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The Eagle and Child - Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
Posted by:
BruceS
N 51° 45.435 W 001° 15.606
30U E 620085 N 5735471
Sign for pub on St. Giles in Oxford.
Waymark Code: WM9VN3
Location: Southern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/01/2010
Views: 3
"The Eagle and Child is a pub in St Giles', Oxford, England which is owned by St. John's College, Oxford. The pub had been part of an endowment belonging to University College since the 17th century. It has associations with the Inklings writers' group which included J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis.
A small, narrow building, the pub reputedly served as the lodgings of the Chancellor of the Exchequer during the English Civil War (1642–49), when Oxford was the Royalist capital. The landmark served as a pay house for the Royalist army, and pony auctions were held in the rear courtyard. These claims are inconsistent with the earliest date usually given for construction of the pub, 1650, and the fact that the pub lies outside the city walls may also give some cause for doubt.
The first record of the pub's name is from 1684, and is said to derive from the crest of the Earl of Derby. The image is said to refer to a story of a noble-born baby having been found in an eagle's nest.
The pub's long-standing nickname is the Bird and Baby, although other variants such as the "Fowl and Foetus" have been used.
The pub had been part of an endowment belonging to University College since the 17th century. The college placed it on the market for £1.2 million in December 2003, saying that it needed to rebalance its property portfolio. It was bought by the nearby St John's College, which also owns the Lamb and Flag pub opposite." - Wikipedia
Date of first pub on site: 1650
![](/images/spacer.gif) Name of Artist: Not listed
![](/images/spacer.gif) Date of current sign: Not listed
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