Roxhill Manor Farm
Roxhill Manor Farm is situated in the north west of Marston Moretaine parish, on Roxhill Road and was originally the manor house for the manor of Wroxhill. The farmhouse was listed in 1987 as Grade II, of special interest. The listing entry describes the house as dating from the 17th century, extended in the 18th century. It is of timber framed construction with colourwashed roughcast render and clay tile roofs. The earlier part of the building is of two storeyed with an L-shaped plan, and a later single storey and attics block joins this to the south west. The 18th century part to the left hand side of the south east elevation has two 3-light casement windows to the ground floor, one gabled dormer to the attic, and a rebuilt red brick ridge chimney stack. The earlier part has a slightly projecting gable with one 3-light casement to each floor and a doorway in a 20th century porch to the right hand side. The block to the right of this has a 19th century canted bay with ground floor sash windows and a 3-light casement to the first floor. There is a red brick ridge chimney stack to the cross-wing, and a red brick integral gable end stack to the right hand block, both rebuilt. Inside a fireplace in the right hand block incorporates a piece of worked clunch, apparently a doorhead.
In 1877 the farm was placed for sale along with the Milton House Estate in Milton Ernest; the sale particulars include a plan of the fields belonging to the farm [X65/17-18 and Z267/5]. In 1915 the Roxhill Manor and Milton House Estates were again jointly for sale [X65/86].
Directories show that in 1862 Roxhill Manor Farm was occupied by Thomas Armstrong, and in 1910 by Matthew Folwell Bliss.
The Rating and Valuation Act 1925 specified that every building and piece of land in the country was to be assessed to determine its rateable value. At the time of the valuation Roxhill Manor Farm was owned and occupied by M. G. W. Bannister (reference DV1/H15/48). The farm amounted to about 486 acres. There was water laid on, lamps for lighting and earth closets for sanitation. The valuer described it as “a big straggling farm, earth very heavy and devoid of grit”.