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The garden at Greys Court

Archbishop's maze with central armillary sphere sundial at Greys Court,
Archbishop's maze with central armillary sphere sundial at Greys Court, | © Hugh Mothersole

There’s something to see around every corner in the garden at Greys Court. Explore the interconnected spaces surrounded by the warm colours of ruined walls and buildings that date back centuries. With things to discover throughout the year, take time to enjoy everything this tranquil oasis has to offer.

Winter in the garden 

There’s a subtle beauty to the winter flowers and stark beauty of the bare, frosty trees at Greys Court in the winter months. 

January is the time of year to see a blanket of white snowdrops bursting through the frosty ground by the maze, which you can catch a glimpse of as you follow Sir Felix’s gentle walk. There’s also a chance to see the early daffodils blooming in February. A ray of sunshine against the grey of the winter months.

Autumn at Greys Court
Autumn at Greys Court | © Claire Shuter

Features in the garden 

Moon Bridge 

This was designed by Francis Pollen as a Chinese-style ‘moon bridge’, dedicated to the Brunners’ Chinese friend, the cookery writer Dr So Yan-Kit, who the family often referred to as their ‘adopted daughter’. The area below the bridge is planted with blue irises, created to give the impression of moving water.   

The Maze 

The Maze was inspired by the Archbishop of Canterbury's address is 1980, in which he spoke of a ‘mazelike muddle in which the world finds itself’, and his hope that Christian and non-Christians, working together, could solve it. The design, by Adrian Fisher, is packed with Christian symbolism, for example, the seven rings stand for the seven days of creation, the three outward turns for the three days that Christ spent in the tomb.

Octagonal fountain 

The octagonal stone fountain was designed by Hugo Brunner’s brother-in-law, the architect Francis Pollen. A prayer for good harvest by the Latin poet Horace was carved in slate.

Visitors in the garden at Greys Court, Oxfordshire

Discover more at Greys Court

Find out when Greys Court is open, how to get here, the things to see and do and more.

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