The village of Horton-cum-Studley, on the edge of Otmoor, once straddled the border between two counties: Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. It began as two seperate hamlets, called Horton (which has always been in Oxfordshire) and Studley (which was split into two halves, with one being included in the Hundred of Ashendon, Buckinghamshire).

All of these parts were originally classified as being within the parish of nearby Beckley, but eventually, they were seperated and transferred to Oxfordshire under the Reform Act of 1832, and the subsequent Counties (Detached Parts) Act of 1844.

The two hamlets eventually merged, thereby becoming known as 'Horton-cum-Studley'. 'Horton' is derived from the Old English words 'horu' ('dirt') and 'tun' ('settlement'/'farmstead'); combined, it roughly translates to 'farm on muddy soil'. 'Studley' means 'pasture for horses'.

The oldest known record of Horton comes from the reign of King Aethelred the Unready, when he signed a charter between 1005 and 1011, mentioning the value of the land there. The Domesday Book (1086) does not mention either Horton or Studley, due to it being part of the manor of Beckley.

The manor of Beckley (including Horton-cum-Studley) was once held by a Saxon thegn (Lord) called Wigod of Wallingford. After the Norman Conquest, all of Wigod's lands were acquired by Robert D'Oyly.

Over the next few centuries, the manor changed hands several times, with some notable owners being the Earls of Cornwall, nobleman Hugh le Despenser, and 'The Black Prince' (Edward of Woodstock). Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the manor was claimed by the Crown, before being sold to Sir John Mildmay and Sir John Williams.

By 1919, Beckley and Horton were broken up into lots and sold by the then owner (Viscount Bertie, son of the 7th Earl of Abingdon).

In ancient times, another settlement was located close to the modern-day village; this settlement was known as 'Atunash' (meaning 'at the ash tree'), or simply as 'Ash'. It eventually disappeared.

Fragments of Roman tiles have been found on the hill near the old county border, as well as coins and other artifacts. A Roman lamp was also discovered near a property in the village called Gardener's Barn House.

The picture below is borrowed from 'A History of Horton-cum-Studley', and shows Blacksmith's Hill (now known as Horton Hill). I am unsure of the exact date.

A Benedictine Priory was established at Studley (one of the two hamlets which eventually merged, becoming Horton-cum-Studley) by 1176. It is located at 1 Horton Hill Road, Horton-cum-Studley.

The Priory remained in operation until 1539, after which the building and adjacent lands were sold to the Croke family; the Crokes built a manor house in the grounds, naming it Studley Priory. It remained in the possession of the Crokes for successive generations, up until 1870, when it was sold to another family - the Hendersons. They occupied the house until World War Two, when the building was used as a sanitarium for RAF officers.

In 1947, a couple called Raymond and Tessa Bawtree leased the property from the Hendersons, running it as a hotel for the next 14 years. During this time, C. S. Carroll was apparently a regular guest! In 1961, the Hendersons auctioned off their estate (including Studley Priory), and it was subsequently purchased by the Parke family. The Parkes also ran it as a hotel, up until 2004.

The house was used as a filming location in 'A Man For All Seasons' in 1966, when it featured as the exterior of Sir Thomas More's home.

There are two known burials on the site of the Priory - they are a father and son, both named William de Cantilupe! William the elder died in 1251, and during his lifetime he held the title of 2nd Feudal Baron of Eaton Bray (Bedfordshire). He was Anglo-Norman. His son, William the younger, inherited all of his titles and estates, but sadly also died in 1254. Prior to his death, he was the Lord of Abergavenny (a title which he acquired via his marriage to Eva de Braose - an heiress of a noble Welsh dynasty).

Studley Priory is now a private residence.

The picture below depicts the Priory circa 1640, and is borrowed from the Oxford Consultants website.