Wroxton Abbey facts for kids
Wroxton Abbey is a beautiful old house in Oxfordshire, England. It was built in the style of the Jacobean era, which was in the early 1600s. The house also has a lovely garden that was first designed in 1727. Later, parts of the garden were changed to a winding, natural style between 1731 and 1751.
Wroxton Abbey is located about 2.5 miles (4 km) west of Banbury. It is now the English campus for Fairleigh Dickinson University, which is a university from New Jersey in the United States.
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Wroxton Abbey: A Historic Home
What is Wroxton Abbey?
Wroxton Abbey is a grand manor house that looks like it's from the 17th century. It was built on top of the foundations of a much older building. This older building was a Augustinian priory, which is a type of monastery, from the 13th century.
A Peek Inside the Abbey
The abbey has many interesting rooms. There's a large main hall and a special gallery for musicians. It also has a chapel, a big library with many rooms, and even royal bedrooms! Besides these historic areas, there are 45 bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. There are also rooms for classes, offices, and fun recreation rooms in the basement.
From Monastery to Manor
Wroxton Abbey gets its name from its very old past. It started as a monastery in the 12th century. However, this monastery was destroyed after Henry VIII closed many monasteries in England in 1536. This event is known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
Parts of the old monastery still exist in the cellars of the current building. So, the house truly rose from its ruins! William Pope, the first Earl of Downe, rebuilt it in the early 17th century. More parts were added over the years. The property later passed to the North family in 1677. You can see beautiful monuments for the early Pope and North families in the local Wroxton church.
Famous Visitors and Royal Guests
Many important people have visited Wroxton Abbey over the centuries. These include members of the North family, like Frederick North, Lord North, who was a British Prime Minister. Royal visitors also stayed here.
Some famous guests include:
- James I of England in 1605
- Charles I of England in 1643
- George IV of the United Kingdom in 1805, 1806, and 1808
- William IV of the United Kingdom
- Theodore Roosevelt, who later became a US President, visited in 1887. He even slept in the bed once used by William IV!
- Other notable visitors were Horace Walpole, Henry James, and Frederick, Prince of Wales.
Because of its long history, famous visitors, and special architecture, Wroxton Abbey is a Grade One Listed Building. This means it's a very important historic building in England.
Exploring the Gardens and Grounds
The grounds around Wroxton Abbey are huge, covering 56 acres (23 hectares). They include beautiful lawns, peaceful lakes, and woodlands. There's a winding lake, a small waterfall, and a tiny stream. You can also find several "follies" here. Follies are decorative buildings that look like they have a purpose but are just for show.
Some of these follies include:
- A Gothic-style Dovecote (a building for doves or pigeons).
- The Temple-on-the-Mount, both possibly designed by Sanderson Miller.
- The Drayton Arch, built by David Hiorn in 1771.
A famous landscape designer, William Andrews Nesfield, helped create a formal flower garden on the south side of the house. In the 20th century, a special "knot garden" was added. This type of garden has plants arranged in patterns that look like knots.
Wroxton College: A University Campus
The North and Pope families first leased Wroxton Abbey to Trinity College, Oxford in 1932. Later, in 1964, it was sold to Fairleigh Dickinson University, which is based in New Jersey, USA.
Since 1965, Wroxton Abbey has been known as Wroxton College. It is a campus for American students from Fairleigh Dickinson's main campuses. It also welcomes international students from their Vancouver campus in Canada, and other American students who want to study using the British tutorial system.
Students at Wroxton College follow a challenging study program. They take courses in subjects like political science, English, art, and other social sciences. Besides the college's own teachers, guest lecturers from other British universities often come to share their knowledge. Wroxton College is officially recognized by the Accreditation Service of International Colleges (ASIC). It has even been given ASIC Premier College Status!
The official opening of Wroxton College was planned for July 14, 1965. The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Adlai Stevenson II, was scheduled to speak. Sadly, he passed away that day after having a heart attack in London.
