The village sits on a spur on the NE bank of the River Evenlode, to which it descends. On the opposite bank it overlooks Cornbury Park.
Cornbury was bought by Edward HYDE, 1st Earl of Clarendon in 1661 and he carried out early landscaping of the park.
Henry HYDE, 2nd Earl of Clarendon inherited Cornbury from his father in 1674.
Following a period of financial difficulty the estate was sold to Laurence HYDE, Earl of Rochester in 1700.
Henry HYDE, 2nd Earl of Clarendon erected the current house at Swallowfield Park, Swallowfield, Berks. Whilst in residence at Cornbury, his the 2nd Earl's diaries mention several meetings with the JORDAN family of Witney, Oxon, both Thomas and his son John. The diaries also mention Ralph TRUMBULL, minister of Witney, Oxon, a member of the TRUMBULL family of Easthampsted, Berks, who were relatively near neighbours of the HYDE's Swallowfield estate.
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