Three of Oxford’s most historic pubs are currently closed – The Eagle and Child, The Lamb & Flag and The Mitre.
The Eagle and Child is expected to reopen in 2022 but the other two may not.
Here we look back at some photos of happier times.
Drinkers were shocked in January when St John’s College announced that The Lamb & Flag was to close following tough trading conditions caused by coronavirus lockdowns.
Read again: Historic Lamb & Flag pub is to close
The pub in St Giles, popular with students and real ale drinkers had existed since 1566, switching to its current site in 1613.
The Lamb & Flag (Oxford) Limited, a company owned by St John’s College, which operates the pub, announced that ‘after careful consideration, the company will close and cease operations on January 31′.
The coronavirus pandemic and several lockdowns were blamed for difficult trading conditions.
Dave Richardson, a spokesman for the Oxford branch of real ale group Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) he hoped that The Lamb & Flag would reopen after being taken over as a going concern but this has not yet happened.
Read more: First look inside The Mitre after £16m revamp
The Eagle and Child pub has been undergoing refurbishment and is also closed, leaving St Giles without a pub.
And in High Street, The Mitre has not reopened, despite millions of pounds being spent on refurbishment of student rooms above the pub owned by Lincoln College.
The Mitre closed in the summer of 2019 for the £16m renovation scheme, with 64 student rooms provided, some with ensuite bathrooms.
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The renovation was completed earlier this year but the pub, possibly the city’s oldest, has remained shut.
There is no suggestion that The Eagle and Child will not reopen once refurbishment has been completed.
Its links with The Inklings, a literary group featuring fantasy writers CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien, attracts lots of tourists.
