Ham Court is a historic house surrounded by beautiful gardens and farm land on the edge of Oxfordshire. It is home to Matthew Rice, his eldest daughter, her husband and their son, as well as two black Labradors, a chihuahua, ginger cat, chickens, brown pigeons, guinea fowl, pigs, cows and sheep.
Ham Court is a private home, surrounded by a kitchen garden and grounds. We open our gates to the public for our Open Gardens during the Summer months, our calendar of events can be found here.
History
Bampton Castle was both manor house and major property of Aymer de Valence, one of the most powerful and important men in medieval Britain. At some stage a building whose walls were 7 feet thick, 30 feet high and 360 feet long, and where battlements and arrow slits, towers and a gatehouse made up a significant piece of fortified masonry, was reduced to a farmhouse. Bampton Castle was not the scene of a famous siege, nor did it form the backdrop for any great moment in British history. It is recorded in the slightest index entries that barely mention its existence, but one or two snapshots remain along with a few fragments above and below ground.
By the late 17th Century, the manor had been split and the land and buildings that remained on the site were known as Ham Court and Castle Farm. In 1870 the site was sold to Jesus College, Oxford and unified under the name of Ham Court.
Matthew Rice bought Ham Court as his family home in 2010 and by 2015 had demolished its unsightly modern farm buildings and reinstated the castle moat, as well as additions of orchards and restoration of kitchen garden. The working farm and gardens continue to evolve daily by means of a trusty team.
If you would like anymore information, please email events@ottercootllp.co.uk