‘Hidden’ Oxford pub linked with William Shakespeare

The Crown, tucked away in an alleyway close to Greggs, is a haven of tranquillity off the crowded shopping street.

Run by Nicholson’s, which also runs The Chequers in High Street, the hostelry is a dimly-lit, welcoming place for tired shoppers who need a pie and a pint or a quick coffee and bowl of chips with ketchup or mayonnaise.

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A former coaching inn, The Crown is the Oxford Mail pub of the week.

The Crown in Cornmarket (Image: Andy Ffrench)

The alleyway leading to The Crown (Image: Andy Ffrench)

The pub, which offers plenty of guest ales, is as good a place as any to go for pub grub which is well cooked and doesn’t take too long to arrive.

Situated off a courtyard, the long bar features lots of tables in little nooks where you can enjoy a break while the TV screens keep you up to date with the latest big game, or breaking news.

Pies at The Crown (Image: Nicholson’s)

The British steak and Nicholson’s pale ale pie is £18; the chicken leek and tarragon pie is £18; large fish and chips £21; sausage and mash £15.50; and a Nicholson’s Burger is £20 but there are cheaper options and staff are perfectly happy to humour you if you only want to snack on a bowl of chips.

While the selection of pies is mouth-watering, the history of the building is sure to impress tourists and locals alike.

Dave Richardson, of the Oxford branch of real ale group CAMRA, has focused on the history of The Crown in his well-researched 2015 book, Oxford Pubs.

Beers on sale at The Crown in 2024 (Image: Andy Ffrench)

He writes: “The Crown was once a rambling coaching inn and until 1774 it had a direct frontage onto Cornmarket Street and the present building was the stables and outhouses.

“The renowned Oxford diarist, Anthony Wood (1632-1695) was a regular, recording a visit to London by stagecoach in 1667 which took three days.

“Oxford was one of the busiest places in England for stagecoaches by the early 19th century.”

Mr Richardson adds: “Many visitors ask what connection Shakespeare might have had with Oxford. He is thought to have visited frequently and was a friend of John Davenant, who was Lord Mayor of Oxford when he died in 1622.

“A plaque outside The Crown mentions that Shakespeare ‘is said to have been more than friendly to John’s wife’, and that Shakespeare was in fact the father of John’s son, William. He was certainly William’s godfather.”

The pub has a 3.9 out of 5 score on reviews site Tripadvisor.

One customer last year wrote: “I visit here fairly often with friends and it’s kind of become our city centre local.

“Friendly staff, plenty of nice beers on tap, cosy inside, cosy garden at the side of pub, sometimes shows footy or has a live musician playing.

“A nice and reliable cosy place for drinks and one of the better town pubs.”