History of Headington, Oxford

Headington buildings that have been demolished

In the nineteenth century, the most important buildings that were demolished were the stone windmill in Windmill Road in c.1880, and the toll house on the corner of Windmill Road and London Road in 1891 to make way for a new Co-op building (now Finders Keepers).

Since the 1960s, Headington has lost many large buildings, primarily because their large grounds meant that many houses or flats could be crammed on their sites.

Buildings demolished in the 1960s

The former Headington Workhouse, latterly the London Road Hospital, was demolished in 1964, and was initially replaced by 156 flats, 43 houses, garages, and a shop (65/16008/A_H)
Sandfield Cottage (where the morris dancer William Kimber famously met Cecil Sharp and also where TV dog-trainer Barbara Woodhouse grew up) was replaced by the 32 houses of Horwood Close in the late 1960s (65/15192/AD_H)
The house that Dr Hitchings' had built at 104 London Road in 1908, which had a particularly fine garden alongside Kennett Road, was demolished in 1961 to make way for a block of shops with a loading bay/car park behind (currently Up & Running, Headington Fair Trade, the Card Factory, Holland & Barrett, and Sainsbury's).
Three large houses were demolished in the late 1960s to make way for the block of shops including Iceland
The second pub in Barton called the Fox was demolished in 1967 when the northern bypass was turned into a dual carriageway

Buildings demolished in the 1970s

The large house with an orchard at 6 New High Street was replaced by the 22 flats of Alison Clay House in the late 1970s (78/00710/AA_H)

Buildings demolished since 1980

	Demolished in 1982 116, 118, & 120 London Road Three houses Built on the NE corner of Windmill Road in 1915 Replaced by Victory House Plans: 80/00694/NF
	Partly demolished in 1984 59, 61, 63, & 65 NEW HIGH STREET Four cottages dating from 1853 Described as a restoration, but only the end and dividing walls of the original cottages survive Plans: 84/00032/NF
	Demolished in 1991 Headington Cinema NEW HIGH STREET Headington Cinema opened in the early 1920s The site of the cinema and adjoining shops was replaced by 14 flats (Standon Court) Plans: 95/00166/NF
	Demolished in 1997 WOODMAN'S VILLA NEW HIGH STREET Built in the 1860s as a private villa, one of the first in New Headington Village, and later became a depot Replaced by six houses named Woodman's Villas Plans: 97/01104/NF
	LAST TRACE OF BELLE VUE TERRACE, LONDON ROAD The last house in this mid-nineteenth-century terrace (the one on the corner of New Hiigh Street) was demolished in 1999 Replaced along with more modern buildings to the east by a large new shop Plans: 98/01284/NF
	Demolished in 2002 BELL PUB, 72 OLD HIGH STREET The Bell was built in 1930 and was designed to resemble a country cottage with black ship's timbers. Replaced by a private house
	Demolished in 2004 along with No. 74 next door THE RED HOUSE, 72 OLD ROAD Orthopaedic surgeon G. R. Girdlestone lived here from 1928 to 1948, and William Morris came to this door in 1930 to present Girdlestone with a cheque for £1,000 to keep the Wingfield Hospital in good repair Replaced by Jolliffe House (51 bedsits and 40 studio flats) Plans: 03/00010/FUL
	Demolished in 2006 88 Windmill Road Built in c.1890 for John Mattock (founder of Mattock's Roses, whose first nursery was on on the site of Mattock Close) Replaced by Champneys Court (23 student rooms) Plans: 06/02539/FUL
	Demolished in 2006 90 Windmill Road Built for John Robert Mattock in 1899 Replaced by Edna Rose Court (26 student rooms) Plans: 06/02540/FUL
	Demolished in 2007 249 & 251 London Road These council houses built in 1920 were the earliest ones in Headington (and now also in the city of Oxford). They were praised by John Betjeman. The pair of houses turning the corner into Barton Road (249 & 251, the latter not pictured) has been replaced by a four-bedroom house and seven flats Plans: 07/01906/FUL
	Demolished in 2007 NUFFIELD ORTHOPAEDIC CENTRE Wingfield Convalescent Home of 1872, one of the earliest convalescent homes in the country, designed by William Wilkinson Replaced by a car park
	Demolished in 2009 DORSET HOUSE Built in 1878 and originally a villa called Ellerslie. Demolished by Quintain prior to planning permission and sits sold to Berkeley Homes for £5 million Replaced by 316 student rooms Plans: 10/03136/FUL

	Demolished in 2012 CAVALIER PUB, NORTHWAY The Cavalier was built in 1956 Replaced by 58 student rooms Plans: 11/01681/FUL
	Demolished in 2015 QUARRY GATE PUB The Quarry Gate pub was built in 1937 to serve the new streets being built between New Headington and Quarry villages Permission has been granted for three houses on the site but building has not yet commenced Plans: 17/02142/OUT
	Demolished in 2020 20 Osler Road A fine Edwardian detached house with a separate bungalow in the large garden The main house is to be replaced by five flats, and a separate application for another two houses on the site of the bungalow has yet to be decided Plans: 20/00184/FUL (main house) and 20/02969/FUL (bungalow)