Headington Hill Hall

Headington Hill Hall stands on Headington Hill in the east of Oxford, England.[1] It was built in 1824 for the Morrell family, who remained in residence for 114 years. It became the home to Pergamon Press and to media tycoon Robert Maxwell. It currently houses Oxford Brookes School of Law.

View of Headington Hill Hall.

History

The hall was built in 1824 for the Morrell family, local brewers, and was extended between 1856 and 1858 by James Morrell Jr. (1810–1863) who built an Italianate mansion designed by the architect John Thomas.[2] James Morrell and his wife Alicia died in 1863 and 1864, leaving their possessions including the hall and the brewery on trust for their 10-year-old daughter Emily Morrell. The three trustees tried to deal with Emily's crush on a distant cousin by sending her away to an aunt and forbidding any communication between the pair.[3] Emily married her cousin and made her home at the Hall.

Oscar Wilde, gaudily dressed as Prince Rupert, attended an all-night fancy dress May Day Ball given by Emily and Herbert Morrell at the Hall for around 300 guests on 1 May 1878.[4] Lady Ottoline Morrell (1873–1938), who owned the Hall for a period, was particularly associated with the Bloomsbury Group as a hostess.

From 1939, the property was requisitioned by the government for use as a military hospital during World War II. After the war, it became a rehabilitation centre, run by the Red Cross and the Order of St John.[5]

In 1953, James Morrell III sold Headington Hill Hall to Oxford City Council. It continued to be used as a rehabilitation centre until 1958.[5]

Subsequently, the publisher Robert Maxwell (1923–1991), founder of Pergamon Press, took a lease of the building rented from the Council for 32 years as a residence and offices. He described it as the "best council house in the country."[6] Maxwell commissioned a stained-glass window depicting Samson at the Gates of Gaza by Israeli sculptor Nehemia Azaz for the imperial staircase.[7]

Since 1992, the Council has leased the property to Oxford Brookes University.[8] It houses the Oxford Brookes University School of Law.[9]

See also

References
  1. Headington Hill Hall, Headington, Oxford, Oxfordshire Archived 12 February 2005 at the Wayback Machine, English Heritage.
  2. Headington Hill Hall (Oxford Brookes University) Archived 2013-08-18 at the Wayback Machine, Headington, Oxford.
  3. "Last orders for brewing legend". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  4. Maria Pia Bobbioni, The subconscious of the dandy, POL.it.
  5. "Headington Hill Hall". www.headington.org.uk. Archived from the original on 18 August 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  6. "Robert Maxwell (1923–1991)", Headington History
  7. Historic England. "Headington Hill Hall (1047044)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  8. Headington Hill Hall Archived 2008-03-18 at the Wayback Machine, Oxford Brookes University, UK.
  9. "School of Law, Oxford Brookes University". www.law.brookes.ac.uk. Retrieved 26 January 2017.

51°45′18″N 1°13′52″W

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