King's Arms, Oxford (Kings Arms)

Claimed as Oxford’s oldest pub, built in 1607, though rebuilt in the eighteenth century, hence its Georgian appearance. The front parts are largely opened out and modernised though some decorative ceiling plasterwork remaining. The opening rear left, however, leads to a most characterful back portion. The corridor ahead has a glazed and heavily bowed partition behind which is a small bar that was 'gentlemen only' until about 1973. A now-closed door in the partition suggests this space was once split into two tiny rooms. The bar itself has old dado panelling and a very old bench at the rear; the counter is in the same style as the rest of the room but is more recent and the bar-back shelves mix old and new. Separating this bar from a lobby area is a glazed partition that almost reaches the ceiling and has a doorway and three sliding windows in the open position, two of which form hatches for service. The lobby has old dado panelling with bench seating attached and a baffle by the back door. Up three steps is a lounge, converted in 1992 from a former 'family room' for the licensee. It has a modern 'window' cut into the partition wall for supervision purposes.