‘Mr Ffrere hath destroyed a wholle towne Called Water Eaton.’
– Bartholomew Steer, 1596
– Bartholomew Steer, 1596
These images were made on the estate at Water Eaton, a remote, misty place even today. In 1596 Water Eaton was owned by the Frere family, a dynasty of wealthy Oxford merchants. Traces of the original village have almost vanished. Water Eaton Manor was built for Sir Edward Frere in 1586 but the building has been reduced and altered since that time. In 1646, the Articles of Surrender for the siege of Oxford were negotiated here.