JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis: The Eagle and Child pub up for rent

The owner of a pub, which was a meeting place for famous authors CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien, is looking for someone to reopen and run the establishment.

The Eagle and Child in St Giles', Oxford, dates back to 1650 and has a plaque inside commemorating the writers' get-togethers.

Known as The Inklings, they would regularly meet with other academics at the Grade II listed pub.

The pub, owned by St John's College, is being marketed by Savills.

Plans were previously approved to turn it into a hotel, but several operators came and went and it shut during the Covid pandemic.

St John's College said: "Following consideration of options, the college instructed Savills to market the pub on a stand-alone basis with the current planning consent in place.

"We are hopeful this will lead to good interest and the appointment of an operator, enabling the pub to open again following refurbishment.

"The college will retain the upper rooms for its own use for the time being, although we are still hopeful of being able to continue with the original plan when the economic conditions allow."

Savills is advertising a leasehold for the ground floor and basement of the "historic building", and for "experienced" applicants to apply with "existing business interests in the leisure or hospitality sector".

Another of the authors' regular haunts, The Lamb & Flag, is also owned by the college.

It reopened last month after being taken over by a community group.

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