A new French bakery is to open in a historic Oxford city centre street.

Lincoln College has submitted a planning application to the city council to renovate 12 Turl Street so the bakery can open.

The unit has been shut since Christmas 2019 when jewellers Rowell's closed.

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The college, which is in Turl Street, says on the planning application it 'is pleased to have secured a prospective, high-quality bakery for this vacant building.'

The unit is in a Grade II listed building, in the Central (University and City) Conservation Area.

(Image: Andy Ffrench) The application says: "With the Covid-19 pandemic the retail premises has remained empty ever since although it is now proposed to be occupied by La Savoir Boulangerie, which will complement other commercial businesses in this attractive retail location, directly opposite Lincoln College.

"The proposal will ensure the use, preservation and continued contribution of this fine Grade II listed building to its historic surroundings and respect the considerable heritage assets in this part of Oxford."

There are also plans to add a new fire escape, and new toilet and bathroom in the basement.

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Other businesses in the street include Missing Bean, which also has a cafe in Abingdon, The Oxford Wine Company, and Walters of Oxford.

Rowell of Oxford dated back to 1797, and produced jewels for royalty, a tea set for former Prime Minister Clement Attlee, and regalia for the city’s Lord Mayors.

(Image: Andy Ffrench) But in 2019, a lack of footfall in the city centre led to the owners taking the decision to close - in the same week that department store Boswells announced it would be closing.

The closure followed the end of other shops which had also traded in Turl Street for many years including Duckers shoe shop, Elmer Cotton sports shop and Celebrations, the joke shop.

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Bob and Isobel Avery announced Duckers was to close at the end of 2016, and the unit was eventually taken over by The Oxford Wine Company.

Gusto Italian is on the corner of Turl Street and the High Street and the restaurant opened in December 2022.

(Image: Andy Ffrench) The building is owned by Lincoln College and was previously The Mitre pub - thought to be the oldest pub in Oxford.

Real ale enthusiasts complained when The Mitre shut, ready for renovation and remained closed for several years.

Lincoln College converted the building, which is also used for student rooms above the restaurant. 

The restaurant's designers worked to preserve the building's original features, such as the fireplace, wood panelling, and stonework. 

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

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