The Eagle and Child
About
The Eagle and Child — known locally as the Bird and Baby — is a 17th-century pub on St Giles that's famous as the meeting place of the Inklings, the literary group that included J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. They met here on Tuesday mornings from the 1930s to the 1960s, reading aloud from works in progress including The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia. The Rabbit Room at the back is where the Inklings gathered, and it's still there — now with a small display about the group. The pub itself is a proper old Oxford boozer with low ceilings, wood panelling, and a good selection of ales. The food is decent pub grub. It gets busy with tourists who've come specifically for the Tolkien connection, but it's still a working pub used by locals. Combine it with a walk along St Giles and through the colleges. The Lamb and Flag across the road (owned by St John's College) was the Inklings' alternative venue. For Tolkien fans, his grave is in Wolvercote Cemetery on the north side of the city — a surprisingly simple headstone for the creator of Middle-earth.
01865 302925
Opening Times
Daily 10:00-23:00. Food served 10:00-21:00.
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