Which Oxford pub was associated with J.R.R. Tolkien and the Inklings?

The Oxford pub associated with J.R.R. Tolkien and the Inklings was The Eagle and Child.

The Eagle and Child, located on St Giles’ Street in Oxford, became a meeting place for the Inklings, an informal literary discussion group active mainly from the 1930s through the early 1950s. Tolkien regularly attended, as did C.S. Lewis and other writers and scholars.

The group discussed works in progress, read drafts aloud, and debated literature, religion, and ideas. Tolkien shared portions of his developing fiction with fellow members, although the Inklings were not a formal society with a fixed membership or published constitution.

The pub is often called the Bird and Baby, a nickname derived from its sign. It is also sometimes confused with the nearby Lamb and Flag, another Oxford pub associated with literary history. The Eagle and Child’s significance comes from its connection with the Inklings and Oxford’s wider academic and literary culture.