Greys Court
A Tudor house wrapped inside a medieval fortified manor, with walled gardens and the last surviving donkey wheel in England.
Medieval tower and Tudor house of Greys Court in the Chilterns
What to expect at Greys Court
Three miles west of Henley in the Chiltern Hills, Greys Court is a rare survival — a 16th-century family home built inside the ruins of a 14th-century fortified manor, with two medieval towers and a curtain wall still standing. The house is intimate and lived-in, filled with objects collected by the Brunner family who gave it to the National Trust in 1969. The walled gardens include an ancient wisteria, a rose garden, a kitchen garden, and the donkey wheel — a wooden treadmill once turned by donkeys to draw water from a 200-foot well.
For anyone staying in Henley, Sonning, or Caversham this is the closest and best country-house day out. The drive from Reading is 25 minutes via Caversham and Sonning Common. Trains go to Henley-on-Thames (30 min from Reading with a change at Twyford) and a taxi from there is $12. NT members get in free; non-members should combine with lunch in Henley for a very civilised half-day. The gardens are exceptional in May for the wisteria.
Questions about Greys Court
$16 adult, $8 child, $40 family. Free for NT members. Grounds-only $10.
First weekend of March is free as part of NT opening weekend. Otherwise NT membership is the route to free entry.
3 hours: 45 min in the house, 90 min in the gardens, and 30 min for the medieval towers and donkey wheel.
Closed Monday and Tuesday year-round (except Bank Holidays), and 24-26 December.
Free timed-entry tickets are advisable in high summer, bookable via the National Trust website. Otherwise walk up.
Henley-on-Thames — 30 min by train with a change at Twyford. Taxi from Henley Station is 10 minutes and around $12.
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