Can you imagine sitting at a table next to C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien as they chatted about literature? Or, even sitting next to them and listening as they discussed the weather, soccer, or gardening? Wouldn’t that be fascinating?
If you were lucky enough to visit the Eagle and Child Pub in Oxford from the late 1930s to the early 1960s, you might have had that opportunity. The pub is where Tolkien and Lewis regularly met as part of The Inklings, a group of writers and poets from Oxford who often met to drink beer while reading and critiquing each other’s work.
Among the works read included the first draft of The Lord of the Rings. Can you imagine?
Reading the first draft of the greatest fantasy novel ever written while drinking a pint of stout? Just the thought sends chills down my spine!
The Eagle and Child has been located in the same building since 1650, but its history as a watering hole for some of the world’s most famous writers is understated, with only a plaque on the wall and some of their books on display. Still, people flock to the pub to drink a beer where Tolkien and Lewis once sat and discussed Gandalf and Aslan.
You better believe I’ll drink a pint there if I ever make it to Oxford.
Here’s a short video that details some of the pubs in Oxford, including The Eagle and Child.
