Boris Johnson ‘agrees to buy’ £4m nine-bed Georgian manor house (with moat)

theguardian.com:

Boris Johnson is understood to have agreed to buy £4m nine-bedroom Grade II-listed Georgian manor house in Oxfordshire.

The former prime minister and his wife Carrie have in recent weeks viewed Brightwell Manor, in the picturesque village of Brightwell-cum-Sotwell near Wallingford. The Guardian has been told they have now made an offer which has been accepted.

The house, which features its own moat, was listed for sale for “offers in excess of £4m”. It is not known how much Johnson has offered to pay for the house, which is now shown as “sold subject to contract”.

A spokesperson for Johnson said: “We never comment on matters such as living arrangements.”

The nine-bedroom, five-bathroom house dates back to the early 1600s and is set in almost five acres of grounds. Three sides of the grounds are bounded by a moat that never runs dry as it is fed by its own natural spring.

The move would add to speculation that Johnson is considering running for election in Oxfordshire rather than his existing seat of Uxbridge, a marginal in west London with a majority of 7,200.

Brightwell-cum-Sotwell is in the constituency of Wantage held by the Conservative MP David Johnston, with a majority of more than 12,000. It is also very close to Johnson’s previous constituency of Henley, for which he served as MP between 2001 and 2008.

The property, which includes a separate “guest cottage”, is described by the estate agent as “tucked away in a fabulous and private edge of village location, at the end of a gravelled drive and nestled next to the village church”.

“The house is awash with period features reflecting both its Tudor and Georgian origins, including high ceilings, large sash windows with shutters, wood panelling, ornate cornicing, open