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Woodchester Park
Beautiful secluded wooded valley
Tinkley Lane, near Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, GL10 3UH
Important notice
There are high winds forecast all day on Saturday 23 of November and the early hours of Sunday 24. We advise you not to walk in the woods during this time.
Opening times for 22 November 2024
Asset Opening time Buckholt car park Dawn - Dusk Tinkley Gate car park 09:00 - 16:00 Tinkley Gate café 10:00 - 15:30 MTWTFSS282930311234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829301OpenPartially openClosedCafé
The café is available at the Tinkley Gate entrance to the park. The café at Woodchester Mansion (not NT) is open on mansion open days and more information can be found on their website. For more information on the Tinkley Gate cafe menu and serving times, view our article 'Eating and Shopping at Tinkley Gate'
Dogs allowed
Keep dogs on a lead at all times.
Car park
Pay and display parking is £3 for non-members. The pay and display machine accepts coins only. Parking is free for National Trust members after scanning your card. Tinkley Gate car park accessible from Tinkley Lane. Buckholt car park accessible from Nympsfield road, 300 yards from junction with B4066. Last admission to car park one hour before closing.
Toilet
Toilet facilities are available at the café at the Tinkley Gate entrance to the park. Toilets available at Woodchester Mansion (not NT) on mansion open days.
Uneven and undulating ground - steep in places. Poor mobile signal. Designated Blue Badge parking. Assistance dogs welcome.
Accessible toilet
Accessible toilet available at the Tinkley Gate entrance to the park.
Powered mobility vehicle available
We have an all-terrain mobility scooter (tramper) available on-site to borrow during your visit. Book in advance - please call 01453 860037 for more information - visit the second hand book store once you arrive to collect.
Level access to food outlet
Level surface and tarmac path up to the café. There is a small lip on the doorway to get into the café.
Ramped access/slopes
Paths can be steep and uneven so walking shoes or boots are recommended. Pathways are rough with varying gradients including steep in places.
By road
For Tinkley Gate entrance - from Stroud direction, follow the A46 into Nailsworth. At the roundabout, take the third exit onto Nympsfield Road. Continue up the hill, and follow Tinkley Lane for half a mile. The entrance to Tinkley Gate is on your right. From Bath direction, follow the A46 into Nailsworth. At the roundabout, take the first exit onto Nympsfield Road. Continue up the hill, and follow Tinkley Lane for half a mile. The entrance to Tinkley Gate is on your right. For Buckholt car park - off B4066 Stroud to Dursley road
Parking: Pay and Display £3 all day (NT members park for free), no change given from ticket machine.
Sat Nav: For Tinkley Gate carpark use GL10 3UH. For Buckholt carpark, follow the brown signs from the B4066. The postcode does not take you to the car park.
On foot
The Cotswolds Way goes around the outside of the park, and meets Dursley’s Lantern Way. Find more walks on the Good Journey Map here.
By train
Stroud train station is 5 miles away. Trains run to Stroud from: Cheltenham Spa (30 mins), Gloucester (15 mins), Swindon (25 mins) and also London Paddington. Plan your journey using the Good Journey website.
By bus
The number 65 bus operates between Stroud and Gloucester, with a stop at Tinkley Corner. Most buses in England are offering £2 Single Fares until 31st December 2024. The Good Journey planner will show you if your route is included.
By bicycle
Cycle route National Route 43, the Stroud Valleys Trail goes from Stroud to Nailsworth. Plan your cycle route here.
Car-free
We hold the Good Journey Mark for welcoming car-free visitors. Travel a greener way and enjoy a free hot drink on us when you arrive by bike or public transport. Plan your car-free visit at Good Journey.
Tinkley Lane, near Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, GL10 3UH
Planning your visit
Events at Woodchester Park
During the year, we host several activities for everyone, from outdoor theatre to lawn games, bird walks and nature trails. Find out more on our events page.
Article
Visiting Woodchester Park with Your Dog
Discover how to have a dog-friendly visit to Woodchester Park, including where dogs must be kept on short leads and what facilities are available. Woodchester Park is a two pawprint rated place.
Article
Eating and Shopping at Tinkley Gate
With delicious handmade food, a second hand bookstore, events throughout the year and lawn games at our Tinkley Gate Woodchester site, there's plenty to keep the family entertained for the whole day.
Article
Accessibility at Woodchester Park
Across Woodchester Park, including at our café and facilities at Tinkley Gate, we have several provisions in place to allow your visit with us to be stress free and more enjoyable. This article will tell you more about what's on offer here to help you plan in advance.
Highlights
Tinkley Gate café
Pizzas, focaccias, ice-creams and more in a countryside setting with far-reaching views and plenty of space to play.
