More information : (SP 35051817) Cornbury House (NR)
(SP 35251756; SP 35491772; SP 35691785) Fish Ponds (NAT) (1)
Grade I. Tudor Buildings, replacing a royal hunting lodge that had
existed since 1100, where extended for the Earl of Danby by Nicholas
Stone in 1632-3 to which the great additions of the Earl of Clarendon
(1663-1677) are the outstanding work of the Architect, Hugh May. The
Cornbury House stables, classed Grade 2*, were built by Thomas Strong
in 1663 to the designs of Hugh May. SE of the house are three fish ponds. (2)
Cornbury House is the country seat of Lord Rotherwick and is
outstanding. The published 'chapel' (OS 1:2500) is, externally, early Victorian. The fishponds of Authority 2 are landscaped features and form part of extensive formal part gardening; now overgrown, they are reserved for water fowl breeding although the eastern pond has been drained for modern road improvement. See photographs. (3)
Cornbury House: Although Cornbury has a long history as a hunting
lodge built by Henry I, there is no evidence for it and the earliest
part of the present house is a 16th century low gabled wing.
The house was remodelled twice in the 17th century, firstly by
Nicholas Stone, as associate of Inigo Jones, and secondly by Hugh May, controller of works at Windsor Castle from 1673. The interior was drastically remodelled c.1850 and 1901-6, and further alterations are in progress (1972).
The new additions by Nicholas Stone, completed in 1633 consisted of a
seven-bay wing in classical style. This was altered by Hugh May to
match his east front of 1664-77, but Stone's porch remains, and at thewest end, some of his fenestration. These alterations were for Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, who fell from power in 1665, so the new wing was not completed until 1677. The east front is of eleven bays with a pedimented Corinthian centrepiece and projecting eaves. The mansion led the fashion in design and represents the final break with the Jacobean style.
The stables, built in 1663, are May's first known work. They are on a grand scale, of fourteen bays with a pedimented centrepiece and two-
The chapel dating from c. 1677 projects from the back of the house
into the courtyard. It is externally plain but has the best late 17th century interior in the county outside Oxford. (4)
Cornbury House. Large country house. Late C16th, enlarged in 1623-3 by Nicholas Stone for Henry Danvess, Earl of Danby and further altered in 1663-77, by Hugh May, for Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon. Alterations and addition of c.1850 mostly removed in 1901-6, when John Belcher carried out further alterations and additions for Vermon Watney. Most of the Belcher work was demolished c.1972. C16th work of coursed limestone rubble with ashlar dressings, C17th and later work of limestone ashlar. Chapel: completed after 1677. Cornbury was a hunting lodge in the Royal Forest of Wychwood and there is known to have been a house here in 1337. Stone and May were both members of the Office of Works in their time. Stone's wing was one of the earliest classical country house fronts in the country. Listed grade I. (5)
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