Youlbury House

Youlbury House
Youlbury House, a modernist residence near Boars Hill
TypeResidential house
LocationNear Boars Hill, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom
Coordinates51°43′29″N 1°18′21″W / 51.7246016°N 1.3058583°W / 51.7246016; -1.3058583
OS grid referenceSU480031
Area9.6 acres
Built1969–1971
ArchitectHal Moggridge
Architectural styleModernist
Governing bodyPrivate
OwnerPrivate
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameYoulbury House
DesignatedJuly 2009
Reference no.1393396
Location of Youlbury House in Oxfordshire

Youlbury House is a Grade II listed modernist residence located in Youlbury Woods, near the Youlbury Scout Activity Centre and the hamlet of Boars Hill in Oxfordshire, England. The house was designed by landscape architect Hal Moggridge and built between 1969 and 1971 for Lord Goodhart, a prominent barrister and Liberal Democrat peer. It is considered a rare example of domestic modernist architecture in rural Oxfordshire, incorporating minimalist design principles, natural materials, and a strong visual relationship with the surrounding woodland.

The site previously housed a substantial Victorian country estate created by archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, known for his excavation of the Minoan palace at Knossos. The original house, built in 1893, was demolished mid-20th century, but many elements of Evans’s garden layout survive, including stone staircases, the ornamental lake, woodland paths, and garden structures. Several original features—such as water tanks and sculptures—remain integrated into the landscape.