Location: 27 Henley Road, Shillingford
The New Inn stood on Henley Road in Shillingford and was one of the most substantial public houses in the village. During the early 1970s, under the tenancy of Vernon Rich, the name was changed from The New Inn to The Kingfisher Inn. Although the building is now listed as a small hotel, it is no longer open to the public for food or drink.
The building dates from the early to mid-eighteenth century and was constructed in Flemish bond brickwork with a tiled roof. A prominent brick chimney stack rises on the right-hand elevation. Originally, access was through a central, porch-fronted doorway on the main elevation; this was removed during mid-twentieth-century alterations, after which access was taken from Wharf Road. Later renovations included the rendering of all external brickwork. Two dormer windows are set into the roof, which was raised during the twentieth century to increase accommodation, with the dormers brought forward as part of these alterations. More recent additions include guest accommodation extending alongside Wharf Road.
These photos show the raised roof and dormers brought forward
The earliest recorded licensee is Jonathan Butler, whose licence was granted in 1753 at the Petty Sessions for the Hundreds of Ewelme.
From 1768 until 1815, the New Inn was operated by members of the Bannister (also recorded as Banister) family. This long association ended abruptly following a tragic domestic murder. James Bannister, a butcher by trade, murdered his wife Mary in their home. He was arrested, committed to Oxford Gaol, tried, and subsequently executed. Contemporary newspaper accounts detail the circumstances of the crime, trial, and sentence:
15th July 1815, Jackson’s Oxford Journal
Like much of Shillingford, the New Inn was periodically affected by flooding from the River Thames. A significant flood occurred in 1894, when the building was inundated, an event fully reported in the local press:
November 1894, Berks & Oxon Advertiser
From 1888 until 1916, the New Inn was run by the Bailey family. Alfred Bailey became licensee in 1888 and remained in charge until his death in 1899, aged sixty-one. His son Joshua Bailey succeeded him. The 1911 census records Joshua as head of household, assisted by his brother Herbert, listed as a waiter, and their sister Mary Ann, described as an assistant. Also residing at the inn was Frederick Charles Beisley, married to Eliza, Joshua’s elder sister. Frederick later assumed the tenancy.
During this period, the New Inn was well regarded locally for its food and hospitality. In 1908, the brewery constructed a 40-seat function hall, which was extensively used for meetings, dinners, and social events, as evidenced by numerous newspaper reports.
Following Joshua Bailey’s death, Frederick Beisley formally took over the tenancy in 1917, running the inn with his wife Eliza. Frederick died in 1936, aged sixty-four. His funeral at St Laurence Church was widely attended; he had been a member of the church choir for forty-five years, and the choir sang at his service.
Oxford Journal, 7th April 1888
Theft from the New Inn:
Oxford Chronicle & Reading Gazette, 27th April 1895
Brewery improvements to the New Inn, featured a new function room seating 40 people:
Berks & Oxon Advertiser, 10th July 1908
Henley & South Oxfordshire Standard, January 1912
Frederick Beisley took over tenancy with his wife, Eliza in 1917 following the death of Joshua Bailey:
The New Inn was sold to Ushers of Abingdon in 1928
Oxon & Berks Chronicle, 1928
Smoking Concerts
As with the Nag’s Head in Warborough, the New Inn held Smoking Concerts. These were generally gentlemen’s evenings and were often a means to fund-raise. An extension to normal licencing hours shows Joshua Bailey’s application:
The British Legion held their annual meeting and Smoking Concert with many of the village (male) notables in attendance including the Vicar of St Lawrence and Richard ‘Dickie’ Warburton of Shillingford Farm:
British Legion Function, 1928
British Legion & Smoking Concert, 2nd December 1938, Berks & Oxon Gazette
New Inn with George to the left, 1916
New Inn, towards Oxford, 1930
Advert: 22nd August 1970, Reading Evening Post
The New Inn finally ceased trading as a public house in the early 2000s, when the owners, Alexis and Mayumi Somarakis, chose to concentrate on the accommodation business. The building continues to operate as a hotel, marking a transition from public house to private hospitality use.
Kingfisher Inn as a hotel, c2020
Publicans & Tenants:
Jonathan & Mary Butler 1753-1759
Francis & Mary Symonds 1760-1767
William Banister 1768-1789
James & Mary Banister 1790-1815
Thomas Box 1815-1822
William Calley 1847-1850
Henry Davis 1851-1875
Henry Turner 1876-1888
Alfred Bailey 1888-1899
Joshua Bailey 1900-1916
Frederick C Beisley 1917-1936
James L Meager 1936-1938
Clement A Kopp 1939-1939
Stanley Hillier 1940-1952
Ralph A Woods 1957-1967
C W Hancock 1970-1973
Vernon & Doreen Rich 1974-1991
George & Mabel Somarakis 1992-1998
Alexis & Mayumi Somarakis 1999-
Ceased Trading as a Public House & is listed as a small hotel
Researched by David Seymour, January 2026