Greys Court's Christmas of childhood stories runs 21 November to 3 January, 10am to 4pm, no booking. Closed 24 and 25 December. Adults £19, members free.
Christmas at Greys Court runs every day from Saturday 21 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, 10am to 4pm, except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. This year’s theme is childhood stories: characters from favourite children’s books are hidden through the gardens among the lights, and the house is decorated with stories to puzzle out. There is no need to book. You pay normal admission, and National Trust members go free.
The quick answer
- 21 November to 3 January, 10am to 4pm daily. Closed 24 and 25 December, open again on Boxing Day.
- No booking. Normal admission: adult £19, child £9.50, family £47.50, or a little more with Gift Aid. Free for National Trust members.
- The house is shut from 16 to 20 November while the decorations go up; the gardens, tea-room and shop stay open.
What is on for Christmas 2026
The National Trust describes it as stepping “into the worlds of beloved childhood stories” (National Trust, Christmas at Greys Court).
- In the gardens: immersive scenes and characters from children’s books hidden among the foliage and greenery, with twinkling lights and festive touches.
- In the house: lights, decorated trees and the smell of Christmas baking, with stories on display to work out as you go round.
- On the Old Tennis Court: games.
- In the Cromwellian building: a Christmas second-hand bookshop on the first floor, and downstairs the story of the Mistletoe Chest, which the Trust bills as “a grown up Christmas story with a twist”.
The Trust has not said which books the displays are based on.
Last year’s Christmas, from 22 November 2025 to 4 January 2026, was themed on Victorian theatre and Henry Irving, Lady Brunner’s grandfather (National Trust, Christmas at Greys Court, 2025 edition).
Opening times this winter
These are the times on the National Trust’s own opening calendar for Greys Court (National Trust, Greys Court).
| Dates | Garden | House | Tea-room | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Until Mon 26 October | 10am to 5pm | 11am to 5pm | 10am to 5pm | 10am to 5pm |
| Tue 27 October to Sun 15 November | 10am to 4pm | 11am to 4pm | 10am to 3.30pm | 10am to 4pm |
| Mon 16 to Fri 20 November | 10am to 4pm | Closed | 10am to 3.30pm | 10am to 4pm |
| Sat 21 November to Wed 23 December | 10am to 4pm | 11am to 4pm | 10am to 3.30pm | 10am to 4pm |
| Thu 24 and Fri 25 December | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Sat 26 to Thu 31 December | 10am to 4pm | 11am to 4pm | 10am to 3.30pm | 10am to 4pm |
The Christmas event page gives 10am to 4pm through to Sunday 3 January. Times for January 2027 onwards had not been loaded into the Trust’s calendar when we checked.
Prices
| Ticket | Without Gift Aid | With Gift Aid |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (18+) | £19.00 | £20.90 |
| Child (5 to 17) | £9.50 | £10.50 |
| Family (2 adults, up to 3 children) | £47.50 | £52.30 |
| Family (1 adult) | £28.50 | £31.40 |
| Under 5s | Free | Free |
| National Trust members | Free | Free |
Parking is included in admission or membership. There are eight 11kW EV charging bays in the car park, with charging fees, and a play area behind the tea-room. Dogs are allowed on site but only assistance dogs in the house and walled gardens.
When to go
The Trust’s own advice is that the car park fills on busy days and the quietest times are weekdays, or before 11am and after 1pm. Last year it warned that the car park surface can get uneven and muddy in bad weather and that on the busiest days you may have to queue. It says weekdays stay quieter even in the school holidays, which in Oxfordshire start on Monday 21 December (see Henley school term dates).
Greys Court is at Rotherfield Greys, RG9 4PG, and the contact number is 01491 628529.
More Christmas near Henley
- Henley’s own Christmas Festival and light switch-on is on Friday 27 November: Henley Christmas lights switch-on.
- Santa trains at Wallingford, Chinnor and Didcot: Santa trains near Henley.
- The Kenton’s pantomime: Henley pantomime.
- Before Christmas, Greys Court’s Autumn Colour Detectives trail runs through the October half term: Henley October half term.
Still to be confirmed
Which children’s stories feature, and the January 2027 opening pattern after the Christmas event closes on 3 January. The prices above are from the Trust’s page as last captured on 15 August 2026, as its live site blocks automated checks. This page will be updated in mid-November when the Trust publishes its full Christmas page.
Dates and times checked against the National Trust’s event listing and opening calendar on 25 September 2026.
Have your say