Parkland
Tranquil wooded valley with remains of an 18th and 19th-century landscape park and a chain of five lakes.
Woodchester Mansion (not National Trust)
Unfinished, Victorian Gothic mansion where building was halted when the owner, William Leigh, ran out of money. Open seasonally, check the Woodchester Mansion Trust website for dates.
Natural play trail
Stepping logs and balance beams in a woodland setting.
Boathouse
19th-century boathouse believed to have been designed by John Adey Repton, son of landscape designer, Humphry Repton.
Woodchester Mansion café (not National Trust)
Tea-room with indoor and outdoor seating offering hot and cold drinks, cakes and ice cream. Open seasonally when mansion is open. Please check Woodchester Mansion Trust website for details.
Second-hand Bookstore
We have a second-hand bookstore available at Tinkley Gate. In a cosy cabin area, pick a book and take some time to yourself, or why not help yourself to our free walking poles for visitors and backpacks to carry on your walk.
Tramper Hire Available
Working with the Countryside Mobility Scheme, we are very pleased to be able to open up the countryside for everyone thanks to an all-terrain mobility scooter. View our accessibility tab for more information on how to book.
Things to see and do
Article
Things to See and Do at Woodchester Park
Situated in the heart of the Cotswolds, this rich estate boasts walking trails, limestone grasslands and lakes, and more wildlife than you could ever imagine.
Article
Family Friendly Things to Do at Woodchester Park
There's plenty for the whole family to enjoy at Woodchester Park. Find out what activities are available to make the most of your next visit - and discover all the facilities available for families.
Article
Accessibility at Woodchester Park
Across Woodchester Park, including at our café and facilities at Tinkley Gate, we have several provisions in place to allow your visit with us to be stress free and more enjoyable. This article will tell you more about what's on offer here to help you plan in advance.
Spotlight events
Winter events at Tinkley Gate
Join us at Tinkley Gate, Woodchester Park as we hold a number of seasonal and festive events across the winter period. From seasonal, family-friendly animal trails to Christmas o
Eating
Tinkley Gate Café
The café serves a menu specifically developed for the visitors at Woodchester Park and includes wood-fired pizzas, salads, cakes, focaccias and ice cream.
Article
Eating and shopping at Tinkley Gate
With delicious handmade food, a second hand bookstore, events throughout the year and lawn games at our Tinkley Gate Woodchester site, there's plenty to keep the family entertained for the whole day.
Top trails
Trail
Woodchester Park boathouse walk
Follow a trail through the secluded valley of Woodchester Park, home to the remains of a landscape park, a Victorian mansion and five lakes fringed by woodland and pasture.
Places to stay
Woody's Cottage
A traditional Cotswold stone cottage with an external summer room overlooking the Sheepscombe valley.
The Little Fleece
A Grade II listed former bookshop in pretty Painswick with limestone fireplaces and rooftop views.
Newark Lower Lodge
Parkland views of the Newark Park estate and a traditional interior with two log burners.
Upcoming events
Event
Storytelling for under 5s
Join us each week on Monday mornings for story time with our storytelling volunteer. No need to book, available for under 5s and their grown ups!
Event
Hibernation Exploration Trail
Come and learn about some of the animals that we have hibernating at Woodchester Park this winter.
Event
Copper Ornament Workshop at Tinkley Gate
Engrave your own beautiful copper-sheet ornament inspired by natural woodland shapes, all materials and tools provided.
About Woodchester Park
The tranquil wooded valley contains a 'lost landscape' with remains of an 18th- and 19th-century landscape park with a chain of five lakes. Park Mill Pond is the last of these lakes and features a man-made island that is now a heronry. Large carp can also be seen in the waters.
Secreted away in the surrounding woodland, you'll find an old Boat House, built in the early 19th century. It was restored in 1998 and bats now roost in the roof space, emerging at dusk to hunt over the lake. The wood also hides a disused quarry, which was in use until the early 1900s and provided stone for the Woodchester Estate.
The restoration of this varied landscape is an ongoing project. Waymarked trails (steep in places) lead through picturesque scenery, passing an unfinished Victorian mansion (not National Trust).
History
Article
History of Woodchester Park
Discover why an unfinished Gothic mansion stands on what was once the epitome of a country gentleman’s playground and the treasures that lay hidden in the garden for years.
Our work
Article
Our work at Woodchester Park
On the surface all may appear calm and tranquil, but behind the scenes we’ve been beavering away to return the park to its 19th century glory.
Volunteer with us
Search for live volunteering opportunities, or register your interest with Woodchester Park.
Project
Project
Stroud landscape project
Across Gloucestershire, we’re working as part of the Stroud landscape project, aiming to reverse the decline of rare wildlife species including the Greater Horseshoe bat.