May 16, 2021 Fig 1: Bampton Castle, now called Ham Court, from the south-west, seen across the waters of the moat. The gatehouse and the short section of wall are all that survive of the medieval stone defences. Credit: Paul Highnam / Country Life
Bampton Castle was an ambitious castle in the Cotswolds area that languished in obscurity after it was left unfinished in the early 14th century though several hundred years later it became Ham Court, Oxfordshire, and is now the home of Matthew Rice. Edward Impey investigates the remarkable story of this building and its recent revival; photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.