Haunted HotelsUK

Haunted pub in Oxford

The King's Arms

A 400-year-old pub opposite the Bodleian that says it has a resident ghost. The story goes that two unseen old men can be heard arguing in Ancient Greek in one of the bars.

ReportedRepeated accounts, but without names or detail

The ghosts

  • Two elderly men, heard but never seen, said to argue in Ancient Greek

History

A council lease of 1607 licensed Thomas Franklyn to open an inn here with the sign of the King's Arms. It stands on land linked to Wadham College, and its back room was the last bar in Oxford to keep women out, until 1973.

Visiting

Address
40 Holywell Street, OX1 3SP
Food
Food served daily, including breakfast
Children
Not confirmed yet: check with the pub
Dogs
Not confirmed yet: check with the pub

Details last checked 24 October 2026. Check opening times on the pub’s website.

Haunted hotels nearby

More haunted pubs in Oxford

Reported

The Perch

A thatched riverside pub at Binsey said to be haunted by a sailor in naval uniform. A landlord told the Oxford Mail in 2011 about strange experiences there.

  • Binsey Lane, Binsey
  • Food
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A hidden pub down an alley off Holywell Street, built against the old city wall, which says it has a resident ghost called Rosie.

  • 7 Bath Place
  • Food
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A Tudor tavern off the High Street with a legend of monks walled up in a tunnel to the Mitre opposite, whose chanting is said to be heard in the cellars.

  • 131 High Street
  • Food
The ghost story

Sources