Nestling in woodlands on Boar’s Hill overlooking Oxford’s famous ‘dreamy spires’, Chilswell House was built in 1907 for the Poet Laureate Robert Bridges, his wife Monica – an accomplished pianist and composer – and their three children.

The house and its beautifully landscaped 17 acres played host to some of the most renowned literary and intellectual figures of its day – including W.B. Yeats, Ezra Pound, and George Santayana.

A separate barn-style structure alongside the main house was home to Robert Bridges extensive library of rare books and his manuscript collection.

In the late 1920s the house was severely damaged by fire and and was substantially rebuilt.

After Robert Bridges’ death the property passed through several ownerships, and its architectural composition suffering further when a third floor was added in the 1960s.

The property eventually came into the hands of the Discalced Carmelite Order in 1958, who have been running the site as a popular centre for residential and day retreats, lectures, seminars and presentations. 

The library building is currently the priory’s chapel, and several standalone structures have been added over the years providing accommodation, dining and educational facilities. Another small outbuilding serves as the priory’s book and gift shop and is also home to the friars’ Teresian Press publishing house. However, most of these buildings are tired and need upgrading.

The priory is renowned as an oasis of peace and stillness, offering peaceful and green spaces that are an ideal place for quiet prayer, meditation and walks. In recent years the retreat centre has been welcoming a rapidly increasing number of residents and visitors, and the range of spiritual services the friars have been asked to provide have also expanded significantly. 

As much as possible has been done to ensure that the high standard of the priory and its buildings and facilities are maintained, but it has become clear that a point has now been reached where a more fundamental re-ordering of the site and its structures is needed if the friars are to be able to continue their mission into the future …

Renewal of the tired buildings on site is long overdue.  The buildings are disparate and don’t do justice to the idyllic woodland surroundings in terms of their aesthetic appeal.  The timber annex building, constructed 60 years ago, needs replacing to provide en-suite guest accommodation more suited to present post-pandemic expectations.

As well as replacing the bedrooms and meeting rooms in the annex building, the project includes internal refurbishment of Chilswell House itself, the internal reordering of the chapel, and new kitchens, refectory and library.

The proposals will allow buildings to relate more efficiently and harmoniously to each other and will also make the site more environmentally sustainable.  The treatment of the landscape and the way in which the buildings nestle into it is important, and a significant part of the project will include sensitive hard and soft landscaping designs for formal and informal gardens and open spaces.

The Priory is a place of retreat, contemplation, teaching and prayer.  The buildings and site are in need of upgrading to improve their environmental performance and the quality of accommodation afforded to the friars and retreatants and to safeguard its future.

What are the problems…?

The current layout of the site and the relationship of the buildings create several challenges for the friars and their guests.  The shortcomings are summarised as follows:

i. Site aesthetics:

The buildings on the site have been developed and added piecemeal over the years with no coherent masterplan strategy, the consequence is a collection of disparate buildings that are not connected and have no consistency of architectural styling; the main house has lost some of its original architectural charm but could be improved upon with some sensitive adaptation.

ii. Connection between buildings & landscape

The landscape setting is delightful but the buildings do not engage very well with the gardens, woodland and views beyond

iii. Making more of the landscape

The woodland setting deserves to be celebrated and much more could and should be made of the gardens and open space following a coherent landscape design including formal and informal garden and landscaped areas to release the potential of the site

iv. Quality of accommodation

The accommodation in each building has grown tired and, in many places, unfit for purpose to meet expectations of 21st century friars and guests.  Guest bedrooms are too small and have shared washroom facilities which were appropriate when they were built in the 1960s and 1980s but not suited to the needs of guests 60 years on

v.  Environmental concerns

Any proposals to make changes to the site and buildings must take into account the need for improved building performance to reduce energy usage and improve the efficiency of the building in every respect.  The current buildings are inefficient in energy use and heat retention and in need of significant upgrade and improvement

vi. Building condition

The need to overhaul and upgrade some of the aging accommodation on the site. Whilst well-maintained, some of the buildings are near the end of their life and the ongoing maintenance burden needs to be addressed as part of any site-wide strategy

vii.  Continuation of the Carmelite tradition

For over 60 years Chiswell House has been enjoyed by friars and retreatants for contemplation, prayer, Christian worship and teaching on the Carmelite tradition; it is an oasis of tranquillity and, like any organisation it is essential that adaptation is made to the buildings to ensure this valuable work and legacy can continue.  It is incumbent on the present Prior to steward the site well to be able to hand it on to future generations.

Look forward to hearing from you,

GOD BLESS