An 18th century Palladian mansion in Oxfordshire has been put on the market by the prominent Buxton family, for a price that is significantly more than what actress Elizabeth Taylor could’ve paid, had her rumoured attempt to persuade previous owner Christopher Buxton to sell it to her in the 1960s been successful.
As one of the most important privately owned stately homes, the 36,700 square-foot, Grade I-listed, 17-bedroom Palladian mansion is the second-largest home in Oxfordshire, eclipsed only by Blenheim Palace – the ancestral home of the Churchill (later Spencer-Churchill) family.
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The manor itself offers exceptional legroom to any buyer with a similar lineage and would lend itself well as a multigenerational heritage asset that can also be diversified as a high-end hospitality, filming, and events venture.
A generational home with lineage to match
Considering the wealth and social standing such a property conferred upon its owners at the time it was built, Kirtlington Park had impressive credentials even by contemporary standards.
A masterclass in Palladian architecture, the country estate was commissioned by politician Sir James Dashwood in 1742, following his marriage to heiress Elizabeth Spencer.
Dashwood had recruited architect du jour James Gibbs – the mind behind the iconic Radcliffe Camera at Oxford University and St Martin-in-the-Fields church next to Trafalgar Square – to complete the project.
Naturally, the most significant landscape gardener of the period, Capability Brown, was commissioned to design the 29-acre grounds and parkland that enveloped the estate.
A tour de force of Baroque architectural theatre
The honey-hued Palladian masterpiece announces a grand sense of arrival via a sweeping driveway and imposing Cotswold stone columns, offering a glimpse into a rarefied world of Baroque drama and profligate wealth.
Internally, the country house is configured as a 17-bedroom, 15-bathroom home with scope for creating additional income streams via already established venue hire or high-end stays.
Inside, the sense of arrival continues. At the heart of the building is a magnificent hall with fine plasterwork, a spectacular coffered apse and a grand fireplace.
With the dining room sold off to the Americans, the Monkey Room is now Kirtlington Park’s historical highlight – at its centrepiece is a decorative ceiling painted in 1760 by the French artist Andien de Clermont, depicting monkeys engaged in human pursuits in the mid-18th-century style known as “singerie.”
The ground floor provides extensive secondary and leisure accommodation including a billiards room, gym, butler’s pantry, wine cellars, stores, plant rooms, and a catering kitchen.
Despite its historical pedigree, Kirtlington Park packs in top-end leisure and entertainment facilities to rival five-star hotels, satisfying A-listers’ long list of ‘must-haves’ should they come to stay. The former Servants’ Hall operates as a relaxing games and cinema room.
The 17 bedrooms occupy the upper floors with a series of principal bedroom suites, dressing rooms, en-suite bathrooms, additional bedrooms, guest, or staff accommodation.
Oxford-themed suites and a diverse asset portfolio
Delighting US guests who seek a slice of UK quintessentialism, all the bedrooms are named after Oxford University colleges, while the third-floor rooms are dressed in Chinoiserie, Oriental, and African themes.
Ancillary accommodation provides further opportunities for asset diversification or business opportunities.
The estate includes The Dairy, a charming one-bedroom cottage set in its own garden with a woodland view, and the studio and one- and two-bedroom Stone Barn Cottages.
A substantial barn, formerly the indoor tennis court, extends to approximately 2,970 square feet and provides storage for car collections, machinery, or wider amenity purposes.
The East and West Wings adjoin the principal house and provide six apartments held on long leasehold interests, with the freeholder retaining pre-emption rights.
From royalty to A-listers: The estate’s star-studded history
One of the finest country homes in the UK and an exceptionally rare opportunity to own a slice of history with all the modern trimmings, Kirtlington Park has attracted royal guests and A-listers over the years.
King Charles III has graced the halls of the country estate as has Shirley Bassey and Kirtlington Park’s would-be owner, Elizabeth Taylor.
The Hollywood icon is said to have been so enthralled by the country estate that she planned to transform it into a drama school.
In an attempt to convince the former owner to sell, she purportedly invited him for a night alone on her yacht while her husband was away. However the story goes, the house remained his.
An institutional asset in super-prime territory
Savills described Kirtlington Park as “one of the finest English country houses.”
Its proximity to Oxford is likely to make it exceptionally attractive to both the national and international market, appealing to those that seek exceptional lifestyle assets as well as institutionally-minded family offices.
The home was previously rented for short-stay luxury holidays for £28,000 a week, with the family hoping the estate would draw interest from European and US tourists. The estate also serves as a popular filming location for period dramas.
The home would create a remarkable family heirloom asset with potential for secondary income via a previously established wedding and events business.
A gateway to the Cotswolds, whose luxury hospitality and housing market has matured into a super-prime territory, there is plenty of scope to build on the Kirtlington Park brand as a key player in the top end of the historical asset market.
