The Royal Oak (Herefords)

A once popular pub on the edge of Bromyard Downs (282 acres of registered common land in the Herefordshire countryside, an area of real natural beauty with panoramic views of rolling hills and woodland), The Royal Oak is “a 300-year-old, character-filled public house that until its closure in 2020 offered a wide range of food and drink with a large, picturesque beer garden” put up for auction in late 2024. The Royal Oak appears to have new owners now, but local wildlife won’t have cause to celebrate sadly. Reporting on a meet of the Herefordshire and Clifton Hunt, Herefordshire Hunt Sabs reported that “The new owners of the Royal Oak on Bromyard Downs allowed the hunt to unbox and park up there. Fox lovers, take note should the Royal Oak reopen as a pub, which looks like it is on the cards. From here riders hacked to the meet at Buckenhill Manor, which operates as a Bed and Breakfast – another business to avoid if you care about wildlife.”