National Trust - Greys Court — Attraction in South Oxfordshire

Situated near to Henley on Thames, Greys Court is a house that has many influences from medieval through Tudor,Georgian, Victorian right up to the 20th Century. A number of noted people have resided there over many hundreds of years and have added their own personal touches to the house and wider estate. The Brunner family were the last owners who purchased the house in 1937. They opened the house to the public in the 1950's and in 1969 gave the house,gardens and estate to the National Trust. Lady Brunner resided in the house until she passed away in 2003 one month short of her 99th birthday. It was the Brunners' wish that the house was kept as a family home with everything as they left it. There are rooms open both upstairs and downstairs and walking within the house it's easy to imagine how they lived with many personal items,photos and art works. You can see the influences of the various ages, a huge fireplace in the master bedroom has both Tudor and Georgian parts. Outside there is an ancient tower and remains of crenellations which are now a series of lovely walled gardens. The wider estate has some lovely walks through woodlands and fields,very peaceful. You can see and hear birds including Red Kites. At the moment there are lovely displays of spring flowers to see. There are areas to picnic on the grassed areas near the house. If you haven't brought a picnic there is a tea room located in what was once the cow shed for Lady Brunners' herd of Jersey cows. There are toilets on site and a National Trust shop. Parking is approximately 200 yards from the house and is free for all visitors. There is an electric buggy that transports those with mobility problems to the house, you may have to book this service. Entry to Greys Court is free to National Trust members. Membership for an adult is around...

Lovely old house and walled gardens, with lots of walks in the nearby countryside.

Parking is limited on hardpack up a hill (with overflow on a nearby field) and I did not see any disabled parking in evidence. Access to the house itself is up some stairs and there is no disabled access inside if you wish to view the bedrooms.

The rooms are lovingly laid out and preserved but not much to interest anyone under 50. There is a gift shop and plant nursery next to the cafe and toilet block; the toilets were a bit smelly, but otherwise clean with plenty of soap and airdryers. There is a baby changing facility and disabled toilet (accessible with a Radar Key or if you ask the staff).

The cafe, which serves hot and cold overpriced food is roasting, so sitting outside is a must. Charging £1.95 for a 300ml can of pop is a bit of a cheek tbh but at least the water was free (too much plastic though). I had a slice of Victoria sponge which had started to harden by the time I got served (and which could have done with another egg in the batter imho).

The gardens are lovely and well laid out (there was a sculpture exhibition this week which made it more interesting if you're not au fait with your flora), but again with limited disabled access as much of the paths are shingle.

There are regular talks given by the gardeners, if you like that sort of thing, and the volunteers in the House are very knowledgeable and ready to answer questions. There is also a restorer in the upstairs library who will talk you through the process of what they are doing and answer questions.

The staff were very friendly, but do not like you carrying a backpack, unless it's in your hand or on your front. You are allowed to take photos inside the...

Occasionally when visiting a NT site you will be met with rude and unfriendly staff. This was one of those occasions. My visit was ruined almost immediately. Upon arriving and handing my NT membership card to be scanned, the lady did not offer a hello or welcome. I asked if the house was still open. I had arrived before 3:30 when it was due to shut but she informed me it was now closed. However, when I walked to house it was still open. I mentioned to the volunteer in the house that I’d been told the house was closed for the day. A rather awkward silence before I was asked if I still wanted to have a wander around. Unfortunately I wasn’t given an introduction like my fellow visitors before and after me received. They had been told about the layout and number of rooms in house. I’d been polite so was disappointed about the cold reception from both volunteers. The house was nice but by this stage I was upset at the way I was treated. I had been to two other National Trust properties earlier in the day and received a warm and friendly welcome. These volunteers shouldn’t be in this place if they don’t want to be friendly towards the visiting public.

Another negative was the complete lack of information about the property’s history and occupants. Fortunately though, a very enthusiastic and friendly lady in the kitchen gave a...