Alice's Shop is a shop at 83 St Aldate's,

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, England. With 82 St Aldate's next door it is part of a stone-built 15th-century house that was remodelled in the 17th century. It is now a gift shop selling gifts, souvenirs and memorabilia, all based on Alice. 83 St Aldate's has long been a shop. In the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...

its customers included Alice Liddell, daughter of Henry Liddell, who was Dean of

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, which is opposite the shop. Alice, who used to buy sweets at the shop, was the inspiration for Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel '' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' and its 1871 sequel '' Through the Looking-Glass''. 82 and 83 St Aldate's were built in the 15th century. Early in the 17th century they were remodelled. 83 St Aldate's has a gabled front with a 17th-century bay window on the first floor. On its north side 83 has a blocked 17th-century window. Together 82 and 83 St Aldate's are a

Grade II* listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

The Old Sheep Shop

Lewis Carroll featured the shop as the Old Sheep Shop in his 1871 novel ''Through the Looking-Glass''. One of

John Tenniel John Tenniel (; 28 February 182025 February 1914) was an English illustrator, graphic humourist and political cartoonist prominent in the second half of the 19th century. An alumnus of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, he was knight bachelor ...

's original illustrations for the book shows the inside of the shop. Carroll used it as a setting in Chapter 5 of the book (''Wool and Water'') and is owned by a sheep in the story: The shop is characteristic of the dream-like qualities in the Looking-Glass world, in that every time Alice tries to focus on a specific object on its many shelves it changes shape and shifts to another shelf. At another point the shop itself vanishes and Alice finds herself outside with the sheep in a boat, having been given a pair of knitting needles which turn into oars in her hands. The sheep herself continues to make scornful, personal remarks and then finally, on appearing back in the shop, sells Alice an egg, which promptly turns into Humpty Dumpty. On leaving the shop at the end of the chapter, Alice says:

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External links

Alice's Shop Oxford
{{coord , 51.7489, -1.2568, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title 15th-century establishments in England Houses completed in the 15th century 15th-century architecture in the United Kingdom Alice's Adventures in Wonderland History of Oxford Independent stores Shops in Oxford Vernacular architecture Grade II* listed buildings in Oxford Grade II* listed retail buildings Alice Liddell