Introduction:
In the tranquil market town of Thame, Oxfordshire, sits one of England’s most fascinating historic homes — The Prebendal House, a thousand-year-old property that once served as a seat of power and faith, and later became the beloved residence of the late Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees.
For Robin, who spent much of his life under stage lights and global fame, the discovery of this ancient home represented something profoundly different: a return to history, quiet, and permanence.
Discovering a Place Steeped in Time
“I was living in Barnes at the time,” Robin once recalled in an interview, referring to the leafy suburb of London where he and his wife, Dwina, were raising their son, RJ. “Our cottage there was from the 16th century, but it just wasn’t big enough. We were expanding as a family, and we needed more space.”
Browsing through Country Life magazine — the long-revered publication for English country estates — the Gibbs came across a listing for an extraordinary property in Oxfordshire. “We decided to come out one day and have a look,” Robin said. “When we arrived, we thought the front gatehouse was the house itself — but it was only the lodge. Then we saw the main house beyond it — and it was simply magnificent.”
A Thousand Years of English History
What the Gibbs discovered was no ordinary country home. The Prebendal House dates back to the 11th century, with parts of it constructed even before the Norman Conquest. Its walls carry the whispers of medieval England — stories of monarchs, bishops, and saints.
“This place is about a thousand years old,” Robin explained. “It’s where Joan of Arc was sentenced to die in the 1300s, by four sitting bishops, in what’s known as the Star Chamber at the front of the house. That’s where the sentence was passed before she was sent to France to be burned.”
During the Reformation under Henry VII, the estate was closed as a Catholic prebendal — a kind of religious residence tied to the church — and it later became a working farm serving the surrounding counties. For centuries, it was a hub of local administration, issuing records of marriages, burials, and even penalties for crimes, all of which were once handled by the church rather than the state.
Robin, ever the history enthusiast, delighted in these details. “This place stood through the power struggles between Henry II and Thomas Becket,” he noted. “After Becket’s assassination, the church lost much of its influence in England, and that’s when the state began to rise in importance. This house lived through that change.”
Restoration with Respect
When Robin and Dwina moved in, they were determined to restore the property with complete respect for its heritage. The Prebendal is a Grade II listed building*, meaning its structure is legally protected due to its historical importance.
“In England, when a property is ‘listed,’ it means you can’t alter certain things,” Robin explained. “Grade One means you can’t change anything at all — not even the inside. Ours was Grade Two-star, which meant we could carefully restore some interior parts, but the outside had to remain exactly as it was.”
To achieve this, the Gibbs hired Steuart Interiors, a firm renowned for its restoration work at Windsor Castle. The result was a stunning revival — a home that looked as if it had stepped straight out of the 1500s, complete with ancient beams, stone fireplaces, and hand-crafted details faithful to Tudor design.
The Gardens and the Spirit of the Place
Beyond the house, Robin found deep joy in the surrounding gardens. “That covered wagon over there,” he once said fondly, “is a gypsy wagon from 1904 — more than a hundred years old. Dwina loves these things. It’s getting a bit weathered now, but it adds atmosphere to the garden.”
The property includes a rose garden, a vegetable garden framed by centuries-old oak trees, and a stable block that hints at its agricultural past. But perhaps the most charming part of the estate is what Robin affectionately called the ‘Alice in Wonderland Garden’ — a whimsical, secluded corner filled with lush greenery, a cascading water feature, and views that stretch down to the River Thames.
“It’s quite a magical area,” he said, smiling during his filmed tour. “A place where I spend a lot of time reading or thinking. It’s been one of my favorite parts of the garden for about fifteen years. There’s something very peaceful here — almost otherworldly.”
A Home of Stories and Solitude
In the 1920s, parts of The Prebendal were still separate — small cottages and outbuildings that were later connected to form a single grand residence. “When I first moved in,” Robin remembered, “someone once walked right up to the window and asked, ‘Is this Liran Village?’ It felt like living in a little hamlet all of its own.”
Despite its grandeur, Robin’s relationship with The Prebendal was not about opulence. It was about sanctuary — a retreat from the world where he could write, reflect, and find stillness. The Bee Gee who once sang about “Tragedy” and “Massachusetts” found comfort in tending to roses, walking the grounds, and listening to the quiet hum of the countryside.
Legacy and Farewell
Robin Gibb cherished The Prebendal House until his passing in 2012. Today, the estate stands as a testament to his passion for history, architecture, and beauty — a bridge between centuries of English heritage and the life of one of pop music’s greatest voices.
As he once said at the end of a guided walk through his gardens:
“This is quite a magical place, really. I hope you’ve enjoyed the walk through my grounds. This is the end of the journey — but it’s been wonderful sharing it with you. See you next year.”
His words now feel like a gentle goodbye — not just to a tour, but to a life deeply lived, in a house that continues to breathe the history he loved so much.