Aynhoe Park, Banbury, England

The following is from the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.

HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT

Richard Shakerley, a London mercer, bought the manor of Aynho in 1545. On his death it was divided between his daughters. Partly reassembled by his son-in-law Thomas Marmyon, it was reunited by Richard Cartwright, a lawyer, who bought the greater part in 1615. He probably began work on his new house there soon after. On his death in 1637 Aynho passed to his son John (died 1676). In 1645 the house was burnt by Royalists; repair work began in 1660. John's son also died in 1676 and Aynho passed to the former's grandson Thomas (1671-1748), who in the first years of the 18th century began the remodelling of the house. It was his son William (1704-68) who in 1760 employed Lancelot Brown (1716-83) to lay out the park. A half-century later William's grandson and namesake William Ralph Cartwright (1771-1847) brought in John Soane to make further alterations. Few alterations were made to the house after 1804. Most of the estate was sold by the Cartwrights in 1940, the remainder in 1959 into divided ownership. The parkland remains in private hands in 1997, the house in the occupation of the Country Houses Association which purchased it in 1960.