A delightful Grade II-listed manor house sold after the Dissolution, with remarkable equestrian facilities and a rich farming history
Foxcote Manor is the perfect country house – large without being unmanageable, with plenty of grounds and good transport links to the word beyond its walls.


A Grade II-listed, 17th-century manor house with delightful gardens, the late Mark Vestey’s charming Foxcote Manor at Foxcote, in the heart of the Cotswolds is 6½ miles from Cheltenham and 13½ miles from Stow-on-the-Wold.
The agents, Knight Frank, quote a guide price of £8m for the compact, 59-acre estate, with its outstanding equestrian facilities, which include a main 13-box American-barn yard, plus additional stabling, barns, an outdoor school, paddocks and an immaculate, full-size polo ground.
Foxcote Manor and its grounds occupy the south side of a low valley formed by a tributary stream of the River Coln. In the medieval period, the manor was part of the Bishop of Worcester’s Withington estate and, by 1507, had been acquired by the college of Westbury-on-Trym.
After the Dissolution, the Crown sold Foxcote with the college’s other lands to Sir Ralph Sadler, after which it passed through several families until, in 1919, Foxcote Manor farm was acquired by Emma Abell.
In 1973, the Abells, who had added glebe land bought from the rector in 1921 and the former glebe Thorndale Farm in 1932, sold the Foxcote estate to the Hon Mark Vestey, brother of Lord Vestey of Stowell Park. Mr Vestey further enlarged Foxcote with the acquisition of two local farms and parts of Withington Manor farm and, by 1998, owned some 1,000 acres in the parish.
He also extended the manor house, adding a flanking gable wing on the south side of the house to match that on the north side, which had been added by the Abells in about 1920. Other additions included a north bay window, a south loggia and a Classical porch in 1997–98.
Sometime after 1980, when farming operations were centred on Thorndale Farm, Foxcote’s splendid 18th-century barn was cleverly converted into a billiard room, squash court and famous party barn, using windows from a demolished service wing at Stowell Park.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
In all, Foxcote Manor offers more than 10,650sq ft of family-friendly living space on three floors and includes three main reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room, a garden hall, master and guest suites, five further bedrooms, three further bathrooms and an adjoining two-bedroom annexe.
Foxcote Manor is for sale via Knight Frank at £8m — see more details and pics.
Things to do: Music in the gardens, the buildings of the Weald & Downland and a circus at the cathedral
Keep your diary up-to-date with our selection of unmissable events and things to do in the next few weeks.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
50 best places to live near London
The indispensable guide for getting into the country without ending up out of touch with the town.
-
The loos of Buckingham Palace: Country Life Quiz of the Day, April 23, 2025
Wednesday's Quiz of the Day looks at St George, royal toilets and German alcohol laws.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Moore Design
Moore Design is a boutique interior design practice with clients around the UK and overseas.
By Country Life Published
-
A 327-acre estate in the heart of 'England’s Côte d’Or', with a 26,000sq ft Georgian style home at its heart
Stokes Hall in the Crouch Valley is an inspiring property looking for a new owner.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Schreiber House, 'the most significant London townhouse of the second half of the 20th century', is up for sale
The five-bedroom Modernist masterpiece sits on the edge of Hampstead Heath.
By Lotte Brundle Published
-
Is the 'race for space' officially over?
During the lockdowns, many thought the countryside was the place to be. It seems many are now changing their minds.
By Annabel Dixon Last updated
-
What's a 'wellness village' and will it tempt you back into the office?
The team behind London's first mixed-use ‘wellness village’ says it has the magic formula for tempting workers back into offices.
By Annunciata Elwes Published
-
A mini estate in Kent that's so lovely it once featured in Simon Schama's 'History of Britain'
The Paper Mill estate is a picture-postcard in the Garden of England.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Hidden excellence in a £7.5 million north London home
Behind the traditional façades of Provost Road, you will find something very special.
By James Fisher Published
-
Sip tea and laugh at your neighbours in this seaside Norfolk home with a watchtower
On Cliff Hill in Gorleston, one home is taller than all the others. It could be yours.
By James Fisher Published
-
A Grecian masterpiece that might be one of the nation's finest homes comes up for sale in Kent
Grade I-listed Holwood House sits in 40 acres of private parkland just 15 miles from central London. It is spectacular.
By Penny Churchill Published