Friar Park

Friar Park is a Gothic Revival country house on an east-facing hillside with formal terraces and sprawling garden grounds. The two-story residence shows a square tower rising above the rooflines, offering open views over the surrounding meadows.

Frank Crisp merged two smaller plots starting in 1889 and built the main house near the site where an older Friar Park once stood. Construction continued into the early 20th century, with gardens and rock formations laid out alongside the building.

The name recalls a Franciscan order that once lived on this ground, long before the present estate took shape. Visitors recognize the Gothic style through pointed arches and finely carved stone ornaments that define the entire building.

The iron gates at Henley Market Place mark the main entrance and sit between brick piers with stone details. Visitors should note that the estate does not open regularly to the public and remains a private residence.

The estate hosts an artificial rock garden laid out with more than 20,000 tons of rock and displaying thousands of alpine plants. This feature forms one of the largest of its kind in the country and shapes wide sections of the garden landscape.

Location: Henley-on-Thames

Inception: 1889

Official opening: 1898

Architectural style: Gothic Revival

GPS coordinates: 51.54015,-0.91488

Latest update: December 4, 2025 19:06