The postcard above shows the London Road looking east in about 1907, with Holyoake Terrace on the right. London Road was primarily a residential area at this time because the villages of Old Headington, New Headington, and Quarry each had its own high street and shops. The exception was the shop on the other side of Holyoake Road, which was the original cycle shop of G.  H. Williams (demolished in 2007).

Holyoake Terrace was built by the Co-op for its Headington employees in 1907 and named after George Jacob Holyoake, an important man in the Co-op movement who had died the previous year.

The terrace was demolished in 1938–9 to make way for Holyoake Hall, with all the shops at ground level occupied by the Co-op (shown here in 1957).

This dance hall closed in 1967, and the premises were then used as a snooker hall. In 2003 University College sold the building to Cantay Estates, and the upstairs hall was converted into flats.

In the 1950s the road prevously called Western Road was renamed Holyoake Road after the terrace/hall.