Home > Oxfordshire > Oxford > Welsh Pony Welsh Pony
Date of photo: 2016	Picture source: T C
The Welsh Pony was situated at 48 George Street.  This pub was present by 1870 when the publican was Thomas Tanner. It was previously known as The Corn Exchange Hotel and closed c2000. It is now used as a hotel and cafe bar.
I'm from Tacoma, Washington - USA. I had just been laid off and had some money because of all of the overtime. I made a trip to England in 1998 and stayed at the Welsh Pony in Oxford. I loved the Inspector Morse show and wanted to see some of the scenery. Also, my sister owned a Welsh pony. There was a restaurant and a bar downstairs and rooms to rent upstairs. I got settled and turned on the TV. It was a rerun of the Antiques Road Show. I like the American version, and I wanted to see if the British one was different. This episode was from Crawley in 1993. I remember a young guy that looked that looked pretty scruffy. He had a large bag of silver. There was a stag's head drinking cup, gilded inside. The appraiser was gushing over it. I remember a snuff box with a guy hiding in an oak tree on the lid. The appraiser said that it was King Charles the First, hiding from Cromwell. The value was £250,000 which was a guess because he didn't pull it all out. The appraiser suggested using a security service to go directly to a safety deposit box. I did a walking tour and came back. I went into the bar and several locals struck up a conversation. I can't hold my alcohol, so it's a glass of wine and straight to bed. These guys were bragging about a beer called Dogs Bollocks. The next morning, the restaurant was full and a guy asked if he could join me. Sure. He was a local who worked at the University. We talked about the difference between British and American English. In the afternoon, I stopped in the restaurant again. The server was helping her younger brother fill in forms to apply for a job. The mother, father, brother and waitress were huddled around the table poring over the papers. She came over to my table and asked, "How do you say - He is well presented?" I thought about all of the applications I had filled out and came up with, "He is well groomed." No, was the angry reply. "You groom a horse!"
Sean Glen (January 2026)
Review from tantallon.org.uk:
James Davey writes: As I write (1998-08-09) this pub is undergoing renovation. When we visited (Wednesday night, about 10 pm) we found the front full of carpentry and decidedly closed. However the saloon and Spanish bars were accessible from the back (bus station side) and we opted for the former, the latter being decidedly empty. The clientele were bog standard middle aged blokes, at least one of whom was slightly on the posh side and one of whom kept putting `Whiskey in the Jar' and the like on the jukebox. Facilities passed me by as the drunk posh bloke talked to me in them, thus distracting me. Interior was a red gloom due to lighting. Standard shelf of old ceramic bottles etc. Small glass framed prints of famous art on the wall. I had the Mistletoad which taste a bit raw. I have heard good things about the beer though. Also served Flowers (Original and IPA). The Spanish Bar is meant to be something special apparently. Serves tequila and sangria. All in all a cosy quiet place, whcih must be considered rare for George Street. If they got rid of that vile red lighting it would be a treat. I much prefer it to the Old School. (1998-01-09) Colin Batchelor writes: This is what pubs used to be like, and the renovation doesn't seem to have progressed any since January. There's a strong whiff of smoke as you go in, and it's (not very) full of blokes who would probably give you accurate dialogue for a novel. Wide range of beer. (1998-04-19)
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Name Dates Comments Will 1980s Not a regular but had the odd drink in here, I think the name must be to do with the old drovers from Wales who used to drive their animals from the Welsh hills to Oxford and London to sell in the markets there - so in Gloucester Green cattle market as was. Always sad to see an old pub go Susan Rushworth 1991/1993 My husband was a regular, he was Restaurant Manager at Rewley House now Kellogg College and would meet our friend's that worked at Worcester College. I remember Blue and Louis. Ginger Carolina Perez Jejeje 1990/1992 I spent my best and most beautiful adolescent in that pub in the company of all the Spanish students who met there xomparti the most beautiful moments of my life at that time I still remember Tom and Luis spectacular people I will return before I die now 30 years later I live in northern ireland i know i will return to that place because remembering is living Mik 1970 Was serving at RAF Bicester and wife was in John Radcliffe hospital having our 1st child and being on low income had to stay in Oxford for the day and used the pub as the food was relatively cheap, popular with students. today is the daughters 53rd birthday and was reminiscing about that time with her daughter.
Other Photos
Date of photo: c1981	Picture source: Elaine Warboys
	Picture source: MJ Crook