During this year’s Festival of Archaeology (18th–27th July), a trench will be opened on the Oval Lawn at National Trust Greys Court. Over the past two summers of excavation, archaeologists have been building a picture of how Greys Court developed from the medieval period into Tudor times, when the Knollys family were in residence.

When Sir Francis Knollys (c.1512–1596) inherited Greys Court, he rebuilt much of the site. His craftsmen demolished many earlier buildings and constructed a largely new house, complete with courtyards and service buildings. As an important member of Queen Elizabeth I’s court, Francis required a house befitting his status.

The 2024 excavation at Greys Court uncovered a 13th–14th century wall to the south of the courtyard (now the Oval Lawn). One of these was a curtain wall built in the style of a defensive structure, suggesting an intention to give the appearance of a castle.

In July 2025, archaeologists from the National Trust and the South Oxfordshire Archaeological Group (SOAG) excavated a small 5 sq m trench in the centre of the Oval Lawn. They suspected a structure once stood there due to parch marks visible during dry summers and used geophysical survey techniques to refine this information.

Parch marks are ghostly features that can appear on lawns during prolonged hot, dry weather. They often show up as brown patches tracing the outlines of buried walls from long-demolished buildings. Because there is less soil between the buried wall and the grass above, the grass dries out more quickly, revealing a map of hidden structures.

At Greys Court, these parch marks indicated a long, narrow building linking two sides of what was once a rectangular courtyard in the late medieval period. The courtyard lay between the main house and what archaeologists believe were guest lodgings to the north of the Cromwellian building (now lawn).

The 2025 excavation revealed that this structure had been thoroughly demolished, with only its foundations surviving. However, archaeologists established that it was a substantial building, with broad walls capable of supporting two storeys and a roof. Finds included fragments of roof tile, decorative floor tile and window glass, suggesting a high-status building.

Archaeologists speculate that the building may have functioned as a sheltered passageway across the courtyard, with storage chambers at ground level.

The July 2026 excavation will open a trench adjacent to last year’s dig site to reveal more of the structure, as there are indications of a brick-built cellar. A second excavation in September will investigate a substantial structure, possibly a tower, which once stood on the upper lawn.

Adrian Cox, National Trust archaeologist, said:

“We hope lots of visitors will come and see us during this summer’s excavation to experience archaeology in action, talk to archaeologists about the finds and even help with cleaning them. This exciting work at Greys Court is shedding new light on the history of this very special place.  Everyone is welcome.

Today, visitors see house interiors and a garden shaped in the 1930s, but we want to take them on a journey back a few hundred years.”

Festival of Archaeology runs at Greys Court from 18th-27th July. No booking is required, and the event is included with standard admission. Families, history enthusiasts, and curious minds of all ages are welcome.