Woodchester Mansion and woodland walk - Miles without Stiles

The Boathouse Walk passes the mansion and includes parkland, woodland, three of the ponds and the picturesque boathouse.

Distance

3.75 miles / 6.04 km

Duration

2 hours

Difficulty

May be steep slopes, moderate fitness

Mobility aid rating

Stile free

Shape

Circular

Start

Address

Woodchester Park, National Trust car park.
View start on Google Maps

OS Grid Ref

SO799014

What3Words

balconies.mocked.bland

Refreshments

Rose and Crown, Nympsfield. Mansion cafe and toilets on open days.

Travel Info

National Trust car park, Woodchester Park, near Nympsfield signed off the B0466 between Dursley and Stroud. (£3 for non members)

Navigation

From the car park follow the path down the steps to a track. Turn R,
and follow the track downhill, ignoring a track on the L, to a gate 1.
Here the track splits; ignore the track on L and continue straight ahead. The track bends to the L and Woodchester Mansion comes into view.

Follow the track to the front of the building where the track splits. (If open, the mansion is worth a look inside). Take the R-hand track and follow it around to a gate. Continue along the valley through another gate and straight ahead.

The track follows the edge of woodland, with Middle pond on the R, to a field gate. Continue as the track turns sharp L, in front of conifers, with the boathouse down on your right.

Follow the track through a gate for 100m; here the track bends sharply R with a footpath on the L. Follow the track for another 100m to a junction with a track on the R 2.

Bear R down the track towards Middle Pond (pink arrow) through a gate. Where the track turns R, turn L down a less well-defined track through reclaimed grassland to a junction.

Turn R along the track and cross the dam to the far side. Turn R through a gate (pink arrow) 3 to another gate immediately ahead. Go through and follow the R hand fence to the far side and a gate. Continue through the gate and follow the path by the edge of the pond to meet steps leading up to the top of the dam of Old Pond.

Cross the dam, with the boathouse on your R then L along a track to a gate. Go through and follow the path to steps leading up to a track. Turn L along the track retracing your outward journey to the gate ahead.

In front of the gate 4 turn R along a track up to the woods. Pass through a gate and follow the track as it turns L and slowly climbs through the wood. The path meanders before it drops to the mansion and close-up views of its rooftops.

Continue along the track down to a junction 1 here turn R to re-join the original track and follow the track back to the car park.