Taplow Court

Taplow Court
TypeHouse
LocationTaplow, Buckinghamshire, England
Coordinates51°31′54″N 0°41′41″W / 51.5316°N 0.6947°W / 51.5316; -0.6947
Built1855 with earlier origins
ArchitectWilliam Burn
Architectural style(s)Tudorbethan
Governing bodySoka Gakkai International
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameTaplow Court
Designated26 April 1985
Reference no.1165286
Taplow Court is located in Buckinghamshire
Taplow Court
Location of Taplow Court in Buckinghamshire

Taplow Court is a Victorian house in the village of Taplow in Buckinghamshire, England. Its origins are an Elizabethan manor house, remodelled in the early 17th century. In the 18th century the court was owned by the Earls of Orkney. In the 1850s, the court was sold to Charles Pascoe Grenfell, whose descendants retained ownership until after the Second World War. The court then served as a corporate headquarters for British Telecommunications Research (BTR) an independent research company set up in 1946. BTR was subsequently acquired by Plessey Electronics. In 1988 it was bought by the Buddhist foundation, Soka Gakkai International and serves as their UK headquarters.

The court is a Grade II listed building, and its present appearance is due to a major rebuilding undertaken by William Burn for Charles Grenfell in 1855–1860. In the early 20th century, the court was home to William Grenfell and his wife Ettie. She was a noted Edwardian hostess, and Taplow Court became a gathering place for The Souls, a group of aristocratic intellectuals.