Caversham Court Gardens | Hidden gem

Caversham Court is a public garden and was a mansion located on the north bank of the River Thames in Caversham, a suburb of Reading in the English county of Berkshire (formerly in Oxfordshire). The park lies within the St Peter’s conservation area. The park is listed as Grade II in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.

The medieval community of Caversham was clustered on the north side of Caversham Bridge to the east of St Peter’s Church, which was built in the 12th century. Walter Giffard, the second Earl of Buckingham, donated the land for the church and neighbouring rectory, together with a considerable amount of land around it, to the Augustinian Abbey of Notley near Long Crendon in Buckinghamshire. They erected a small monastic cell there.

After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, these lands were given to Christchurch College, Oxford. Over the next four centuries, the Old Rectory, which became known as Caversham Court, was occupied by some of the most influential families in the Reading area, who both improved and enhanced the site.

The gardens are open to the public every day, except Christmas Day, 8 a.m. to dusk. The gazebo and vaults are open when a gardener is on site. Special events are sometimes held as well.