Buckland House

Buckland House is a Georgian country house in the village of Buckland, Oxfordshire, a few miles from Faringdon in the Vale of White Horse. It ranks among the finest Palladian houses of the mid-1700s in the region. It is a private home, so there are no tickets or regular opening hours.

Who built Buckland House, and when?

The house went up around 1757 for Sir Robert Throckmorton, 4th Baronet. His family, wealthy Warwickshire landowners, had acquired the Buckland estate by marriage in 1690. The new house was set on a fresh site, and the earlier manor was turned into stables in 1797. The design is credited to John Wood the Younger of Bath; Historic England notes that his father, John Wood the Elder, may also have been involved. Richard Woods laid out the park and pleasure grounds around 1758-59.

What is there to see?

The main attraction is the Palladian frontage and the designed landscape around it. Several estate structures are listed in their own right, including the old manor house (now stables), an ice house and a curved exedra in the park, plus an aviary also linked with Wood the Younger. Sir Maurice Fitzgerald bought the estate in 1908 and commissioned W. H. Romaine Walker to extend the house around 1910; Lady Fitzgerald later oversaw a water garden by the lake.

Can you go inside?

No. After the Second World War the house served institutional uses, including as a hall of residence for University of London external students from 1963. It returned to private ownership in the early 1990s, and Paddy McNally bought it in 2004. Visitors can only appreciate the setting from public roads and rights of way nearby, respecting residents' privacy. Check a map for footpaths before you go; a local walking route is described online as "Buckland's Palladian masterpiece".

How do you get there?

Buckland lies roughly 5 km east of Faringdon, close to the A420 between Swindon and Oxford. A car is the easiest option. Oxford is about 25 km away, and the nearest main rail stations are Oxford and Swindon.

When is the best time to visit?

A walk around the village and surrounding countryside works best from spring to autumn, when paths are drier and the parkland is green. The house itself is closed to the public all year.

Frequently asked questions

Is Buckland House open to visitors? No. It is a private residence, viewable only from public roads and footpaths.

Who designed it? John Wood the Younger of Bath, possibly with his father, for Sir Robert Throckmorton around 1757.

Is this the same as other places called Buckland House? No. The name is common in Britain. This one is in Buckland, Oxfordshire (historically Berkshire), near Faringdon.

What else is nearby? The market town of Faringdon and the Vale of White Horse landscape, including the Uffington White Horse nearby.