Beaufort Stairs

The riverside steps historically known as Beaufort Stairs once served as a private gateway to the grand estate of Sir Thomas More. In the sixteenth century, this landing stage provided direct water access for the Lord Chancellor, who relied on his own barge to travel the Thames to the royal palaces at Westminster and Richmond. These stairs were a vital connection to the river when the land surrounding the estate consisted of little more than rough tracks and country lanes. The steps were part of a larger, magnificent property that spanned from the riverbank all the way up to the King's Road. While the great mansion that stood here was demolished in the eighteenth century, the site remained a significant landmark named for the Duke of Beaufort, who later owned the grounds and kept them as a private retreat. You are standing near the remnants of an estate that once welcomed kings and served as a center of political and intellectual life in Tudor England.