Boris Johnson is understood to have agreed to buy a nine-bedroom Grade II-listed Georgian manor house in Oxfordshire valued at £4m.
The former prime minister and his wife Carrie have in recent weeks viewed Brightwell Manor, in the picturesque village of Brightwell-cum-Sotwell near Wallingford. The Guardian has been told they have now made an offer which has been accepted.
The house, which features its own moat, was listed for sale for “offers in excess of £4m”. It is not known how much Johnson has offered to pay for the house, which is now shown as “sold subject to contract”.
A spokesperson for Johnson said: “We never comment on matters such as living arrangements.”
The nine-bedroom, five-bathroom house dates back to the early 1600s and is set in almost five acres of grounds. Three sides of the grounds are bounded by a moat that never runs dry as it is fed by its own natural spring.
The move would add to speculation that Johnson is considering running for election in Oxfordshire rather than his existing seat of Uxbridge, a marginal in west London with a majority of 7,200.
Brightwell-cum-Sotwell is in the constituency of Wantage held by the Conservative MP David Johnston, with a majority of more than 12,000. It is also very close to Johnson’s previous constituency of Henley, for which he served as MP between 2001 and 2008.
The property, which includes a separate “guest cottage”, is described by the estate agent as “tucked away in a fabulous and private edge of village location, at the end of a gravelled drive and nestled next to the village church”.
“The house is awash with period features reflecting both its Tudor and Georgian origins, including high ceilings, large sash windows with shutters, wood panelling, ornate cornicing, open fireplaces and flagstone floors,” the marketing blurb says. “Of particular note is the beautiful mural painted by the neo-romanticist, George Warner Allen.”
There is also walled garden, tennis court, outside storage and a double garage. The house has been owned by the same family since 1971. It had previously been owned by William Inge, a theologian who was three-times nominated for the Nobel prize for literature.
In the mid 12th century, the Norman king, Stephen, is thought to have built a moated siege castle on the site where the manor now stands, according to Country Life magazine which featured the house in 2019. The castle was surrendered to Duke Henry of Aquitaine, later Henry II of England, who invaded in the late 1100s and probably had the castle demolished.
“Brightwell-cum-Sotwell is one of south Oxfordshire’s most desirable villages. A proper village which includes the excellent Red Lion pub, a village store and a primary school,” the estate agent listing says. “The village is ideally located for commuting to London, Oxford or Reading, with Didcot Parkway rail station only four miles away.”
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Last month Johnson was witnessed being shown around an independent school in Oxfordshire, with a view to sending his son Wilf there as a day pupil in September 2024, followed by his daughter Romy. His four children with his ex-wife Marina Wheeler, a barrister, all attended state primary schools in north London.
The couple had also been reportedly looking at other homes, also in the £4m price range, in Fulham, London.
They are currently believed to be living between a London townhouse and country property in the Cotswolds, provided by Conservative donor Lord Bamford and his wife at a cost of £13,500-a-month. The Bamfords are friends of the former prime minister and also strong Brexit backers.
Johnson has received £2.5m as an advance for speeches, meaning he has received earnings, hospitality and donations worth more than £5m over the six months since leaving office.
