# Burford Priory

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Country house in Oxfordshire

Burford Priory Interactive map of Burford Priory 51°47′36″N 1°28′45″W / 51.79333°N 1.47917°W / 51.79333; -1.47917 OS grid reference SP2499612363 History Built 1580s Built for Lawrence Tanfield Rebuilt 17th century Site notes Restored 1912 Restored by Walter Godfrey Owner Elisabeth Murdoch and Matthew Freud Listed Building – Grade I Designated 11 September 1955[1]

Burford Priory

**Burford Priory** is a [Grade I listed](/source/Grade_I_listed) [country house](/source/English_country_house) and former [priory](/source/Priory) at [Burford](/source/Burford) in [West Oxfordshire](/source/West_Oxfordshire), [England](/source/England)[1] owned by [Elisabeth Murdoch](/source/Elisabeth_Murdoch_(businesswoman)), daughter of [Rupert Murdoch](/source/Rupert_Murdoch), together with [Matthew Freud](/source/Matthew_Freud).[2]

## History

### Origin

The house is on the site of a 13th-century [Augustinian](/source/Augustinians) hospital. In the 1580s an [Elizabethan](/source/Elizabethan_architecture) house was built by [Sir Lawrence Tanfield](/source/Lawrence_Tanfield), incorporating remnants of the [Priory Hospital](/source/Priory_Hospital).[3] James I stayed at the priory for three nights in 1603.[4] In the 17th century it was remodelled in [Jacobean style](/source/Jacobean_architecture), probably after 1634 when [William Lenthall](/source/William_Lenthall) bought the estate from Tanfield's grandson, the [2nd Viscount Falkland](/source/Lucius_Cary%2C_2nd_Viscount_Falkland), who had inherited it from his grandfather.[5] Lenthall was one of the overseers of Tanfield's will and had married into his second wife's family.[6] It remained in the Lenthall family until 1828.[4] [The Lenthall pictures](/source/The_Lenthall_pictures) were housed here until the collection was largely sold in the nineteenth century. In 1828 the house and the Manor of Burford was purchased by the Greenaway family of Little Barrington, and their descendant Nicholas Greenaway Mills is the current Lord of the Manor.

In 1912, the [philanthropist](/source/Philanthropist) [Emslie John Horniman](/source/Emslie_Horniman) MP purchased Burford Priory from Colonel Frank de Sales la Terrière.[7] He restored the house and later the [chapel](/source/Chapel) under the supervision of the architect [Walter Godfrey](/source/Walter_Godfrey).[3][8]

### Use by Church of England nuns and monks

From 1949 Burford Priory housed The Society of the Salutation of [Our Lady](/source/Mary_(mother_of_Jesus)), a community of [Church of England](/source/Church_of_England) [nuns](/source/Nun). In the 1980s the community's numbers dwindled, and in 1987 it became a mixed community including [Church of England Benedictine](/source/Order_of_St._Benedict_(Anglican)) [monks](/source/Monk). In 2008 the community sold the property and it has now returned to being a private house.[9] After a period of living in rented accommodation, the community moved into a new purpose-built monastery in [Worcestershire](/source/Worcestershire). The new monastery is on the site of a former farm and has taken the name of the farm becoming [Mucknell Abbey](/source/Mucknell_Abbey).

### Current ownership

The current owners and residents of Burford Priory are media businesswoman [Elisabeth Murdoch](/source/Elisabeth_Murdoch_(businesswoman)), her ex-husband [Matthew Freud](/source/Matthew_Freud), owner of the [public relations](/source/Public_relations) company [Freud Communications](/source/Freud_Communications), and their family.[10]

A 2011 party held at the house was attended by the [Chipping Norton set](/source/Chipping_Norton_set).[11]

### Burials at the priory

- [Cuthred of Wessex](/source/Cuthred_of_Wessex)

- [Edmund Harman](/source/Edmund_Harman)

## Local legend

### Little brown monk

The site of the old monks' graveyard is reportedly haunted by a small brown solemn-looking monk surrounded by an aura of sadness, who is said to pass through walls. The monk is often linked to the sound of bells which are reported coming from the old rectory at 2am, occasionally accompanied by the sound of chanting.[12][13][14][15]

### Gamekeeper

A second ghost reported on the grounds, particularly around the old vegetable garden, is that of an elderly gentleman in old-fashioned clothing carrying a [flintlock](/source/Flintlock) or [blunderbuss](/source/Blunderbuss), who is seen late in the evenings during the month of October but vanishes if approached.[12][15] The apparition has been linked by Puttick[13] and Yurdan[14] to a gamekeeper wrongly executed for the murder of a servant to William Lenthall (or Lord Abercomb) called John Prior (or Pryor). Puttick[13] reports that the ghost has not been sighted since the nuns took up residence in 1949, and speculates that their prayers may have put it to rest.

