Famous Oxford pub on the 'must-see' list for British book buffs

A study of 2,000 literary lovers has revealed the top 35 places to see which have been made famous by authors or their books.

At number five on the list is The Eagle and Child pub in Oxford, which was visited by authors JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis, who created the mystical realms of Middle Earth and Narnia.

However, Oxford drinkers will know the historic pub has been closed for more than two years and looks set to remain shut for the foreseeable future. 

Tolkien, Lewis and other members of their ‘Inklings’ group of writers also met at the Lamb and Flag, opposite, though that pub fails to make the list.

The Lamb and Flag is also associated with the novelist Thomas Hardy who is thought to have written some of Jude the Obscure in the hostelry, and was frequented by winners of the Nobel Prize. While also closed, the Lamb and Flag is at least set to reopen this year– owners St John’s College having signed a lease agreement with a community interest company called, appropriately, the Inklings Group to run it. 

Other literary spots to feature include Roald Dahl’s Gipsy House in Great Missenden, over the Buckinghamshire border. Further afield are Jane Austen’s Chawton House, the Bronte sisters’ Haworth, Shakespeare’s Globe and 221B Baker Street – better known as the home of Sherlock Holmes. 

Sherwood forest, with its historic connection with the legend of Robin Hood, and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, in Shakespeare’s birth town of Stratford-upon-Avon, also made the top 35.

Darren Hardy, author and editorial programmes manager at Amazon, which commissioned the research to launch the Kindle Storyteller Award [www.amazon.co.uk/storyteller], celebrating the best self-published stories, said: “It is such an exciting time to be in the independent publishing space.

“Iconic locations such as Shakespeare’s Globe and the home of the Brontë sisters hold such cultural importance, and it’s great to see them feature so prominently in our research."

Professor Elleke Boehmer, a leading figure in the field of English Literature at the University of Oxford, said: “The British Isles are rich in vital literary traditions that extend across time, from the medieval period onwards, and across space, ramifying throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

“In Britain, you almost get the sense in some literary places of the land, trees and surroundings pregnant, still, with the writer's presence, or a sense of how they have interacted with the context - like Coleridge's Quantock hills.

“The walks that he made through those hills still exist today, and as we walk them we can imagine him pacing out the lines of his poetry, like 'The Ancient Mariner', looking out onto the Bristol Channel at the passing ships from around the world.

“Some of my favourite literary sites, like Coleridge's Nether Stowey, the Brontës' Haworth or DH Lawrence's Eastwood, also feature truly wonderful and significant houses where the rooms in which the writers were born, or wrote some of their key works, are preserved for all generations.”

The study also revealed the nation’s favourite British writers, with Charles Dickens, who can count 'Oliver Twist' and 'A Christmas Carol' among his works, coming out on top.

He was followed by Charlotte Brontë and George Orwell, while Emily Brontë and Virginia Woolf, legendary female novelists who paved the way with their literary classics including 'Wuthering Heights' and 'Mrs Dalloway', were just behind.

On average, Brits read nine books a year, with story fans reading for an average of 39 minutes per day.

But 53 per cent wish they could bury themselves in a book for even longer.

Being immersed in another world (51 per cent), developing the mind (48 per cent) and boosting knowledge (45 per cent) were among the main reasons for enjoying reading.

When it comes favourite genres, crime (30 per cent) ranked above drama (28 per cent), autobiographies (26 per cent) and action (21 per cent).

But the study, carried out via OnePoll, found book lovers are also keen writers too.

More than a third (34 per cent) enjoy writing as a hobby, with 61 per cent of those writing for pleasure at least twice a week.

Darren Hardy, from Amazon, added: “Not only are we a proud nation of booklovers with a rich literary history which spans across the UK, we’re also a highly inspired by the writing we come into contact with.

“It’s amazing that so many people have been inspired to take up writing themselves after reading books, and it shows writing is an accessible hobby for everyone.

“We are bringing more authors than ever before to readers, and we are looking forward to seeing what stories are submitted for this year’s Kindle Storyteller Award - perhaps some will have been inspired by some of our iconic literary landmarks and the authors connected to them.”

The Kindle Storyteller Award is open for entries until 31st August 2022

TOP 35 LITERARY LOCATIONS – AS VOTED BY READERS

1. Haworth – home of Brontë sisters, Emily, Charlotte and Anne
2. Shakespeare’s Globe, London
3. Jane Austen’s Chawton cottage
4. 221B Baker Street – the home of Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes museum
5. The Eagle and Child Pub, where JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis both visited
6. Sherwood Forest
7. Royal Shakespeare theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
8. Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon
9. British Library, London
10. Dove Cottage in Grasmere, home of William Wordsworth
11. Hilltop House, the home of Beatrix Potter
12. Whitby – setting for Bram Stoker’s 1897 Dracula
13. PoohSticks Bridge, Buckhurst Park Estate, East Sussex (associated with A.A. Milne)
14. Anne Hathaway’s cottage, Stratford-upon-Avon
15. Chatsworth House, named in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice
16. Charles Dickens’ birthplace museum, Portsmouth
17. The Jane Eyre trail, Peak District
18. Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey
19. Greenway, Agatha Christie’s Devon retreat
20. Roald Dahl's Gipsy House, Great Missenden
21. Keats’ House, London
22. Thomas Hardy’s Birthplace, and Max Gate House, Dorset
23. Sedbergh book town, Lake District
24. Abbotsford, near Selkirk, Scotland, made famous by Walter Scott
25. Dylan Thomas boathouse, Laugharne, Wales
26. John Rylands library, Manchester
27. 48 Doughty Street, Charles Dickens' home
28. John Milton's Cottage, Chalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire
29. D.H. Lawrence Birthplace and Hagg’s Farm
30. Elizabeth Gaskell’s house, Manchester
31. Lamb House, Rye, East Sussex, associated with Henry James
32. Bateman’s, East Sussex, home of Rudyard Kipling
33. Shelley Lodge, Marlow, home of Mary Shelley
34. Woolwich, and central London, famously associated to Bernardine Evaristo
35. Coleridge Cottage, Nether Stowey, home of Samuel Taylor Coleridge