The Group had its first outing of 2025 on 3rd February when eight members met at Sturdy’s Castle, on the Banbury Road from Kidlington. Some of us had never been there before, others remembered it as “the Spud Pub”, many years ago, when people came from far and wide to sample huge jacket potatoes with a range of fillings, which were then quite a novelty.  Some asked where the castle, after which the pub was named, had been situated.

An explanation can be found on a Website called “Dark Oxfordshire”, which states:    

“The name of the Sturdy’s Castle public house may seem strange given the lack of a castle nearby, but it makes more sense once you learn the rather macabre local legend that inspired it. There has been an inn on this site since at least the 18th century. Originally it had the rather uninspiring name of ‘the Hut’, but was renamed in 1790, inspired by a local conflict.
The legend states that two men named Sturdy and Castle fought to the death close to this location. The reason for their conflict is lost to history, but it seems that a dispute over land was a likely cause for their disagreement.”

It goes on to say that whilst Mr Sturdy was the ultimate victor, killing Mr Castle outright, his celebrations were short-lived, as he was soon arrested for murder. It is said that he was hanged on the very spot where the pub now stands.

Source: ‘Curious Oxfordshire’ by Roger Long (Sutton Publishing, 2008, ISBN: 9780750949576) Anyway, the pub is now a modern, bright and comfortable place, offering both traditional British food and Indian cuisine. We all enjoyed our visit and agreed that we would like to return.