The Perch Inn

Oxford is a significant place in the history of fantasy literature, being where writers worked on classics such as The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Therefore, it should be no surprise that there are many spots with connections to such works scattered around this City of Dreaming Spires.

Lewis Carroll frequently visited the village of Binsey, about 2.5 miles northwest of Oxford. One of his favorite haunts was the Perch Inn, an old public house where he’s said to have given one of the first-ever public readings of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. There has been a pub on-site for 800 years, and the current building dates back to the 17th century.

The pub’s significance even extends to television. On the popular series Inspector Morse, the titular detective visited the pub.