Last year my wife & I visted Mapledurham House, one place I had wanted to return to for a number of years. It's situated on the edge of the Thames and is an old Tudor manor house which has been in the same family for most of that time. Now I have written a couple of smaller blogs on the place but I thought I would add it to my explores and do a longer blog.
Mapledurham is famous for it's mill which is one of the first places you will see, mind you the carpark for the house is up behind it so it is one of the first places you will visit and where I will start this blog. The mill was used on the cover of a Black Sabbath Album and in the film the Eagle has Landed. If you click the second link you can see some Photos of the Filming
Going from the carpark you see the mill race and the back of the mill
The wall on the side of the mill is covered in years of graffiti
If you have paid to visit the house you get entry to the mill which is well worth looking round. IT used to have two water wheels but one was removed, this is part of the gearing on it
On the opposite side you can see the mill working as they run it to mill corn
Go upstairs and you see where the mill wheels are well at least the covering for them and hoppers
Opposite the mills you can see some of the old grinding wheels
Some of you might recognise the wheel as it featured like the rest of the village in the film the Eagle has Landed.
You might remember I mentioned the mill had two water wheels and one was removed, well this Archimedes screw is were it used to be and now produces electricity for the house & village. At the time of visiting it was not working due to the water level in the Thames being low.
Going behind the mill you find the island is full of Canadian geese so careful where you step
You can also walk over to the side of the Thames and see the weir
I zoomed in to show what was happening at the weir. Some Canada Geese
A swan near a Heron
Thought these were Egyptian Geese but the may well be ducks
The Gees having a paddle
The Heron watching out for a meal
but if you turn around you have great view of the mill you don't normally see. I might add the mill has a gift shop and you can also purchase flour milled there.
After coming out of the mill we walked into the house grounds past St Margaret's Church I have visited the church before so if you would like to see inside click the link
You pass the old stables which have been converted to a restaurant and serve a nice cup of tea or coffee with home made cake.
From there you walk round to the front of the house for a first view of the place
The front of the house has some magnificent magnolia tress growing either side
This is one of the magnolias.
The entrance to house still has the original coat of arms over the porch.
After coming out of the mill we walked into the house grounds past St Margaret's Church I have visited the church before so if you would like to see inside click the link
From there you walk round to the front of the house for a first view of the place
The front of the house has some magnificent magnolia tress growing either side
This is one of the magnolias.
The entrance to house still has the original coat of arms over the porch.
That is as near to the inside you get with a camera because the notice tells you no photography allowed which is a shame because there is a lot to see in there especially the chapel which is mostly original and I would loved to have shown it
We come back out the way you came in and then went for a wander round the garden
Net Old Father Thames who Watches over Mapledurham
We come back out the way you came in and then went for a wander round the garden
You can see the tree on the left as you walk in first of all but if you look at the base you see the plaque on the right
We went for a walk in the village and the building on the right is the old estate Laundry
These are the old Village Almshouses
The cottage on the right is what you wold call a typical English cottage & Garden
Look out for the spotted Cow
Last housing the village
The view as you come into Mapledurham, this was one of the views you got in the Film the Eagle has Landed
Love the Wisteria on this cottage
On the way back we passed the Mill and these geese feeding
and swimming along
The Egiptian Geese keeping out the way
of all the Canada geese. I wanted to get a view of the Thames
and managed to get this view towards Harslock Woods
The Thames at Mapledurham
Hope you enjoyed the tour. If you want to visit look up Mapledurham house on Google it is an enjoyably few hours to spend in a place and you can get a boat from Reading and go along the Thames.
We went for a walk in the village and the building on the right is the old estate Laundry
These are the old Village Almshouses
The cottage on the right is what you wold call a typical English cottage & Garden
Last housing the village
The view as you come into Mapledurham, this was one of the views you got in the Film the Eagle has Landed
Love the Wisteria on this cottage
On the way back we passed the Mill and these geese feeding
and swimming along
The Egiptian Geese keeping out the way
and managed to get this view towards Harslock Woods
Hope you enjoyed the tour. If you want to visit look up Mapledurham house on Google it is an enjoyably few hours to spend in a place and you can get a boat from Reading and go along the Thames.
