The Old Fox closed on 15 May 2004 and is now used as bedsit housing. Driven past many thousand of times every day by people on the M32.
Here is some history of the pub:
An imposing three-story building of c.1700, this inn, situated close to the river Frome, now covered by the M32 motorway is famous for it’s connection with Dr. W. G. Grace, Easton doctor and father of international cricket in the period, c.1870-1915, and who used to drink here occasionally, after cricket fixtures at the Gloucestershire County Cricket Ground, in nearby Horfield and elsewhere, before returning to his Surgery nearby, at 59 Stapleton Road.
in 1966, Bristol News wrote: The Old Fox in Fox Road, Eastville, Bristol, is in Bristol’s east end, tucked in off the main road to the north-east on the way out of town. Under the recently acquired managership of Harry and Maureen Campbell, it has acquired a reputation for being one of the best pubs in which to have a hot lunch in the city. Following the sophisticated London trend of making the East End a popular good-value eating district, the Campbells provide a three-course, 8/6d traditional British lunch, generously served and of the kind of quality which is attracting hungry top executives from all over Bristol. The bar-restaurant is most attractive, decorated with wrought iron and brasses. Harry Campbell’s service is cheerful and efficiently unobtrusive and his wife’s cooking is first class and ample. This is the place for roast beef, roast pork and lamb, succulently cooked vegetables, good apple pie with cream and all the insufficiently praised delights of the English table. The beer is good too and although the wine list is limited you can get a glass of wine with your meal. At present, it is very much a pot luck restaurant - there is a set menu every day - but the luck of the pot is well worth the trip east to Eastville.
In September 1974 a subsidiary company, CAMRA (Real Ale) Investments Ltd., was set up to run a chain of real ale pubs across the country. Their first pub was the Old Fox, it was soon followed by the opening of White Gates at Hyde, Manchester. The Fox continued to trade during its renovation and officially opened to much publicity in October 1975 and was an instant success. It originally had the following range of ales; Breakspears from Henley-on-Thames, Clubs from Pontyclum and Wadsworths. It was, at the time, the most interesting range of Real Ale yet assembled in Bristol. It is interesting to note that the two local breweries, Smiles and Butcombe, were created at this time. The purchase of the Fox was made possible by Courage breweries selling off their smaller uneconomic pubs.
Some of the old landlords:
1837 Samuel Stocker / 1839 - 43. William Watkins / 1844 to 1855. John Harris snr / 1861. Joseph Reynolds / 1865. William Thomas
1867 - 69. William Thomas (jnr) / 1879. George Pomphrey / 1881 - 96. Francis Pomphrey / 1899 - 1909. Walter Nott
1914 - 17. William Grindell / 1921 - 44. Tilly Adams / 1950. Victor Cue / 1953. Frederick Slater / 1960. R. C. Gill
