Built in 1940 RAF Stanton Harcourt sits at the southern end of the village after which it is named. Formerly a WWII operational training unit base this Bomber Command airfield was used as a satellite to RAF Abingdon and, as such, it was used by a variety of twin engined aircraft including Wellingtons and Whitley Bombers. During 1940 and 1941 the airfield sustained numerous aerial attacks when the Germans dropped bombs and machined-gunned airfield workers. Stanton Harcourt took part in the "Thousand Bomber Raid" in summer 1942 against German cities and was the departure point for Winston Churchill for the pivotal Casablanca Conference in 1943 to plan the Allied European strategy for the next phase of World War II. Also in attendance were US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and representing the Free French forces were Generals Charles de Gaulle and Henri Giraud. The base was also a starting point for a bomber raid on the German battleship Scharnhorst.
RAF Stanton Harcourt
To retain its historical significance and preserve the monuments for future generations to appreciate their place in history, Hayfield has delicately refurbished the Bomber Teaching Building, Crew Lockers, Water Tower and the former Guard Room. The Guard Room will be handed over to Stanton Harcourt Parish Council for use as a community hub. Other structures of note that are being restored include three Blast Shelters and an underground air raid shelter, with new information boards to explain their heritage. A landscaped design of walking routes will weave its way through Hayfield Green and along the airfield’s former taxiway so that residents, locals and visitors alike can take part in historical meanderings through the site’s story.
Hayfield Green layout
The village of Stanton Harcourt is brimming with ancient history and became known as Stanton Harcourt in 1191 after Robert de Harcourt inherited lands in Stanton from his father-in-law. The name Stanton means ‘farmstead by the stones’. This is almost certainly because of The Devil’s Quoits, a spectacular prehistoric henge and stone circle thought to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old, that is situated just to the south of the village.
The Devil's Quoits
An idyllic and picturesque village, Stanton Harcourt is dotted with historical properties, many of which have beautiful stonework and thatched roofs dating back to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Popes Tower in the grounds of Harcourt House is a Grade I listed building dating back to the fifteenth century though it takes its name from the great British poet Alexander Pope who translated the fifth volume of Homer’s Iliad while residing there in the early eighteenth century.
The village of Stanton Harcourt
To the east of Stanton Harcourt is Farmoor Reservoir, a beautiful expanse of water benefiting from a flat circular path that is four miles in length. The Reservoir is the home of Oxford Sailing Club and is the perfect spot to watch or participate in sailing, bird watching and fishing. Only nine miles away from Hayfield Green is the historic market town of Woodstock and the awe-inspiring Blenheim Palace, which is renowned for its highly popular programme of events. Meanwhile Oxford, ‘the city of dreaming spires’ is under 10 miles distance and famed worldwide for its prestigious university, the oldest in the English-speaking world. There is so much to explore and uncover within this accessible city, either by foot, an open bus tour, river cruises or by hiring a punt or a rowing boat. In addition to the country walks, cycle routes and places of interest, there is a wide choice of pubs and eateries in the locality, such as the highly-rated Mr Hanbury’s Mason Arms in South Leigh, the Riverside Ferryman Inn at Bablock Hythe, The Red Lion at Northmoor with its extensive vegetable garden, and the Rose Revived, where boats can be rented to cruise along the river.
Blenheim Palace
On Saturday 28th March, Hayfield Homes will unveil the Cotheridge bungalow show home at the Hayfield Green development, a collection of 66 houses and bungalows. Designed by highly acclaimed Lifestyle Interiors, it will bring to life the luxuriously spacious bungalows that front onto the expanse of green space at the 21-acre former airfield. The designer two-bedroom, two-bathroom bungalows each provide parking for up to six cars, extra high ceilings to create a sense of grandeur, underfloor heating with an air source heat pump to reduce running costs, electric garage doors and manageable private gardens. Hayfield is offering bungalow purchasers £2,000 towards their moving costs.
The Cotheridge
“This is such a special development and we are thrilled that house hunters appreciate the sensitive work we are doing to restore so many airfield buildings and monuments, in order to immortalise this former RAF site for future generations.
Just beyond our site boundary, Stanton Harcourt Cricket Club and the award-winning Harcourt Arms pub and newly opened delicatessen are focal points for village life. The picturesque village also benefits from a plethora of outstanding Grade I and Grade II Listed buildings and an Ofsted Outstanding-rated Primary School." Kelly Sharman, Sales and Marketing Director
The collection of traditional brick, stone and render house designs at Hayfield Green feature Hayfield’s luxurious specification, including bespoke Manor kitchens, ROCA Laufen bathrooms, Minoli ceramic tiles, underfloor heating, heritage bronze ironmongery, Hammonds wardrobes and Farrow & Ball paint.
The homes currently on release include two, three and four-bedroom houses and bungalows priced from £330,000 to £595,000. For all homes on sale, agents’ fees are able to be paid on your current home when reserving a new home at Hayfield Green. Or, house-hunters may choose to use Help to Buy, which enables you to secure a luxury new home with only a five per cent deposit and benefit from a Government equity loan for 20 percent of the purchase price.
A four-bedroom Hallow show home is available to view seven days a week from 10am to 5pm. There are also house designs for vying purchasers to walk around by appointment. To book a personal appointment call 0800 048 4863 or email [email protected]
More information on the development is available here.