Built in 1782, Bletchingdon park has a history which spans beyond the Domesday survey of 1086, at which time it belonged to a Robert D’Oilly—a Norman nobleman who was appointed High Sheriff of Oxfordshire. The manor house’s ancient predecessor, which stood on the same site as the current building, enjoyed a significant role in the English Civil War. Fortified by King Charles I and later attacked by Oliver Cromwell’s forces in an attempt to further drive back the Royalists after their defeat at Islip Bridge, the estate was deemed one of the more important, outlying defences of Oxford.
The magnificent Grade II Listed Palladian villa that today overlooks the estate was designed by the highly-regarded architect James Lewis for Lord Valentia whose family owned the estate for many years. The property and lands then passed into the hands of Lord Astor and then Lord Rotherwick. Other notable families to own the estate include the Damory, the Poure and the Coghill families.
The imposing house is built with limestone ashlar and sits below a welsh slate mansard roof with moulded stone chimney stacks that rise into the clouds. The house has been beautifully restored and renovated in the last ten years in an attempt to maintain the grandeur of the mid Georgian style and ornate detailing of the house. The entrance is reached by a semi-circular flight of steps and is sheltered by a striking pedimented portico with grand Corinthian columns and wrought iron railings. The muted sandy colour of the facade embeds this property into its natural landscape and accentuates the beauty of the Oxfordshire countryside.
The well-laid out accommodation features high ceilings and decorative dentilled cornicing and architraves throughout, as well as boasting stone flagged and oak boarded floors. The rooms seem to flow harmoniously and naturally one into another and are of classical grand proportions. Most of the rooms include intricately ornate fireplaces with the one in the hall boasting an impressive Olympian plasterwork scene above it. The rooms at the rear of the house offer incredible views over the gardens and grounds which can be accessed by three sets of doors in the saloon and overlooked by three large sash windows with balconies in the palatial dining room.
The hallway benefits from a dramatic cantilevered staircase with 20th century scroll wrought iron balustrade and is illuminated by a dome above. The kitchen is fully equipped for modern family living with all the modern conveniences expected whilst the stately master bedroom boasts a huge dressing room and en suite bathroom. The property also has eight further bedrooms, the majority of which are en suite and two self contained flats, billiard room, pool, gym, sauna, considerable wine cellar, library, offices and plant rooms.
The great accomplishment of Bletchingdon park however, is the majestic gardens and beautiful countryside in which the property is set. Few houses enjoy such a spectacular setting. The panoramic vista which the house affords offers extensive views as far afield as the Chilterns beyond the mature trees that grace the parkland of the estate. The park also benefits from old woodland and a lake with a string of large pools perfect for taking country walks. On the edge of the woodland, there is a stone built circular pump house with traditional thatched roof, an Ice house, walled garden and tennis court. The estate also has equestrian facilities with stabling and a paddock.
Bletchingdon park sits beside the popular and quaint village of Bletchingdon which benefits from a primary school, 13th century church and a beloved public house. The area is celebrated for its illustrious schooling with many top private and boarding schools nearby. Travel to London Marylebone takes around an hour from nearby Bicester (7 miles).
The guide price is £15,000,000. For further information please contact Knight Frank on +44 20 7861 1065.
* Country houses for sale in Oxfordshire
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