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It was Le Tabard by 1432 and The Bear Inn by 1457.\n\nThe complication — which the sign outside does not mention — is that the inn those records describe stood on the High Street and closed in 1801, when it had over thirty bedrooms and stabling for thirty horses. The building you drink in is the ostler’s house from that coaching inn, put up in the early 17th century on the corner of Alfred Street and Blue Boar Street.\n\nIt is tiny, low-beamed, and seats about two dozen inside. The ceilings and walls carry more than 4,500 snippets of club ties, a collection begun in 1952 by the landlord Alan Course, who cut them from drinkers with a pair of scissors in return for half a pint. 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But the inn those records describe closed in 1801, and this building was its stableman’s house. The King’s Arms, licensed in 1607, makes a competing claim on continuity." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the deal with the ties?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Since 1952 drinkers have been invited to swap the end of their club tie for a half pint. Over 4,500 are framed around the walls and ceiling." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is it big enough to get a table?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Rarely, inside. There are about two dozen seats; most people spill into the courtyard, which is the better bet in summer." } } ] } ] } ], "editorialMarkdown": "[View next **The Chequers**]()\n\nFood & drink / Oxford\n\n## The Bear Inn\n\nOxford’s oldest pub name, in a low-ceilinged 17th-century room hung with 4,500 snipped-off club ties.\n\n[Plan this experience]()\n\n[Explore the story]()\n\nCost **Free to visit**\n\nTime to allow **Allow 45–90 minutes**\n\nPace **Easy**\n\nPlace **Alfred Street**\n\nBest time **Year-round**\n\n01 / Why it matters\n\n### More than a stop on a list.\n\nThe oldest name in Oxford drinking, in a room so small the ceiling is the exhibit — thousands of club ties, clipped from their owners in exchange for a pint.\n\nThe Bear carries the oldest pub name in Oxford, and the documentation is real: on 28 April 1241 Lady Christina Pady left the site to St Frideswide’s Priory. It was Le Tabard by 1432 and The Bear Inn by 1457. The complication — which the sign outside does not mention — is that the inn those records describe stood on the High Street and closed in 1801, when it had over thirty bedrooms and stabling for thirty horses. The building you drink in is the ostler’s house from that coaching inn, put up in the early 17th century on the corner of Alfred Street and Blue Boar Street. It is tiny, low-beamed, and seats about two dozen inside. The ceilings and walls carry more than 4,500 snippets of club ties, a collection begun in 1952 by the landlord Alan Course, who cut them from drinkers with a pair of scissors in return for half a pint. It later turned up as a plot device in Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse.\n\n![The Bear Inn, Oxford]()\n\nFood & drink **The Bear Inn** Oxford\n\n02 / The essentials\n\n### What makes it remarkable.\n\n1. 01\n\n The site was bequeathed to St Frideswide’s Priory by Lady Christina Pady on 28 April 1241.\n2. 02\n\n Recorded as Le Tabard by 1432 and as The Bear Inn by 1457.\n3. 03\n\n The original coaching inn stood on the High Street and closed in 1801; the present pub was its ostler’s house, built in the early 17th century.\n4. 04\n\n More than 4,500 club tie-ends are displayed, collected since 1952 by the landlord Alan Course.\n5. 05\n\n Seats roughly two dozen inside — one of the smallest pubs in central Oxford.\n\n03 / The place\n\n### The building in context.\n\nA story written in stone since **1241**.\n\nBuilt\n\nEarliest supported date: 1241\n\nStyle\n\nHistoric Oxford public house\n\n04 / Before you go\n\n### Plan it well.\nEnjoy it properly.\n\nPractical detail, separated from the story so you can scan what matters when you are ready to visit.\n\n01\n\n#### Tickets & entry\n\nFree to enter; you pay for what you drink and eat. No admission charge.\n\n02\n\n#### Opening hours\n\nOrdinary pub hours, which change with the season, the day and the licensee — check the pub’s own page before making a special journey. Most Oxford pubs serve food at lunchtime and in the evening rather than all day.