Maidenhead
Taplow Court is a mid-19th century mansion set high above the Thames near Maidenhead. In the 18th century, Taplow Court was the home of the Earls and Countesses of Orkney. The first Earl fought at the Battles of the Boyne and Blenheim and was created first British Field Marshall. In the mid 19th century the house was given its present Jacobean-revival/French Gothic appearance by the architect William Burn. At the turn of the 19th/20th centuries, the great sportsman, William Henry Grenfell and his wife Ettie, hosted gatherings of the elite, aristocratic social group 'the Souls' here. Their eldest son, Julian Grenfell, one of the war poets, was killed in 1915.
Today Taplow Court is the home of SGI-UK, a lay Buddhist society. The house and other buildings on site are used for courses and conferences for the society's members. The house is open to the public on Sundays and Bank (national) Holiday Mondays during the summer months, when exhibitions about the history of the house, or about social and environmental issues may be seen. Music, song, drama and poetry events or a guided tour are also on offer to visitors. Cream teas are available in the canteen or you may picnic in 85 acres of grounds.
Tel: +44 01628 773163