Russell Brand’s abandoned pub set to reopen under new ownership

Russell Brand’s abandoned village pub is set to reopen under new ownership next month.Brand, 51, was sentenced to ten and a half years in prison on Monday after being was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.The disgraced comedian had spent years trying to turn The Crown Inn, in Pishill, Oxfordshire, into a media space for his podcast show, after buying it for £850,000 in June 2021.Brand had faced planning disputes and backlash from locals as he unsuccessfully applied to the local council to convert it into offices and a recording studio.The Crown Inn in PishillGoogle MapsMore than 50 villagers objected to Brand’s plans, with 20 residents staging a protest against the redevelopment.In the meantime, the pub had essentially been left to rot for five years, with the bar sitting empty and the garden overgrown.The main area of the boozer is now being refurnished before the doors open fully on December 5, according to the pub’s website.Russell Brand was jailed for 10 and a half years (James Manning/PA)PA WireIt is being reinvented as a heritage pub which offers “an experience that flows naturally between dining, celebration, rest, and renewal”.The pub will have a Thai and English-fused menu, while the thatched barn will be an event space for weddings and celebrations.There will also be luxury accommodation, with a cottage on site being converted for overnight stays alongside “Wild Spa” offering outdoor saunas, ice baths and forest bathing.Read MoreFollowing his sentencing, Brand is now facing multiple fresh allegations, with six more women accusing him of sexual misconduct and predatory behaviour.He is currently serving time at HMP Wandsworth in south London.