Friars Court

Name: Friars Court
Address: Bampton, OX182SU, GB
Telephone: 01367 810206
Price range: $

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Friars Court

Stories about my C17th moated home
💍 weddings
🪴garden tours & 🍰 cream teas
🚐 caravans sites

Founded in 1149 by the monastic Knights of St John the current Cotswold stone house has stood on its moated site for over 350 years. Today Friars Court is a thriving conservation farm with woods, wetland and wildlife habitats. Surrounding the house are three acres of part-moated gardens where borders and specimen tree divide the grounds into smaller ‘room like’ areas. To the front of the house are

water lily filled moats ponds whilst behind the house a woodland walk lies beyond the imposing Yew Arch and ‘Monet’ style bridge

In the summer the grounds of Friars Court can be visited by arrangement by groups and clubs and there are public open days, check our website for more information. Friars Court is also a licensed wedding venue and further information can be found by visiting either www.silverpearweddings.co.uk or the Silver Pear Weddings page.

12/06/2026

“What do you actually do?” is a question I’ve been asked many times over the years.

“I bumble about” is usually my stock response. Partly because there’s no easy answer, partly because every day is different, and partly because I seem to spend my life bouncing from one job to another.

It’s easy to lose sight of just how many different things happen at Friars Court, so I thought I’d sit down and make a list of the main activities.

Life here is incredibly varied and it has certainly kept me busy over the years. Of course, none of it would be possible without the help and support of some wonderful people (they know who they are), and who are kind enough to put up with me whenever I change my mind (which is often) go into one of my occasional flaps (which is very often).

Looking over the list I suppose the thing that surprises me most isn’t how much there is to do, but that somehow it all just comes together and ‘works’.

And while I do have the occasional sleepless night, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

10/06/2026

“I can resist everything except temptation,” wrote Oscar Wilde in his play Lady Windermere’s Fan.

And that has been my downfall these last two days with the slices of cake left over from the recent open day constantly tempting me with their deliciousness.

But no more... a case of late-night munchies now means all the cake has gone — that’s it until the next time I do some baking 😉.

Which will be soon, as I have some private tours booked in the diary and then I’ll be whipping up more scones, lemon drizzle and perhaps some gingerbread 🍰😋

Yes, I really do need to burn it off 🏃😅

As for Ginger….. he’s not a cake-loving 🐈 😂

08/06/2026

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who came to my National Garden Scheme open day. And what a day.

The build-up is always nerve-racking. I never quite know how many people will come and, after one of my recent posts unexpectedly went [for me] viral (an experience I found both exciting and unnerving), I had even less idea of what to expect.

As always, I worried far more than I needed to. Hence, I was up at 5am on Sunday, baking scones while my partner David busied himself setting up tables and chairs and taking care of all the finishing touches that I hadn’t gotten round to doing (he’s more organised than me).

At 2.00pm, the gates opened and the cars started arriving….and they just kept coming. David, ably assisted by friends Sarah, Damian, Jane, Rachel, Roger and Jen, took charge of the parking with military precision. It was just as well we enlarged the car park on Thursday, as it soon filled. I was in the garden oblivious to this, chatting to visitors as they arrived.

Out of the 160 scones I baked that morning, nearly all were eaten, along with almost every slice of cake. Fortunately a few slices of my favourite cakes were leftover so I didn’t miss out completely. A huge thank you to Paul and Siekse of Sadlers, and all their team for running the teas so efficiently.

And most importantly of all it didn’t rain!

Finally, thank you to those who came for your support and your kind comments about the gardens. It was a pleasure to share Friars Court with so many people. If you missed this open day, do keep an eye on my website (link in my bio) for details of future openings.

Alternatively, gather a few friends together and arrange a private visit. I’d be delighted to show you around my gardens, after which you can enjoy one of my cream teas with homemade scones and lemon drizzle cake. What’s not to like?

07/06/2026

It was an early start this morning when I started baking for today’s NGS open day.

160 scones made, as well as a batch of gluten & dairy-free ones ☺️. And there’s cake too.

📍Friars Court, Clanfield, Oxfordshire, OX18 2SU

Gates open at 2pm until 5pm.
£4 adults, children free

03/06/2026

Do you enjoy visiting country gardens and sampling a slice of delicious homemade cake?

This Sunday, I’m opening the grounds of Friars Court as part of the National Garden Scheme.

Come and explore three acres of formal and informal gardens, set within the remaining arms of a 500-year-old moat. There’s a rose garden, water-lily pond, willow tunnels and plenty of seasonal colour to enjoy. Beside the 17th-century house, which has been my family’s home for over 100 years, is a small museum telling the story of Friars Court and its 800-year history.

No need to book — just turn up, have a wander around the garden and treat yourself to a slice of cake or one of my freshly baked scones🌹🍰 . And keep your 👀 peeled as you may see Ginger 🐈 lounging about (he’s a big softy).

📍 Friars Court, Clanfield, Oxfordshire, OX18 2SU
🗓 Sunday 7th June
⏰ 2pm–5pm
💷 £4 admission, children free

Unable to visit on 7th June? Then please get in touch as private garden tours can also be arranged by appointment.

02/06/2026

Rain…. at long last (the garden needs it !). But like everything I don’t want too much all at once, especially with my roses coming into bloom 😬. The forecast does seem to be all over the place so who knows how the rest of week will pan out. Hopefully 🤞🙏 things will be okay for Friday, Saturday and Sunday as I have back-to-back events.

31/05/2026

Size isn’t everything… but there is something deeply satisfying about a large peony.

At 7 inches across, this one isn’t even huge — some blooms can reach 10 inches wide — but these fluffy flower heads are still a delight to behold.

There are lots coming into bloom at the moment and, judging by the abundance of buds on all the surrounding shrubs, I reckon the rose garden is going to put on a magnificent display in the next few days.

Which 🤞will coincide beautifully with my garden open day at the weekend 🌺😀

26/05/2026

For everyone who would like to see them for themselves, you’ll be pleased to hear that I’ll be opening the grounds of Friars Court for the National Garden Scheme on Sunday 7th June, from 2pm–5pm.

Three acres of gardens surround my 17th-century, part-moated home, including formal borders, ponds, bridges, hidden corners and curious features… and that’s not just the labyrinth garden!

There will also be afternoon teas and cakes served during the afternoon, for which I’ll be baking all the scones that morning. For some people, that alone is reason enough to plan a visit 😉

Admission is just £4 for adults, children are free, and proceeds go to the National Garden Scheme.

Address

Bampton
OX182SU

Telephone

01367 810206

Website

http://www.friarscourt.com/

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