The Fox Inn

Guesthouse

We have just got back from an amazing weekend away at The Fox at Ansty, it was wonderful.
From arriving on Friday and being met by Ali until departing this morning.
Well done Rob and Will for making the pub such a delight, Saturday afternoon they had a sheep shearing competition and live music Saturday night.
The food is amazing and served by Joly, Becca Clem and Carly (sorry if I have left anyone out) and a special thanks to the chefs.
Such an amazing atmosphere, we will definitely be going back.

Lovely relaxing atmosphere, super food and very friendly staff. First time there, will be back for sure 👍🏻

What a wonderful overnight stay we’ve just had. From the moment we arrived we were made to feel welcome. All the staff couldn’t do enough for us. The room was clean and cosy — the bed was amazingly comfortable and food was delicious and well priced. Our dog was welcomed as well as we were. A special thank you to Carly who served us at the bar and our food in the restaurant in the evening as well as at breakfast — she was lovely, polite and attentive, nothing was too much, also great at keeping the log burner going too! Will DEFINATELY be back.

Delicious Sunday roast today. The roast beef was so tender it was like cutting butter. Great roasties, Yorkshire pud and a great selection of perfectly cooked veg. 10/10

Just spent two nights here with my dog and had a wonderful time, the rooms are beautiful, the food fantastic and all reasonably priced. The only thing that is not recommended is the general managers attitude — disappointing to be treated with impatience when you are a guest. All other staff very nice.

We ate here whilst on holiday. Staff were friendly. Food was OK. I had burger it was nice but a little dry.

It looks like a grand country house but the public areas inside are more like a Toby's Carvery. Really it is just that — 90% dining tables. It feels like the owners are sweating their assets. The 10% left accounts for the front room. This is actually nicely done but seats so few that you need to get there early. It is also the only area where you can get Wi-Fi. The coffee machine is inadequate for somewhere with so many covers. The staff were lovely and did their best under difficult conditions. The food (Sunday carvery) was inexpensive and plentiful. We ascertained from locals that for Sunday lunch, this should be a last resort.

We had a great stay here. Friendly staff, comfortable beds and nice food. The homemade steak and ale pie was really good. Small detail but could do with offering a few more upmarket wines on restaurant menu (not posh just better quality). Overall we recommend it.

Where to start. The building is an amazing place in amazing setting. The staff are a young team but boy they know how to run it. Food there was great quality and the room was very comfortable considering the heat we experienced. Nothing seemed to be too much trouble for the team. The dogs were welcomed into the building with open arms. Elliot and Lucy were very attentive and kind. They just bent over backwards to ensure we had a pleasant stay. Will definitely be back.

Not as good as it used to be. Very dirty high chair. Only one ale on tap? Isn't this a Hall and Woodhouse Pub? The brewery started across the road! Waiters all seemed stressed and confused. Food was nice but atmosphere and service were very poor.

Good, tasty food, well-presented. Friendly staff and a beautiful back garden. A lovely spot.

First time back to this pub in 30 odd years! Very warm and friendly welcome. Yes the place has changed but all for the good. Lunch was great. Will be back to try the Carvery!

Great country pub in the heart of Dorset. Classic English food options available such as ham egg and chips, sausage and mash. The beer is from the Hall and Woodhouse brewery. There are plenty of rambling/walking opportunities near the pub. Disabled access is decent. There is certainly a lot of seating both inside, in front and outside. Parking is also plentiful. Pricing is what you would expect for a country pub.

Nice old pub, good food, attentive staff, rooms a bit worn but clean. Very quiet and peaceful. A pleasant experience.

DFL 'visiting mum', Monday night here was quiet, relaxed, with friendly staff, great menu and surprisingly high standard of food. Excellent.

The Fox is one of our local pubs and we've visited for a meal occasionally, but haven't been for while. We booked a table for early evening by email, which was confirmed in due course. The staff were nice and friendly and the main courses were really nice. Good quality and sensible portion sizes. After the main course, we ordered dessert. We were told there would be a 10 minute wait for these as they needed to be made (Waffles and chocolate fudge cake in this case). Not a problem, we thought. After half an hour, the desserts arrived. We'd almost given up on them! The fudge cake was OK, quite tasty and very rich, but both of the servings of waffles were pretty much stone cold — a bit like eating cardboard. Unfortunately, they were pretty much inedible. The staff were apologetic and didn't charge for the waffles. It's a real shame, because all the other parts of the meal were very good, but the huge delay and poor quality of the desserts was a real let-down. At £55 for 3 people, (no alcoholic drinks), the prices are around the norm for pub dining. We'll try again in the future I'm sure, and hopefully be able to rate it a bit higher. (The cheesecake we bought in the shop on the way home was lovely! )

I've stayed here a number of times nice place but each time I've stayed it's changed hands. Just keep an eye on what your being charged. Luckily I had printed out my booking receipt before I stayed as proof of what I had booked. Other wise I was going to be charged for breakfast as an extra.

