Food & drink / Oxford

The White Horse

Licensed in 1591 as The Mermaid, and squeezed between the two halves of Blackwell’s bookshop.

Plan this experience

Explore the story

CostFree to visit

Time to allowAllow 45–90 minutes

PaceEasy

PlaceBroad Street

Best timeYear-round

01 / Why it matters

More than a stop on a list.

A single narrow room wedged into Blackwell’s, licensed under four different names since 1591 and a fixture of every Inspector Morse location tour.

The White Horse is one room wide, pressed between Blackwell’s main shop and its smaller one, directly opposite the Sheldonian. The building is sixteenth century; the stuccoed timber front is probably Georgian, and was rebuilt in 1951, when a painted wall was uncovered on the first floor. Its licence goes back to 1591, when the whitebaker Roger Scott was granted one — for a pub called The Mermaid. It became the White Mermaid, then The Jolly Volunteer, then The Elephant when the Elephant next door closed in 1820, and has only been the White Horse consistently since the late 1830s. It belonged to the city from 1629 to 1773 and then to Exeter College until 1980. It is Grade II listed, and appears repeatedly in Inspector Morse — as does most of Broad Street.

The White Horse, Oxford — Food & drinkThe White HorseOxford

02 / The essentials

What makes it remarkable.

01
Licensed in 1591 to the whitebaker Roger Scott, under the name The Mermaid.
02
Has carried four names: the Mermaid, the Jolly Volunteer, the Elephant and — since the late 1830s — the White Horse.
03
The building is sixteenth century; the front was rebuilt in 1951.
04
Owned by the city from 1629 to 1773, then by Exeter College until 1980.
05
Grade II listed, and a recurring Inspector Morse location.

03 / The place

The building in context.

A story written in stone since 1591.

Built: Earliest supported date: 1591
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

Compare the practical essentials first, then open the experiences that earn a place in your plans.

01Culture & history