Drinkers in Oxford were shocked when The Grapes in George Street closed over Christmas after West Berkshire Brewery went into adminstration.

Now the city council, which owns the pub building, said it would like to see another pub company take over the lease if possible, and Dave Richardson, a spokesman for the Oxford branch of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), said he was hopeful the pub would reopen by the end of the year.

Read again: Historic pub The Grapes could reopen

Here we look at five popular pubs in Oxford that are missed: 

1: The Grapes 

There are no guarantees The Grapes will ever reopen but it would be a waste if it didn't. The pub was given a £70,000 makeover by WBB in 2019 and was popular with theatre goers and real ale enthusiasts.

2: The Mitre

Lincoln College spent a lot of money refurbishing student rooms but once the scheme was completed The Mitre, in High Street, remained closed. One of Oxford's oldest and most historic pubs.

Oxford Mail:

3: The Eagle & Child

Owned by St John's College, the pub in St Giles is famous for its links with the Inklings, a writers' group featuring Tolkien and CS Lewis. But a scheme to revamp the interior and create hotel rooms could take another two years.

Oxford Mail:

4: The Marlborough House 

This classic backstreet boozer in Marlborough Road, off Abingdon Road, closed in 2008. It had a friendly, quirky atmosphere and you could imagine it would be the kind of place to stage an impromptu lock-in.

Oxford Mail:

5: The Lamb & Flag

This historic pub in St Giles, on the other side of the street to the Eagle and Child, closed due to the pandemic in January last year.

Oxford Mail:

But it was bought out by a Community Interest Company and is due to reopen next month with a new landlord.

Extensive work has been carried out to refurbish the old cellars.

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