Eynsham Hall is a Grade II

listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historical ...

mansion near

North Leigh North Leigh is a village and civil parish about northeast of Witney in Oxfordshire. The parish includes the hamlet of East End and since 1932 has also included the hamlet of Wilcote. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 1,929. ...

in Oxfordshire, England. The original house dating from the 1770s was largely rebuilt in the early 20th century by

Ernest George Sir Ernest George (13 June 1839 – 8 December 1922) was a British architect, landscape and architectural watercolourist, and etcher. Life and work Born in London, Ernest George began his architectural training in 1856, under Samuel Hewitt, ...

. After use as a country house and venue for hunting parties it became a maternity hospital rest and relaxation centre during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

and then a police training centre. It is now used as a hotel and conference centre. The three storey

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms wh ...

building is surrounded by extensive parkland and has terraced gardens. Many of the outbuildings, including the former

game larder A game larder, also sometimes known as a deer or venison larder, deer, venison or game house, game pantry or game store, is a small domestic outbuilding where the carcasses of game, including deer, game birds, hares and rabbits, are hung to mature ...

, are also listed buildings. North Leigh F.C. play in the grounds of the hall.

History

Built around the 1770s as a Georgian house, with extensive parkland. It was built for the Lacy family and sold in 1778 to Robert Langford. By 1814 it was owned by Thomas Parker and leased for hunting parties. It was enlarged, with an additional upper floor, by

Charles Barry Sir Charles Barry (23 May 1795 – 12 May 1860) was a British architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster (also known as the Houses of Parliament) in London during the mid-19th century, but also responsi ...

in the mid 19th century and various outbuildings added. A fourth floor was added to designs by

Owen Jones Owen Jones (born 8 August 1984) is a British newspaper columnist, Pundit, political commentator, journalist, author, and Left-wing politics, left-wing activist. He writes a column for ''The Guardian'' and contributes to the ''New Statesman'' a ...

in the 1870s. The Georgian house was demolished in 1904 and rebuilt as a Jacobean style mansion in 1906–8 by

, for the Mason family, who had taken up residence in 1866. The house and estate included its own electric generating station, waterworks and gas plant, and a private telephone system linked the house to various outbuildings around the estate. Previous residents include Willoughby Lacey, Robert Langford, James Duberley, Sir Thomas Parker and Sir Thomas Bazley. During

, a section of Eynsham Hall was used as a maternity ward for expectant mothers evacuated from London, and the Canadian artist

Anthony J. Batten Anthony J. Batten (born 1940-2020) is a Canadian visual artist. He is best known for his architecturally inspired images that underscore contemporary disregard for architectural conservation. Early life and education Batten was born at Eynsha ...

was born there in 1940. Referred to as the "flak shack", the Hall was also used for rest and relaxation (R & R) by the U.S. Army Air Corps officers. The

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desig ...

ran the R & R programme, and recreational activities included reading, bridge, snooker and table tennis. The site was used as a police training centre by the Home Office from 1946. Currently it is owned by the Cathedral Group and used as a conference and training centre. The Gun Room won a European Hotel Design Award in 2008 In the grounds of Eynsham Hall there are earthworks of an

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

hill fort A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post- ...

which is also called Green Wood fort.

Architecture

The three storey

building is laid out in an "H" plan. At the centre of the front of the building is a porch with a door and tympanum with

Ionic columns The Ionic order is one of the three canonic orders of classical architecture, the other two being the Doric and the Corinthian. There are two lesser orders: the Tuscan (a plainer Doric), and the rich variant of Corinthian called the composite ...

to the upper floors and a

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in it ...

. The garden front also has an armorial panel above the

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). ...

. The interior includes oak panelling and stone fireplaces. The north lodge with its attached walls, gates and gatepiers were built in 1845 by

. The former

and dairy were built by the architect Charles Henry Howell in 1883. The house is surrounded by of parkland laid out in the 18th century and pleasure grounds which were added in the 19th and 20th centuries. Some of the exotic species were planted by

Robert Marnock Robert Marnock (1800–1889) was one of the outstanding English horticulturalists and garden designers of the 19th century. He was considered by his contemporaries to be the best exponent of the Gardenesque school of landscape gardening. Life Be ...

in the 1860s. The lake was added in 1866 and provided a water supply to the house.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.eynshamhall.com, Eynsham Hall - official website Country houses in Oxfordshire Grade II listed buildings in Oxfordshire West Oxfordshire District