Mapledurham House

About the museum

Mapledurham is recorded in the Domesday Book as two manors, and from 1490 it belonged to the Blount family, who built the present house. Sir Michael Blount raised a loan in 1588 to build a grander house that would match his position as Lieutenant of the Tower of London, and his son Sir Richard completed it in 1612. Roundhead troops besieged and sacked the house in 1643, during the Civil War.

The Blounts were Catholics and paid heavy extra taxes as a result, and the house contains hiding places for priests. In the early 18th century the poet Alexander Pope was a frequent visitor while he courted the two Blount daughters, and he later left Martha Blount a large part of his property, some of which is still in the house. In the 19th century the estate passed through the family by inheritance, and after 1943 it went to the Eyston family, whose descendant Thomas Eyston owns it now.

The house is part of a working estate on the Thames with a traditional watermill, a hydro-electric turbine, farmland and a country events park. The tour of the house includes the Jacobean hall, the Strawberry Hill style chapel, the priest holes, historical paintings and the watermill, which appeared in the film The Eagle Has Landed. Two magnolia trees in the grounds are said to be the oldest pair in England.

Highlights

• Elizabethan and Jacobean house completed in 1612
• Priest holes and Jacobean hall
• Strawberry Hill style chapel
• Historic watermill used as a film location
• Riverside grounds with veteran magnolia trees

Permanent exhibition

• The house, grounds and watermill – A guided tour through the historic house with its paintings, priest holes, Jacobean hall and chapel, followed by the grounds and the watermill.

Operated by

Mapledurham Estate

Admission & discounts

The tour ticket costs £31.50 and includes scones, cake, tea and coffee.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

Mapledurham is 4 miles north-west of Reading, signed from the A4074 between Caversham and Oxford. Satellite navigation often sends drivers to Tilehurst on the far side of the river or by The Warren, which is closed to traffic. Leave the M4 at junction 11, turn off the A4074 opposite the Pack Saddle pub and follow the lane through the village to the end of the road.

Amenities & dining

Scones, cake, tea and coffee are included in the tour ticket.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 200 guests.

Weddings and events take place in the Tipis at Mapledurham venue for 75 to 200 guests, and the country park, lawns, dining room, watermill and Old Manor can also be hired.

Plan your visit