Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in the process of adding a historic country mansion to his property portfolio in a £3.8 million (US$4.6 million) cash deal, according to sources with knowledge of the transaction.
Contracts have been exchanged on the 400-year-old home in Oxfordshire, which comes with a moat, and the deal should be finalized within weeks.
Known as Brightwell Manor, the property was on the market with listing agency The Country House Department asking for offers over £4 million. Through a representative, the agents handling the sale declined to comment.
The property is steeped in history. A moated castle is believed to have been built on the site by King Stephen in the 1150s, and the current house—with the moat still wrapped around it on three sides—is thought to date back to 1605.
Historic fireplaces can be found throughout the home.
The Country House Department
At that time, the manor was the tallest in the area, but it was bad form to build a house that was taller than the local church. In an enterprising solution to that dilemma, the family who built it also added a red-brick tower onto the local church, St. Agatha’s, which reaches just higher than the facade, Mansion Global previously reported.
Described as a “superb family house with flexible living accommodation,” the nine-bedroom home last changed hands in 1971, the listing said. Mansion Global couldn’t determine who is selling the home, or how much they bought it for.
Mr. Johnson resigned as prime minister last year, following the so-called “partygate” scandal, but remains a member of parliament. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A moat surrounds most of the property, having been in place since the 1150s.
The Country House Department
Period charms reign throughout the property, including high ceilings, large sash windows and shutters, wood paneling, ornate cornicing, open fireplaces and flagstone floors. Of particular note, the listing said, is the mural painted by the neo-romantic artist George Warner Allen.
On its 5 acres of grounds, Brightwell Manor includes a tennis court, a one-bedroom guest cottage built in 1849, stables and a double garage. There’s also a walled garden, a large pond, mature trees—including a chestnut tree grown from a conker taken from Windsor’s Royal Mile—as well as fruit trees, according to the listing.
The house stands in the charming village of Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, a 30-minute drive from the city of Oxford—famed for its university, where Mr. Johnson studied Classics—and 90 minutes west of central London, making for a manageable commute to the Houses of Parliament for the politician.
