IT IS one of the most beautiful villages in Oxfordshire, if not the whole of England.

And from this summer it will also host the county’s classiest music festival.

After months of speculation, the organiser of Cornbury Festival has revealed the event is to be moved from its eponymous home, near Charlbury, to Great Tew.

The move follows an agreement between Lord and Lady Rotherwick, who own Cornbury Park, and a subsidiary of retailer HMV which will see a series of rival corporate festivals established in the grounds of the stately home.

What the rival events will be called has not been revealed.

Now in its eight year, the 20,000-capacity event has a reputation for staging big-name artists such as Paul Simon, Amy Winehouse, Blondie and Led Zeppelin star Robert Plant, in an upmarket setting, which has seen it dubbed ‘Poshstock’.

Festival-goers have included Prime Minister David Cameron and Prince Edward.

The festival’s new site is just a 12-minute drive from its previous home.

Promoter Hugh Phillimore will be staging the event in partnership with 3A Entertainment – major industry players who are currently working with the likes of Jam star Paul Weller, guitar legends Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, Kylie Minogue and the stars of X Factor.

Mr Phillimore said: “The Great Tew Estate is the perfect location for the festival. There are great views, more trees and it is just more interesting. The moment I saw the park I knew it was the right place for us.

“The estate has a magic to it. It is a quintessential piece of English countryside, just a beautiful location.

“As it’s not a well-known site it has an unspoilt, secret quality that we like and already has a great atmosphere which I’m sure we’ll thrive on.”

The owner of Great Tew Estate Nicholas Johnston said: “We are very pleased to be hosting Oxfordshire’s premier music event and are looking forward to a long and successful relationship with Hugh and The Cornbury Festival.”

Next year the festival will, for the first time, be held over three days, from July 1-3. Early bird tickets go on sale this month.

A licence application has been submitted for the site.

For more details, go to cornburyfestival.com