EIT and Foster + Partners to restore iconic Oxford pub, The Eagle & Child

Planning permission and listed building consent have been granted for the restoration and reopening of The Eagle and Child pub, one of  Oxford’s most iconic landmarks.

Built around 1840, the grade ll listed pub has been long been a part of the city’s cultural fabric and was famously frequented by members of the Inklings group, including J.R.R Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.  

EIT appointed Foster + Partners to lead the restoration, continuing the building’s legacy as a place where ideas, debate and creativity thrive.

The revitalised design will re-establish the Eagle & Child as a vibrant social and intellectual hub, with the addition of a new dining space, bakery and outdoor garden, as well as collaborative meeting areas for Ellison Scholars, staff and fellows on the upper levels.

Gerard Evenden, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners, said:

“The design preserves the unique character of The Eagle and Child and respects its many layers of history. Our sensitive interventions will create an all-day meeting place by introducing an adjacent café and inspirational workspaces for EIT across the upper levels. The scheme is stitched together by a newly landscaped garden and restored passageway between the café and the pub – new social spaces that transition effortlessly from day to night.”

Working closely with heritage architects, Donald Insall Associates, the practice is employing a conservation-led approach to restore and preserve as much of the original building as possible after years of dormancy.

Light-touch interventions will maintain the familiar warmth of the pub’s two historic parlour rooms and famous ‘Rabbit Room’ – where the Inklings group once gathered, while reinstating original features such as the third parlour room to enhance social spaces.

At the rear, a new dining room will reconnect the pub to its garden, transforming it into an all-day destination. The neighbouring 50 and 51 St. Giles’ Street will become a café that serves coffee and baked goods, bringing a fresh energy to the street and garden from morning through evening

The floors above the pub and café will provide informal meeting and study spaces for our scholars, staff and fellows. This will create a modern setting for research, discussion and collaboration - continuing The Eagle & Child’s role as a space for people and ideas to come together.