During the Victorian and early Edwardian periods, a number of Oxford University colleges – particularly St John’s – built substantial residences for dons.

These properties were mainly located between Woodstock Road and Banbury Road, in central north Oxford. They tended to be late 19th-century gothic in style, and built using red bricks or the yellow stock bricks typical of many period properties in the Oxford area.

The broad, leafy streets of central north Oxford also attracted wealthy merchants and tradesmen in the city, who built large houses near those of the dons. 

What to look for

The dons' houses, and merchants' houses from the same period, are popular because of their location within easy walking and cycling distance of the city centre and close to highly regarded prep schools, such as the Dragon School and Summerfields.

Another attraction are the spacious and numerous rooms, which are often located on three or four storeys. This provides purchasers with a flexible layout to suit their lifestyles, enabling them to create features such as a TV room, a home office or a mini gym.

Buyers' tips

As the colleges have begun to sell off their dons' houses, so they have become sought-after properties for affluent local families and for families moving to Oxford from London.

Sales are invariably quick, often without marketing, and are usually at or in excess of the guide price.