Traphouse At Bloxham Grove Farm

Traphouse at Bloxham Grove Farm

A two-bay traphouse with granary over, dated 1826 and built in coursed marlstone with a corrugated asbestos roof. The building stands immediately outside the main west entrance to the courtyard of Bloxham Grove Farm, positioned on its south side.

The traphouse is distinguished by a tall, elliptically-arched entrance on its south side, opening to a small yard, with a carved datestone of 1826 set above it. The original double doors are missing. A tall, narrow door on the left side has been half blocked to form a window. The floor is laid in brick, and a partially exposed approach of set-like cobbles leads northwards from the building. The granary is accessed by stairs on the north side and is lit by small two-light casements in both gables.

Inside the traphouse, wooden pegs for harnesses are fixed to both the left and right walls. The rear wall contains a hearth served by a wall flue, though the grate is missing. A heavy central cross beam supports the first floor. The granary interior formerly contained bins, most or all of which have been removed. The roof is a bolted king-post variant.

The traphouse was built in 1826 by George Warriner (II) as part of a programme of rebuilding and new construction at Bloxham Grove Farm. Warriner was an improving farmer whose agricultural innovations were noted by Arthur Young in his 1813 report on Oxfordshire farming. In 1826, Warriner turned his attention to upgrading the farm complex, introducing new machinery and modernising its buildings. The Warriner family farmed here until the late 19th century and owned the property until 1916. Thereafter, minimal investment in the courtyard buildings ensured their preservation.

The Victoria County History suggests Bloxham Grove may occupy the site of a lodge conveyed in 1528 with a warren by Edward Fiennes to James Merynge. About 1797, the separate Old and New farms here were purchased and united by George Warriner (I), coinciding with the enclosure of the parish's open fields between 1794 and 1802.