Lockinge Manor

This country house was home to Lord and Lady Wantage—Robert Loyd-Lindsay and Harriet—who left a significant mark on the area during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Lord Wantage was a decorated soldier who earned the Victoria Cross for his bravery, and the couple became influential figures known for their progressive approach to estate management and agriculture. They created the model village of Lockinge itself, reflecting their ideas about enlightened rural development.

The manor remains a private residence, so you won't be able to tour inside, but the estate's character comes through in the landscape around it. The village of Lockinge is worth a walk on foot, with its estate cottages carefully preserved and a strong sense of heritage throughout. Public footpaths run across the wider estate lands, providing peaceful countryside walks that show you what this corner of Oxfordshire is really about. You'll get a genuine sense of how a grand English estate operated and the influence it had on its community. Wantage, a proper market town with shops and restaurants, sits just a short drive away if you want to pick up supplies or find somewhere for lunch before or after exploring the area.