Woodchester Mansion

Woodchester Park
Nympsfield
Stonehouse
Gloucestershire
GL10 3TS

Tel: +44 (0)1453 861 541
Freephone 0800 9707223
Fax: +44 (0)1453 861 337
Email: office@woodchestermansion.org.uk
Web: Attraction's Own Web Site

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Hidden in a secluded Cotswold valley, untouched by time and the modern world, lies Woodchester Mansion, an unfinished masterpiece of Victorian building. Designed by the brilliant young architect Benjamin Bucknall for the wealthy Catholic William Leigh, the mansion is a remarkable synthesis of French gothic revival theory and the local Cotswold tradition.

Historic Craft

Visit the Mansion and step back 140 years into a Victorian building site. Nowhere else is the anatomy of a great house laid bare as a timeless masterclass of architecture, building craft and sculpture - to accommodate a family and servants who never came.

Sleeping Beauty

The Mansion is almost entirely constructed of golden limestone, from the half carved gargoyle to the bats on the belfry; from the massive stone bath to the delicate tracery of the rose window in the chapel. Original wooden scaffolding still supports unfinished walls. See the stages of plastering with lime and how a vaulted ceiling is constructed.

Woodchester Mansion Trust

The Woodchester Mansion Trust is a conservation charity founded in 1989 by a group of local professional people supported by the community. The Trust leases the Grade 1 listed mansion from its owner Stroud District Council, and is assisted by English Heritage. The aims of the trust uniquely combine historic building conservation, education and public access. Incorporating training programmes whenever possible, the Trust will repair, but not complete, the Mansion, so that it will remain forever an 'unfinished masterpiece'.

Stone Training

An important objective of the Woodchester Mansion Trust is to improve professional and public knowledge of traditional building skills and stone conservation. It is working with major educational establishments concerned with architecture, conservation and craft training standards.
Opening Times
(2011 times)
Throughout the year the mansion hosts outside theatricl performances, local choir groups, summer ball & halloween party, brewary open wkeekends etc.

Please see the Woodchester Mansion website for other events.

Admission Charges
(2011 prices)
Adult £6.50; Concession £5.50; Child under 14yrs Free of charge.

Directions
Near the village of Nympsfield, 5 miles south of Stroud, 15 miles south of Gloucester. Just off the B4066 Stroud- Uley - Dursley road (scenic route). There is no access to the mansion from the village of Woodchester. There is a car park for visitors and free mini-bus service down the one mile woodland track.
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Woodchester Mansion Postcode for SatNav: GL10 3TS

Nearby Attractions
Owlpen Manor (1 Mile)*
Owlpen Manor and Gardens is closed for restoration during the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
Chavenage (6 Miles)*
This historic Elizabethan house, home of the Lowsley-Williams family, contains much of interest to the discerning visitor. Visitors can see the tapestry rooms and furniture and relics of the Cromwellian period.
Berkeley Castle (7 Miles)*
In 1153 Maurice Berkeley completed this fortress by the Severn Estuary at the command of Henry II, and ever since has been the home of the Berkeley family.
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* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

Nearby Hotels
Egypt Mill Hotel (3 Miles)*
The Egypt Mill Hotel is situated in the unspoilt Cotswold town of Nailsworth. The 16th century riverside hotel features a restaurant and bar. The Rosette Restaurant has a great local reputation with a wide choice of dishes to suit all tastes.
Stonehouse Court (3 Miles)*
This 17th Century Manor House is set in 6 acres of stunning grounds overlooking the Stroud Water Canal and rolling hills of the Stroud Valley.
Bear of Rodborough Hotel (3 Miles)*
High above Stroud on the wilds of Rodborough Common is the Bear Hotel - a member of Classic British Hotels. Originally built as a coaching inn, it has undergone a careful and precise restoration returning it to its former glory.
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* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

Nearby Self Catering
Mulberry Tree Cottage (7 Miles)*
Mulberry Tree Cottage dating back to the middle of the 19th Century, is a fine two bedroom hoilday cottage typical of the style and type found in the historic Vale of Berkeley.
The Old Chapel (10 Miles)*
The Old Chapel is situated a few metres from extensive woodland in the Royal Forest of Dean. It is located up a small forest track and has direct access to Forest walks.
The White House (11 Miles)*
A large, traditional stone-built cottage in the charming Forest of Dean village of Pillowell. Located on the edge of the forest the cottage is surrounded on 3 sides by gardens, with a pleasent outdoor dining area.
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