The COCKPIT, ETON
A historic 15th century timber-framed inn on Eton High Street, now undergoing restoration.
History
HISTORY OF THE COCKPIT
Welcome to The Cockpit, the oldest building on Eton High Street, with a rich history.
The building likely dates from around 1440, most likely to have been built by the Dean and Canons of Windsor.
The earliest documents show it was owned by a benefactor of Eton college before it was purchased by St George’s college in 1508. In the mid 16th century, The Cockpit was an inn called the Adam and Eve. It went through many changes over the years, taking the name ‘The Cockpit’ in its time as an antique shop.
In the 1930s it became a tea room, used locally by Eton College boys and their families. It is often assumed that this was a site of a medieval cockpit that Charles II would frequent, though this has never been confirmed.