Originally listed on 9th November 1976 and amended on 14th May 1986
The Grade II listed Old Post Office was built in the 18th Century and as so many properties in the area is of coursed clunch rubble with brick dressings; old plain -tile roof with brick stacks and a storey band. Road front is irregular with three 3-light casements at ground floor, all later insertions, and two 2-light casements at first floor. It is of a L shaped plan consisting of two storeys. The main range, projecting to rear, has a 2-window front with a central 6-panel door between tall windows with gauged-brick flat arches. There is now a large 20th century garage door in the left of the property with an office space with a modern window above.
As recalled by Richard Pullen, later in the article, the house was owned by St John’s College, Oxford and there are no deeds until 1967 when Mr & Mrs Turner purchased the property on 20th July, but by researching various census’, electoral roll and trade directories we have confirmed some of the residents.
1901 Census shows Richard & Sarah his wife with son William.
1903 Kelly’s Directory – Richard Warmington as postmaster. Letters arrive at 7.30am & 1pm and dispatched at 10.30am & 7pm.
Richard died in 1905 and the 1911 census shows Sarah, his widow as ‘assisting in the shop’ with their eldest son as Head of Household. There is no mention of a postmaster.
Sarah moved to Wallingford where she died but she was buried in St Laurence Churchyard as Richard had been. There are no legible headstones.
1921 census shows Cecil Wilson, who is a bricklayer, his wife Alice is the Sub Postmistress and their daughter, Winifred, is a monitress working for Oxford Education Committee and working at Warborough School.
On the 1939 register Mr C Wilson is living next door to the Post Office and the map in the ‘1940 Belcher Books’ indicate that there was a cottage in the grounds of the Old Post Office. Mrs Wilson is not at home but is recorded in the ‘1940 Belcher Books’.
The Cottage that was once in the grounds of The Old Post Office
On the 1939 register Mr & Mrs Alfred Turner Sub postmaster, shopkeeper and provisions dealer.
The Post Office also held the telephone exchange during the 1950’s.
In 1967 Mr Turner purchased the Old Post Office from St John’s College at a cost of £2500.
We can find no record of when the Post Office and shop ceased trading but it is not mentioned in the Society Bulletin’s so it is assumed it was before 1970.
The date of sale between Mr Turner and Mr Fish is unconfirmed
In 1973 Richard Pullen had secured a job in Oxford and was looking for somewhere to live.
Having asked his father to keep an eye out for anything suitable, Mr Pullen Snr was talking to Jim Fish at the Royal Show, who said he was going to move as his wife thought their house was cold and draughty and on the spot a deal was struck with a handshake in a tent at the Royal Show.
Richard & his wife Maggie with their three children moved in to The Old Post Office in 1973 and writes below
It was disappointing to find that the deeds to the house only start on 20th July 1967 when Mr & Mrs J Turner bought the freehold from St John’s College having been their tenants and running the Post Office for some time. The bursar swore an oath saying the College had received rent from the property for over 100 years. The Turners later sold to Mr & Mrs Fish who we had bought the property from. Mr & Mrs Fish did a lot of work to the property, replacing many windows rewiring the electrics and installing central heating and a two-car garage.
We are led to believe that the front of the house on to Wharf Road was built in the 16th century and at this time it was a one room up and one down dwelling with a thatched barn attached. The interior had a large inglenook fireplace with seats on either side. The floor was just soil that was later covered with red clay tiles with a wooden staircase up to the first floor. Water was drawn from a well at the back of the house. The large two-story rear extension was added with a new front door and two ground floor rooms both with fireplaces, one of these was made by halving the existing inglenook in the old cottage to create a fire place for the cottage and new room in the extension. There were two further storerooms and staircase up to the first floor. On the first floor there were two double bedrooms with storage room in the eaves. There is a further staircase to a third-floor attic room. At some time in the 1950’s the Post Office housed the local telephone exchange.
Main drainage was introduced to Wharf Road in 1950’s and St. John’s College installed a ground floor bathroom to this house and the neighbouring cottage.
I arrived at the Old Post Office, with my wife Maggie and three daughters Sally, Julie and Jane on the 28th September 1973, from our first family home in Battersea London.
I was born at the Old Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and spent my childhood here in Oxfordshire, my family home was then at Britwell Salome only a few miles away, but my wife’s life was less settled living in East London during the Second World War, moving to Hertfordshire and then to Watford before returning to London where we meet through our work.
My late father found this house for us through his farming contacts, and he struck a deal with the then owner on a handshake with no agents or surveyors involved but the Wallingford & District Building Society (by then it was part of the South of England Building Society) did employ a valuer before granting the mortgage of £12,000.
We were only in the house for a few months before my work took both me and my family to Hong Kong where we lived for four years. Whilst away we let the house to two American family’s both greatly enjoyed the opportunity to live in Wharf Road.
Our house at this time was surrounded on three sides by the Cook family farm and sadly our relationship was not good with farmer Cook Snr. but things changed when his son Stephen took over the running of the farm in 1982 on the death of his father.
During a storm in 1979 a Cook owned farm barn at the end of our garden blew down and this offered us the opportunity to improve the entrance to our house and gain some extra garden by building a new wall to enclose our garden fully taking in some of the Barn which had projected into our garden.
It was not until 2006 that we were able to buy the orchard and garden to the south of our house which allowed us to create a south facing terrace and outside dining area adjacent to our existing kitchen.
The Turner’s had one son (Harry) that we know of as he was our village postman until his retirement. He lived in Sinodun View, Warborough until he died, and his wife moved to Berinsfield. Harry (the Turner’s) son would cycle to Wallingford every morning to collect the mail for delivery in the village. One day we met Harry’s wife Joan outside our house in the 80’s and she told us living in the Post Office was the most miserable time of her life as the house was cold and damp. She moved into the house after marrying Harry, her mother-in-law was not a nice person and her life only improved when she and Harry moved out. Children who used the Post Office said it was scary place dark and unwelcoming when the Turner’s ran it.
I have happily lived in this house for over 50 years. This is a great family home which has hosted and enjoyed many parties and family events, it is a house which lends itself well to big events.
I am hoping one of my daughters will take The Old Post Office on after my death, so it remains a happy home.
Compiled by Lynda Raynor – June 2025
With thanks to Richard Pullen for sharing information.