Friends of Old Headington
People who care for the Old Headington Conservation Area in Oxford
History of Old Headington
The earliest written mention of the area now known as Old Headington was in 1004 when a royal charter was signed by King Ethelred referring to "the royal residence which is called Headington". This royal residence may have been on the site of Ethelred Court.
Headington also appears in the Domesday Book where it is mentioned as land belonging to the king.
Headington remained a village in function and character through the medieval period and up to the end of the 18th century, when prosperous tradesmen from Oxford began to migrate to the outskirts of the city. They built houses with large gardens surrounded by high stone walls on the edge of the old village.
Old Headington was taken over by Oxford City Council in 1929 and became a conservation area in 1971.
Publications
The Friends of Old Headington publish two books about the history of Old Headington
Within Living Memory - £10
Recollections of Old Headington, Oxford
Compiled by Leslie and Griselda Taylor
A Village Within a City - £5.75
The story of Old Headington, Oxford.
Edited by Jean Cook and Leslie Taylor
Both these books are available from the Friends of Old Headington
Contact usPeople of Old Headington
The following people have their biographies in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004) and lived in Old Headington.
- Isaiah Berlin (1909-1997)
- Elizabeth Bowen (1899-1973)
- Vigo Auguste Demant (1893-1983)
- Alfred Emden (1888-1979)
- Ethelred II (968-1016)
- Orlando Jewitt (1799-1869)
- Llewellynn Jewitt (c.1816-1886)
- Arthur Jewitt (1772-1852)
- Adeline Kingscote (1860-1908)
- John Massie (1842-1925)
- William Orchard (d.1504)
- Gabriel Turville-Petre (1908-1978)
- Sir Michael Ernest Sadler (1861-1943)
- Eva Margaret Gilpin (1868-1940)
- Michael Thomas Harvey Sadler(1888-1957)
More information on these people can be found at headington.org.uk
Buildings of Old Headington
Old Headington has many listed buildings including:
- Mather's Farmhouse
- The Court
- Sandy Lodge
- Croft Hall
- The White Hart
- White Lodge
- Manor Farmhouse
- The Rookery (Ruskin Hall)
- The Grange
- Bury Knowle House
- Headington House
- Manor House
- St Andrew's Church
- Church House
- 10 St Andrew's Road
- The Hermitage (69 Old High Street)
More information on these buildings and others can be found at headington.org.uk