Crime & Safety
Oxfordshire mansion with swimming pool up for sale at £3.95m
Great Davids in Henley was constructed in 1909, and the current owner has had it redesigned internally with bespoke Phillip Koomen joinery throughout.
The property is approached from a quiet lane through electric gates opening out to a private gravelled drive up to the house, with a large parking area.
With a large reception hall, leading into the drawing room, the house has views over the beautifully kept rose gardens.
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The main hall flows round to a cloakroom with a downstairs toilet, while the wood-panelled dining room is perfect for entertaining with a large fireplace.
Adjacent is a snug room leading into the family kitchen designed by Smallbone with French doors out into the gardens and a separate substantial larder.
There are two staircases within the house to the first floor, with an open galleried landing ascending the main oak staircase.
This leads to the principal bedroom with a dressing room and bathroom, followed by five further bedrooms, two bathrooms and a linen room.
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There is an impressive study and bathroom on the second floor, as well as attic storage space.
To the rear of the house, there is a large shaded loggia, perfect for alfresco dining, overlooking the croquet lawn and swimming pool beyond.
The croquet lawn is immaculately kept with fescue grass imported from the Agricultural Centre in Denmark.
A swimming pool can be found outside, west-facing, with a pool house adjacent, providing space for dining and changing rooms, a kitchenette, WC, sauna, and shower room.
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The tennis court, which is also on the grounds, has an accompanying tennis hut.
A rose garden designed by landscape architect Ian Teh is on the grounds alongside herbaceous borders, an orchard, a mix of Norwegian maple, Irish yews, magnolia grandiflora trees and a large paddock.
The property has a three-car garage with a one-bedroom flat above with a kitchen, living room, dining room and bathroom.
Shielded behind the large yew hedge is a large barn, which could store four to six cars with a wood shed attached.
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There is also a large store for machinery and garden equipment.
Property agent Victoria Knight, head of office at Savills in Henley, said: “Great Davids is a beautifully designed country home offering extensive and flexible accommodation, with ample space and immaculate grounds.
“Occupying a prime position in a private setting, I particularly like the balance it achieves between elegance and comfortable family living, with the croquet lawn adding a rare and quintessentially English charm.”
According to the Met Office, the rain is expected for the rest of the afternoon (Tuesday, June 2), much of Wednesday and Thursday with a cloudy break on Friday.
On Wednesday, temperatures are to feel like 14C – nothing like the 30C-plus weather last week – with a 40 per cent chance of rain from 7am.
There are no thunderstorm warnings or flood alerts issued for any of Oxfordshire.
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The sudden change in the skies comes after the Met Office on Monday, June 1 said the UK had the warmest spring on record.
The mean average temperature in England across March, April and May was 10.41C, beating the previous record of 10.23C set in 2025, according to provisional figures from the Met Office.
It is the third year in a row that a new record has been set for the warmest spring in England.
Met Office scientist Dr Emily Carlisle said: “This spring highlights both the natural variability of the UK’s weather and the longer-term warming we are observing.
“While conditions varied through the season, all three months of meteorological spring recorded mean temperatures within the UK’s top 10 warmest on record.
“While we expect fluctuations from year to year, this spring shows some of the changes we’re seeing in our weather patterns, with more extreme conditions becoming more frequent.
“The fact that nine of the 10 warmest springs in England have occurred since 2007 illustrates this ongoing shift in the UK’s climate.”
The Hawkstone Farmers Choir, made up of 34 agricultural workers from across the UK, became the first choir ever to win the ITV competition over the weekend.
They took home the £250,000 prize and a spot at the Royal Variety Performance after moving viewers and judges alike with their original song, This Is Home.
James Florey, from Northmoor, said: “Singing together, sharing stories, and having a laugh has been incredibly uplifting.”
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The fourth-generation farmer at Churchill’s Farm manages 500 acres of beef cattle and sheep alongside environmental stewardship and educational school visits.
He added: “In many ways it has almost felt like a form of therapy—an opportunity to talk, connect and support one another, while doing something completely different from the usual demands of farm life.”
Beyond the stage, the group plans to use their new platform to continue championing rural wellbeing and celebrating the resilience of British farming.
Abbie Condon, a specialist in Red Tracto farm assurance from Witney, said: “It boosted my confidence and keeps giving me amazing experiences to look forward to.”
She added it is a “privilege to be able to project British agriculture into the face of the nation”.
In line with their mission, the choir has committed to donating a significant portion of the £250,000 prize money to agricultural mental health charities.
David Smith, a retired seed specialist from Middleton Cheney near Banbury, said: “The choir has meant to me pure enjoyment and meeting old customers and colleagues and making new friends.”
DJ Richard Strange ran Music Box record store in Wallingford until it closed in 2019 due to tough trading conditions.
In recent years, he has been running a pop-up record store at the Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot to take advantage of the “vinyl revival”, a growing trend for music fans to choose to buy vinyl records instead of downloading songs.
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Usually Mr Strange runs the pop-up at the arts centre on the last Saturday of the month, and it was busy with music fans at the weekend.
While he no longer has a record shop on the high street, he retains an extensive collection to sell and play.
As well as searching through the crates, customers got the chance to try out being a DJ on the record decks.
Before the pop-up, Mr Strange told customers: “Join us for a laid-back day of music, vinyl and good vibes with Music Box Record Shop popping up.
“Browse a great selection of records, discover something new, and if you’re feeling brave bring your favourite vinyl and take a spin on the decks.
“Whether you’re an experienced DJ or just want to give it a go, everyone’s welcome.”
Riverman Records and Truck Store in Oxford sell vinyl records, while Truck’s sister shop in Witney also has a large stock of vinyl including a dedicated space upstairs.
Records are also sold at Gloucester Green market in Oxford on Saturday, and occasionally on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.
In Wantage, Play It Again Sam sells secondhand vinyl and CDs from Wednesday to Saturday.
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