We are very pleased that after a break of a few years we will be running an outing this year.
Our summer visit will be on 22 July at 10.30am to Woodchester Mansion, a house like no other, an amazing unfinished Grade I listed Gothic Revival masterpiece, near Nympsfield.
We look forward to welcoming you to this private tour of Woodchester Mansion, near Nympsfield, five miles south of Stroud. Come along and meet fellow branch members and guests for the tour. You might want to bring a picnic for after the tour and/ or the café will be open. The Mansion is a unique and amazing Grade 1 listed Victorian Gothic house hidden in a beautiful Cotswold valley. It is an unfinished masterpiece. Building started about 1857, but stopped in the mid-1860s so floors and ceilings are missing, walls not plastered and windows unglazed. All the secrets of the construction of the Mansion are visible – something visitors will never see in another country house. The principal architect was a young local man called Benjamin Bucknall, and both he and his patron, the wealthy William Leigh, were admirers of the important French architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc. There is a strong French influence in the style of the house which also makes Woodchester slightly different from other buildings of its type and time. In addition, Leigh was a perfectionist who exerted a strong and active influence on all the work he undertook, so the quality of the craftsmanship in the house is very high. The seclusion of the Mansion has contributed to its survival, but makes it hard for some visitors to find. Woodchester Mansion, Nympsfield, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire. Telephone 01453 861541. Please read all the instructions (on the form below) if you are not familiar with the area! Details and booking form are below.
The cost is £10 per person for a private tour. Please book by Monday 12 July.
Details of the mansion can be found at – Visiting Us | Woodchester Mansion