Local buses in Headington
During the day buses between central Headington and Oxford are so frequent and there is such a choice of services that you do not need to check the times: everything going westwards will end up in Oxford centre. You can catch any of the following:
- No. 8 from Barton and No. 9 from Risinghurst (Oxford Bus Company local buses).
(These now terminate in Oxford and have replaced the former 2 and 22).
Buy a Key Card online or visit office in Debenhams to save time and money - No. 7C (Stagecoach). (This now terminates in Oxford, where you have to change to catch a 7A or 7B to Kidlington)
- The Brookes bus
- Park & Ride. These fast buses operate between the Thornhill and Seacourt car-parks, but will also pick up passengers at just two stops in Headington: (1) Headington shops (near Kennett Road for Oxford, new stop before the main traffic lights coming back) and (2) Gipsy Lane (for Oxford Brookes University). Note that on the way back to Headington the only stop is a special one just at the start of the Headington shops. These buses also stop at intervening bus-stops after 6.50pm in the evening.
- Arriva bus from the county.
If you want to get straight to the centre, it is best to avoid the No. 10 suite of buses, which take a long route via the John Radcliffe Hospital and north Oxford: see article in Oxford Mail of 1 August 2001.
The No. 15 runs from Wood Farm to the High Street in Oxford via Old Road and Morrell Avenue, and then goes down St Aldate’s. The No. 13 runs from the John Radcliffe Hospital to the city centre via Marston.
The X3 and X13 provide a direct service between the John Radcliffe Hospital and Abingdon
You can save money by purchasing a return bus ticket, but note that this obliges you to use the same bus company on the way back.
Oxford Bus Company
Stagecoach
Park & Ride
Hospital Park & Ride
This service runs between the Thornhill and Churchill Hospital, via London Road, Windmill Road, and through the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre three times an hour between 7am and 6.57pm, Monday to Friday
Thames Travel bus services
Thames Travel runs buses in South Oxfordshire, Reading, Chalgrove, Watlington, Wheatley, Wallingford, and Abingdon.
Brookes Bus
(Oxford Brookes University and Stagecoach partnership, available for all to use)
- U1 bus runs from Wheatley to Harcourt Hill via Headington and the City Centre
- U2 bus runs from Blackbird Leys to Morrell Hall via Wood Farm and the Marston Road
- U3 bus runs from the City Centre to Headington Hill Hall via Rose Hill, Blackbird Leys, Wood Farm, and Headington
Bus maps
Real-time bus information is now available online at Oxontime, where you can enter your postcode and get a map of your area showing where all the buses are at any given time. You can also get the number of your local bus-stop and see what buses are actually on their way (as opposed to being listed on the timetable).
Below are bus maps of two busy sections of Headington. During the day there are so many buses in these areas that they appear to be stacked on top of each other. You will also see proof that buses really do come in threes. Note that these maps automatically refresh themselves every 30 seconds