#1

5.30pm - 6.15pm

Turf Tavern
4 Bath Place, off Holywell Street, Oxford OX1 3SU

- One of Oxford's finest and oldest pubs (it dates back to the 16th century) is nestled between a number of the colleges and the old city walls.

Winner of the "Perfect Cask Ale Pub" award in 2007, they usually have 12 real ales and an interesting cider on. We will try and grab a table outside, although, admittedly, it is likely to be busy, despite being not the easiest place to find. You can either access it off Holywell Street or down a small alleyway off New College Lane by the Bridge of Sighs. For a pictorial guide as to how to find it, look here: http://www.theturftavern.co.uk/directions.php

#2

6.15pm - 6.45pm

The Kings Arms
40 Holywell Street, Oxford OX1 3SP

- At the junction of Holywell Street and Broad Street, overlooking the Ashmolean, this one's another Oxford favourite. Dating back to the early 17th century, it has a couple of large rooms with some smaller, cosier rooms at the back. Owned by Youngs, this is one of their better pubs and usually has an interesting selection of guest ales.

#3

6.50pm - 7.20pm

The Lamb & Flag
12 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3JS

- To the Lamb and Flag next. We can take the shortcut up Park Road, left into Blackhall Road and then sneak down Lamb and Flag Passage. This old coaching inn has its own fair share of local history; Thomas Hardy (allegedly) wrote most of Jude the Obscure here ­ this may or may not have been the pub in the novel (see the history of the Turf Tavern website above). Now owned by St John's college, it's been tastefully modernised and has a range of interesting beverages. The pub was recently in the news when it was revealed that profits from the pub are being used to fund St John's scholarships and so you can enjoy a drink here in the knowledge that it is helping some impoverished academic's bank balance - as if they're not spending it on beer anyway!

#4

7.25pm - 7.55pm

Royal Oak
42 Woodstock Rd, Oxford OX2 6HT

- Moving away slightly from the city centre now to another pub with lots of rooms. Hopefully, we'll able to make use of their beer garden. Again, it has a good range of drinks (I think you're probably getting the idea of the sort of pubs we're going to by now!) It also has a bar billiards table, which is something you don't see very often. Bar billiards is apparently something we can still beat the best of the world at.

#5 and #6

8.00pm - 9.00pm

Gardener's Arms
North Parade Avenue, Oxford OX2 6LX

Rose & Crown
North Parade Avenue, Oxford OX2 6LX

- On to the (almost village-like) North Parade Avenue, where these two old favourites stand opposite each other. Ideally, we'll spend half an hour in each but I'll leave it up to the general consensus.
Local fact: North Parade is actually south of South Parade, the reason being that during the Civil War when Charles I was besieged by Oliver Cromwell in Oxford, North Parade was the location of the Royalist northern front, whereas South Parade was the location of the Roundhead southern front.

#7

9.00pm - 9.40pm

Gardener's Arms
39 Plantation Road, Oxford OX2 6JE

- Yes, another Gardener's Arms, a charming little pub which feels very much like a locals' pub. However, people come from all over to sample its wide range of beers and ciders (see their website for details: http://www.thegardenersarms.co.uk/ ).
It's also well-known for being the only pub in Oxford with a totally vegetarian menu ­ I haven't been able to find out what time they serve food until, though. You may also be interested to know that this was Bill Clinton's favourite pub during his time in Oxford but don't hold that against it.

#8

9.40pm - 10.20pm

Jude The Obscure
54 Walton Street, Oxford OX2 6AE

- As I've said before, there are too many good pubs to visit in one evening. We could have spent a good couple of hours going round the pubs in Jericho. Jericho was traditionally a working-class area of the city, as it backs on to the Oxford Canal. It has had a bit of a dodgy reputation in the past but it now is a rather cosmopolitan part of town with many pubs and bars.

#9

10.20pm - 10.50pm

Eagle & Child
49 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3LU

- This is what Wikipedia has to say about this one:

"It has become the destination for literary pilgrimages because of its reputation as the haunt of the Inklings from 1939 to 1962. The Inklings was a writers' group which included J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. They met there every Monday or Friday before lunch, to drink and talk, usually in an area at the back of the pub, which was then a private sitting room and is now known as the Rabbit Room. Contrary to popular impression (and also contrary to the plaque posted in the pub), the Inklings did not read their manuscripts to each other in the pub: these readings took place at evening meetings usually in Lewis's college rooms. The Inklings changed allegiance in 1962 by moving across St Giles' to the Lamb and Flag, but it is the Eagle and Child's Rabbit Room that attracts visitors.

"It has become something of a mark of distinction for Tolkien fans to make a "pilgrimage" to the Eagle and Child. The Rabbit Room bears a plaque which is much photographed, and there are photos and other mementos of the writers on the walls.

"More recently, the pub became known as the regular watering hole of Colin Dexter, who created Inspector Morse.

"The pub's sign shows an eagle carrying a small child in a fold of cloth suspended from a claw, which was derived from the crest of the Earl of Derby. The image is said to refer to a story of a noble-born baby having been found in an eagle's nest. It is said to bear a resemblance to artistic representations of the abduction of Ganymede by Zeus in the guise of an eagle in Greek mythology.

"A small, narrow building, the pub reputedly served as the lodgings of the Chancellor of the Exchequer during the English Civil War, when Oxford was the Royalist capital. The landmark served as a pay house for the Royalist army, and pony auctions were held in the rear courtyard. These claims are inconsistent with the earliest date usually given for construction of the pub, 1650, and the fact that the pub lies outside the city walls may also give some cause for doubt."

#10

10.50pm - midnight

Far From The Madding Crowd
10-12 Friars Entry, Oxford OX1 2BY

- Last but by no means least, another pub named after a Thomas Hardy novel. Despite being in the city centre, this is often overlooked by passing trade as it's hidden down a small alleyway (the entrance is by Debenhams). It is very proud of its beer selection and it also has a "public piano". A fine note on which to end the evening.