Woodchester
Mansion.
Set in the heart of the Cotswold Hills. .
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Hidden in a secluded Cotswold valley, untouched by time and the modern world, Woodchester
Mansion is an unfinished masterpiece of Victorian building.
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Designed by the young, brilliant architect, Benjamin Bucknall for
the wealthy Catholic William Leigh, the Mansion is a remarkable synthesis of the french
gothic revival theory and the local Cotswolds tradition.
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Historic Craft..........................................
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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 crafts and sculpture - to accommodate a
family and servants who never came.
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A Sleeping Beauty
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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. Witness the stages of plastering with lime, and how a vaulted
ceiling is constructed.
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Woodchester Mansion Trust
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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 I listed mansion from the owner, Stroud District Council, and is assisted
by the English Heritage.
An important objective of the 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..................................................................
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The trust also conducts short courses and on-site technical
briefings in stone working, repair and maintenance, and the use of lime. For details,
contact the Trust's Training Officer at the address given at the end of this page.
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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'.
Visit Woodchester Mansion
How to get there
The nearest village to Woodchester Mansion is
NYMPSFIELD, Gloucestershire, about five miles out of Dursley.
There is no access to the mansion
from the village of Woodchester.
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Much of the Woodchester Park valley is now owned
by the National Trust and is an area of Special Scientific Interest. There is public
access to the valley but access to the Mansion is allowed only on Open Days or by
prior arrangement. We regret, no dogs are allowed in the mansion with the exception of
Guide Dogs. Private groups, schools, clubs or
societies may visit by arrangement at any time.
For further information about Open Days and
bookings for private visits, please contact: .
Woodchester Mansion, Nympsfield,
Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, GL10 3TS.
Telephone: 01453 861541
Fax: 01453 861337
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The Mansion needs Friends
. A great
deal of money is needed to repair the Mansion and to promote stonemasonry training and
historic building conservation. You can help by becoming a Friend of the Mansion.
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Friends receive the Mansion Newsletter and advance
information about Open Days, events and meetings - as well as free entrance to the Mansion
on Open Days and concessions on sales items.
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To join the friends of the Mansion, or to make a
donation to the Woodchester Trust, visit our website for full details.
Please visit our Web Page
