The architect Sir Christopher Wren, who lived there from 1708 to 1723, was given a 50-year lease on the property by Queen Anne in lieu of overdue payments for his work on St Paul's Cathedral.

[3] King Henry VIII obtained the newly built Hampton Court Palace from Cardinal Wolsey in 1526.

This beautifully proportioned room features wood panelling chosen by Wren and a fine marble fireplace similar to the one he installed for King William III in the King's dining room in Hampton Court Palace.

In Wren's day his most important visitors, normally royalty, would arrive by river, walk across the garden and up those steps to enter his house via the back door.

The greenery extends all the way to the river bank while York stone terraces lead to a pea shingle path which is flanked by lawn.

This path then leads to a pond and fountain that was built by Wren and which was listed before The Old Court House itself.

King Henry VIII took the newly built Hampton Court Palace from Cardinal Wolsey in 1526.

[5] “In an act of parliament in the ninth year of the reign of King William for the completing and adorning of the cathedral church of St Paul, London, a clause was inserted to suspend a moiety (i.e. half) of the surveyor’s salary until the said church should be finished; thereby the better to encourage to him to finish the same with the utmost diligence and expedition.

“It was at this time a common notion and misreport that the surveyor received a large annual salary for that building and consequently it was in his interest to prolong the finishing of the fabrick for the continuance of this supposed emolument.

Which it would seem occasioned that clause... “Upon the compleating of this great fabric (St Paul’s Cathedral in 1708) a clause passed in the act of parliament in the ninth year of the reign of Queen Anne declaring the church finished, to empower the commissioners to pay the surveyor the arrears of this moiety of his salary.” NB: The bottom of page 344 says: “He then betook himself to country retirement.” The word "retirement" here has its ancient meaning.

Norman Lamplugh, a distinguished collector, lived at the house from 1908 to 1938 (see 1 October 1938 issue of Country Life).

He was the son of 1st World War Field Marshal Sir John French who became the 1st Earl of Ypres.

In 1964, Ronald Lee sold the house to Stewart De Quincey Walker – the partner-in-crime of the notorious Emil Savundra.

Earlier in 1966, the house was sold, reputedly for a suitcase full of banknotes, to Julian Reynolds.

In 1980 he married the actress and singer Eira Heath and he owned The Old Court House for over 45 years.

[7] The Knight Frank and Rutley brochure of 1966 p4 mentions a carved stone surround of Tudor design behind the existing Charles II fireplace in the study (formerly the dining room), but this has not been exposed.

In 1708 Queen Anne granted him a 50-year lease on the property in lieu of overdue payments for his work on St Paul's Cathedral.

Lamplugh (1908–38) installed works of art as set out in the Country Life article of 1 October 1938.

The long thin one with parallel sides with access from the Thames, and the semi-trapezium shape to the west, presumably the kitchen garden.

Lamplugh had a small museum between the Green and the Mitre Hotel – traces of a doorway in the wall are still visible by Wren's pond.