LANGLEY FARMHOUSE

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Langley Farmhouse, situated in Leafield, Oxfordfordshire, was mostly built in 1858 but incorporates 15th and 18th century fabric. In medieval times the estate was associated with the keepership of Wychwood Forest and by the 15th century it had passed to the Neville family. Henry VII acquired the estate in 1478 and proceeded to carry out extensive building works. On his death it passed to Henry VIII, who visited the manor on several occasions during his reign and in 1550 it was granted to John Dudley, Earl of Warwick. Robert Dudley acquired Langley in 1581 but it was seized by the Crown on his death in 1588 as payment for the debts he left. It remained in royal possession until the reign of James I when it was acquired by Henry Lord Danvers.

The present farmhouse was remodelled from the existing 15th and 18th century buildings in 1858. It was built from rubble stone with a Cotswold stone roof and has a rectangular main range with lower L-plan extension to south-east. The entrance front, facing east, is of 2½ storeys with a gabled porch and half-glazed door. The main interest is two reset panels with HE (for Henry VII Tudor and Elizabeth of York) and, now mostly broken, entwined roses between the floors.

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(SP 295155) There are the remains of a bank and ditch which enclosed a hunting lodge erected by Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, the chamber block of the lodge still survives in the later farm house. (1)

SP 29531551. Langley Farm incorporates part of the 15th/16th century hunting lodge, including a commemorative stone inscribed HR set high in the east wall. Mr Ellis, the owner, reports that during drainage operations in the area SP 29531553, remains of subteranean vaults were uncovered and subsequently re-buried.

Around the north and west sides of the farmhouse are the remains of a substantial enclosure bank 16.0m wide and up to 1.6m high externally and 0.5m internally, within parts of a vestigal outer ditch. Traces of stone around the inner edge of the bank suggest some form of revetment or walling. The modern farm buildings have obliterated the earthwork around the south and east sides and no trace of an entrance remains. (See SP 21 NE 20 for nearby DMV of Langley.) (2)

Remains of (NAT) Hunting Lodge (NR) (3)

Langley farmhouse on the site of a royal hunting lodge (4) and manor house (5). The manor belonged to the Nevelles in the 15th century and passed to the crown in 1478.

Much building was carried out for Henry VII, and the Court resided here as late as 1614. The present house is mostly of 1858 but incorporates Tudor walls on the north and west including a bay-window of two storeys: on the soffit are carved the initials H E and the Tudor rose. (4-5)

In medieval times the manor was associated with the keepership of Wychwood Forest. Henry VIII visited the Langley on several occasions during his reign and in 1550 it was granted to John Dudley, Earl of Warwick. Robert Dudley acquired Langley in 1581 however it was seized by the Crown on his death in 1588 as payment for the debts he left. It remained in royal possession until the reign of James I when it was acquired by Henry Lord Danvers. (5)

Langley Farmhouse. Fragmentary royal hunting lodge. Partly c.1478 and partly C18, largely remodelled 1858. This building is sited in a complex of earthworks which suggest that it is only a small part of a range stretching N-S. In the C15 the manor had belonged to the Nevilles; it passed to the Crown in 1478 and much building was carried out by Henry VII; the court resided there as late as 1614. Listed grade II*.

The farmhouse was built from rubble stone with a Cotswold stone roof and has a rectangular main range with lower L-plan extension to south-east. The entrance front, facing east, is of 2½ storeys with a gabled porch and half-glazed door. The main interest is two reset panels with HE (for Henry VII Tudor and Elizabeth of York) and, now mostly broken, entwined roses between the floors. (6)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Externally held archive reference

Oxfordshire SMR, 1972 (M Aston)

( 2) Field Investigators Comments

F1 GB 03-JUL-77

( 3) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 1:10000 1981

( 4) by Jennifer Sherwood and Nikolaus Pevsner 1974 Oxfordshire

The buildings of England Page(s)160

( 5) by H M Colvin ... [et al] 1982 The history of the King's Works, volume 4 : 1485-1660 (Part 2)

Page(s)160-1

(6) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

DOE (HHR) Dist of West Oxon., 19 Dec 1986, 17

RELATED MONUMENTS

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Monument Name/No

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Description

LITTLE LANGLEY
SHIPTON UNDER WYCHWOOD

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Suggested location of Little Langley DMV. Conclusion based on surveyed earthworks; low banks, holloways, two pillow mounds, sections of ridge and furr...

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