Chastleton House

Step Into The Past At Chastleton House

Oxfordshire is one of the gems of the National Trust these days. There are so many old houses there that have been well preserved that the National Trust can and will take forward to help educate the public and give them a glimpse and insight as to how life was hundreds of years ago. One of those houses is Chastleton House. It is located in the Moreton-in-Marsh area and is a lovely building to visit and is different to most of the other houses in the area as a result of its lovely features!

Chastleton House is a lovely country house that was built in the Jacobean era. It was believed to have been built as early as 1610, although we now know it was begun in 1607 and finished in 1612. Walter Jones, the initial owner, had it purpose built to reflect the area and to be distinctive from other local houses - his ancestry was Welsh. He used the finest Cotswold stone money could buy and this is one of the features that make it utterly unique! Very few other older houses in this area are made solely of local materials and this makes it easier to enjoy the house when you visit.

The beautiful house has a service court/lightwell at the heart of the design so you can wander around it on a sunny day and feel as if you are right back in the 17th Century. The house is a maze of rooms, all intricate in their decoration and extremely ornate in design. All of the furniture is indigenous to the house - some of it has been in the house since 1612!