Headington Hill Hall

Headington Hill Hall stands on Headington Hill in the east of Oxford, England. It was built in 1824 for the Morrell family, local brewers, and was extended between 1856 and 1858, by James Morrell junior (1810–1863) who built an Italianate mansion, designed by architect John Thomas. The family remained in residence for 114 years.

Oscar Wilde attended an all-night fancy dress May Day Ball given by Mr and Mrs Herbert Morrell at the Hall on 1 May 1878 for around three hundred guests, gaudily dressed as Prince Rupert [http://www.priory.com/ital/salome/bobbioni2.htm] . Lady Ottoline Morrell (1873–1938), who owned the Hall for a period [http://www.eugenics-watch.com/briteugen/eug_memz.html] , was particularly associated as a hostess with the Bloomsbury Group.

Subsequently, the publisher Robert Maxwell (1923–1991), founder of Pergamon Press, leased the building from the Oxford City Council for 32 years. He described it as the "best council house in the country."

Since 1992, Headington Hill Hall has been leased to Oxford Brookes University.

External links

* [http://www.headington.org.uk/history/listed_buildings/headhillhall.htm Headington Hill Hall]
* [http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/search/reference.asp?]
* [http://www.brookes.ac.uk/conference_services/hall /Oxford Brookes University Headington Hill Hall]

index=1&imageUID=45841&main_query=&theme=&period=&county=&district=&place_name=Headington Information] from English Heritage