Pubs in George Street, Oxford

Pubs in George Street, Oxford

The Grapes

There were over twelve pubs in George Street over the course of the nineteenth century.

Today there are only two proper pubs: the Grapes (which dates from c.1820, but was rebuilt in c.1879), and the Four Candles, (which opened in 2007). There are also several bars, including the Eurobar, which replaced the Welsh Pony on the corner of Chain Alley.

In 1881 there were eight pubs listed in the census, of which five had a full-time landlord: the Anchor, Grapes, Champion, Punch Bowl, and Plume of Feathers.

The other three pubs in 1881 were more like beerhouses, as the landlords of the Oddfellows Inn, the Packet, and the George & Dragon were primarily a joiner, a bootmaker, and a coal merchant.

Street numbers in George Street changed dramatically in 1896, but there was some shifting even before that date, reflected in the right-hand column in the table of pubs below.

George Street pubs listed in directories, 1823–1919
Present No	Name of pub	Landlords	Present building on the site	Former No(s)
South side, East to West
3	Hope & Anchor Closed down 1929	1823: William Nuney 1839, 1842: Henry Nunney 1846: H. Boswell 1850: Caroline Boswell 1852: Henry Clark 1861 census, 1866: William Clarke 1869: Mrs Lydia Clarke 1871– 1875: Mrs Spokes 1880–1890: William Simmonds 1892–1893: Mrs Emily E. Simmonds 1894: Walter Neale 1895: Henry Stone 1896–1898: George Frederick Robertson 1900: William Alfred Cooke 1901–1903: Alfred William Cooke 1904: Charles Keatley 1905: Frederick Krampe 1906–1915: George Frederick Robinson 1916–1929: Henry Badcock	Vacant	2
7	The Grapes (originally the Bunch of Grapes) Mentioned in Jackson’s Oxford Journal of 7 January 1808, when Mr Stevens was landlord. Rebuilt in 1894 by H. G. W. Drinkwater Still in operation	1823: William Stevens 1839, 1842: Charles Faulkner 1846: M. Betsworth 1850–1866: James Hambridge (& cab proprietor in 1866) 1869–1872: Elias Nelms 1875: James J. Townley 1880–1891: John Childs 1893–1903: Mrs Charlotte Childs 1904–1907: Thomas Clarke 1908: Mrs Clarke 1909–1910: William Dowling 1911: Mrs Alice E. Dowling 1912– 1938: Robert H. Boulton 1939–1956: Ernest A. R. Mott (Landlords not named in Kelly’s Directory after 1956)	The Grapes	4
11	City Arms First named in 1869; but Chaundy already listed as a beer seller here in 1852. Closed down in late 1870s	1852: Richard Chaundy 1866: John Higgins (beer retailer and marine store dealer) 1869–1875: Mrs Higgins (dealer in marine stores, & beer seller)	Part of the Wig & Pen restaurant	6
35	Druid’s Head or Ancient Druid Auction at the Druid’s Head in George Lane was advertised in Jackson’s Oxford Journal of 7 September 1822 Closed down 1934	1823: Richard Prestidge 1839: William Perkins 1842–1852: George Skelding 1861: Francis Vize (d.12 June 1861 1861–1882: His widow Mrs S. Vize 1884–1889: His son-in-law R. H. Shuter 1891–1893: Harry A. Goodwin 1895–1904: Harry Havelock Godwin 1905: Thomas Campin 1906–1922: Edward Henry Heritage 1925–1930: Mrs Elizabeth Heritage 1932–1934: Archibald John Bolt	Byron Hamburgers	15/ 16 19
39	Royal Champion or Champion New Inn Hall Street was extended to George Street in 1873, and pub was rebuilt in 1881 immediately to the west, probably on the site of the Black Swan Closed down in 1904 Building demolished in early 1980s and replaced by shops & offices facing New Inn Hall Street	1823: James Plaister 1839: William Nevill 1842: Robert Nevil 1846: Mrs E. Nevil 1850: James Ford 1852: J. Ford 1861 census: Charles Taman 1866: E. Robinson 1869–1872: Mrs Robinson 1875–1881: Job Allen 1884: R. England 1887–1890: W. Constable 1891: John Austin Butler 1893–1895: Thomas Voller 1896: Mrs Voller 1898–1899: Ernest Reeves 1900: Albert Millard 1901–1902: Edward Millard 1903: Mrs Round	Part of George Street Social	17 18 21
Both demolished in c.1880 to make way for the Boys’ High School	Cordwainers’ Arms Listed as beer retailer in 1846. Named in 1861 census, with the proprietor described as “Cordwainer & Publican” Gone by 1866	1846: G. Grimmett 1861 census: Stephen Petty	Site of Boys’ High School	20
