Wytham Abbey near Oxford, once owned by earls, is for sale

Wytham Abbey was once described by The Times as one of the loveliest houses in England - and it is now in need of a new owner - having historically been owned by the Earls of Abingdon. 

Three-miles to the west of Oxford, the manor house and property is in the village of Wytham on around 23 acres of gardens, woodland and parkland. 

On the market with Savills, the home has an asking price of £15 million.

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With entrance halls and reception rooms, property experts say this could be suitable for a variety of private or commercial uses with easy access to both Oxford and London. 

Wytham Abbey (Image: RightMove) Built mainly in locally-sourced limestone, the home has had a number of iterations with several centuries of alterations between around 1500 and 1830. 

Inside the home (Image: RightMove)
Highlights include a large late-Georgian oak staircase, fine stained glass panels, marble fireplaces, gables, oriel windows and battlements. 

Nick Wright, senior historic buildings advisor at Donald Insall Associates, said that Magna Britannia covered Wytham in its first volume in 1806. 

Here, the house's construction was credited to a member of the Harcourt family and it is generally accepted that it dates to around 1485-1500.

The estate passed from the 1st to the 2nd Earl of Abingdon in 1699, and in 1707 the building was one of the notable houses depicted by the Dutch engravers Knyff and Kip in their book Britannia Illustrata.

Nick Wright said that, by the end of 1820s, the building's exterior had been altered in a "sensitive collegiate Gothic style" which gives the house most of its present appearance. 

The 7th Earl sold the Abbey in 1923 ending his family's long association with the property. 

Inside the historic home (Image: RightMove) While the house is only a few miles from Oxford city centre, Wytham is protected by countryside on the city side by Port Meadow, the largest area of common land in the county, and on the other by open parkland and Wytham Woods.

Wytham Woods, now owned by the University of Oxford, is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. 

A spokesperson for Wytham Woods said: “The site is exceptionally rich in flora and fauna, with over 500 species of plants, a wealth of woodland habitats, and 800 species of butterflies and moths.

(Image: RightMove) "Wytham Woods are often quoted as being one of the most researched pieces of woodland in the world.

"While the woods are publicly accessible, permits are required by visitors."