The claim
Tucked down a passage off Winchester's High Street, the Royal Oak is a low-beamed, wood-panelled pub that vies with Chalton's Red Lion as Hampshire's oldest. Its boast of fabric from Queen Emma's time is fanciful, but records of a taverner here around 1400 give it real medieval pedigree. Expect quiz nights, Sunday roasts and a small beer garden.
What the records show
The link with Queen Emma's residence in 1002 is legend. Local historians cite records of an unnamed taverner here between about 1390 and 1430 and a 1637 schedule naming a tapster with a brewhouse, which gives it one of the better documented medieval tavern histories in Hampshire.
| Year | What | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1002 | Claimed founding | The pub |
| c.1450 | Present building | Grade II listed (NHLE 1322135) |
| 1430 | First record of a drinking house here | Historic England |
What to look for inside
- Claims parts date to 1002 AD and Queen Emma
- Taverner recorded here c.1390-1430
- Contends with the Red Lion, Chalton, for oldest pub in Hampshire
Visiting
The Royal Oak is in Winchester, England, at Royal Oak Passage, off High Street, Winchester SO23 9AU. We do not list opening times, because they change; the pub’s own site is the place to check before you set out.
Sources
- www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/hampshire/royal-oak-winchester
- www.petersfieldpost.co.uk/news/nostalgia-two-ancient-inns-vie-for-the-title-of-oldest-pub-in-county-307771
- historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1322135
- www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/hants/vol5/pp36-44
- ratings.food.gov.uk/business/12371
Know something we don’t?Suggest a correctionLast checked Sept 2026
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