Oxfordshire County Council Social Services

The building at 40 South Bar Street, known as the Oxfordshire County Council Social Services, is a house that has been converted into offices. It was originally constructed in the early 18th century and remodelled in 1784. The exterior is made of ironstone ashlar and features a steeply pitched stone slate roof with brick stacks at the ends and ridge. The building has two storeys plus an attic and consists of an eight-window range.

On the ground floor, there is an off-centre entrance to the left, which has a vermiculated, rusticated surround and a head keystone. The entrance features a six-panelled door with a fanlight above. To the left and right of the entrance, there are three sashes each, with glazing bars in a three-pane width. A tripartite sash window with an arched head is located at the far right, marking the position of a former carriageway entrance. The first floor contains eight sashes, including one with a shouldered stone architrave and cornice, and at the far right, a Venetian window with intersecting glazing bars. The building has a moulded and chamfered eaves cornice beneath a rendered parapet and four gabled roof dormers. A rainwater head dated 1784 is also present.

Inside, the building features an 18th/19th century open well staircase, carved wood Adam style fireplaces—one with an overmantle—and plaster ceilings in both the ground floor and first floor rooms. There are also panelled doors, dados, cornices, and window shutters.