9 Historical Places to Visit in Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire, with large swathes of its landscape covered by the Cotswolds Area of Natural Beauty (AONB), has seen wars of religion, politics, and power over the centuries. Learn of the heroic Anglo-Saxon queen who fought off the Vikings and the castles and priories that played vital roles in spreading the word of God and protecting royal lands. Discover stories wrapped in the ruins of Greyfriars in Gloucester, and uncover architectural insights at the unfinished Woodchester Mansion as you tour the most historical sites in the county of Gloucestershire.

Starting with Sudeley Castle, the historical place of interest situated in the east of the county, and nestled in the north of the Cotswolds Area of Natural Beauty (AONB). This AONB is famous for its meadows, hills, quaint villages, grandiose estates, and spectacular castles. It has over 400 Scheduled Ancient Monuments and stretches across several counties, with its most northern point reaching Warwickshire and its most southern point reaching Somerset. Sudeley Castle is found among the trees and has been collecting stories of royal residents and power struggles for over 1,000 years.

Between 500 and 798 CE, Roman villas populated the area around Winchcombe, and Anglo-Saxon tribes had settlements in the Severn Valley. In 798, Winchcombe Abbey was founded, but it suffered a great deal of damage in 877 at the hands of the Vikings. Between 969 and 975, secular clerks were replaced with monks by the Bishop of Worcester during a period of Benedictine revival. However, upon the King of England Edgar the Peaceful’s death in 975, the secular priests found more favor with the local community, and consequently the monks were ousted and sent packing.

King Æthelred the Unready first took up the throne in 978, and when his daughter Goda married, he gifted the fine estate and Saxon manor house of Sudeleagh to her and her new husband. Their son managed to retain possession of the estate after the 1066 Norman invasion but lost his earldom. The 1085 Domesday Book records show that Harold de Sudeley was the proprietor of the estate.

In 1139, the now fortified house was seized by King Stephen (r. 1135-54), who used it as a royal garrison. In 1440, Ralph Boteler, a Member of the King’s Household for both Henry V (r. 1413-22) and Henry VI (r. 1422-61), was named Baron Sudeley by the latter king. It was Boteler who built the “Tudor jewel” that the castle is today. He installed a moat that wrapped around two courtyards, which housed servants’ quarters and family residences.

The property then fell under the possession of the royals in 1469, when Boteler was forced to sell the castle to Edward IV (r. 1461-83). Richard III (r.1483-5) later added a Banqueting Hall, which sadly is in ruins today. In 1535, Henry VIII (r. 1509-47) and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, visited the castle during the summer. It was here that plans for the Dissolution of the Monasteries were laid out. Henry VIII’s sixth and surviving wife, Catherine Parr, moved to Sudeley Castle with Thomas Seymour following the king’s death. Edward VI named Seymour “Lord Seymour of Sudeley.” Catherine later died at the castle, aged just 36 years old.

During the English Civil War, the castle saw a three-day siege in 1643 and heavy bombing in 1644. Parliament garrisoned troops there until 1654 before ordering the castle to be made unusable. Sudeley then endured two centuries of neglect before work began in 1837 to begin its restoration. Today, the estate is home to Lady Ashcombe and her family, who continue to work on restoring and regenerating the grounds. Today, the general public can pay to visit the castle and its grounds.

South of Sudeley Castle is a strange-looking mound of earth that comes from the Neolithic period. The mound is actually a chambered long barrow and is known as one of the Cotswold Severn Cairn, as its sibling barrows are similar in shape and are dotted along the River Severn. Man-made creations of this style have been found across Western Europe and date back to 500-400 BCE.

Typically, they were used as burial chambers, and several excavations of similar barrows revealed human remains and artifacts. Excavations at Belas Knap in 1863 revealed the skeletal remains of infants and children, the youngest aged just six months. Bones belonging to pigs and horses, as well as bits of pottery, were also discovered. Belas Knap is over 50 meters long, 20 meters wide, and over four meters tall. It can only be accessed by foot.

