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Food & drink / Oxford
The King’s Arms
Pouring since 1607 on the corner of Holywell Street, and the other claimant to "Oxford’s oldest pub".
CostFree to visit
Time to allowAllow 45–90 minutes
PaceEasy
PlaceHolywell Street
Best timeYear-round
01 / Why it matters
More than a stop on a list.
The rival claim to the Bear, and the one with better continuity — 1607 and still a proper pub rather than a restaurant or a museum piece.
The King’s Arms has been pouring since 1607 and advertises itself as Oxford’s oldest pub. That runs directly against the Bear’s claim, and both are defensible: the Bear has the older name and site, the King’s Arms the longer unbroken run as the pub it still is. It sits on the corner of Holywell Street and Parks Road, between the Bodleian’s Weston Library, the Sheldonian and Wadham, which gives it a mixed crowd of academics, students and visitors that few Oxford pubs manage at once. It has long been said to have the highest average IQ of any bar in the world — an unverifiable boast, and exactly the sort of thing Oxford says about itself. Until 1973 the back bar was men-only.
02 / The essentials
What makes it remarkable.
- 01
Opened in 1607 and trading continuously since.
- 02
Advertises itself as Oxford’s oldest pub, a claim that competes directly with the Bear’s.
- 03
Stands at the corner of Holywell Street and Parks Road, by the Weston Library and the Sheldonian.
- 04
Long claimed to have the highest average IQ of any bar in the world — a boast, not a measurement.
- 05
The back bar remained men-only until 1973.
03 / The place
The building in context.
A story written in stone since 1607.
- Built
- Earliest supported date: 1607
- Style
- Historic Oxford public house
04 / Before you go
Plan it well.
Enjoy it properly.
Practical detail, separated from the story so you can scan what matters when you are ready to visit.
Tickets & entry
Free to enter; you pay for what you drink and eat. No admission charge.
Opening hours
Ordinary 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.
Continue exploring / Oxford
What will you
do next?
Compare the practical essentials first, then open the experiences that earn a place in your plans.
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43CollegesAll the collegesEvery Oxford collegeOpen the college guide →Food & drink / a storyThe nine oldest pubsWalk the timeline →
Plan / Itinerary builderBuild your Oxford dayStart planning →05 / Where it is
Find it
on the map.
Drawing routeThe itinerary still works without the map.
05 / Good to know
Questions,
answered.
01So which is Oxford’s oldest — this or the Bear?
Depends what you count. The Bear has the older site and name, documented to 1241, but its original inn closed in 1801. The King’s Arms has run as the same pub since 1607.
02Is it a student pub?
Partly. Its position between the Bodleian, the Sheldonian and Wadham gives it an unusually mixed crowd of academics, students and visitors.
03Is the IQ claim true?
There is no way to verify it, and it should be enjoyed as folklore rather than fact.