A 14th century manor house was ravaged by a devastating fire - as one of the owners played on a computer game inside the house.

Maryrose Hodgson, 65, of Philberd's Manor in East Hanney, woke her husband, Robert, 79, and they fled the burning stately home after the blaze broke out at 11.15pm on Thursday.

Fire crews from across the county managed to salvage some antique paintings and furniture but the roof collapsed during the blaze and the three-storey house has been severely damaged.

Mrs Hodgson broke down in tears as she spoke about the fire that ripped through the house that she and her husband had lived in for the past 50 years.

"I was playing a game on the computer and then I heard this noise from the roof which must have been the fire starting.

"Robert and I have six children between us and they have all grown up now.

"The memories of their childhood is all burnt out.

"Everyone in the village is rallying round, and Tony Hogge, the vicar, was one of the first to offer his support.

"We will go and stay with friends.

"We will cope - but it could take years to rebuild this place.

"I don't know how the fire started - all the wiring in that part of the building was new."

Mr Hodgson, who was estates bursar at Merton College for 40 years before retiring 12 years ago, said: "We could see straight away it was serious.

"The firefighters could not stop it and we can't work out what could have happened."

Incident commander Barry Stockford said the fire control centre in Kidlington was inundated with calls from residents who could see flames shooting from the roof. Fire crews from Wantage, Abingdon, Didcot, Faringdon and Rewley Road, supported by specialist units from Woodstock, Eynsham, Wheatley and Bicester, were sent to the scene.

They used water from nearby Letcombe Brook to douse the flames.

Mr Stockford added: "The fire quickly spread across the whole of the 30m roof space, which then collapsed.

"Firefighters managed to retrieve some valuables but once the roof collapsed they didn't go back into the property.

"It is too early to say what started the fire and the cause is being investigated."

Jeannette Howse, of Ashfield Lane, East Hanney, was woken up by the sound of the flames.

She said: "At first we thought it was the rain but then we realised it was the flames crackling in the roof."