Headington Post Office Close After 82 year for good despite community campaign
A long running local service in east Oxford has come to an end, with Headington Post Office closing its doors permanently despite a petition backed by more than 1,200 residents.
Headington Post Office
The branch, located inside the Co op food store on London Road, stopped trading on Wednesday, December 31. A notice placed in the window under festive opening hours carried a blunt message for customers, stating the post office would be “closed forever” from New Year’s Day.
The closure follows plans approved in October by Oxford City Council to demolish the building and replace it with research and office space. While campaigners hoped the strength of local opposition might delay or reverse the decision, the redevelopment has now sealed the branch’s fate.
The post office had been a fixture in the community for generations. Its closure means this is the first time since 1915 that central Headington has been left without a post office. Residents must now travel to alternative branches in Risinghurst, Wood Farm, or St Clement’s in Oxford.
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Labour MP for Oxford East Anneliese Dodds had repeatedly raised concerns about the loss of the service. She said she had worked for years to keep the branch open and vowed not to abandon efforts to secure a replacement. Earlier this month, she said the Post Office had received interest in opening a new branch nearby, although no firm plans have been confirmed.
At its peak in the 20th century, Headington was served by three post offices, located in Headington High Street, Quarry and New Headington, then known as Highfield. The permanent closure of the London Road branch marks the end of that era and leaves many residents worried about access to essential services, particularly older people and those with limited mobility.
For now, the familiar counter that once handled parcels, pensions and everyday transactions has fallen silent, bringing to a close more than a century of postal history in the heart of Headington.
