Woodchester Mansion
A unique unfinished Neo-gothic mansion of national architectural significance
Nympsfield, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, GL10 3TS
Facilities
-
Bike storage facilities
-
Cafe / restaurant
-
Picnic area
-
Shop
- Accessible parking
- Accessible toilets
- Access statement available
- Guide dogs welcome
Please can disabled visitors contact the office a few days in advance and we’ll be happy to make the best arrangements to suit your needs.
[email protected]
01453 861 541
The upper floors of the Mansion are not accessible for wheelchair users, but about 70% of the visitor route is at ground floor level. It is easily accessible and we have a film which can be viewed while waiting for the rest of your party.
Woodchester Mansion, is a Grade I listed house built in the Victorian Gothic style and hidden in a beautiful Cotswold valley.
Construction started in the mid-1850s and stopped in 1870, before completion.Floors and ceilings are missing, walls are not plastered, and windows are unglazed. All the secrets of the construction of the Mansion are visible – details that visitors will never see in another country house.
The Mansion, built for Catholic convert, William Leigh, is the masterpiece of a young local architect, Benjamin Bucknall from Rodborough. His unique Gothic Revival house blends the local traditional work in limestone with the ideas of the French architectural thinker Viollet-le-Duc.
The stone carvings in the Chapel, inspired by the plants in the surrounding valley, are among the finest in country. The Mansion also houses breeding colonies of Greater and Lesser Horseshoe bats which can be watched on CCTV.
Important information: opening info is generated by artificial intelligence; check specific attraction details before travelling.
The indicator above will show ‘open’ when the public have any kind of access to any part of this property. That could be the park, a shop, or a special event, and may not reflect regular admission times to the main attraction. Always consult the website of the house or garden you intend to visit before travelling to check that the attraction you are interested in is open.
Woodchester Mansion is a unique, unfinished Victorian Gothic house located in a secluded Cotswold valley. It is open to the public during its 2026 Summer Season, which runs from Friday, 3rd April 2026 (Good Friday) to Sunday, 1st November 2026. During this period, the Mansion is open every Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and on Bank Holidays, from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The last admission is at 4:00 PM.
Guided tours are available on open days at 11:45 AM and 2:30 PM, subject to volunteer availability. A free minibus service operates hourly from the National Trust Buckholt car park to the Mansion, starting at 11:00 AM, with the last return trip at 4:40 PM.
Admission prices for open days are as follows:
- Adults: £13.00
- Children (5–16): £2.00
- Children (0–4): Free
- Family Ticket: £30.00 (2 adults and up to 4 children)
- Historic Houses Members: Free (with card)
- Woodchester Mansion Trust Members: Free
Private tours are available for groups of 12 or more on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the open season, and on all days except Mondays during the closed season (November to March). These tours include exclusive access to the Mansion and optional refreshments. Prices start at £13.00 per person.
Special events in 2026 include Stone Carving Workshops on selected Saturdays and Bat Experiences on specific dates. The Mansion also features a café, Henry's @ Woodchester, open on Mansion open days from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Visitors are advised to park at the National Trust Buckholt car park and follow the directions provided, as the Mansion is in a remote location with no mobile phone signal or public Wi-Fi. Dogs are allowed in the café but not on tours, except for certified assistance dogs.
Historic Houses members visit for free.
Adult: £11
Children 3-16 £2
Family ticket (2 adults and up to 4 children) £25
Private tours are £10pp, £16 inc. tea/coffee & cake
We offer private tours for groups of minimum 12 persons on any day of the week.
Private tours include:
- Collection of your group by minibus from the car park
- Exclusive tour of the Mansion with one of our dedicated tour guides
- Refreshments (if required) – coffee on arrival, or tea/coffee after the tour – all served with a slice of our delicious home-made cake
- Return minibus to car park
- Tours can be tailored to suit the interests of your group, e.g. architecture, history. We can also adapt the tour if your party has particular needs.
£13pp for tour only, £20pp including tea and cake. £100 deposit required to confirm booking.
Please contact the office 01453 861541 or [email protected].
We welcome visits from primary and seconday schools.
Woodchester Mansion provides a wide range of opportunities for students of all ages, from activities for Key Stages 1 and 2 to older “students” from the University of the Third Age. We work closely with our National Trust colleagues, the Mansion being situated in the centre of Woodchester Park which is owned and managed by the NT.
Educational visits can be organised to reflect the particular needs and interests of participants and we work closely with teachers and tutors to ensure a focused, meaningful and interesting package, dependant on the particular requirements of the group.
Please call 01453 861541 or email [email protected] for further details of educational opportunities.
£6.50 + VAT per primary/secondary school student
£12 + VAT per university student and accompanying adults
- Accessible parking
- Accessible toilets
- Access statement available
- Guide dogs welcome
Please can disabled visitors contact the office a few days in advance and we’ll be happy to make the best arrangements to suit your needs.
[email protected]
01453 861 541
The upper floors of the Mansion are not accessible for wheelchair users, but about 70% of the visitor route is at ground floor level. It is easily accessible and we have a film which can be viewed while waiting for the rest of your party.
Getting here
Nympsfield, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, GL10 3TS
The Mansion is in a hidden valley and satnavs can mislead visitors to a no through road at the far end of the park, disturbing local residents. Please see our website for full details.
Become a Historic Houses member
Explore the nation’s heritage from just £68 per year.
Hundreds of the most beautiful historic houses, castles, and gardens across Britain offer our members free entry.
Also: receive a quarterly magazine, enjoy monthly online lectures, get exclusive invitations to buy tickets for behind-the-scenes tours, and take up a range of special offers on holidays, books, and other products you might like.
