The original manor house, a gift from William the Conqueror to his cousin, Aubrey de Vere, after the Battle of Hastings, was lived in for centuries by the de Veres, who became the Earls of Oxford. In 1583, the manor was sold by Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, and one of the most famous of the de Vere clan, making way for the house that exists today. A contemporary of Shakespeare, he is one of the best-known men that some academics suggest was the ‘real’ playwright behind the Bard’s most famous works, although of course, there is much contention over these arguments. Believers in the so-called ‘Oxfordian’ authorship theory think that Shakespeare was a pen name used by de Vere, whose travels, experiences and own poetry draw many parallels to the national treasure’s canon.
The pool
J WATT
The sprawling seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom property boasts almost 24 acres of land, a separate three-bedroom cottage in a converted chapel and an aircraft hanger, not to mention a boating lake and outdoor pool with gymnasium and treatment rooms. Inside, period features are mixed in with modern flourishes, such as a fully refurbished kitchen.
