Carfax Buildings, Old High Street

Shop history: Carfax Buildings, 1–7 Old High Street

Carfax Buildings

The above range of shops in Old High Street was built in the md-1920s and was originally Nos 1–5 Carfax Buildings High Street.

The old address of the shops matches the current occupants as follows:

1 and 2 Carfax Buildings: now 1 Old High Street, and part of Chancellor’s Estate Agents
3 & 4 Carfax Buildings: now 3 & 5 Old High Street, and occupied by La Croissanterie
5 Carfax Buildings: now 7 Old High Street, and occupied by Monaco.

The photograph below, dating from the mid-1920s, shows that the original occupant of 1 Carfax Buildings was the Oxfordshire Farmers Bacon Factory Ltd, and the end of the word “tobacconist” can be seen on the blind next door.

Site of Carfax Buildings in 1920s

In the 1940s when Old High Street was renumbered, the shops took that address and ceased to be known as Carfax Buildings. Old High Street was renumbered twice more (in the 1950s and in 1970), and there were minor adjustments here.

The shop on the right of the group of four has been attached to 107 London Road on the corner since the 1940s, when Wild & Steele, the wireless engineers who had a shop on the London Road since 1934, expanded around the corner. In 1990 Chancellor’s Estate Agents obtained planning permission to change both shops from A1 (retail) to Class 2 (estate agent): 90/00952/NF.

1 & 2 Carfax Buildings became part of 107 London Road in 1953 and are dealt with there.

Date	7 Old High Street 5 Carfax Bldgs and also formerly 9 Old High Street	5 Old High Street 4 Carfax Bldgs and also formerly 7 Old High Street	3 Old High Street 3 Carfax Bldgs and also formerly 5 Old High Street
1927– 1928	Headington Wireless Stores (Henry G. Wild)	Miss Phyllis Norah Eyles later the Misses Eyles & Pledge Ladies’ hairdressers	Arthur George Benson Dairyman
1929			Gardner & Stone Butchers
1930			Gardner & Stone Butchers
1935– 1936	Miss G.M. Durham Fruiterer		Buckell & Ballard Estate Agents
1945– 1952	Bollom’s of Bristol Ltd Dry cleaners		Buckell & Ballard Estate Agents
1954	Bollom’s of Bristol Ltd Dry cleaners		W. J. Berry & Sons Bakers
1956– 1967	Bollom’s of Bristol Ltd Dry cleaners	Berry’s Bakery
1968	Bollom’s of Bristol Ltd Dry cleaners
1976	Miranda
1980	?
1983	Ragtag	?
1989		?
1995	?	Pergola Patisserie
By 1996– present	Monaco	La Croissanterie

Wild & Steele

Advertisement for Wild & Steele in The Windmill (the magazine of
Headington County Primary School in Windmill Road), Summer 1953