Woodchester Mansion is set to receive up to £245,000 from Stroud District Council in support of a long-term plan to protect the unfinished Grade I listed building and secure new heritage funding.
The funding was approved by councillors at the council’s October Strategy and Resources Committee meeting. It is intended to help the Woodchester Mansion Trust continue work on an Expression of Interest and, if that progresses successfully, a full application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The council owns the mansion, while the Woodchester Mansion Trust leases and manages it. The National Trust owns the surrounding Woodchester Park and has been working with the council and the Trust on plans for the site’s future.
Funding will bridge gap between project stages
The council’s latest commitment is designed to bridge the gap between the end of existing grant support in December 2026 and the next stage of the mansion’s development. The money will allow specialist staff to remain in post and continue preparing the heritage-funding application.
The Trust secured a £154,729 grant from the Heritage Fund in 2025, alongside £30,000 in match funding from Stroud District Council. That earlier support has been used to strengthen governance, improve business planning, survey the building and develop proposals for its future. It has also supported wider community engagement around the mansion.
Without further support, the Trust risked losing momentum before the next application could be submitted. The new funding is therefore intended to preserve the progress made during the past year rather than leave a gap between the current resilience project and the next funding phase.
Work delivered over the past year has included updated condition surveys, governance reviews, skills assessments, recruitment of specialist staff and plans for greater community involvement. The next phase will focus on preserving the mansion, improving its long-term sustainability and helping more people access and enjoy the historic site.
Unfinished building has architectural and natural importance
Woodchester Mansion is an unfinished Gothic building whose incomplete state exposes parts of its construction. The Trust’s chair, Rhiannon Wigzell, said its international significance came from its architecture, its use as a place where trainee stonemasons develop their skills and its importance for endangered Greater and Lesser Horseshoe bats.
“The Mansion is a Grade I listed unfinished masterpiece with floors and ceilings missing, unplastered walls, and unglazed windows – what is not there, never was.”
She described the building as unlike any other house because its underlying construction can be seen. The mansion contains examples of high-quality stone carving and craftsmanship by the stonemasons who worked on it, although their identities are unknown.
The building and surrounding park are also recognised for their wildlife value. The site is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its importance to horseshoe bats, including a rare bat maternity roost.
Cllr Chloe Turner, leader of Stroud District Council, said the council had responsibilities arising from its ownership of the nationally important building.
“Woodchester Mansion is a special place: an important part of our district’s heritage and a much-loved local landmark. Not every council is privileged to own a Grade I listed, unfinished gothic mansion, complete with a rare bat maternity roost, and we’re very mindful of the responsibilities that come with that!”
She said the funding would allow work delivered through The National Lottery Heritage Fund resilience project to continue, support preparation of the next application and maintain momentum while longer-term plans are developed.
Cllr Turner also pointed to the partnership between the council, the Woodchester Mansion Trust and the National Trust. The council said the decision supports its commitment to securing a sustainable future for the mansion and enabling more people to access and enjoy the heritage site.
Ms Wigzell welcomed the decision and thanked the council, its officers and councillors, the National Trust and The National Lottery Heritage Fund. She said the latest funding was a significant step towards ensuring the combination of the mansion’s built heritage and the surrounding area’s natural heritage could last for future generations.
When Woodchester Mansion is open
Woodchester Mansion is open to visitors from 11am to 5pm every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until 1 November. The supplied report directs visitors to the Woodchester Mansion website for further information, but does not provide the website address.