Home > Oxfordshire > Watlington > Hare & Hounds Hare & Hounds
Date of photo: 2009	Picture source: Google Streetview
The Hare & Hounds was situated on Couching Street. This grade-II listed pub closed in 1990. John Hampden was said to have stayed at the inn the night before the Battle of Chalgrove in 1643 and to have left a chest containing money for the payment of troops in the care of the landlord, Robert Parslow, before he left. Being fatally wounded in the battle he never collected the chest. Years later Parslow set up a charity to help the poor of the town. A hotel with outbuildings and a ballroom on the first floor, latterly a Morrells pub.
Listed building details:
Inn, now hotel. Early C17, remodelled and extended c1720/30. Early C18 front of grey header bond brick with red brick dressings; gabled old tile roof; C17 brick ridge stack. Original 3-unit cross-passage plan extended c1720/30. 2 storeys; 8-window range with 4 central bays brought forward. Gauged brick flat arch and C19 flat hood over C18 eight-panelled door to left. Segmental arch over C20 Venetian window to left: gauged brick flat arches over 5 blocked windows, late C18 ground-floor sashes and c1720/30 first-floor sashes with thick glazing bars: raised red brick storey band. c1720/1730 five-bay extension to right in similar materials and style has C19 flat hood over C19 double doors with overlight, late C18 ground-floor sashes, and c1720/30 first-floor sashes with similar sash in right gable wall. C18 rear 2-storey stair-turret adjoining mid C19 two-storey lean-to with sashes. Interior: C17 three-unit range to left has chamfered beams in cellars; chamfered and stopped beams; chamfered bressumer over open fireplace to left; queen-post roof. Dog-left staircase with turned balusters and turned finials on square newel posts. Ballroom to right has dado panelling and c1720/30 fireplace.
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