Woodchester Mansion

About the museum

Woodchester Mansion is a Grade I listed Gothic Revival house in the Cotswolds that was never finished. Building began around 1857 and stopped in the mid-1860s. It was designed by the local architect Benjamin Bucknall, who combined Cotswold limestone craftsmanship with ideas taken from the French architect Viollet-le-Duc.

Because the interiors were never completed, there is no fine furniture or painting. Visitors instead see how the house was built: rooms open to the roof, wide stone arches, vault stones waiting for their ceilings, and wooden shuttering that protected the stonework. Carvings of animals and plants decorate the walls, and the chapel has roof bosses with dogs' heads and green men. A stone bath and a Victorian cold-water shower can be seen in the bathroom.

The house is looked after by Woodchester Mansion Trust, a registered charity that also works on conservation, craft skills training and grants. The mansion is home to breeding colonies of greater and lesser horseshoe bats, which can be watched on CCTV, and it was used as a filming location for The Reluctant Vampire. It is open on set days from spring to autumn, and guided tours are included in the admission price.

Highlights

• Unfinished Grade I listed Victorian Gothic house
• Carved stonework with animals, plants and green men
• Chapel vault with carved roof bosses
• Stone bath and Victorian cold-water shower
• Greater and lesser horseshoe bat colonies on CCTV
• Halloween Spooky Cellars events

Permanent exhibition

• The unfinished mansion – A guided tour through the incomplete Gothic house, showing how it was built, with carved stonework, unplastered rooms and displays on its history.

Operated by

Woodchester Mansion Trust (registered charity)

Admission & discounts

Guided tours on open days are included in the admission price. English Heritage and CPRE members get 2-for-1 entry with their card; Historic Houses members and Woodchester Mansion Trust members enter free (Historic Houses members cannot book online). Prices apply to regular open days and may differ for special events such as the adults-only Wicked Tales evenings. The mansion is not a National Trust property. Tickets can be bought at the door by card or cash or booked online in advance.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The upper floors are reached by stairs; a video tour of the upper floors is available at reception for visitors who cannot manage stairs. Floors are uneven in places. Visitors with disabilities should phone the office several days ahead; wheelchair users who need vehicle access should contact the office in advance, as the minibus has no wheelchair lift. Only assistance dogs may join tours.

Kids & families

Only partly suitable for kids

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

Children can follow a Bat Trail, and a Golden Pumpkin Trail is included in child admission at Halloween. The building is unfinished, so children must be supervised at all times, and the guided tour is not ideal for under-12s.

Getting there & parking

Do not use the postcode in a satnav, as it can lead to the wrong end of the valley. There is no minibus from the National Trust car park at Tinkley Gate.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

Henry's Bakehouse cafe is open 11:00 to 17:00 on open days; dogs on leads are allowed in cafe room 1 only. Gift shop on site. There is no mobile phone signal and only limited public Wi-Fi.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The mansion can be hired for filming, photoshoots and paranormal events.

Plan your visit