Turf Tavern

Last updated

Turf Tavern
Turf Tavern in Oxford, England.jpg
Turf Tavern located in Oxford, England.
Oxford map small.svg
Red pog.svg
Location within Central Oxford
General information
Coordinates 51°45′17″N1°15′11″W / 51.7547°N 1.253°W / 51.7547; -1.253
Website
Turf Tavern website

The Turf Tavern (or just "the Turf") is a historic pub in central Oxford, England. Its foundations and use as a malt house and drinking tavern date back to 1381.[ citation needed ] The low-beamed front bar area was put in place sometime in the 17th century. [1] It was originally called the Spotted Cow but the name was changed in 1842, likely as part of an effort to extinguish its reputation as a venue for illegal gambling activities.[ citation needed ]

The pub is frequented primarily by students. It is located at the end of a narrow winding alley, St Helens Passage (originally Hell's passage), between Holywell Street and New College Lane, near the Bridge of Sighs. [2] Running along one side of the pub is one of the remaining sections of the old city wall. Due to the illegal activities of many of its original patrons, the Turf sprang up in an area just outside the city wall in order to escape the jurisdiction of the governing bodies of the local colleges. [3]

The Turf Tavern is also where future Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke set a Guinness World Record for consuming a yard glass of ale in 11 seconds in 1954. [4] Other public figures who have dined or drunk at the tavern include Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Tony Blair, CS Lewis, Stephen Hawking and Margaret Thatcher. [5] It also served as a hangout for the cast and crew of the Harry Potter movies while the nearby colleges were used as locations throughout the filming of the series.[ citation needed ] The Turf Tavern also claims to be the location where future American president Bill Clinton, while a student at University College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, famously smoked "but did not inhale" marijuana. [6] [7] [8] [9]

It was also featured in the ITV TV Series Inspector Morse aired between 1987 and 2000. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Hawke</span> Prime Minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991

Robert James Lee Hawke was an Australian politician and trade unionist who served as the 23rd prime minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991. He held office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), having previously served as the president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions from 1969 to 1980 and president of the Labor Party national executive from 1973 to 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pub</span> Establishment that serves alcoholic drinks

A pub is a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in the late 17th century, to differentiate private houses from those open to the public as alehouses, taverns and inns. Today, there is no strict definition, but CAMRA states a pub has four characteristics:

  1. is open to the public without membership or residency
  2. serves draught beer or cider without requiring food be consumed
  3. has at least one indoor area not laid out for meals
  4. allows drinks to be bought at a bar
<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tavern</span> Place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food

A tavern is a type of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern that has a license to put up guests as lodgers. The word derives from the Latin taberna whose original meaning was a shed, workshop, stall, or pub.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craft beer</span> Brewery that produces small amounts of beer

Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries, which typically produce smaller amounts of beer, than larger "macro" breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as emphasising enthusiasm, new flavours, and varied brewing techniques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wetherspoons</span> British pub chain

J D Wetherspoon plc is a pub company operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company was founded in 1979 by Tim Martin and is based in Watford. It operates the sub-brand of Lloyds No.1 bars, and 56 Wetherspoon hotels. Wetherspoon is known for converting unconventional premises, such as former cinemas and banks, into pubs. The company is publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drinking culture</span> Aspect of human behavior

Drinking culture is the set of traditions and social behaviors that surround the consumption of alcoholic beverages as a recreational drug and social lubricant. Although alcoholic beverages and social attitudes toward drinking vary around the world, nearly every civilization has independently discovered the processes of brewing beer, fermenting wine and distilling spirits.

