Mapledurham House

Mapledurham House is a red-brick Elizabethan mansion in the village of Mapledurham, Oxfordshire, on the north bank of the Thames a few miles from Reading. One family has held it for more than four centuries, and it is among the best-preserved country houses in the Thames valley.

What is Mapledurham House?

Sir Michael Blount, an official at the court of Elizabeth I, began the house around 1585 as a showpiece residence. His family had bought the manor in 1490, and their descendants, the Blount-Eyston family, still own it. Historic England has listed the building at Grade I, the highest level of protection, since 24 October 1951.

What will you see?

The house is H-shaped, built of red brick with a diaper pattern in grey brick under a plain tile roof. Victorian-era alterations and additions changed parts of it, but the late-16th-century core remains easy to read.

The late-18th-century chapel is a highlight. Built in the Strawberry Hill Gothic style, it served the owners, who remained Roman Catholic through the centuries of recusancy. Priest holes survive in the house from that period. Within the grounds, a statue northeast of the house and the old stables to its southwest are each listed separately at Grade II.

The estate is also tied to a historic watermill on the Thames, described as the last working mill on the river. The Blounts were responsible for maintaining the nearby weir under an agreement that predates Magna Carta (1215).

How do you get there?

Mapledurham sits on the Thames close to Reading and Pangbourne. By car, country lanes lead from central Reading in roughly a quarter of an hour. The estate also has a link with the river and Mapledurham Lock, so arriving by boat is possible. Coordinates are about 51.485 N, 1.036 W.

When can you visit?

This is a private family home opened to the public on selected days. Listings have typically given Easter to September, weekends and bank holidays, plus some October Sundays, in the afternoon. Dates change: the house and mill stayed closed in 2023. Check the current calendar at mapledurham.co.uk before travelling. Outside open days the interiors are not accessible.

Frequently asked questions

Is Mapledurham House open to visitors?

Yes, but only on selected days in the season, mainly weekends and bank holidays from spring to early autumn. The estate website publishes current dates.

When was the house built?

Work began around 1585, during the reign of Elizabeth I.

Does the house have a Catholic history?

Yes. The owners were Catholic during the years of persecution, which explains the surviving priest holes and the Gothic chapel added in the 18th century.

What else is nearby?

The watermill, Mapledurham Lock, the village church and the Thames towpath walks.