Old Headington is about 2 miles east of Oxford, just inside the ring road. The current boundaries of the conservation area are the A40 in the north, Bury Knowle Park in the east, Cuckoo Lane in the south with additional housing along Old High Street, and the John Radcliffe Hospital green spaces in the west.

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.

For more information and detailed maps showing the boundaries of the Old Headington Conservation Area please see the Oxford City Council website.

Oxford City Council’s Old Headington Conservation Area Appraisal.

Our booklet entitled "Building in Old Headington" gives advice about permitted development, renovations and repairs. Please also see Sources of Information and Building materials.