\n\nContinue exploring / Oxford\n\n### What will you\n*do next?*\n\nCompare the practical essentials first, then open the experiences that earn a place in your plans.\n\n01 Culture & history\n\n [01 Culture & history **Bate Collection of Musical Instruments** Explore experience]() [02 Culture & history **Bodleian Library guided tour** Explore experience]() [03 Culture & history **Christ Church** Explore experience]() [04 Culture & history **Christ Church Cathedral** Explore experience]() [05 Culture & history **History of Science Museum** Explore experience]() [06 Culture & history **Oxford Castle** Explore experience]() [07 Culture & history **Oxford University Museum of Natural History** Explore experience]() [08 Culture & history **Pitt Rivers Museum** Explore experience]() [09 Culture & history **Sheldonian Theatre** Explore experience]() [10 Culture & history **Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities** Explore experience]() [11 Culture & history **The Ashmolean Museum** Explore experience]() [12 Culture & history **The Radcliffe Camera** Explore experience]() [13 Culture & history **The Weston Library** Explore experience]() [14 Culture & history **University Church of St Mary the Virgin** Explore experience]()\n\n02 Food & drink\n\n [15 Food & drink **Head of the River** Explore experience]() [16 Food & drink **Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons** Explore experience]() [17 Food & drink **Oxford Covered Market** Explore experience]() [18 Food & drink **The Chequers** Explore experience]() [19 Food & drink **The Eagle and Child** Explore experience]() [20 Food & drink **The King’s Arms** Explore experience]() [21 Food & drink **The Lamb & Flag** Explore experience]() [22 Food & drink **The Perch** Explore experience]() [23 Food & drink **The Trout Inn** Explore experience]() [24 Food & drink **The Turf Tavern** Explore experience]() [25 Food & drink **The White Horse** Explore experience]() [26 Food & drink **Westgate Oxford** Explore experience]()\n\n03 Walks & views\n\n [27 Walks & views **The Bridge of Sighs** Explore experience]()\n\n04 Parks & meadows\n\n [28 Parks & meadows **Christ Church Meadow** Explore experience]() [29 Parks & meadows **Oxford Botanic Garden** Explore experience]() [30 Parks & meadows **Port Meadow** Explore experience]() [31 Parks & meadows **University Parks** Explore experience]()\n\n05 On the water\n\n [32 On the water **Punt the Cherwell** Explore experience]() [33 On the water **Salter's Steamers** Explore experience]()\n\n06 Go deeper\n\n[43 Colleges All the colleges **Every Oxford college** Open the college guide]()[Food & drink / a story **The nine oldest pubs** Walk the timeline]()[Plan / Itinerary builder **Build your Oxford day** Start planning]()\n\n05 / Where it is\n\n### Find it\nand what’s nearby.\n\nExplore around The Bear Inn\n\n The map will load when you reach it.\n\n05 / Good to know\n\n### Questions,\nanswered.\n\n01 Is it really Oxford’s oldest pub?\n\nIt has the oldest documented pub name — 1241 for the site. But the inn those records describe closed in 1801, and this building was its stableman’s house. The King’s Arms, licensed in 1607, makes a competing claim on continuity.\n\n02 What is the deal with the ties?\n\nSince 1952 drinkers have been invited to swap the end of their club tie for a half pint. Over 4,500 are framed around the walls and ceiling.\n\n03 Is it big enough to get a table?\n\nRarely, inside. There are about two dozen seats; most people spill into the courtyard, which is the better bet in summer.\n\nBefore you visit\n\n### Check hours, tickets and access.\n\nCheck opening hours, admission prices and access with the venue before setting off.\n\nUpdated\n\nDate unavailable\n\nBy\n\n[Above Guide Editorial Team]()\n\nUseful links\n\n- [Official site bearoxford.co.uk ↗]()\n- [Supporting source oxfordhistory.org.uk ↗]()\n- [Supporting source historicengland.org.uk ↗]()\n\n[Report a correction]()\n\nContinue exploring\n\n### Make Oxford\nyour own.\n\n[Visit the official site]()[← All things to do]()\n\nOpening hours, prices and access change. Confirm details on the official site before visiting.\n\nFiled under Pub / Historic / Food & drink / Since 1241" }