An English Country Home With Ties to the Mayflower Ship Lists for $15M

In the Buckinghamshire village that shares its name, the Old Jordans estate seems to have been waiting centuries for the right person to stumble upon its stories. Spread across six acres of landscaped gardens, complete with a long, tree-lined driveway and a natural swimming pond, the country retreat is surprisingly private for being just a 23-minute train ride from Central London.

The estate’s showstopper is undoubtedly the Grade II listed Mayflower Barn, said to have been built around 1624 from timbers salvaged from the Mayflower, the ship that carried the Pilgrim pioneers to North America in 1620. Family lore has it that Roger Jones, brother of the ship’s captain, Christopher Jones, used the returned vessel’s reclaimed timbers to construct the barn, giving the property a direct line to one of history’s most famous voyages. For Americans and Brits, the barn is a surviving architectural fragment, a tangible connection to a centuries-old story that ties England and the U.S. together.

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The Old Jordans estate is swaddled in layers upon layers of history. Originally part of the Russell family estate during the 16th century, it later came under the Quaker Trust, embedding a deep spiritual and social legacy. The village’s Meeting House, founded in 1688 and the resting place of writer and theologian William Penn, sits nearby, and during Oliver Cromwell’s rule the estate reportedly offered sanctuary to persecuted Quakers. The current owner took over after four centuries of Quaker stewardship, carefully restoring the property while introducing a raft of contemporary comforts.

The red brick main house combines 16th- and 18th-century architectural elements with modern open-plan interiors that make modern-day living feel effortless while still honoring its historic character. Nearby, a seven-bedroom secondary house for guests or staff is joined by a couple of guest cottages with two-bedroom apartments and the Refectory Barn, which together form a charming cluster of buildings where historic preservation meets subtle, English Heritage–approved contemporary updates.

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Though interior spaces are decidedly sleek, the past is never far from the present. Ten bedrooms, generous reception spaces, and gardens that spill onto the rolling Buckinghamshire countryside make Old Jordans flexible enough for both intimate family gatherings and large events.

And yet, it’s the Mayflower Barn, quietly tucked among the other buildings, that gives the estate its singular personality. “For any lovers of history, especially those with American connections, Old Jordans is truly one of a kind,” says James Crawford, head of super prime in Knight Frank’s country department.

Click here to see more photos of the Buckinghamshire home.