Drink a beer at The Bear Inn – Oxford’s oldest pub

If you visit the Bear Inn wearing a tie, don’t expect to leave with it. At least, that seems to be the message, if the vast collection of neckwear displayed in glass cases around the room is anything to go by. For years punters have been taking off their ties and leaving them behind, with a note and the date, a feature that adds even more character to this 13th-Century pub.

Quietly located, off Oxford’s high street, this cosy little place is a local’s favourite, specialising in real ales and – unfortunately for tall people - low ceilings. Afternoons are best spent cosying up by the fire, or, if it’s summer, why not take your pint to the benches outside?