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Until 1925, there were no banks at Headington, and the relatively few people who then had a bank account would have had to go down to Oxford’s High Street. The big four banks arrived in Headington in the following order between 1925 and 1934, followed by the Trustee Savings Bank in about 1940.

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Former Barclays Bank: Two Headington sites

(1) At 95 London Road (now the Oxford Orthodontic Centre), c.1924–1928

Barclays Bank opened in Headington in c.1924, and its first home is shown on the left above. This photograph was probably taken in about 1927, as the new Barclays building behind the tree on the right looks almost ready for occupation.

From 1925 to 1927 Barclays is listed in directories at 17 London Road, but that road was renumbered in 1933 and the bank's original premises were at the present 95 London Road (now the Oxford Orthodontic Centre). This shop still has the words “Old Bank House” over its door. 

(2) At 105 London Road (now Treatz), c.1928–2020

By 1928 Barclays had moved into its new purpose-built premises (above) at the present 105 London Road (originally numbered 27/29). This building is described in the 2023 update to Pevsner as “early Georgian style, mannered proportions”. Its railings were removed for the war effort.

The manager of the bank from 1925 to 1947 was William Charles Hedges (1885–1973), and he also moved with his family to the new “Bank House”, which adjoined it and whose address was given as 2 High Street, Old Headington in the 1939 Register. .

The cheques above and below signed by Emily Elizabeth Coppock were drawn on Barclays Bank in Headington in 1941. Formerly Emily Elizabeth Steers, she married George Coppock at Holy Trinity Church in Headington Quarry on 3 June 1907, and they lived at 222 London Road in Headington. George was a bricklayer who later became a builder, and it appears that she looked after the bookkeeping side of the business. George died on 26 September 1949 and Emily Elizabeth Coppock over twenty years later on 19 April 1970.

Barclays Bank closed on 1 May 2020 after 95 years in Headington and the upper floor was converted into two flats under permitted development rights. (A new floor of flats was to have been built on the roof following a successful appeal by the developer against the council's refusal of planning permission, but this proved unviable.)

Treatz desserts opened on the ground floor on 12 August 2022.

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Former Midland Bank (later HSBC): now Lumière Medispa

From 1930 to 1964 the Midland Bank was listed at 84 London Road (originally numbered 20). This building was the second house in from the north-east corner of New High Street, now demolished.

From 1966 the Midland is listed in its present building in Kennett House at 108/110 London Road, on the north-east corner of Kennett Road.

In 1992 the Midland Bank was taken over by the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, and in 1999 all Midland banks were renamed HSBC.

The Headington branch of the HSBC Bank closed on 18 June 2021.

Lumière Medispa opened here in November 2021.

Former NatWest Bank (originally Westminster Bank)

Being refurbished for Breckon & Breckon estate agents

In 1930 the only Oxford branches of the Westminster Bank were at 121 High Street and 165 Cowley Road, but by 1933 there was a Westminster Bank in Headington at the present 91 London Road (the right-hand section of the later NatWest Bank). It'ss first manager, Francis Maurice Spalding, lived at Bank House behind: this house, with its entrance in Stephen Road, has the date 1926 on its gable.

No. 89 on the corner was then occupied by Burton's Dairy, and the 1939 register shows the dairyman Eli G. Burton (born 12 December 1871) living here with his wife Mary, his son Richard (the manager of milk and provisions distribution), his daughter Patricia (the head shop assistant of the dairy and provisions), an elderly retired bank controller, and a milk roundsman and provisions salesman. In about 1957 the dairy became Oxford Frozen Foods. Eli Burton died at the age of 85 near the end of 1957 and by 1959 the premises was McKechnies Dairy, as can be seen in the photograph below (taken by Jill Slaymaker).

Another photograph showing only the original smaller bank, taken in 1957, can be seen here.

Following the Westminster Bank's merger with the National Provincial Bank in 1968, the bank's name was changed to the National Westminster Bank.

In the 1970s the Burton family was still occupying No. 89 on the corner as a private house, but in the 1980s the National Westminster Bank took it over, and then occupied both 89 & 91 London Road (left).

In 2014 Private Eye revealed that the freehold of this building was owned by Pinky Pinks Property Ltd, a company registered in the British Virgin Islands, and had been sold for £645,000 on 5 September 2013 (ON103063)

The NatWest Bank closed on 7 February 2023 and was advertised to let by Green & Partners at a rent of £40,000 a year. In 2025/6 it underwent extensive renovations ready for Breckon & Breckon estate agents to move in.