Nuffield Place, Oxfordshire

National Trust
The former home of motor car manufacturer William Morris (Lord Nuffield) came under NT management recently and was first opened by them in April 2012. During his lifetime, Morris was famous for the amount of money he gave away: about £30 million (far more in today’s values.) The house is presented much as Morris left it, with his furniture and fittings. It was originally built in 1914 for a shipping magnate. Morris bought it in 1933 and had it furnished to reflect the tastes of the 1930’s. The gardens were laid out just after WWI. Lord and Lady Nuffield were both keen gardeners.
The house is in a rural setting, with paddocks and outbuildings, and with well-kept gardens around the house. By millionaire standards, it is not particularly lavish. (See, for instance, Eltham Palace, built in the same era.) The downstairs rooms are comfortably furnished with period reproduction furniture and a collection of china and other items. Also on show are a radiogram and two early TV sets which no doubt were all top of the range in their day.
Upstairs, the principal and guest bedrooms are mostly set out as they were in Lord Nuffield’s day. His wardrobe containing a set of tools and other curios is popular with visitors!
Nuffield Place is well worth a visit. Part of the interest lies in finding out about Lord Nuffield and his car company. A visit here can be paired with an afternoon visit to nearby Grays Court (NT).