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Nos. 23, 24, and 25 (running right to left above) occupy a late eighteenth-century building which is Grade II listed (List Entry No. 1185366). This building is owned by Oxford City Council and is in St Michael-at-the-Northgate parish.

No. 23 on the right had an extra storey in the mid-twentieth century, as shown in this 1949 photograph, but this was removed in 1998

At the time of the 1772 Survey of Oxford the three houses were occupied as follows:

• No. 23: Mr Davenport, with its frontage measuring 4yd 2ft 3in.
• Nos. 24 & 25: Mrs Doe, with their joint frontage measuring 9yd 2ft 0in

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Nos. 23 (right) and 24 (middle)

These were two separate houses or shops until the 1850s.

• No. 23: At the time of the 1841 census this building (probably just the upstairs) was occupied by Elizabeth Forster. She was still here at the time of the 1851 census, a blind lady of 80 described as a proprietor of houses, with a lodger and her servant
• No. 24: The 1851 census shows the bookseller Thomas Shrimpton living here over his shop on the ground floor with his dressmaker wife, three children, a lodger, and a house servant.

By the time of the 1861 census Thomas Shrimpton, now described as “Book and print seller and publisher”, occupied the ground floor and the living accommodation upstairs of both Nos. 23 & 24, and his son Alfred Thomas Shrimpton (19), was now described as a bookseller’s assistant. The 1871 census shows Thomas Shrimpton (64) living here with his wife and son Alfred, now described as a bookseller, and his daughter Mary, plus a servant.

The 1881 census shows Alfred Shrimpton now in charge of the business and living in the premises over Nos. 23 and 24 with his sister and a general servant. He was described as a bookseller employing two men and four boys. At the time of the 1891 census when he was a bachelor of 48 he was still living over the pair of shops with one servant.

The living quarters upstairs were unoccupied at the time of the 1901 and 1911 censuses.

From 1902 to 1940 No. 23 was attached to the shop on the right (No. 22) rather than to No. 24 on the left. These photograph shows F. A. Wood's bookshop at Nos. 23 (left) and No. 22 (right) in 1931:

• F. A. Wood's pair of shops at 23 Broad Street (left) and 22 (right)
• Interior of F. A. Wood's bookshop

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No. 25 (left, on the corner of Turl Street)

The 1851 census shows the chemist and druggist Thomas Mucklow living over No. 25 with his wife Frances and their two children, plus a cook and a housemaid.

On 24 September 1853 No. 25 was advertised in Jackson's Oxford Journal as being to let with immediate possession. It was described as a house and premises with a good shop front.

By the time of the 1861 census the premises were occupied by the confectioner Charles Lacey and his family, plus their servant and an undergraduate lodger. He was still here at the time of the 1871 census, with his wife and seven children, plus an errand boy. In Harrod's Directory for 1876, Thomas Pegrum is listed here.

The 1881 census shows the tailor William H. Walker living here with his wife, three sons, and a general servant.

No one was living over No. 25 at the time of the 1891, 1901, and 1911 censuses

 

Chiswell's Ltd., antique dealers, were here from 1943 to 1960.