Shotover Park

Shotover Park is an early 18th-century country house set in a large landscape garden on the edge of Wheatley, about 6 km east of Oxford, Oxfordshire. The house, gardens and parkland all carry the top Grade I heritage status. It is a private estate, so it does not keep regular visiting hours.

What is the story behind it?

In the Middle Ages the land lay within the Royal Forest of Shotover. Timothy Tyrrell was granted the rangership in 1613, and the forest lost its royal status in 1666. The present house was built by James Tyrrell (1643-1718), who inherited the estate in 1701. Sources date construction either 1713-18 or 1715-20. The design is attributed to William Townesend, an architect who worked in Oxford.

When Tyrrell's son, General James Tyrrell, died in 1742, the estate passed to the family of Augustus Schutz and stayed largely unchanged for about a century. George Maitland added two wings in the mid-19th century, and Lt Colonel James Miller bought the property in 1871. It has been privately owned ever since and is now held by the Shotover Trust.

What is in the gardens and park?

The registered landscape covers roughly 80 hectares. The highlights are its garden buildings:

• The Gothic Temple (1720s), at the end of a 300 m canal. It is regarded as one of the earliest Gothic Revival buildings in England and is listed Grade II*.
• The Octagonal Temple, on a mound south-west of the house, based on designs by William Kent from around 1730.
• The Obelisk, also from Kent's designs, about 200 m west of the house.
• Ornamental ponds and a chain of fishponds, a stable court from the late 17th or early 18th century, and a walled kitchen garden of about 2 ha.

The estate also includes Home Farm, a 19th-century model farm.

Can you visit?

Only by checking first. House and gardens are private and open occasionally, for example on advertised open days. Confirm current dates with the estate or through open-gardens listings before travelling. Do not confuse the estate with Shotover Country Park, a separate public park and nature reserve on the south-west slope of the same hill, run by Oxford City Council and open all year.

How do you get there?

The estate lies beside the A40, a short drive from central Oxford (postcode OX33 1QS). The simplest approach is by car, or by bus to Wheatley and then on foot.

Frequently asked questions

Is Shotover Park open to the public? Not on a regular basis. It is privately owned and the gardens open only occasionally, so check dates in advance.

Who designed the house? The design is attributed to William Townesend. William Kent supplied designs around 1730 for the Obelisk and the Octagonal Temple.

What heritage status does it have? The house and the registered park are Grade I. The Gothic Temple, Octagonal Temple and Obelisk are each Grade II*.

Is it the same as Shotover Country Park? No. The Country Park is a separate public site on the other side of the hill, open to everyone.