<i>Izakaya</i> Japanese bar

An izakaya is a type of informal Japanese bar that serves alcoholic drinks and snacks. Izakaya are casual places for after-work drinking, similar to a pub, a Spanish tapas bar, or an American saloon or tavern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer garden</span> Outdoor area in which beer, other drinks, and local food are served

A beer garden is an outdoor area in which beer and food are served, typically at shared tables shaded by trees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yard of ale</span> Very tall beer glass

A yard of ale or yard glass is a very tall beer glass used for drinking around 2+12 imperial pints (1.4 L) of beer, depending upon the diameter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pub names</span> Identification method of public houses

Pub names are used to identify and differentiate traditional drinking establishments. Many pubs are centuries old, and were named at a time when most of their customers were illiterate, but could recognise pub signs. The use of signage was not confined to drinking establishments. British pubs may be named after and depict anything from everyday objects, to sovereigns, aristocrats and landowners. Other names come from historic events, livery companies, occupations, sports, and craftsmen's guilds. One of the most common pub names is the Red Lion. This list contains both modern and historical examples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holywell Street, Oxford</span> Street in central Oxford, England

Holywell Street is a street in central Oxford, England. It runs east–west with Broad Street to the west and Longwall Street to the east. About halfway along, Mansfield Road adjoins to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Anchor, Bankside</span> Pub in Bankside, London

The Anchor is a pub in the London Borough of Southwark. It is in the Bankside locality on the south bank of the River Thames, close to Southwark Cathedral and London Bridge station. A tavern establishment has been at the pub's location for over 800 years. Behind the pub are buildings that were operated by the Anchor Brewery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drinking establishment</span> Business

A drinking establishment is a business whose primary function is the serving of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises. Some establishments may also serve food, or have entertainment, but their main purpose is to serve alcoholic beverages. There are different types of drinking establishment ranging from seedy bars or nightclubs, sometimes termed "dive bars", to 5,000 seat beer halls and elegant places of entertainment for the elite. A public house, informally known as a "pub", is an establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises in countries and regions of British influence. Although the terms are increasingly used to refer to the same thing, there is a difference between pubs, bars, inns, taverns and lounges where alcohol is served commercially. A tavern or pot-house is, loosely, a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and, more than likely, also be served food, though not licensed to put up guests. The word derives from the Latin taberna and the Greek ταβέρνα/taverna.

Alcohol laws of Australia are laws that regulate the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages. The legal drinking age is 18 throughout Australia. The minimum age for the purchase of alcoholic products in Australia is 18. A licence is required to produce or sell alcohol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alcohol law</span> Law pertaining to alcoholic beverages

Alcohol laws are laws relating to manufacture, use, being under the influence of and sale of alcohol or alcoholic beverages. Common alcoholic beverages include beer, wine, (hard) cider, and distilled spirits. Definition of alcoholic beverage varies internationally, e.g., the United States defines an alcoholic beverage as "any beverage in liquid form which contains not less than one-half of one percent of alcohol by volume". Alcohol laws can restrict those who can produce alcohol, those who can buy it, when one can buy it, labelling and advertising, the types of alcoholic beverage that can be sold, where one can consume it, what activities are prohibited while intoxicated, and where one can buy it. In some cases, laws have even prohibited the use and sale of alcohol entirely.

Alcohol has been illegal for Muslim Iranian citizens since the establishment of Islamic Republic government in 1979.

References

  1. "Turf Tavern pub in Oxford". Greene King Local Pubs. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Find a Hidden Oxford Pub Down a Secret Alley". TripSavvy. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  3. "Oxford's Turf Tavern to undergo a facelift". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  4. "Bob Hawke's beer-drinking record may be marked by Oxford blue plaque". TheGuardian.com . 14 June 2019.
  5. Middleton, Christopher (17 April 2009). "Oxfordshire Pub Guide: The Turf Tavern, Oxford". Daily Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  6. "Bob Hawke's beer-drinking record may be marked by Oxford blue plaque". The Guardian. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  7. "Turf Tavern". Lonely Planet. Lonely Planet. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  8. "The Turf Tavern". Daily Info. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  9. Will-Weber, Mark (2014). Mint Juleps with Teddy Roosevelt The Complete History of Presidential Drinking. Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing. p. 346. ISBN   9781621572435 . Retrieved 12 July 2021.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Turf Tavern, Oxford at Wikimedia Commons