The Manor, Hemingford Grey
Medieval manor house and moated garden at Hemingford Grey, home of the author Lucy Boston and her patchwork quilts, visited by tour.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Manor at Hemingford Grey is a stone house thought to have been built around 1130, and it is claimed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited houses in Britain. Over the centuries it passed through several noble and gentry families, including the de Grey family, and later the Gunning sisters, famous for their beauty, were born here in the eighteenth century. A later extension was destroyed by fire in 1798.
In 1939 the author Lucy Boston bought the house and restored it as closely as she could to its medieval form. She renamed it Green Knowe and used it as the setting for her series of children's books, one of which won the Carnegie Medal in 1961. During the Second World War she held gramophone recitals for airmen from nearby airfields in the old music room.
Lucy Boston also created the garden, which is surrounded by a moat and has clipped topiary, old roses, irises and herbaceous borders. She became known for her patchwork, and her quilts are still displayed in the house where they were made. The house remains a private home, which her family opens to visitors.
Highlights
- Medieval house, among the oldest continuously inhabited in Britain
- Lucy Boston's patchwork quilts, shown where they were made
- Music Room with metre-thick stone walls and a 1929 gramophone
- Moated garden with topiary, old roses and irises
- Setting of the Green Knowe children's books
Permanent exhibition
- Lucy Boston patchworks – Quilts designed and sewn by Lucy Boston, including the Patchwork of the Crosses, displayed in the house where they were made.
- Founded
- 1130
- Operated by
- Boston family (private home)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £14 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | £5House tour price for children; children enter the garden free. |
| Garden only, adult | £6Children are free. |
| Garden annual membership, unlimited visits | £18Per person. |
The house price includes the guided tour and entry to the garden. Payment for the house is taken at the end of the tour; garden entry is paid in cash or by card using a QR code on site.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
A few parking spaces at the house are kept for visitors with walking difficulties. The museum does not publish further information on step-free access, so visitors with access needs should ask when booking. Dogs on leads are welcome in the garden.
Kids & families
The house is the setting of the Green Knowe children's books. Children pay a lower house price and enter the garden free.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
St Ives bus station (Station Road)
Take the train to Huntingdon (King's Cross to Peterborough line) and continue by bus or taxi. The guided busway between Huntingdon and Cambridge stops at St Ives, from where it is a short taxi ride or a walk of about 2 miles. There are no local buses to Hemingford Grey.
By car
Parking available
Visitors park in the village; a few spaces at the house are for visitors with walking difficulties or those who cannot find space in the village.
- Accessible parking
Hemingford Grey is about 4 miles south-east of Huntingdon, just off the A14.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
Books by Lucy Boston, DVDs and publications on the history of the Manor and its crafts are sold. Afternoon teas can sometimes be served in the garden if arranged in advance; the village has pubs nearby.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The house can only be seen on a guided tour, which must be arranged by email or phone before the visit; most of Lucy Boston's patchworks are shown on the tour. Readers of the Green Knowe books can look out for a small carved wooden mouse in the house. |