	Black Swan Mentioned in Jackson’s Oxford Journal in 1803, when Mr Newman was already landlord Closed late 1870s (Licence transferred by Morrells to the Black Swan in Crown Street)	1823: W. Newman 1839–1852: Edward Newman 1866–1871: James Bennett 1872, 1875: W. West	Site of Boys’ High School	22 24
49–57	The Four Candles Formerly Yates’s Wine Lodge. Named after Ronnie Barker’s “fork handles” sketch	Opened in 2007	The Four Candles	N/A
55	Punch Bowl First named in 1869; proprietors listed as “beer retailer” before that date Closed down 1904	1846: John Cox 1852: Luke J. Cox 1861 census: Elias Nelms 1869–1875: George Strainge 1880: Richard Doncaster 1881 census: Sarah Doncaster 1882–1884: William Couling (paper hanger & decorator) 1887–1904: Richard Melnai	Part of the Four Candles site	32 30
69	The first George & Dragon* Closed in 1861, name moved across the road	1823: Edward Grant 1846: T. Marsh 1850, 1852: John Goode 1852: Edward Caple 1861 census: Described as “Late George & Dragon): Mrs Sophia Ashley	West side of former Opium Den Café	36
69	Oddfellows’ Arms or Odd Fellows’ Inn First named in 1869; only listed as “beer retailer” from 1895 Demolished in 1908 to make way for the new Co-op building Named in 1871 census as the "Hand in Hand"	1869: H. Bailey, provision merchant 1866–1875: Joseph Parker (& broker) (1871: James Parker) 1880: Thomas Abbey 1881 census: James Horseman 1884–1887: Charles Colston 1890–1891: John Clohosy 1893–1894: Charles Taylor 1895: John Rouse 1896–1899: Walter Edward Garner 1900–1901: John Rouse 1902–1904: William Whitman 1905–1907: Samuel Hunt 1908: William Cherry	West side of former Opium Den Café	36a 42 39
73	Plume of Feathers or Feathers Named as such in 1896; only listed as “beer retailer” from 1900 onwards Closed down in 1925	1823: S. Atkins 1839: Susanna Atkins 1841, 1846: William Gibbons 1850: Robert Farmer 1852: Daniel Gibbons 1861 census: James Edwards 1866–1880: Thomas Prior 1881–1890: William Hedges, coal merchant 1895–1900: Richard Jarvis Silman 1907–1925: Albert Edward Allen [1926: Albert Edward Allen, confectioner; 1927: Mrs E. L. Allen, confectioner]	Vacant	44 41
77	The Packet First named in 1842; but may be the George Street pub named as The Letters in 1823 Closed down in 1903	1823: J. Cooker 1842, 1846: Ann Luker 1850: James Ford 1852: Elizabeth Ford 1861 census, 1866: H. Casbourn 1869–1871: Joseph Casbourn 1872: H. Casbourn 1875: W. Howkins junior 1880: Frederick Connacher 1881 census: William Day 1884–1890: E. Beauchamp 1895: John Kempson 1896–1900: Thomas Tompkins 1901–1903: Mrs Janet Pedrick	East side of Nando’s	38 46 43
North side, East to West
48	Welsh Pony Opened by Morrell's in a new building, the Corn Exchange Hotel, in 1899 Became the Eurobar in c.2000	1915–1916: Bert Ray 1918: A. Coulling 1919–1921: Richard Green 1922–1928: Hugo Hohaus 1929–1934: Victor Hugo Hohaus 1935–1939: Stanley Hall 1943–1952: H. B. Law 1954–1958: Mrs M. E. Law (Landlords not named in Kelly’s Directory after 1958)	Eurobar	N/A
50/52	The second George & Dragon* Moved sites in George Street in 1861 (both old and new pub listed in census) Closed down in 1904	1861–1866: James Dawson (and coal & slate merchant) 1869–1881: William Howkins 1882: Mr Foster 1884–1887: William Little 1890–1904: James Hemmings 1905 onwards: Hemmings listed as private resident	Site now part of widened Chain Alley	Numbering varies: can be 49, 50, 51, or 52

*Not to be confused with The George (formerly the Three Goats) which stood on the diagonally opposite (SE) corner of George Street, but was deemed to be in Cornmarket Street)

In addition to the above, in 1852 there is one more person listed as a beer retailer in George Street: Edward Box at what was then No. 43. This was at the far west end, probably on the south side of the street.

In the 1861 census John Mason is listed as a wine merchant at the NE end of George Street (then numbered 77, now around No. 6) . In directories between 1869 and 1872 Frederick Wharton is the wine merchant, and next-door to the left is C. Shillingford & Co (Bicester Brewery Office). The wine merchants was closed by 1875, but the Bicester Brewery Stores, as it became known, survived until 1884+

Eurobar

Four Candles

Oxford History: George Street

Pubs in George Street, Oxford

George Street pubs listed in directories, 1823–1919