New Inn At Coln

An Introduction

November 2002 - In its time, the “New Inn”, a superb sixteenth century coaching inn located in the beautiful village of Coln St-Aldwyns, in the Cotswolds, has been used as a malt house, a beer house and now, once more, a hostelry.  The Inn today, under the stewardship of husband and wife team – Brian and Sandra-Anne Evans – offers an inviting public house serving renowned home-cooked menus whilst providing stylish, individually decorated accommodation.

The “New” is, of course, a bit of a misnomer: - to put it into context, The “New” Inn was new when Wren was building St Paul’s.  It was born of a decree by Queen Elizabeth I that there should be a coaching inn within a day’s travel of every major centre of population, for the comfort and security of her subjects.  Twenty monarchs on, the New Inn is not really that new any more but notwithstanding its resident friendly ghost, an elderly fellow in a black cloak jangling his keys, the building is typical of the Cotswolds. 

The village together, with its neighbours of Quenington and Hatherop, form one of the most attractive (and affluent) areas in the Cotswolds.  The area was originally part of Earl St Aldwyn’s Estate.  Passing close by is the Roman road Akeman Street, which ran from Cirencester to St Albans. The New Inn is situated in the heart of the tiny village, just off the B4425, from Cirencester to Burford. The towns of Cheltenham, Oxford, Stratford and Bath are all within easy reach.

The New Inn At Coln attained national fame when in 1989, the villagers of Coln St-Aldwyns formed the Coln Society which eventually successfully overturned planning permission designed to close the New Inn down and convert it into a cluster of flats.   The success of the campaign was inspiring – it involved local dignitaries including the landowning Earl St Aldwyn, a QC, two well known authors, Sally Beauman and Joanna Trollope and every villager without exception.  Said the present Society Chairman, David Trudgill, “In saving our inn, we retained the central meeting place of the village, where all could gather and maintain a community which is village life.”  Significantly, the neighbouring villages were equally supportive.

Subsequently sold at auction, this classic sixteenth century coaching inn has since been totally refurbished whilst, with its Cotswold stone and inglenook log fires, it has retained a warm atmosphere appropriate to its long history. 

Brian and Sandra-Anne Evans bought The New Inn At Coln when it came onto the market for a second time.  The couple had first wanted to buy The New Inn when it came on the market in 1990 but unfortunately, the successful bidder put in a very high price for the Inn which was too rich for their pockets.  Unsurprisingly, it also proved too rich for the new owner and the business went into administration and back onto the market.  The couple bought it the second time around and have been successfully running the property for ten years. 

The bedrooms - fourteen in total – are individually designed and superbly appointed with en suite facilities and luxury furnishings.  Each is named after a local village – Aldsworth, Bibury and Southrop for example – and the rooms are located throughout the property - some in the original house, others in the converted stable block: some feature beamed ceilings and one even has its own garden entrance and private terrace.  Furnishings differ from room to room and Sandra-Anne has allocated a few with half tester beds and one with its own four poster.  All have telephones and televisions for those that need to keep in touch with the world.

The Inn’s restaurant serves meals that are to be savoured and remembered – both for tourists and for locals alike.  Brian and Sandra-Anne work closely with their head chef, who creates dishes that use the freshest of local ingredients, often reviving old, half-forgotten English recipes, offering them anew with modern combinations of flavour and texture.

Background on Brian and Sandra-Anne Evans, Innkeepers

Originally a stockbroker, Brian Evans lived abroad for many years and amongst the businesses he started was an extremely popular restaurant in Johannesburg, as well as an contract catering company.  His wife, Sandra-Anne, is an interior design consultant and before that, had extensive experience in conference organisation.

Press Contacts:                 Sue Lowry / Adriena Daunt / Harriet MacPhail

                                                Magellan Public Relations

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