Greys Court

About the museum

Greys Court stands in the Chiltern Hills at Rotherfield Greys near Henley-on-Thames. In the Domesday Book the manor was held by the Norman knight Anchetil de Greye, ancestor of the Grey family. John de Grey, one of the founder Knights of the Garter, received a licence to fortify his house in 1346 and added a castle around 1347. Its fortified tower is the only part of the medieval castle that survives.

The estate passed to the Crown in 1485 and was granted in 1514 to Robert Knollys, whose family held it until 1642. The present Tudor-style house and its outbuildings were built during that time. Sir William Paul bought it in 1686, and in 1724 it passed to the Stapleton family. From 1935 to 1937 the house was occupied by Evelyn Fleming, the mother of the author Ian Fleming.

In 1937 Sir Felix Brunner and his wife Lady Brunner bought the house. The family gave it to the National Trust in 1969, and Lady Brunner lived there until her death in 2003. The house is still furnished as a family home and has some fine 18th-century plasterwork. The gardens are made up of several walled areas with old-fashioned roses, wisteria, an ornamental vegetable garden, an ice house and a maze laid out in grass with brick paths, and there is also a Tudor wheelhouse. The house is Grade I listed.

Highlights

• Tudor-style house furnished as a family home, with 18th-century plasterwork
• Medieval fortified tower from around 1347
• Walled gardens with roses, wisteria and an ornamental vegetable garden
• Maze laid out in grass with brick paths, dedicated in 1981
• Tudor wheelhouse and ice house

Permanent exhibitions

• The house – A Tudor-style courtyard house furnished as a family home, with fine 18th-century plasterwork in some rooms.
• The garden – Walled gardens beside the medieval tower, with old roses, wisteria, an ornamental vegetable garden, an ice house and a grass maze.

Founded

1348

Operated by

National Trust

Admission & discounts

Prices are shown without Gift Aid; paying with Gift Aid adds about 10% (adult 20.90, child 10.50, family 52.30). National Trust members are admitted free, and car parking is included in membership or the daily admission fee.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The grounds are partly accessible, and it is about 250 yards from the car park to the garden and house. Stairs lead to the second floor of the house, and stair-climber machines allow wheelchair users to reach the upper floors; they must be booked on 01491 628529 with 7 days' notice. A buggy runs most days from visitor reception to the house. There is blue badge parking, an accessible toilet, a drop-off point, an induction loop, seating and a level accessible route. Only assistance dogs are allowed in the house and walled gardens.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Playground / play area

An adventure playground is behind the tea-room, and the National Trust offers family activities in the school holidays.

Getting there & parking

The house is west of Henley-on-Thames. From the Nettlebed mini-roundabout on the A4130 take the B481 and follow the signs on the left after about 3 miles; there is also a direct route from Henley town centre, following signs to Badgemore Golf Club towards Peppard. Satnav postcode RG9 4PG. Bicycles can be locked up next to visitor reception, and the property is on the Oxfordshire cycleway.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

There is a tea-room, a shop with a bookshop and a plant shop outside the main shop. Picnic benches are between the car park and visitor reception.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit