Kington Poetry Festival in a Day
Open Arms Kington welcomes Ledbury Poetry this March as we host the first Kington Poetry Festival in a Day!
We’ll have a range of drop-in activities for children throughout the day, poetry writing workshops for all ages, bookable slots on the Poetry Machine, and an open-mic poetry slam from 4pm. All daytime activities are free! Lockdown Dhaba will be serving their delicious vegetarian and vegan Indian cuisine, and our bar and café will be open throughout. Scroll down to see more details.
From 6pm, there will be a ticketed event in the barn: an evening with the BAFTA-award winning comic, actor, pianist, poet, and writer Alistair McGowan! Alistair will be reading from his latest collection of poetry, Like Never Before, in an intimate event that blends wit, lyricism and storytelling. Tickets are VERY limited in number, and limited to two per booking. Click on the button below to book. Note: after clicking on the button, you need to scroll down on Ledbury Poetry’s “What’s On” page to get to the option to buy Alistair McGowan tickets. Look for the photo of McGowan to be sure you’re clicking in the right place!
Quiz Night
Join us for our latest monthly quiz night on 27th March, when we’ll have delicious Greek food available from Mr Gyro, bar open throughout, and a cash prize for the winning quiz team!
Teams of up to 4 people, £3pp entry. Bar and Mr Gyro open from 6pm, quiz starts at 7pm.
Kington Marmalade Competition 2026
Seville oranges are in the shops, which means it’s marmalade-making season! The Oxford Arms will once again host the annual Kington Marmalade Competition on Saturday 11th April, organised by our friends at Festive Foods from the Borders and the Kington Chamber of Trade. The celebrated international marmalade judge (and OAK director) Jane Maggs will once again be picking the winners and providing comments and suggestions on your recipes.
Pick up an entry form from The Grape Vine on Kington High Street or Bee’s Knees Cookshop on Church Street. There are prizes to be won, and don’t forget the under 14s category—a perfect opportunity for all budding young cooks and preserve-makers to show their talents and gain plaudits!
Let's Dance!
Let’s Dance! is Britain’s biggest festival of dance, and The Oxford Arms will once again host Kington’s contribution to the festival in 2026. Local dance teachers will be leading workshops and demonstrations of different dance styles throughout the day, and our bar and café will be open. Free!
Watch this space for a detailed schedule of the dance styles available with timings.
Café Mortel
Café Mortel is a “death café”—an opportunity to talk about life, death, and everything in between in a friendly and supportive environment. We’ll be joined by death doula Carrie, there’s free parking on-site at The Oxford, and tea and cake are provided.
A death café is not therapy or counselling. It is a supportive, peer-led conversation that helps participants reflect on what truly matters. Come along with curiosity, questions, or simply to listen.
Beating the Bounds: a walking and art workshop with artist-in-residence Maya Rose Edwards
Following a very successful drawing workshop last November, artist-in-residence Maya Rose Edwards returns with Beating the Bounds - the next stage in the Borderlands project, organised by Meadow Arts.
Maya will lead a walking tour from The Oxford Arms to participate in the ancient folk tradition of beating the bounds. Bring along your own stick, or take one of ours, and join a community pilgrimage of town landmarks.
Free to attend, but donations are welcomed (suggested £5). Booking is encouraged—click on the button below to find out more and make a booking.
Quiz Night
Join us for our monthly quiz night in The Oxford’s barn! Quiz starts at 7pm, max team size 4 people, £3pp entry. Cash prize for the winning team!
Bar open throughout.
Creative Workshop: Calligraphy
Our regular Creative Workshop will focus on calligraphy in February. This is an introductory-level workshop, and absolute beginners are welcome! All materials provided, payment by donation (suggested £5).
Plus our bar and café will be open 12-4pm, and our live 100 Club draw takes place at 3pm.
Harry Potter Half-Term Craft and Quiz Afternoon
Calling all aspiring wizards and Hogwarts enthusiasts! The Oxford will be hosting a Harry Potter-themed afternoon this half term with a fancy dress competition, crafts (wand-making, bookmark-making, and more), and a Harry Potter quiz with a prize for the winner!
Our Caravan Café will be open throughout serving drinks, cakes, and light meals.
Payment by donation (£2 suggested), under 14s must be accompanied by an adult.
Anti-Valentine's Party
If you need a break from sickly sentiment and ubiquitous pinkness this February 14th, then join us at The Oxford for something a little more fun. We’ll have games, competitions, and a broken hearts disco. Our bar will of course be open, and all are welcome (singles and couples alike)!
Creative Workshop: Painting with Spices
Join our Creative Workshop in January to learn how to paint with spices! All materials provided, payment by donation (suggested £5). We’ll also have our monthly 100 Club draw live at 3pm!
PLEASE NOTE: our bar and café will be CLOSED on Sunday 25th. Light refreshments for Creative Workshop participants will be available.
Burns Night Quiz
We’re delighted to announce that we’ll be making our quiz nights a regular monthly event in 2026! They kick off with a Burns Night special, which will feature a round of questions on Scotland as well as the regular trivia and general knowledge rounds. Kilts and sporrans are welcome, but not obligatory.
We’ll have hot food available, a prize raffle, and prizes for the winning quiz team, plus our bar will be open from 6-10pm. Entry to quiz in teams of 4 people maximum, £3pp per person entry. Quiz starts at 7pm. No need to book ahead, just show up on the night!
Kington Festive Tractor Run
The Oxford will be open for Kington’s Festive Tractor Run! Anticipate two passes by the tractor convoy, at around 4.30pm and then around 6.30pm. Our bar will be open, food will be available from the Caravan Café, and we’ll be collecting donations for St. Michael’s Hospice.
