Fawley Court has a history that dates back to the 11th Century, was designed by the world famous Christopher Wren and built in 1663 for Colonel William Freeman as a family home. The breathtaking carved ceiling in the drawing room, a work by Grinling Gibbons from 1690, is one of only three that have survived in the country. Since 1953 Fawley Court has been maintained by the Congregation of Marian Fathers and houses a museum and a library. Fawley Court is not generally open to the public except for religious, wedding and conference hire.