### Poltergeist

An unused room in the Priory is also reported to contain an active [poltergeist](/source/Poltergeist), and a feeling of oppression.[14]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-EngHet_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-EngHet_1-1) [Historic England](/source/Historic_England). ["Burford Priory (1224759)"](https://HistoricEngland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1224759?section=official-list-entry). *[National Heritage List for England](/source/National_Heritage_List_for_England)*. Retrieved 14 April 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Summerley, Victoria (30 January 2015). ["Gardens: cloisters and camellias"](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/30/wold-meets-new-garden-elisabeth-murdoch-matthew-freud). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. Retrieved 28 November 2020.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESherwoodPevsner1974510–511_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESherwoodPevsner1974510–511_3-1) [Sherwood & Pevsner 1974](#CITEREFSherwoodPevsner1974), pp. 510–511.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-VCH_Explore_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-VCH_Explore_4-1) [VCH Explore](http://explore.englandspastforeveryone.org.uk/items/burford-priory)[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [The Life and Times of Lucius Cary](https://archive.org/stream/lifetimesofluciu00marruoft/lifetimesofluciu00marruoft_djvu.txt)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [History of Parliament](http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/tanfield-lawrence-1554-1625)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** "Obituary: Mr E J Horniman". *[The Times](/source/The_Times)*. 12 July 1932. p. 16.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEGodfrey193971_8-0)** [Godfrey 1939](#CITEREFGodfrey1939), p. 71.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Monks on the Move"](http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/2299702.monks_on_the_move/). *[Oxford Mail](/source/Oxford_Mail)*. [Newsquest](/source/Newsquest). 27 May 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["£40,000 Raid on Burford Priory"](http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/4237751.__40_000_raid_on_Burford_Priory/). *[Oxford Mail](/source/Oxford_Mail)*. [Newsquest](/source/Newsquest). 26 March 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-TelegJul11_11-0)** Caroline Dewar (5 March 2012). ["Who's who in the Chipping Norton set"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/interactive-graphics/9124278/Whos-who-in-the-Chipping-Norton-set.html). *[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)*. Retrieved 6 May 2012.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Andrews_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Andrews_12-1) Andrews, Ross (2010). "Other Oxford, and Oxfordshire Haunted Venues". *Paranormal Oxford*. Chalford, Gloucestershire: Amberley. p. 94. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4456-0002-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4456-0002-4).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Puttick_13-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Puttick_13-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Puttick_13-2) Puttick, Betty (2003). "Priests, Monks & Naughty Nuns". *Oxfordshire: Stories of the Supernatural*. Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books. pp. 22–23. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-8530-6811-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-8530-6811-9).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Yurdan_14-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Yurdan_14-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Yurdan_14-2) Yurdan, Marilyn (2002). *Unexplained Oxford and Oxfordshire*. Dunstable, Bedfordshire: The Book Castle. p. 58. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-9037-4721-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-9037-4721-6).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Robinson_15-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Robinson_15-1) Robinson, Joe (2000). "Supernatural Events in Burford". *Oxfordshire Ghosts*. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Wharncliffe Books. pp. 101–102. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-8716-4776-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-8716-4776-1).

### Sources

- [Godfrey, Walter H](/source/Walter_Godfrey) (1939). "Burford Priory". *Oxoniensia*. **IV**. [Oxford Architectural and Historical Society](/source/Oxfordshire_Architectural_and_Historical_Society): 71–88.

- Sherwood, Jennifer; [Pevsner, Nikolaus](/source/Nikolaus_Pevsner) (1974). *Oxfordshire*. [The Buildings of England](/source/Pevsner_Architectural_Guides#Buildings_of_England). Harmondsworth: [Penguin Books](/source/Penguin_Books). pp. 510–511. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-14-071045-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-14-071045-0).

## External links

Media related to [Burford Priory](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Burford_Priory) at Wikimedia Commons [51°48′34″N 1°38′20″W / 51.809318°N 1.638905°W / 51.809318; -1.638905 (Burford Priory)](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Burford_Priory&params=51.809318_N_1.638905_W_type:landmark_region:GB_source:Wikimapia_scale:2000&title=Burford+Priory)

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