One of Oxford's most famous pubs - the Eagle and Child - has now been closed for almost three years.

It shut on March 20, 2020 when the first coronavirus lockdown was announced and has never reopened.

Ambitious plans to relaunch it as a pub with boutique hotel rooms came to nothing and now the hostelry which has strong literary links is being marketed as a standalone pub.

READ AGAIN: Eagle and Child will cost more than £1m to renovate

Owners St John's College said at the end of last year it wanted the pub to reopen and a new operator to take on the lease.

As the third anniversary of closure approaches, the pub has featured in the second episode of the final series of ITV's Endeavour.

Oxford Mail:

Actor Shaun Evans is seen outside and is then shown inside, although a different pub must have been used for the interior scenes.

Dave Richardson, a spokesman for real ale group CAMRA, said he was pleased to see the Eagle and Child on screen in Endeavour.

READ AGAIN: Eagle and Child has been 'left to rot'

He added: "Its importance to Oxford life is again broadcast to the wider world but we are now approaching the third anniversary of its closure and it would be good to know the possibilities for it reopening.

"We understand there is significant interest in operating it as a pub and we look forward to hearing from St John's College when a new operator has been appointed."

Oxford Mail:

Mr Richardson added that a lot of work was required to renovate the pub and estimated last year that it could cost more than £1m.

"It's perhaps too optimistic to think it will reopen this year," he added.

And he revealed that a 'contact of a pub landlord in Oxford' was putting together a business case for running the Eagle and Child.

Savills is marketing the lease for the pub on behalf of St John's College.

Oxford Mail:

It says: "The Eagle and Child is an end of terrace property with painted and rendered elevations under a pitched slate roof.

READ AGAIN: Morse documentary to be screened after last Endeavour

"The existing configuration provides ground floor public house and ancillary areas with predominantly living accommodation on the first and second floors above basement cold-room.

"The landlord’s preference is to offer the public house as a 'lock-up' without upper parts which will be retained."

The fantasy authors JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis were members of a literary group called the Inklings which met at the Eagle and Child.

Oxford Mail:

Last year a community group called the Inklings took over the running of the Lamb & Flag and reopened it after it closed during the pandemic.

ITV's Endeavour, which is set in Oxford and based on the Inspector Morse stories of Colin Dexter, is ending after 10 years and the final episode is being shown on Sunday.

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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