Eyecatcher at Sp 4828 2603 is a Grade II* listed building in the Cherwell local planning authority area, England. First listed on 8 December 1955. Eyecatcher.

Eyecatcher at Sp 4828 2603

WRENN ID
proud-jade-bramble
Grade
II*
Local Planning Authority
Cherwell
Constituency
Banbury MP: Sean Woodcock (Lab)
Country
England
Date first listed
8 December 1955
Type
Eyecatcher
Address
Eyecatcher at Sp 4828 2603, Steeple Aston
OS grid reference
SP 482 260
Coordinates
51.93071, -1.29922
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The Eyecatcher, located in Steeple Aston, was built around 1740 by William Kent. It is constructed from naristone rubble with squared dressings and takes the form of a high wall. The top of the wall features three graduated arched openings and is adorned with eleven rubble pinnacles. The front of the structure includes shallow buttresses, while large raking buttresses are present at the rear. This Eyecatcher is positioned on the skyline of the main view from Ronsham Park and is a significant element of Kent's landscape design. It is recognized as one of the earliest examples of a sham ruin.

Local climate

Eyecatcher at Sp 4828 2603 sits in a drier-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 740 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 76% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 69% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 37 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 66% of listed buildings. Of these, 17 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

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