Iford Manor Estate poised to take over Cross Guns Avoncliff & The Inn at Freshford

The owners of Iford Manor are hoping to give two much-loved historic pubs a new lease of life.

“We are thrilled to have had our bid accepted on The Cross Guns at Avoncliff and to be the preferred bidder and operator for The Inn at Freshford,” explained William Cartwright-Hignett, owner of Iford Manor.  “These two pubs have been in my life as long as I can remember.  They really matter to us, as does their place in our community.  I am very hopeful that my family and I can be the ones to give them the long-term futures they deserve.”

The Cross Guns has an enviable position overlooking the River Avon in the hamlet of Avoncliff.  For decades it has been a popular walking destination for tourists and locals alike, but it closed in November 2024 pending renovations.  The Avoncliff-Freshford-Iford loop from Bradford on Avon is a particular favourite for many walkers.

The Inn at Freshford is designated an Asset of Community Value, and Bath & North East Somerset council notified the local community of the vendor’s intentions on 11 February.  This gives the community six weeks to lodge an expression of interest, a process which is designed to allow communities to protect pubs and other properties in the case that no-one else wants to take them on. 

“I’ve been going to these pubs all of my life, and am looking forward to making sure I can keep them going for another 40 years… I have fond memories of long afternoons and evenings with friends, live music, great food, wellies and dogs - both of these are proper community pubs. ”  William explained.

William and Marianne Cartwright-Hignett took over the Iford Manor Estate from William’s parents in 2016, since when they have continued the restoration of the historic buildings and Grade 1 registered garden, which is open to the public in the summer and hosts an annual international Jazz Festival in June.   

They developed the Iford Manor Café & Kitchen, which has become a much-lauded venue both as a café and as a fine dining restaurant, rated Very Good in the Good Food Guide.  Open year-round, it is known for its nose-to-tail approach to food, using Estate-reared meats and local produce.  The estate’s 850 acre farm stops just 500m short of the Inn at Freshford.

Iford’s Head Chef Matt Briddon was previously at the Inn at Freshford pre-pandemic, as was Iford’s local sous-chef Amy Couldrake. Matt is excited at the prospect of a return to overseeing the food at a pub that has a special place in his heart.

Speaking about the timescales involved, William explained “Our intention is to reopen these much-loved pubs as soon as possible and get them back to serving the local community. Of course, we need to wait for the outcome of the Community Asset moratorium for Freshford; but if all goes well, we could have these two gems reopened by the end of May.”