Back in the early 1900’s Ogbourne St Andrew originally had two adjoining pubs, or rather an inn ‘The Wheatsheaf’ (now known The Silks on the Downs) and a beer house ‘The Axe & Compass’. It would seem that the operation of the beer house ended by 1937.
By the 1950's, the Axe & Compass was being used for rented accommodation until Ushers Brewery (owners of The Wheatsheaf) acquired the property and, as coach and motor car custom was expanding rapidly at that time, the old beer house was demolished to make way for the car park.
Now in the Silks on The Downs, working with our local history group, we have curated a timeline of the pub as well as many of the walls featuring historic photos. Come see us and check it out!
If exploring your is your things you can also combine a walk/jog cycle and visit some of the historic sites near to the Silks on the Downs during your visit.