Journal

Unlocked: reflections on a singular home on the banks of the River Thames

April 14th, 2026

Film Singular Films
Photography Dan Glasser
Words Holly Nicholas

For the first in a new series of house tour films we are calling Unlocked, we visit Pheasants – “a country villa for the 21st century” positioned on the banks of the river in Henley-on-Thames. As it comes to market for the first time, we meet Lucy Williams, daughter of the original owners and architect Sarah Griffiths. Together they reflect on the determination of its creators and its extraordinary design.

In 2004, architects Sarah Griffiths and Amin Taha won a RIBA international competition to design a home for retired entrepreneurs Dick and Judith Fletcher. Briefed to create “a country villa for the 21st century,” elements of its design were inspired by Andrea Palladio’s 16th-century Villa Foscari, juxtaposed with clean geometric lines and a contemporary material palette of Corten steel, concrete and glass.

The house’s serene surroundings are pivotal to the design. Banks of glazing at each end of the main living space allow for uninterrupted views right through the house and out to the river beyond. The house’s cantilevered first floor is key to this principle; Sarah explains how during its design “we were always pushing the boundaries to make sure there were no columns, to make it feel like you’re seeing all the way through [the house].”

Bespoke components soften the monumental external shell, including Corten screens with an intricate laser-cut pattern of leaves designed by Judith, an artist. Lucy describes it as one of her favourite parts of the house: “The way that the light comes through those screens and gives that dappled, tree-like, forest glen feeling that makes you feel incredibly calm.”

On the first floor, glazed corners open up the views at each end of the house. One has far-reaching views across the treetops and towards the river, while the other looks toward The Gate House, an ancillary building with a cantilevered Corten steel upper level. Inside, pine cladding lines the walls of what was Judith’s light-filled art studio. On the ground floor, a continuous L-shaped roof light runs the length of the space to allow north-facing light to illuminate the space.

A tranquil water feature connects the two buildings; at its centre is a bronze sculpture of three swans in flight by Lloyd le Blanc. Lucy explains, “[My parents] wanted something that reflected the nature around [the house].” Now ready for its next chapter, Lucy recalls what an “extraordinary challenge and adventure” it was for her parents to design and live here – and its lasting legacy.

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