Mapledurham House
A late-Elizabethan riverside manor still lived in by the Blount family, with England's last working watermill on the Thames.
Elizabethan brick facade of Mapledurham House beside the Thames
What to expect at Mapledurham House
Just four miles upstream from Reading, Mapledurham House was built around 1585 for Sir Michael Blount, Lieutenant of the Tower of London, and has stayed in the same Catholic recusant family for over 400 years. The interior keeps its private-house feel — Elizabethan ceilings, a Tudor chapel added in 1789 once the Catholic Relief Act allowed it, and family portraits. The estate also holds the 15th-century watermill, still grinding flour, which starred in the 1976 film The Eagle Has Landed.
This is the closest true country house to central Reading and easily the most romantic Sunday afternoon outing in the area. In summer, the Thames Rivercruise from Caversham Promenade runs a return sailing that includes house admission — much nicer than driving. If you’re staying in Caversham or Reading Town Centre this is the day trip that best delivers on "honest local heritage", and it's cheaper and quieter than Windsor or Blenheim.
Questions about Mapledurham House
$16 adult for house and mill combined, $10 mill only, $8 house only. Children 5-14 half price, under-5s free.
No free entry. The village and church are free to walk through independently.
2-3 hours for house, mill, and grounds; add 90 minutes each way if arriving by river boat.
Closed weekdays year-round and entirely closed October to Easter. Only Sat, Sun and Bank Holiday afternoons in season.
Walk-ups are fine for the house. River-boat combined tickets should be booked through Thames Rivercruise at least 48 hours ahead.
Taxi from Reading Station is 15 minutes and around $22. Or take the summer boat from Caversham Promenade (30 min upstream).
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