St Nicholas Church, Rotherfield Greys, Chancel and Knollys Chapel
© Edward Lever (view gallery)
The Knollys Chapel contains a number of memorial tablets but the principal feature is the grand monument to Sir Francis Knollys and his wife Catherine. Sir Francis Knollys served in the courts of Henry VIII, Edward VI and Elizabeth I, attaining high office under Elizabeth I as her treasurer. Image cannot be loaded
Knollys Monument, St Nicholas Church, Rotherfield Greys
© Edward Lever (view gallery)
This splendid monument inside St Nicholas Church was erected by William Knollys, Earl of Banbury in 1605 to the memory of his father, Sir Francis Knollys (1514 - 1596) and his mother, Catherine Knollys (1524 - 1569). The Knollys family lived at Greys Court which is nearby. Image cannot be loaded
St. Nicholas Church, Rotherfield Greys
© Edward Lever (view gallery)
St. Nicholas at first appears to be a small Victorian country church but on closer inspection has many more interesting features than its modest exterior might indicate. Subjects of interest are the Knollys Chapel and Tomb (17th C), an early English font (13th C), monumental Brass of Robert de Grey (14th C), Aumbry (13th C) and other pre-Reformation features. Image cannot be loaded
The House at Greys Court
© Edward Lever (view gallery)
The last private owners of the house were Sir Felix and Lady Brunner. The family continued to live in the house until the death of Lady Brunner in 2003. The house is now administered by the National Trust.
The House and Grounds have been used in the TV series 'Downton Abbey', where Greys Court takes on the role of a Hunting Lodge. 
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Greys Court seen from Rotherfield Greys
© Edward Lever (view gallery)
The rolling landscape of the Chilterns makes it difficult to get a clear view of the House from afar, and this shot was taken from the fields near Rotherfield Greys. The view includes Greys Court House itself, the Dower House and the Great Tower. The area in this picture would have originally been a collection of buildings enclosed by towers and defensive walls, which date from the 14th century and are now incomplete. Greys Court House as seen today is essentially 16th century. At that time it had connections to the Knollys family, later to the Stapletons, and most recently to the Brunners, before coming into the ownership of the National Trust. 
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The Gardens at Greys Court
© Edward Lever (view gallery)
Being south-facing, the gardens at Greys Court receive full sun, and most varieties of plant flourish prolifically here. The photo was taken into the sun, which gives a bit of a 'washed out' look, but I think it captures the intense heat of that afternoon. Image cannot be loaded
Greys Court, South-West Tower
© Edward Lever (view gallery)
This flint and brick octagonal tower, at the south-west corner of the Greys Court estate, is similar to the tower at the Dower House. It is a part of the original fortifications, and as with the Dower House tower, is attached to a house. Image cannot be loaded
Knollys Monument, St Nicholas Church, Rotherfield Greys
© Edward Lever (view gallery)
Close-up view of the Knollys Monument. The figure nearest the camera is Lady Catherine Knollys, with her husband Sir Francis Knollys at her side. She was a Lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I, to whom she was first cousin (by reason of their mothers, Mary and Anne Boleyn, being sisters). Image cannot be loaded
View of Greys Court estate from the fields below Rotherfield Greys
© Edward Lever (view gallery)
Rotherfield Greys is the nearest village to Greys Court House (A National Trust property), and a good view of the estate can be had from the fields below the church. As can be seen, Greys Court estate is deserted because of the current Corona Virus Lock-Down. Image cannot be loaded
St Nicholas Church, Rotherfield Greys, Tower and Porch
© Edward Lever (view gallery)
The tower is typical of a Victorian country church and contains three bells and a clock. The bells are ancient, two bells being dated 1620 and the other being pre-Reformation. The clock was given in memory of Capt Rodney Lloyd MC who was killed in WWII. Image cannot be loaded
St. Nicholas Church, Rotherfield Greys
© Edward Lever (view gallery)
St. Nicholas at first appears to be a small Victorian country church but on closer inspection has many more interesting features than its modest exterior might indicate. Subjects of interest are the Knollys Chapel and Tomb (17th C), an early English font (13th C), monumental Brass of Robert de Grey (14th C), Aumbry (13th C) and other pre-Reformation features. Image cannot be loaded
Shelter at Rotherfield Greys
© Edward Lever (view gallery)
This quaint structure opposite St. Nicholas Church was erected by Sir Francis and Lady Stapleton (of Greys Court) in commemoration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. It was originally constructed as a Well-House, but now serves as a bus-shelter and place for posting community notices. Image cannot be loaded
Horse Wheel at Greys Court
© Edward Lever (view gallery)
The Horse Wheel was originally located at Shabden Park in Surrey, where it had fallen into disrepair. It was transported to Greys Court in 1973 and restored by the Berkshire Industrial Archaeology Group. The Horse Wheel would have been turned by a pair of horses to operate machinery to pump water from the well to a slate water tank in the roof of the shelter. Unfortunately, the slate water tank did not survive the transportation from Shabden Park. Image cannot be loaded
Church of St. Nicholas, Rotherfield Greys
© Edward Lever (view gallery)
St. Nicholas Church building is closed at present due to the Corona Virus Lock-Down, but the encouraging sign at the right of the Lych Gate is a reminder that the church is not absent from the community. Image cannot be loaded
Knollys Monument, St Nicholas Church, Rotherfield Greys
© Edward Lever (view gallery)
This splendid monument inside St Nicholas Church was erected by William Knollys, Earl of Banbury in 1605 to the memory of his father, Sir Francis Knollys (1514 - 1596) and his mother, Catherine Knollys (1524 - 1569). The Knollys family lived at Greys Court which is situated about a mile away. Image cannot be loaded