King's Arms, Oxford

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The King's Arms is a well-known student pub in Oxford, England. It sits on the corner of Parks Road and Holywell Street, opposite the New Bodleian Library, and is near Broad Street and the Clarendon Building. It is often said to be the oldest pub in Oxford.

Ownership and building:
- The pub building is owned by Wadham College, located just to the north, and the pub has been run by Young’s Brewery since 1991.

History:
- The site was first occupied by buildings built by Augustinian friars in 1268. After the Dissolution in 1540, the land passed to the City of Oxford.
- In 1607, the council licensed an inn on the site and named it The King’s Arms, in honor of King James I. It opened on 18 September 1607.
- In the 17th century it hosted plays; in the early 18th century the south side and rear were rebuilt, and the west frontage was added in the late 18th century.
- It has been a coaching inn and later a hotel at different times.

Notable moments:
- Graham Greene and Kim Philby drank there around 1944, according to Greene’s biographer.
- The back bar, once called The Don’s Bar, did not admit women until 1973. A fire in 1973, caused by an electrical fault, led to changes; the Don’s Bar space was later repurposed as The Office, which had been the landlord’s office until 1992.

Recent history:
- Wadham College reclaimed the upper stories of the building in the 1960s.
- In 1991 the pub became a Young’s pub.

Today:
- The King's Arms remains a popular spot for students and visitors near the university’s main sites.