Shotover
Encyclopedia
Shotover is a hill and forest in Oxfordshire
, England
.
Shotover Hill is 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Oxford
. Its highest point is 557 feet (169.8 m) above sea level.
may be derived from the Old English scoet ofer, meaning "steep slope". Shotover was part of the Wychwood
royal forest
from around the period of the Domesday Book
until 1660.
and Oxford used to pass over the top of Shotover Hill. The road was made into a turnpike under the 1719 Stokenchurch Turnpike Act.
The garden was begun in 1718 and completed in 1730. It is a rare survivor of formal gardens of this period, laid out along an east-west axis 1200 yards (1,097.3 m) long. The centrepiece of the garden east of the house is a straight canal, ending with a Gothic Revival folly
. The architect of the folly is unknown, but if it was built before 1742 it may be one of the earliest examples of the Gothic Revival. The garden west of the house has a similarly long vista, ending with an octagonal temple designed in the 1730s by William Kent
.
During the Second World War
there was a prisoner-of-war camp
in the grounds.
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir John Miller, GCVO, DSO, MC, Crown Equerry 1961-87 lived in Shotover House for most of his life. He died on May 17, 2006, aged 87. It is now owned by Sir Beville Douglas Stanier, 3rd Baronet
.
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Shotover Hill is 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. Its highest point is 557 feet (169.8 m) above sea level.
Early history
The toponymToponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
may be derived from the Old English scoet ofer, meaning "steep slope". Shotover was part of the Wychwood
Wychwood
The Wychwood, or Wychwood Forest, is an area now covering a small part of rural Oxfordshire. In past centuries the forest covered a much larger area, since cleared in favour of agriculture, villages and towns. However, the forest's area has fluctuated...
royal forest
Royal forest
A royal forest is an area of land with different meanings in England, Wales and Scotland; the term forest does not mean forest as it is understood today, as an area of densely wooded land...
from around the period of the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
until 1660.
Shotover Road
The road between LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Oxford used to pass over the top of Shotover Hill. The road was made into a turnpike under the 1719 Stokenchurch Turnpike Act.
Shotover House
Shotover House and garden were begun in about 1714 for James Tyrell of Oakley. Tyrell died in 1718 and the house was completed by his son, General James Tyrell. There is no known record of the name of the architect. In 1855 the architect Joshua Sims added two wings in the same style of the original part of the house.The garden was begun in 1718 and completed in 1730. It is a rare survivor of formal gardens of this period, laid out along an east-west axis 1200 yards (1,097.3 m) long. The centrepiece of the garden east of the house is a straight canal, ending with a Gothic Revival folly
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
. The architect of the folly is unknown, but if it was built before 1742 it may be one of the earliest examples of the Gothic Revival. The garden west of the house has a similarly long vista, ending with an octagonal temple designed in the 1730s by William Kent
William Kent
William Kent , born in Bridlington, Yorkshire, was an eminent English architect, landscape architect and furniture designer of the early 18th century.He was baptised as William Cant.-Education:...
.
During the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
there was a prisoner-of-war camp
Prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...
in the grounds.
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir John Miller, GCVO, DSO, MC, Crown Equerry 1961-87 lived in Shotover House for most of his life. He died on May 17, 2006, aged 87. It is now owned by Sir Beville Douglas Stanier, 3rd Baronet
Stanier Baronets
The Stanier Baronetcy, of Peplow Hall in Hodnet in the County of Shropshire, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 16 July 1917 for Beville Stanier, Conservative Member of Parliament for Newport and Ludlow...
.