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Fox Inn
Church Street, Wilbarston, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 8QG
Annual Rent: £22,000
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Beer Garden
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External Drinking Area
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Function Room
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Car Park
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Restaurant/Dining
Property details
The Fox Inn is a traditional country pub and restaurant situated in the village of Wilbarston, Northamptonshire, and being right in the centre of this small rural community, it sits on the historic route of the old A427. It occupies an attractive Grade II listed, ironstone building dating back mainly to the 18th century on Church Street and is conveniently located close to Wilbarston Post Office & Store and the village’s primary school. Wilbarston is a small rural village and civil parish in North Northamptonshire, about 5 miles east of Market Harborough in Leicestershire and nestled in the scenic Welland Valley. The village lies near the county border and benefits from proximity to larger towns such as Market Harborough, Corby and Kettering while retaining a quiet country character. The nearest mainline railway station is at Market Harborough, providing frequent services to London, Nottingham, and other destinations for commuters and visitors to the beautiful, picturesque area. Wilbarston had a population of roughly 746 people in 2021, reflecting only a slight decrease from earlier counts and typical of a small English village. The community is largely middle-aged, with a mix of families, working adults, and older residents, and is characterised by stable, long-term households and a relaxed, rural pace of life. With its picturesque surroundings and strong sense of neighbourliness, the village fosters a close-knit community where local institutions like The Fox Inn play a central role. The pub itself acts as a hub for socialising, dining, and events, helping to maintain Wilbarston's vibrant village spirit and communal warmth.
There is a classic rural pub layout that blends traditional charm with practical functionality, designed to cater to a variety of trading needs. Guests enter into a warm, welcoming bar area, featuring a polished wooden counter, bar stools, and a mix of tables and cosy booths along the walls. This space acts as the social hub, ideal for casual drinks, walkers, quizzes, live music, and local regulars, with clear sightlines to the taps and a lively, inviting atmosphere. Opposite the bar is a snug/sports area, slightly separated to provide a skittle zone and potential pool table space or more comfortable sofa seating. Tables are currently arranged around the main trade space to accommodate small family groups, couples, or larger parties, and the space is enhanced by rustic décor, exposed timber beams, stone walls, and soft lighting, creating a characterful, traditional village pub ambience. Towards the rear, there is a flexible events space that can be used for private bookings, everyday dining, or seasonal celebrations, enabling the pub to trade successfully beyond peak meal times. Ancillary areas such as the kitchen, storage, and toilets are discreetly located to maintain smooth operational flow without disrupting the customer experience. Overall, the layout allows The Fox Inn to operate across multiple trading streams, daytime drinks, lunchtime and evening dining, and community or private events, while preserving its cosy, traditional character and serving as a central hub for village life.
The guest accommodation consists of three en-suite letting rooms, all beautifully decorated and well kept. There is also an additional one bedroom chefs flat in the guest accommodation.
The private accommodation consists of three bedrooms, a lounge, a kitchen, and a bathroom, all in good decorative order.
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Cask Ale
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Catering Kitchen
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Team Games
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Live Sports
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Experienced Operator
Trading style
The Fox Inn operates as a traditional village pub at the heart of its community, with a strong emphasis on quality food, drink, and social connection. It offers traditional, home-cooked dishes alongside a wide range of drinks, including real ales, cask beers, spirits, wines, and soft drinks. The food menu focuses on hearty classics, popular Sunday roasts, seasonal specials, and themed dining evenings, ensuring broad appeal for both casual drinkers and dedicated diners. The pub’s flexible, multi-stream trading style allows it to serve different customer groups throughout the day. Daytime trade attracts walkers, families, and residents looking for a relaxed and welcoming stop, while lunchtime and evening service centres on dining. Evenings and weekends bring a more entertainment-led atmosphere, with quizzes, darts, music nights, and private events adding to the sense of community and sociability. Complementing the pub experience, The Fox Inn also provides comfortable guest rooms for short stays, making it appealing to visitors as well as locals. With its friendly, informal atmosphere and professional, food-led approach, The Fox Inn successfully blends traditional village charm with modern hospitality, ensuring it remains a vibrant hub of village life while maximising trade across multiple streams.
An experienced licensee or couple at The Fox Inn would be ideal to be able to potentially modernise and strengthen trade while maintaining the pub’s traditional village character. By maximising multi-stream trading, the pub could attract daytime visitors with coffee, brunch, or light lunches, maintain a hearty and seasonal menu for lunchtime and evening diners, and expand evening and weekend trade through quizzes, live music, themed nights, and private events. Enhancing its role as a community hub, the licensee could host local events, partner with nearby suppliers for locally sourced food and drinks and engage the community through social media and newsletters. Excellent standards for comfort and flexibility, promoting the guest rooms, and maintaining a friendly, welcoming service have been very successful ways of working in the site currently, and anyone new to the pub would do well to continue this experience. Strategic marketing, including promoting seasonal menus, Sunday roasts, and collaborating with local tourism initiatives, could attract visitors from surrounding areas. Overall, new licensees could build on The Fox Inn’s existing strengths to create a versatile, community-focused pub that trades successfully across all dayparts while preserving its warm, traditional charm.
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