Boarstall Tower

About the museum

Boarstall Tower is a moated gatehouse of the early 14th century, built in 1312 to fortify the manor house of Boarstall in Buckinghamshire. A local legend says that the name comes from a boar that terrorised the nearby Bernwood Forest and was killed by a man who was rewarded with the land. The gatehouse was unusually large and grand for its time, and records of 1265 show that the owner of the manor was the ceremonial keeper of the forest.

During the English Civil War the manor was a garrison and changed hands several times. After the fall of nearby Brill in 1643 it was held by Parliamentary troops who raided Royalist Oxford, then Royalist forces took it back, and it was attacked again in 1645. In 1646 it surrendered to Sir Thomas Fairfax after a siege of 18 hours. The manor house itself was demolished in 1778, but the gatehouse survived almost unchanged.

The tower was given to the National Trust by the philanthropist Ernest Cook, founder of the Ernest Cook Trust. It stands in its own gardens, and visitors climb a spiral staircase inside it. Tours used to be offered on weekday afternoons, and today the tower opens only on a small number of special days each year.

Highlights

• Moated gatehouse built in 1312
• Spiral staircase inside the tower
• Gardens around the tower
• Guided tours on opening days
• Links to the English Civil War

Permanent exhibition

• The moated gatehouse – A 14th-century gatehouse that once guarded a fortified manor, which visitors can explore on tours when the tower is open.

Operated by

National Trust

Admission & discounts

The tower is closed throughout the year except for occasional special opening days; no admission prices have been published.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Access into the tower is by a large spiral staircase, and the tower is not suitable for wheelchairs, pushchairs or visitors with limited mobility. An accessible temporary toilet is in the car park, without a baby-change facility. Only assistance dogs are allowed in the tower.

Kids & families

• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Baby changing facilities: not available

The tower is not suitable for pushchairs, and there is no baby-change facility.

Getting there & parking

A black and white National Trust sign stands outside the entrance. Use the postcode HP18 9UX for a satnav. The village lies near Bicester.

Amenities & dining

A temporary toilet stands in the car park.

Events & venue rental

The tower is closed throughout the year except for occasional special opening days; no admission prices have been published.

Plan your visit