Bear Lane is a short historic street in central Oxford

Oxford

The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. The lane is located just north of Christ Church

Christ Church, Oxford

Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...

. It runs between the junction of Blue Boar Street

Blue Boar Street

Blue Boar Street is a narrow historic street running betweenSt Aldate's to the west and the north of Alfred Street to the west, in central Oxford, England...

 and Alfred Street

Alfred Street

Alfred Street is a street running between the High Street to the north and the junction with Blue Boar Street and Bear Lane at the southern end, in central Oxford, England. To the south is Christ Church, one of Oxford University's historic colleges....

 to the west, and King Edward Street

King Edward Street

King Edward Street is a street running between the High Street to the north and Oriel Square to the south in central Oxford, England.To the east is the "Island" site of Oriel College, one of the colleges of Oxford University...

 and the north of Oriel Square

Oriel Square

Oriel Square, formerly known as Canterbury Square is a square in central Oxford, England, located south of the High Street. The name was changed after the Second World War at the request of Oriel College which maintained that the square had originally been known as Oriel Square.To the east at the...

 to the east.

The south side of Bear Lane faces the back of Christ Church's

Christ Church, Oxford

Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...

 Peckwater Quad whilst the north side opens onto a sizeable accommodation complex belonging to Lincoln College

Lincoln College, Oxford

Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...

. The complex, known to students simply as Bear Lane, houses over a hundred students and reaches all the way to High Street

High Street, Oxford

The High Street in Oxford, England runs between Carfax, generally recognized as the centre of the city, and Magdalen Bridge to the east. Locally the street is often known as The High. It forms a gentle curve and is the subject of many prints, paintings, photographs, etc...

. The site was inherited by the College from Emmelina Carr in 1436. A residential centre for graduate studies was opened in 1977, designed by Geoffrey Beard. Further student accommodation for the College has been added between Bear Lane and the High Street

High Street, Oxford

The High Street in Oxford, England runs between Carfax, generally recognized as the centre of the city, and Magdalen Bridge to the east. Locally the street is often known as The High. It forms a gentle curve and is the subject of many prints, paintings, photographs, etc...

 to the north, completed in 1995. This building complex incorporates many historic features, including the Painted Room, which has 16th-century frescoes and panelling. This was originally part of the Crown Tavern, a former historic Oxford inn. The poet and playwright William Davenant

William Davenant

Sir William Davenant , also spelled D'Avenant, was an English poet and playwright. Along with Thomas Killigrew, Davenant was one of the rare figures in English Renaissance theatre whose career spanned both the Caroline and Restoration eras and who was active both before and after the English Civil...

, a student of Lincoln College, was born here and William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...

, Davenant's godfather, visited here.

The Bear

Bear Inn, Oxford

The Bear Inn is one of the oldest public houses in Oxford, England, dating back to 1242. It stands on the corner of Alfred Street and Blue Boar Street, opposite Bear Lane in the centre of Oxford, just north of Christ Church....

 is a historic public house

Public house

A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...

 located on the corner of Alfred Street at the western end, dating back to 1242. A unique feature of this pub is a large collection of tie

Necktie

A necktie is a long piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. Variants include the ascot tie, bow tie, bolo tie, and the clip-on tie. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the cravat. Neck...

snippets displayed on its walls and ceiling.

Alfred Street was named Bear Lane in the 17th and 18th centuries.