Greys Court - got the app? get it free, here

This week we are going to Houses. Today we went to Greys Court (after we'd stopped off at Stoke Row - a fantastically friendly village), which is in Rotherfield Greys. To get there I go through Stoke Row, then towards Highmoor Cross (there's a well here, too) and then towards Shepherds Green. You must keep right. If you go past Highmoor Cross nursery you have taken the wrong turn. 

Find Greys Court on the google map I made for you. 

My children loved it so much at Waterperry that they wanted to go back. They settled for somewhere similar and were not disappointed. 

Greys court has great gardens. It also has a brand new children's play area! It's shaded and there are wooden swords, helmets and wooden blocks to play with. There is a tree fort with a slide, a sandpit and a great tree to climb on. Totally brilliant! 

Near this play area there is a labyrinth, with benches all around so it doesn't matter what time of the day you visit. I've got to say that as today was hot and sunny the thing I appreciated most of all was the shade. 

We did look around the house (quickly!). My daughter was interested. My son was compliant. He noticed the stained glass windows (no photography) because he is brainwashed about them (oops!) but was decidedly underwhelmed by the rest of the house. Sometimes children just need to learn to forbear whilst other people get to do things they want.

Additionally Greys has an ice house and a donkey wheel which was used for drawing 

water from the well. The children were actually interested in them. 

Greys is a National Trust property so it is really well looked after, there are loos, a tea room and plenty of people to ask for help. 

Pictures: 

More garden walls, hooray:) 

I have climbed this tower but I didn't fancy it with my children, rucksacks and my very precious camera. 

Lovely gardens.

 



I'm not sure if this is an arboretum, but there's a whole garden filled with trees like this and  wooden structure where the trees upper branches twist around. It looks bewitching. 

There's something alluring about little doors leading off into gardens. 

Yay - more walls! 

The pond is in yet another enclosed garden so easily avoided. 

The house was once crenellated. This is an old part of the castle. 

The new castle!

The tree fort has quite a lot of standing area. My son spent ages up here. 

An unexpected surprise!

(Sadly) his is more my home from home, haha:) 

I saw really small children playing with these. It's apparent that the NT have made an effort to engage visitors of all ages. 

12th Century! Woah. This was used for over 700 years then. Totally amazing!

I really wanted to see the ice house as I have a bit of a fascination with them after seeing an amazing one on the telly a while aga. Some are beautifully tiled. This one isn't but it's still briliant:) 

When we arrived the cows had made their way into the ice house enclosure, eating the thatch and leaving presents for visitors. 

The light inside the house is solar powered and on a timer. I loved this juxtaposition 

Another labyrinth. We spent a long time here, too. 

View from the front of the House. 

Is there ever a need for a an excuse for pretty flower? 

Greys Court – Review By Jessica Mallows, Age 8.5.

Well it was a very good place although scratched myself on a tree I climbed and it grazed the back of the leg badly. On the bright side the children’s play area was epic!!! I really enjoyed the fort, it was up in a tree.

The gardens are beautiful. We had to wait to go in the ice house because the weight on the gate had broken and a herd of cows had wandered in, eating the thatched roof of the ice house.

Greys House is interesting. It has children’s activity sheets in most rooms - all you have to do is ask a lady in one of the rooms. The kitchen is nice.