Community Q & A and Mr Punch’s Christmas Carol
A last-minute addition to next Sunday’s events sees us host a Christmas puppet show before our Community Q & A!
Mr Punch’s Christmas Carol will be performed by Green Hare’s Theatre at 1pm.
From 2-3pm we’ll be hosting our next Community Q & A session. If you have any questions about the OAK project, the renovation plans for The Oxford Arms, or want to learn what will be taking place in 2026, join us in The Oxford’s barn to get answers from the OAK directors. A transcript of the session will be posted to our blog for anyone unable to attend.
Around all this, it won’t be a regular Sunday opening at The Oxford as we’ll be hosting a volunteer “do-day” to keep on top of jobs around the barn and yard - extra volunteers to help out are always welcome! However, our bar will be open 1-4pm, so you’re welcome to just stop by for a drink.
Plus our December 100 Club draw will take place at 3pm; stop by to see if you’ve been the lucky winner this month!
Kington Winter Food Festival
We’ll be celebrating Kington’s wonderful Festive Foods from the Borders festival at The Oxford with a visit from Miniyaki’s Japanese Soul Food, craft workshops and stalls, and a performance from Whitton Voices festive choir! Our bar will be open throughout, serving festive tipples alongside the usual fare. Free and all welcome.
Café Mortel
Café Mortel is a “death café”—an opportunity to talk about life, death, and everything in between in a friendly and supportive environment. We’ll be joined by death doula Carrie, there’s free parking on-site at The Oxford, and tea and cake are provided.
A death café is not therapy or counselling. It is a supportive, peer-led conversation that helps participants reflect on what truly matters. Come along with curiosity, questions, or simply to listen.
Creative Workshop: Handmade Gift Boxes
Our final Creative Workshop of 2025 will focus on handmade gift boxes and gift bags, perfect for those special Christmas gifts! All materials provided, payment by donation (suggested £5).
Plus our bar and café will be open 12-4pm, and we’ll have our live 100 Club draw at 3pm. Stop by to see if you’ve been the lucky winner of the £200 jackpot in November.
Quiz Night
Join us for a quiz night at The Oxford! Teams of up to 4 people, £3 per person entry. Prizes for the winners!
Our bar will be open throughout.
Borderlands art mapping workshop
In association with Meadow Arts, join artist-in-residence Maya Rose Edwards for a walking and drawing workshop exploring Kington’s local landmarks and the Welsh-English border.
Free to attend, all ages and abilities welcome. Booking encouraged but not essential: to book, visit Meadow Arts at this link.
Refreshments provided. Please ensure that you’re dressed for November weather.
Yard sale
If you’re looking to clear some clutter before the festive season, or hoping to find new homes for once-loved items, then you’re in luck! We’re hosting a yard sale on Saturday 8th November which will be open to anyone who has things to sell, and anyone who wants to pick up some bargains.
A table pitch costs £5 (with all proceeds going toward the renovations of The Oxford Arms), but pitches are limited, so don’t delay! Write to info@openarmskington.co.uk with your name and contact details to book a pitch.
Our bar and café will be open throughout.
A few details for anyone planning to book a pitch:
- If you have your own table, you are encouraged to bring it! Our tables are fairly small and limited in number
- Drop-off and set-up will begin at 9.30am. You’re welcome to pull into our yard to drop off your items, but all vehicles must have left the yard by 11am
- You can sell anything you wish, with the exceptions of food, alcohol, or any bladed or sharp-pointed implements
Halloween
|Join us at The Oxford Arms on Friday 31st October to celebrate Halloween!
There will be activities for kids, a fancy dress competition (for kids and for adults, so dust off those skeleton costumes and zombie masks), spooky food from the Caravan Café, music, and our bar will be open throughout.
Open from 5pm, kids actitivites 5-7pm, and bar and music til 9.
Free and all welcome!
Creative Workshop: beginner's crochet
Join our regular Creative Workshop in October to try your hand at crochet! This workshop is for beginners, no previous experience expected. All materials will be provided, payment by donation (suggested £5).
Plus our bar and café will be open 12-4pm, and we’ll have our live 100 Club draw at 3pm. Stop by to see if you’ve been the lucky winner this month!
Diwali at The Oxford Arms
We’ll be celebrating the Hindu Festival of Lights and The Big Draw on 19th October. Help us to make and decorate new bunting to hang in the barn, plus try your hand at rangoli designs, mehndi hand painting, and more!
Lockdown Dhaba will be serving their delicious vegan and vegetarian food, and our bar will be open throughout.
All activities free & all welcome!
Radnor's Hidden Lily: a talk on the rare plant life of Stanner Rocks
Join Josie Bridges and Julian Woodman from Natural Resources Wales for an insightful talk on the rare and important plant life found at Stanner Rocks National Nature Reserve. They will share details of the conservation work—past and present—dedicated to protecting some of the site’s most sensitive species.
Josie Bridges is Project Office for the Welsh Marches, working within the wider Natur am Byth project in Wales.
Julian Woodman is Specialist Advisor for vascular plants at Natural Resources Wales.
We’ll have light refreshments and bottled drinks from the bar available. The talk is free, but donations are warmly welcomed.
Pomona Panorama: An Apple Celebration
We’ll welcome back KLEEN on Saturday 11th October as they press apples for the community (bring washed apples and clean containers to press your own juice!).
We’re also going to celebrate The Big Draw at the same time, so join us for a whole range of apple-themed art and craft activities! Suitable for all ages and free to attend.
Barndance with Join the Dots ceilidh band
Join the Dots return to The Oxford Arms for a barn dance on Saturday 4th October. We’ll also welcome back Street Food Collective with their delicious pizzas + more!
Tickets are on sale at The Oxford Arms, £8pp adults, and £5 under 16s. Write to info@openarmskington.co.uk if you have any questions.
