Greys Court

Greys Court, in the Chiltern hills west of Henley-on-Thames, has over 900 years of history on one site. Sir John de Grey established the estate in 1346, and his Great Tower survives alongside a rare Tudor donkey wheel that raised well water until the early 20th century. The 16th-century house was home to the Brunner family until recent years and is shown much as they left it, with the family furniture, a well-stocked kitchen, ornate ceilings and stained glass, and a volunteer in nearly every room to tell the stories. The walled gardens form a patchwork among the medieval ruins, with wisteria, roses, spring bulbs and the Archbishop's Maze, a grass maze in the pattern of a cross laid out in 1981 to mark Robert Runcie's enthronement. Two waymarked estate walks and a play area behind the Cowshed tea-room suit families, and dogs on leads are welcome. Tips from regulars: parking is free, with EV chargers if you bring your own cable, and May is the month for the wisteria.