A pub whose ale once sparked riots by poor farmers over disputed common land on Otmoor has re-opened.

The Crown at Charlton-on-Otmoor threw open its doors for the first time in eight months on Friday .

New landlords Duncan and Jackie Cooper took over the pub a few weeks ago after the previous landlord left suddenly following months of refusing to leave.

Mr Cooper is a former JCB operator born in Charlton and Mrs Cooper used to work as a building society cashier and is from Middle Barton.

Mrs Cooper said: "We were at a crossroads in our life and decided to try the pub trade. We've no regrets so far.

"We've had no riots either, even though the pub was heaving on opening night.

"The bars were packed, the patio was packed and the garden was packed.

"Some people are still feeling the after-effects!" said Mrs Cooper. In the 1830s, The Crown became the centre of an uprising against large landowners who had fenced off common land to farmers. On September 6, 1830, villagers met in the pub, which was then called Higgs' beerhouse, and organised a revolt.

More than 1,000 people went on to the 3,500-acre moor and demolished fences and hedges put up by the wealthy estates.

One eye witness of the uprising reported afterwards: "The whole moor was covered with people.

"Women and children turned out as well as the men." Troops arrived and bundled 44 of the offenders off to prison in Oxford Castle but on the way they were am- bushed at St Giles' Fair by a large mob chanting 'Otmoor for ever'.

The prisoners were set free.

Attacks on the enclosures lasted another five years but the resistance wore down and a prickly truce finally emerged between landowners and commoners in 1835.

Otmoor had the last say because the profits that landowners had expected to make from reclaiming the land were never to mat- erialise.

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