Headington Hill Hall was first built in 1817 by James Morrell senior. It was then extended to his son in the 1850s. In 1959 Robert Maxwell rented the house which then became known as 'Maxwell House'. He also used the house to run his publishing business from. However in 1991 Maxwell died in mysterious circumstances and it was then that the estate was handed over to Oxford Brookes University on the condition that the grounds would never have buildings built upon them.