Stonor Park

About the museum

Stonor lies in a wooded valley in the Chiltern Hills and has been the home of the Stonor family for more than 850 years, making it one of the oldest family houses still lived in. Behind its warm red-brick and Georgian front it is a group of much older buildings. The area that now holds the Pantry café dates from the late 12th century, the chapel was added about a hundred years later, and the house took its E-shape around 1540.

The fortunes of the house are closely tied to the history of English Catholics. After Henry VIII broke with Rome the Stonors kept their faith and paid heavily in fines, and by 1650 they had sold all their estates except the Stonor Valley. In 1581 the Jesuit priest Edmund Campion found refuge here and secretly printed his pamphlet Ten Reasons in the roof space; the rooms he used can still be seen, with an exhibition about his life and death. The Chapel of the Holy Trinity stands on the site of a prehistoric stone circle and is still used for Catholic Mass and weddings. Its Stations of the Cross, a gift from the writer Graham Greene, were carved by the Polish prisoner of war Jozef Janas.

The house contains family portraits from the 16th to the 20th century, furniture, the collection of Old Master drawings and other art gathered by Francis Stonor, and stained glass. The grounds include walled Italianate gardens, a woodland arboretum and a deer park. Today the house is home to Lord and Lady Camoys and their family, and the estate also runs the Tumblestone Hollow adventure playground.

Highlights

• Medieval and Georgian house still lived in by the Stonor family
• Chapel of the Holy Trinity, built on a prehistoric stone circle
• Priest hole and printing rooms linked to St Edmund Campion
• Family portraits, Old Master drawings and fine stained glass
• Italianate gardens and a park with fallow deer
• Tumblestone Hollow adventure playground

Permanent exhibitions

• Stonor House and Chapel – Rooms of the lived-in house with family portraits, furniture, art and stained glass, including the Gothic revival hall, the 17th-century library and the long gallery, plus the medieval chapel.
• St Edmund Campion – The roof-space rooms where Campion printed his pamphlet in 1581, shown with an exhibition on his life and death.

Operated by

Stonor family (Lord and Lady Camoys)

Admission & discounts

Prices shown are for tickets booked online in advance; tickets bought on the day cost about 2 pounds more (house, chapel and gardens: adult 15 pounds, child 8 pounds). Members of Historic Houses enter free, but this does not include Tumblestone Hollow. Holders of the Art Fund National Art Pass pay 5.25 pounds for an adult house ticket, and there are 2-for-1 offers for BBC Gardeners' World card holders and members of CPRE and the Chilterns Society. Offers do not apply on special event days or to group bookings.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The house is a group of medieval buildings behind a Georgian front, and even the ground floor is not on one level, so the museum says it is not suitable for wheelchairs; the first floor is reached by stairs. Chairs are placed at intervals for resting. Tumblestone Hollow is on uneven ground on a hillside, and some areas may be reachable by wheelchair only with difficult manoeuvring; there are no wheelchairs or scooters for hire. The visitor centre has accessible toilet facilities. Harnessed guide and assistance dogs are welcome; other dogs are not allowed in the house, gardens or playground.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area
• Kids’ birthday parties

Tumblestone Hollow is a 10-acre adventure playground for children up to about 12, though suitable for all ages, and families often spend most of the day there. Holiday events such as Halloween are held, and pizza birthday parties with a private party tent can be booked. The visitor centre has baby changing facilities.

Getting there & parking

Stonor is on the B480 Henley-on-Thames to Watlington road between the M4 (junctions 8/9) and the M40 (junction 6), about a 10-minute drive from Henley. Drivers on the M40 from the east should leave at junction 6 only. The what3words location is originals.changes.curated. The Henley Loop cycle route passes the front gates.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The Pantry café is in one of the oldest parts of the house, and The Chilterns Pit Stop Cafe is at the visitor centre. Wood-fired pizzas, ice cream and milkshakes are sold from the Rumble and Jumble huts on many days. A gift shop sells souvenirs and gardening items. Visitors may picnic in the picnic areas but not in the cafes. Cards are accepted except American Express, and there is no cash machine on site.

Events & venue rental

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

The estate offers weddings, special occasions, corporate events, filming and sporting events.

Plan your visit