Oxford still has many fine pubs but not as many as it used to have and drinkers have been forced to say goodbye to their favourite hostelries over the years.
The issue of pubs closures predates the pandemic, and it has affected the UK for years.
The Grapes in George Street remains closed, although there is still hope that it will one day reopen, the Eagle and Child in St Giles is currently shut, and The Mitre in High Street has been transformed into the Gusto Italian restaurant.
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In 2018, a report from the Office for National Statistics showed that in 2010 there were 105 pubs and bars in Oxford but by 2017 that had fallen to 90.
South Oxfordshire was hit the hardest, with 45 pubs closing in just eight years.
Across the UK 5,745 pubs closed over the period, and there are 54 local authorities where 30 or more shut.
Pubs have been the hub of the community for generations, and Oxford has its own rich history of inn and taverns.
In 1355 a dodgy pint at the Swindlestock Tavern near Carfax sparked two days of rioting between town and gown.
Morrells brewery was part of Oxford for over 200 years till it closed in 1998; the Inklings (Tolkien, CS Lewis and others) used to meet in the Eagle and Child, and Aunt Sally still offers a local alternative to the pub darts team in Oxford.
The Charles Wells pub The Holly Bush reopened in 2019 after being closed for a number of years.
The Holly Bush
Pubs were first forced to close for lockdown in March 2020 and could only serve takeaways.
They shut down again for the second national lockdown in November 2020, and then again in January 2021 after suffering tough restrictions throughout December.
For all the great pubs which remain in our city, dozens have called time on serving customers down the years, whether due to falling trade, competition from supermarkets or increasing rents.
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The Fair Rosamund in Elms Rise, Botley, was built in the 1950s and closed in 2000.
The Horse and Jockey in Woodstock Road dates back much further, to 1880.
It was located at 69 Woodstock Road and was leased to St John's College by Morrells Brewery on a 99-year lease in 1899.
Chris and Debbie Long outside the Horse & Jockey
The pub closed in 2002 and was converted into student accommodation.
The Lord Napier could be found in Observatory Street in Jericho and although it has since closed the building is still known as Lord Napier House.
Regulars at The Radcliffe Arms
The Radcliffe Arms does not exist in its previous form but the site does still operate as a boozer, now known as The Rickety Press.
The pub reopened under its new name in 2011, a year after The Radcliffe Arms shut.
Tony Goulding of CAMRA outside The Quarry Gate
Other pubs loved and lost include The Marlborough House in south Oxford, The Quarry Gate in Headington, The Jack Russell in Marston and Far From The Madding Crowd.
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This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.
Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter @OxMailAndyF
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