Really nice decor and atmosphere, staff efficient and attentive. Was there in a big group of 30 for the Sunday carvery. Food was good, but the vegetarians had to wait along time for their pies and so we got the dreggs of the vegetables in the carvery which were not replenished as we were the last ones in the whole pub to eat it seemed (even though when we arrived we were one of the first). Just a note for improvement in timings would have made it a 5 star review.

Nice local which tries hard with its food (great Sunday carvery! ). Very friendly staff, local feel and lovely interior with modern elements. Oh, and very cool and mellow live music was playing last time we ate there — perfect backdrop to a sunny lunchtime meal!

Great pub, with really nice service in a quiet and beautiful location.

A lovely public house set in the heart of the Dorset countryside. We booked here as part of a very large family early Christmas get together (in mid November! ). The setting was filled with historic information about the brewery and had some fantastic wall displays. The staff were very friendly and welcomed us with a good selection of drinks at the bar. The kids had fun in the garden whilst this adults enjoyed the atmosphere in the bar area. Once sat down in the function room, we enjoyed a fantastic Christmas meal with all the trimmings. Whilst the service wasn't lightning quick due the size of our party (32), the team did a good job. The food was hot and was really tasty. i would have liked a lot more time to explore the house and didn't get the chance to visit the original brewery. Will definitely come back again.

Great pub, good service, lovely food, friendly staff.

A lovely quaint establishment. Dog friendly throughout with gardens accessible 24hrs for convenience. Very friendly staff keen to help and make your stay a pleasure. The restaurant provides enjoyable good quality food and even a take away menu for pizza. The location is very quiet and remote, ideal for touring or walking. Suggested local walks from the fox inn are provided in a well thought out booklet guide with maps and written instructions. Be aware that due to the rural location it can be extremely dark outside at night and the mobile phone signal is poor to non existent. The fox inn Wi-Fi is also almost non existent and unobtainable in rooms so be prepared for isolation. All in all a lovely stay in a lovely inn in a lovely setting.

Lovely old building; the home of the Woodhouse brewery family for many years I believe.

A country pub with a difference, large dining rooms and gardens front and rear, oldy worldy decor with ample parking. Live tasteful music on the Sunday we visited. Highly recommended, try "The Hot One" pizza!

A lovely quiet location, fabulous food, beautiful rooms I highly recommend it and will be booking my next years stay there.

New owners have done a great job on the Sunday carvery. Redecorating has been done and it's a warm friendlier place. Live pianist was playing for lunch which made it a great atmosphere. Don't forget desert :-)

Nice old school hotel/ inn. They were changing their software system when we were there and were struggling a little at one point but lovely staff and exceptional food. Great dinner and the best breakfast I have ever had with homemade bread.

Staff were genuinely lovely and helped my disabled mother to and from the car in a very caring manner. Food however was only adequate and overpriced. The establishment is in a period of transition with new management and after speaking to them I'm confident it will find its way back to its best. Worth giving a try but probably best to stick to peak times at weekends at the moment when fully staffed until the spring when changes will be completed.

Nice place, in the middle of nowhere. Good priced food and huge portions.

Quick bite to eat. Good food served hit and fast. Lots of dogs which were well behaved! Lovely.

Great location with dog friendly establishment. Rooms are average size and can hear next door neighbours. No mobile coverage (not B&B owners fault just for info). Wifi does not cover all property, requires investment to improve coverage.

Hospitality very good lovely place.

Wonderful hospitality in a warm friendly environment apart from the odd 1 or 2 man United fans!

Lovely pub. Good atmosphere and good food.

Three Badger beers on tap, plus other local fare including local Dorset Gin and Vodka. Alas didn't get chance to try the food!

Great staff. Very impressed with the service. Let down by the food. Rump steak was all gristle, fish was clearly pre-packed, and the belly pork was dry without crackle. Sad really, the Fox is a beautiful pub with lovely service but it is let down by the food. Eat at 'The Bull' just south of Sturminster-Newton. 11 August 2015

We all had a lovely meal at The Fox. The people were friendly and helpful and the food was really very good. Fresh and homemade. We all had something different and everyone was happy. Well worth a visit if you are in the area.

The only disadvantage with this pub is the navigation to find it. Good ales, great food (both dinner and breakfast). Very clean and comfortable accommodation with friendly host and staff.