116-120 London Road, Headington History

116–120 London Road

SW corner of Windmill Road in 1982

Left: The south-west corner of the central Headington crossroads in 1982, just before demolition
(photo: Margaret Self)

No. 116 is the private house on the right, and 118–120 the pair of shops on the left

Photograph of the former shops here in 1957

On 23 March 1982 permission was granted for “Demolition of existing buildings and erection of two-storey and mansard building, with shops on ground floor, offices on first floor and mansard floor and three bedroomed flat on mansard floor” (80/00694/NF)

Demolished

Right: After demolition, with the side of Simon House in Windmill Road exposed
(photo: Margaret Self)

Below: Victory House (one large and two small shops, with offices above), built on the site in 1982/3

Caffe Nero

History of the site

This prime corner site was undeveloped until 1915. Prior to that date, apart from the Co-op which was built on the site of the old toll house in 1892, there were very few shops on the London Road, as each of the three Headington villages (Old Headington, New Headington, and Quarry) had its own high street for shopping.

Corner of Windmill Road 1908

Right: This detail from a postcard of c.1908 shows the corner site immediately to the west of Windmill Road: the private house at No. 116 (shown in 1982 in the picture at the top of this page) had already been built, and the corner site is likely to have been part of its garden.

The building on the left of this picture is the old Headington Co‑op on the opposite (eastern) corner of Windmill Road, and this building still exists. The semi-detached pair of houses to the right with the two pointed gables have survived, and were converted into the shops now situated at
112 and 114 London Road.

In 1915 the double-fronted commercial building on the site of 118–120 Windmill Road was built on the corner next to the private house and became Headington's first central Post Office. The first photograph shown below was taken soon after it was erected. The second picture is later, but although there is a newer design of telegraph pole outside, there is still the pump on the corner of the pavement, as few people in Headington had their own water supply:

London Road post office

Post Office

Brief history of this group of buildings prior to demolition in 1982

The house was originally numbered 42 London Road and the double-fronted commercial property to the left 44, but when the whole London Road was renumbered in the early 1930s the house became 116 London Road and the other building, which was split into two shops after the Post Office moved, became 118 and 120 London Road. For clarity, only the present numbering system is used below.

The old post office building (1915–1982)
Dates	120 London Road	118a London Road (upstairs)	118 London Road
1915–1930	Headington's main Post Office
1933	Sydney H. Wiggins Cycle dealer	John C. Sharpe, Dentist Tel. Headington 6632	No listing
1934			A. D. Felbridge Confectioner
1935			Eric A. Hodges Confectioner
1936			The Tuck Shop (with proprietor named as Mrs Reason to 1954)
1938	Quick Service Boot Repairs (W. H. Broughall Ltd)
1943		William Henry Rolls
1945–1949		Bert Joseph Collier
1952–1954		Hector Morris (+ Leech & Haines electrical, radio, & television engineers and record dealers; Gwyn Morgan & Son turf accountants; and Miss J. N. Whittaker chiropodist in 1956)
1956
1958		Simpson & Co Turf Accountants, Spanish Guitar Centre, and East Oxford School of Motoring
1960–1964		Spanish Guitar Centre; East Oxford School of Motoring and Jim Cattell & Sons, turf commission agents (also Lily Crane, jeweller in 1960 only)
1966–1967		Spanish Guitar Centre East Oxford School of Motoring (with A. A. Shakespeare television from 1970, and L. Ewart, stock valuers from 1972 and Headington Staff Bureau in 1973)	Vacant
1968–1973			Oxford United Club Shop
1976		A. A. Shakespeare, television	Oxford United Club Shop
To 1982	?	?	Arcadia
The private house at 116 London Road (c.1908–1982) Unlike most of the houses in central Headington, this remained a private house until the end. It is difficult to discover who lived here before 1921, as prior to that date the London Road had no numbers, and unfortunately the first known occupant (Clara Mobbs) had been living at Stone Rise in New High Street immediately prior to the numbering. It was originally numbered 42. From 1921 to 1976 (the last year that Kelly's Directory was published), it had the following occupants: 1921–1930: The Misses Mobbs, who were described as Spirella Corsetières in 1923. Miss Clara Mobbs was described as a nurse at this address from 1921 to 1925 1933: Francis Knight 1943–1945: Mrs F. Knight, board residence 1949–1976: Edward Hall

Below are the occupants of the new block from 1983 to the present:

The shops in the new building at 116–120 London Road (Victory House) since 1983
Dates	120 London Road (the larger shop on the corner)	118 London Road	116 London Road
From 1983	Car parts shop	Oxford Keyboard Centre*	Abbey National Building Society which became the Santander Bank
By 1993–1999+	7–11 convenience store	Reynold's Blinds
2003–2007	B2 (Budgen's Express)
2007–2008	Londis
2008–2010		Unoccupied
2010–2014		Gregg's Bakers
2014–2021	Caffè Nero
2021	Costa Coffee		Vacant
* Deduced to have been here in the 1980s, as the sign below was revealed when Greggs was refitted in January 2017 The first and second floor of Victory House These two floors with an entrance in Windmill Road were originally offices. They were unoccupied from November 2010. Abacus College successfully applied for change of use from use class B1 (offices) to use class D1 (educational) in 2012 and moved in early in 2013. Anytime Fitness applied for another change of use and opened in October 2019.

Headington history: Shops