FOREIGN buyers are queuing up to buy Shipton Manor, a stately home near Woodstock for about £5.5m.

The home would offer every creature comfort for a large family.

But the eventual buyer will also be getting his hands on a significant part of the county’s musical history.

Davina Bell, a spokesman for Knight Frank, which is marketing the property, said: “There have been a surprising number of inquiries from overseas buyers and the interesting musical history may well have sparked some of that interest.

“I think we could have positive news about a sale in the next few weeks.”

The Grade II-listed house at Shipton-on-Cherwell was the home of the Manor Studio until 1995.

It was once owned by Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson, and used as a recording studio for Virgin Records, and other labels.

Oxford band Radiohead recorded some of their breakthrough album The Bends at the studio, and other groups who have laid down tracks there include Ride, XTC, The Cure and Teenage Fanclub.

Perhaps the best-known album to be recorded at The Manor was Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells in the 70s.

The manor was marketed as the first residential recording studio in the UK, and ran successfully until April 1995, when it closed following the takeover of Virgin by EMI.

Instrumentalist Mike Oldfield said he enjoyed recording Tubular Bells at The Manor after the studio opened for business in 1971.

He said: “There was a wonderful atmosphere. It was new, exciting. There was nothing that professional, nothing successful, at that time.

“It was a kind of nirvana. I had been living in a tiny room in Tottenham. All of a sudden I found myself in wonderful countryside.

“Being only 19, you can imagine how exciting that was.

“These days, anyone with a decent PC or Mac can achieve professional recording results – I do miss the big tape recorders and mixing desks.”

The success of Tubular Bells helped to secure Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin empire.

Sir Richard, who has a home in Kidlington, said: “Before the Manor rock musicians would go in just like classical musicians, three-hour sessions, then go home – very un-rock’n’roll!

“I opened the door one-day to find a guy with a gun looking for Keith Richards because he thought Keith had gone off with his wife.

“I had to argue with the man that neither Keith Richards nor this man’s wife were at the Manor.

“As I was arguing with him, I saw a naked Keith Richards and this man’s naked wife running across the lawn behind him.”

Knight Frank is not revealing details about the seller, but the property is thought to be owned by the Marquess of Headfort.

The barn which used to house the recording studio has been converted into a billiards room and a games room.

There is also a swimming pool, a tennis court, a walled garden and a lake.