Historic £26.5m Oxfordshire estate seen in ITV’s Endeavour for sale

The Nuneham Estate can be found near Oxford and Abingdon and is one of Oxfordshire’s most distinctive and historically significant country estates.

It has now been listed on the open market with Bidwells at a guide price of £26,500,000.

It was begun in 1756 for Simon Harcourt, 1st Earl Harcourt, on land his family had acquired in the early 18th century, replacing an earlier house and the original village, which were cleared away to make room for the new estate.

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Architect Stiff Leadbetter designed the main house, while interiors were developed with input from James “Athenian” Stuart.

The surrounding landscape was later reshaped by Lancelot “Capability” Brown, who created sweeping parkland walks and planted screening between the house and the river.

The estate remained in the Harcourt family’s hands for generations and became known for its pleasure grounds and horticultural experiments.

Successive owners then adapted both the building and gardens in line with changing fashions.

During the Second World War, the property was requisitioned by the RAF for photographic reconnaissance work.

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The Nuneham Estate in Oxfordshire. (Image: Bidwells)

The Harcourts then sold the wider Nuneham estate to the University of Oxford in the post‑war period.

In more recent decades, Nuneham House has been used as a hall of residence, a conference centre and, under lease to the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, as the Global Retreat Centre, while its historic house and gardens have been recognised with Grade II listing.

According to IMDB, it served as the key filming location for the Lewis episode titled Old, Unhappy, Far Off Things.

In the story, the estate serves as the fictional Lady Matilda’s College, which is preparing for a reunion of its first female-only graduating class.

The exact same mansion was used as a filming location for the prequel series Endeavour, in the episode Arcadia, where it stood in as a commune.

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The Nuneham Estate in Oxfordshire. (Image: Bidwells)

Extending to 1,054 acres (426 hectares) and positioned just five miles from central Oxford, the estate represents a “rare generational opportunity” for private buyers, institutions and long‑term investors, according to Bidwells.

Situated at Nuneham Courtenay, the estate combines productive arable land and an extensive residential and commercial portfolio.

It also has a newly developed holiday‑let enterprise and a collection of important heritage assets, including the Grade II listed Nuneham House, Mansion Lodge and Boat House.

The Estate includes 810 acres of arable land, 176 acres of pasture, parkland and woodland, a portfolio of 27 residential properties, a 10‑unit holiday‑let business, and a range of commercial premises, workshops and agricultural buildings.

The freehold of Nuneham House and its associated buildings sits within 40 acres of parkland and is held on a long‑term FRI lease.

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The Nuneham Estate in Oxfordshire. (Image: Bidwells)

In addition to its existing income streams, which currently generate approximately £400,000 per annum, the estate holds significant underlying mineral reserves.

This is estimated at around four million tonnes of sand and gravel, subject to planning.

Further opportunities for value creation include renewable energy, diversification and wider estate asset management, according to Bidwells.

Ross Kent, Partner, Private Estates at Bidwells, said: “The Nuneham Estate is an exceptionally compelling offering combining scale, income, heritage and future opportunity in a location where estates of this quality rarely come to the market.

“Its proximity to Oxford, together with the diversity of its assets and income streams, will appeal to a wide range of buyers, from private investors and institutions to those seeking a landmark long‑term holding.”