Renewable energy specialist John Parker and his wife Pamela are selling their home in Sunningwell so they can relocate their company, Earth Energy Engineering, to the West Country.

The couple have lived at the historic five-bedroomed Manor House for the past 25 years.

Mr Parker said: “We have decided to move the company from the Oxford Science Park to the heartland of the UK geothermal industry in Cornwall.

“There we intend to take advantage of both the steadily increasing air temperatures, the longer growing seasons and the unique geological conditions to lay down a small vineyard for our old age.

“However, if the wine proves to be undrinkable, it will go into a biofuel plant and can be used to power my lawnmower!” The Manor House is a well-presented Grade II listed building originally constructed by Benedictine monks before they moved to Abingdon around 960AD.

Recorded in the Domesday Book, the house was extended in 1516 to provide ancillary accomodation for Henry VIII’s planned visit to the Abbey in 1517.

Considered the second most important manor owned by the abbey, it was given to the Prior at the Dissolution in 1538, finally reverting to the Crown on his death.

Gifted by Elizabeth I to the Forster family, village legend says Elizabeth had secret meetings at the house with Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, who lived three miles away at Cumnor Place.

Damian Gray, of Summertown-based agent Knight Frank, said: “The Manor House occupies an enviable position to the edge of Sunningwell.

“The village is surrounded by countryside yet only four miles from Oxford and ten miles from Didcot which has connections to London Paddington.

“The house has versatile accommodation and landscaped grounds. The outdoor swimming pool and stone outbuildings provide a wonderful backdrop for the house.”

Knight Frank is inviting offers in the region of £1.25m for the property.

For more details, call 01865 790077.