There is a long history of brewing in Oxford. Several of the colleges had private breweries, one of which at Brasenose, survived until 1889. In the 16th Century, brewing and malting appear to have been the most popular trades in the city. Castle Mill Stream helped power watermills used in the malting and brewing process.

The rapid expansion of Oxford and the development of first the canal routes, and second its railway links helped grow a city-wide brewing trade. As well as expanding the market for Oxford's brewers, transportation links enabled brewers further afield to compete for a share of its market. From the west end of Oxford, breweries included Le Mills Brewery in St. Ebbe's, Morrell's Lion Brewery in St Thomas Street, Eagle Brewery in Park End Street, and Swan Brewery in Paradise Street.

Swan was acquired in 1795 by William Hall. The brewery became known as Hall's Oxford Brewery. Hall's in turn was acquired by Samuel Allsopp & Sons in 1926, not long after which it ceased brewing in Oxford.

Morrells was founded in 1743 by Richard Tawney. He formed a partnership in 1782 with Mark and James Morrell, who eventually became the owners. The Lion Brewery finally closed in 1998 when the site was converted to luxury apartments. 

The breweries of the west end were complimented by a significant number of public houses in the area. No fewer than thirty pubs thrived within less than a square mile area. The only remaining public houses to survive were Navigation End (now The Lighthouse) and the Nags Head (now he Oxford Retreat). Many of the closed public houses shared a similar fate to the Lion Brewery, being converted to luxury living accommodations. For those with an eye, St Thomas and Paradise streets still feature many of the hallmarks of Oxford's brewing history.