Amsterdam. The table was quite big, and a stranger and his dog came and joined us. It was very casual seating in there. 🙂 The dog was very well behaved, but I kept feeling his wet nose against my leg.
Yes, I’d forgotten about the communal seating, which we generally don’t have in the U.S. So the stranger was welcome but the wet nose ~ not so much?
Hahaha. I didn’t really mind, as long as he didn’t bite my ankle. 🙂
I love those old inns. Beautiful building. And how fascinating it is with that tradition with the horse. 😊
Me too, Inga. Glad you enjoyed my photos and story. 🙂
Fine to read you spent Christmas with all your family in this nice Fox Inn.
Thanks, Marylou. It was a lot of fun. 🙂
Love the horse riding through. 🙂 Glad you had a nice family holiday.
Thanks so much, Judy. 🙂
What a gorgeous old building.
Yes it really is, and they do excellent food. We ate there a few times during our stay. 🙂
Oh, my word, Sylvia, you were visiting my county in the UK over Christmas and I never realised — albeit the other side of the county but still not that far away. I thought I recognised the pub!
Well it’s a small world, Sarah. Maybe next time we’re over, we should meet up. 😃
That would be good, Sylvia 🙂
What a great looking building Sylvia.
It’s funny ,things are so laid back in Fl. You get use to seeing dogs going into certain restaurants . The first time we ever went to KW , we couldn’t believe it. And we are animals lovers . Now NYS has passed a law where dogs are allowed in certain eating establishments .
I love your X.mas photos, looking forward to seeing more. We really are looking forward to visiting our friends in the near future…in Merry olde England :)!
Ok, don’t work to hard at the gym, gotta go finish my packing. For Fl.;)
Thanks, Kathy. Yes KW is very laid back and casual. I would think that the dogs in bars are better behaved than some of the humans. 😃 Got more folk coming to look at our house tomorrow, plus the ones who came today. Keeps me on my toes with house tidying and hiding stuff from view. 😍
Well.. That’s a good thing;) .. Sorta;)) at least u don’t have a dog to take with you each time lol
What a beautiful place. It seems so warm and inviting. At first, I thought that was you in the photo of your granddaughters, Sylvia.
Thanks, Jill. My granddaughter is only 20, so I’ll take the compliment. 😘 The one with the dark long hair is my grandson. He’s going through his Samson phase and wants to grow his hair for ever. 😳
Looks like a place full of atmosphere, they can be so charming – very well captured… 🙂
Thanks, Drake. 😃
Yes, I am always amazed and pleased to see so many pooches in the English Pubs! I didn’t know about the “Catslide” roof. What a lovely tradition to maintain! Where is the Fox Inn located?
Thanks so much. The Fox Inn is in Bucks Green, a tiny village in Rudgwick West Sussex.
This is fantastic! There is a tradition with our football team that if they get into the Grey Cup a horse is paraded into the lobby where the team is staying. Not always so warmly welcomed depending on the host city. 🙂
Hahaha Yes, I can imagine there could be a few eyebrows raised, Sue. 🙂
Now you know why we insisted on having the public footpath, that was still shown as passing through the garden of the house we are trying to buy, moved! Great post Sylvia, highlighting the eccentricities of the English 😀
Hehehe Yes. I’m sure you wouldn’t want people trekking through your property, on horseback or otherwise. 😯
One of the things I missed the most living in CA were the old pubs like this. How wonderful to have spent Christmas Day at this one. Love the horse going through the bar! I’m glad we don’t have a bridle trail going through our back garden as some places still do, but then if I lived in the country with a big enough piece of land, maybe I wouldn’t be so bothered 😉 You can see how wet it is here…still no frost…! xx
Yes, I also love the old English pubs, Sherri. I sometimes think I wouldn’t mind moving back to England, except for the weather. 🙂 My granddaughter is studying at York St. John University. It’ s her first British winter, and she’s not absolutely enthralled with all the rain they’ve had. 😯
This winter has been horrible, just rain, rain and more rain. It’s been horrendouse up north with the flooding, and although here in the west country we haven’t had anything like the awful floods of two years ago, the Somerset Levels once again look like lakes. Our usual walking place is under water once again. I long for a proper winter, frost, snow, ice. It’s not healthy having all this wet and mild temps. Even our grass is still growing!!! I hope your granddaughter gets to experience a proper English winter soon…just not in the wrong month, say May, which knowing our great British weather, isn’t impossible, lol 🙂 And Sylvia, I would love it if you moved back here… 🙂 xo
Glad the horse was house trained! Looks like a lovely pub.
Must say that was MY initial thought Anabel 😀
Yup – could have been shovels at the ready otherwise!
Heehee…
I’m sure they timed it well, between ablutions. 😀
The Inn looks perfect for a Christmas dinner!
Yes it was, and so cosy too. The ambience was perfect and everyone had a great time. 🙂
Lol just too funny S-
Glad I made you smile, Cheryl. 🙂
You always do my friend from the UK!!!
Love old traditions and personally have no problem dining with pooches. Good luck with the house sale. That must mean the remodel is getting close to completion.
Thanks, Ingrid. No, the remodel is still nowhere near completion, but it’s coming on. If we sell quickly, we’ll have to make a plan. The people who saw our villa today, absolutely loved it and are coming again tomorrow, as well as another family. So it seems to be ‘all go’. 🙂
Seems to be more and more restaurants accepting dogs nowadays. As long as they are far from me, I can deal with it 😛 Looks like you had lots of fun, good luck with the house and a very very happy new year to you all X
Thanks so much, Estelea. Same to you and your family. 🙂
What fun! Looks like a wonderful celebration with family. Love the horse!
Thanks, Ruth. We did have an absolute ball. 🙂
You sell more houses than we do, and we used to be fast! The dog rules are amazing! Of which, naturally I am in favour. Horses too. Dogs and horses are far nicer than plenty of people.
Love historic England. Hate the current system though 😦
This will only be the seventh house we’ve sold in almost 50 years. Not so bad. 😅
Ah, we’ve had eight I think. But not sold them all! Got to live somewhere. Although, in 30 years …
I forgot about the ones we used to rent out but didn’t live in. That would bring the number to about 14. 😳
You win!
I bought nine houses over the last 37 years and sold five during the same period – – I have also lived in Norway for three years, but it was a rented house – never before thought about how many houses I have bought… 😀