Searching for a lost gatehouse…”We are aiming to give visitors close access to this archaeological research as it unfolds on site”.

This summer, Greys Court is taking part in the Festival of Archaeology, the biggest archaeological celebration in the UK, organised by the Council for British Archaeology (CBA).

We will be looking to investigate Greys Court’s lost gatehouse. We believe this would have provided access to the outer courtyard of the Tudor house. We’ll also take a look at the curtain wall which would have formed the boundary of the courtyard. We hope to learn more about what they were made of, if they were decorated, and even how high they were. Did they have any defensive use or purpose or were they just for show, or perhaps even a domestic use.

The known history of Greys Court, near Henley-on-Thames, stretches back over 900 years, with the earliest known record being the Domesday Book of 1086. The de Grey family constructed the original manor house on the site, and early historic fabric survives, notably the Great Tower and adjacent wall fragments, dating from the 12th-14th centuries.

The archaeologists will be examining the evidence of a series of ‘parch-marks’ which are revealed on Greys Court’s oval lawn in particularly dry weather. These hint at a courtyard wall with a possible gatehouse structure. There were also other buildings on the site, now demolished. The team will also be guided by a geophysics survey across the lawn.

Archaeologists will be working at Greys Court from 15th-21st July, and will be very happy to speak with visitors and explain the work and there may be opportunities to get involved.