The Eagle and Child is globally famous for its associate with “The Inklings,” the group of scholars and writers that included JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. It is now owned by St. John’s College and has been closed since March of 2020. Just this week, the lawyer for St. John’s has filed a request to build an extension on the back of the pub. The “Bird and the Baby,” as it was often referred to, is just down the street from my own college, St. Cross, and we occasionally had a drink or a meal there, often in the “Rabbit Room” at the back, which was favored by The Inklings. Everything was locked up when I visited in early August 2023, so I took a few shots through the windows, happy to catch a glimpse of some of the booths, a coal fireplace, and some pictures on the wall. The reflections of activities along St. Giles’ provided some context. The first image was shot with the iPhone, the remainder with the Nikon D810.
