One of the most remarkable Tudor Manor Houses in England is the Dorney Court. Located in the village of Dorney, Buckinghamshire, it dates back to 1440, and it has been the home of the Palmer family for over 450 years.
The house was never changed, and today, it is still a medieval house. The Manor was along the lands of Miles Crispin in 1086 and from that period on, it passes to many families. In 1542, it was sold to Sir William Garrard, an ancestor of the Palmer family, by James Hill.
When Garrard died in 1571, the Manor was succeeded by his son who had the same name as his father, and when he died, his younger brother became the owner. The daughter of the second Garrard married James Palmer who acquired the house in 1624. James Palmer was the first owner of the Dorney Court and was an excellent friend with Charles II. He was also a miniature painter and governor of the Royal Tapestry Works at Mortlake.
There are portraits of Earls which he painted in the Victoria & Albert Museum collection, in the Fitzwilliam Collection, and in the Royal Collection. From James, the house passed from father to son until today. His oldest son Philip Palmer was the second owner, and after his death, it was succeeded by Charles Palmer. Charles’s son died before him, so the Manor was given to his grandson, Sir Charles Harcourt Palmer, who was the 6th and last baronet of Dorney.
Each of the owners from the Palmer family is represented in a catalog of family portraits. The walls of the house are covered with paintings by Janssen and Lely, and in the Parlour, there is a needlework which depicts the Palmer triplets from the 17th century. The house is medieval, but the exterior was reconstructed in Victorian style at the end of the 19th century.
The Parlour is the oldest part of the Manor, and inside there are examples of a remarkable antique furniture. In the Great Hall, there are portraits of the family on the walls and a large table which was made from one piece of oak.
Above the Parlour is the Great Chamber and according to Britain Express, it features a high, barrel-vaulted ceiling, and a full tester bed with beautifully carved Tudor posts.
Also, the house is surrounded by fabulous gardens and overlooks the mature parkland. It was opened to the public in 1981, and it served as a filming location for numerous films and TV series such as The Midsomer Murders, Pride and Prejudice, and The New World.