Hidden Henley

MANY places claim to be the inspiration for Kenneth Grahame’s Toad Hall in his classic children’s novel The Wind in the Willows.

In Henley, there is Fawley Court with the neighbouring garden centre named after the fictional mansion, while a few miles away is Mapledurham House.

Then there are various properties around Maidenhead and Cookham, such as Cliveden and Harleyford Manor.

Another property said to have inspired the author is Hardwick House, a fine riparian residence near Whitchurch, pictured above.

The Elizabethan manor and 900-acre estate has been in the same family since 1909 and is now run as an organic farm by Sir Julian Rose.

Although it’s private, the view of Hardwick House in the photograph can be seen from the public footpath.