The Eagle
A 17th-century coaching inn where the structure of DNA was announced over lunch.
The Eagle stands on Bene't Street, opposite St Bene't's Church, a few steps from King's Parade. The building has served as a coaching inn since 1667 and is Grade II listed. The street front dates from around 1600, and behind it a galleried 19th-century wing looks onto the courtyard. Greene King runs the pub on land belonging to Corpus Christi College.
Two famous ceilings and a plaque
In the rear bar, Allied airmen stationed nearby during the Second World War left their names and squadron numbers on the ceiling, burned on with candles and lighters or marked in lipstick. The graffiti was uncovered and preserved in the early 1990s, and the room is now known as the RAF Bar.
The Eagle's other claim is scientific. On 28 February 1953 Francis Crick interrupted the lunchtime crowd, many of them staff from the Cavendish Laboratory (then still on nearby Free School Lane), to announce that the structure of DNA had been worked out. A blue plaque by the entrance records this. The original plaque of 2003 was replaced in 2023 with a version that also mentions Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins, and the earlier one is now in the Whipple Museum. A commemorative ale, "Eagle's DNA", is served.
Practical notes
The pub's own description mentions an outdoor seating area, a historic interior, free Wi-Fi and disabled access, and it is dog and family friendly. Food is served until 22:00 Monday to Saturday and 21:00 on Sundays. Note that the pub does not take bookings from May to the end of September, and larger groups of twelve or more should enquire first.
Nearby
Within a few minutes' walk
