Friar Park

The Friar Park estate was owned by Sir Frank Crisp from 1889 until his death in 1919. The property was then sold at an auction to Sir Percival David. Following Sir Percival’s divorce, Lady David moved into the Coachman's Cottage on the south-west corner of the property. The rest of the estate was donated for the use of nuns belonging to the Salesians of Don Bosco order. The nuns ran a school in Henley called the Sacred Heart School. However, by the late 1960s, Friar Park was in a state of disrepair. The rumour that Friar Park was due to be demolished was unfounded and was little more than an "off-the-cuff" comment without any factual basis.

The main house is listed Grade II on the National Heritage List, and the gardens of Friar Park are also listed Grade II on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. In addition to the main house, the Lower Lodge, Middle Lodge, and Upper Lodge are all also individually listed Grade II. The entrance walls and piers of the Lower Lodge, and the railed wall piers and gates of the Middle Lodge are also listed Grade II. Reports claiming that the building has 120 rooms were denied by current owner Olivia Harrison, while speaking to NPR Fresh Air in March 2004, at which time she said that, while she didn't know how many rooms there are, 120 is an over-statement. Since the early 1970s, the property…