Another long barrow worth visiting can be found at Coaley Peak Viewpoint. Nympsfield Long Barrow was also constructed during the Neolithic period. Excavations in 1862, 1937, and 1974 have produced the remains of thirteen people, including a child’s skeleton laid to rest in a stone coffin. The discovery of pottery fragments indicates that the chamber was likely sealed off by the end of the Neolithic period. This barrow still has a clear layout carved into the ground, with stones marking out where the burial chambers would have been. It is free for the public to visit.

3. Visit St Oswald’s Priory, the Possible Burial Place of a Fearless Saxon Warrior Queen

Head into the town of Gloucester (pronounced “glos-ter” or “glos-ta”) to find the ruins of St Oswald’s Priory. Gloucester sat in the Kingdom of Mercia, east of Wales, south of the Kingdom of York and Five Boroughs, west of the Kingdom of East Anglia, and north of the infamous Kingdom of Wessex. St Oswald’s priory was founded sometime in the 880s or 890s by an influential woman named Lady Æthelflæd of Mercia, daughter of King Alfred the Great (r.886-99). Æthelflæd (also spelled “Aethelflaed” and pronounced “ethel-flaid”) was born into a tumultuous period; Vikings were ravaging the country. When she married at 16, she and Æthelred, her husband, found that their newly endowed lands were, in fact, on the front line of all the chaos.

Æthelflæd was the Lady of the Mercians from 911 to 918 and a powerful woman in her own right. She arranged treaties, conducted construction projects, and historians even think she led her own military campaigns. This was rather unusual for a Saxon woman of her time; however, she handled all her tasks with deftness. She earned the name the “Queen of the Saxons” after seeing off a Viking advance in Chester, a town in the north of Mercia. In constructing St Oswald’s Priory, historians have noted how the plans seemed to replicate an Anglo-Saxon cathedral called the Old Minster in Winchester. Originally a Christian cemetery, by 909, the relics of Saint Oswald, King Oswald of Northumbria (r. 634-42), were taken to the priory.

In 2018, a six-meter statue was unveiled of Æthelflæd to commemorate 1,100 years since her death in the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Mercia, Tamworth. It is thought that both Æthelflæd and Æthelred were eventually buried at the priory. By 1066, when the Normans invaded, it had fallen into severe decline. Some repairs were made in the 12th and 13th centuries, and in 1548, it became a place of local worship.

However, the priory met its fate in the English Civil War during the Siege of Gloucester (August 10 to September 5, 1643), where Royal cannons reduced most of the stonework to rubble. By 1653, the priory was almost completely demolished. Today, visitors can access the remains all year round and explore the nearby spectacular Gloucester cathedral, famous for its whispering gallery and magnificent cloisters.

A 10-minute walk away from Oswald’s Priory and into the center of Gloucester town will bring you to another ruin containing the remains of a Tudor friary church named Greyfriars. The “Grey Friars,” also called the “Franciscans,” were responsible for establishing several religious houses around Europe. They were the devout followers of St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), an Italian Catholic saint who founded the religious order in 1209.

Greyfriars was built in 1231 and reconstructed in 1518, which explains its distinctly Perpendicular Gothic style, popular in the 16th century. Like Oswald’s Priory, Greyfriars sustained significant damage during the Siege of Gloucester in 1643. In 1721, the north aisle and nave were the only surviving sections. Houses were built in the 18th and 19th centuries, one of which now serves as a public library. Full access to the area may require payment, as this historic site belongs to English Heritage.

5. Marvel at True Craftsmanship Built Into the Bones of Rodmarton Manor

Leave the center of Gloucester and head south to the county border, back into the Cotswolds AONB, to find Rodmarton Manor. This property is somewhat unique, as it embodies the value of artists and craftsmanship, which have been long celebrated in the area. In a defiant move to push back against the machine-manufactured and overly decadent construction style of the Victorian era, Ernest Barnsley had a different vision for Rodmarton Manor. Everything was done by hand and sourced locally, from the stone and timber to the craftsmen and women who labored on the project. Construction efforts began in 1909, and 20 years later, Rodmarton Manor was complete.

The property pays homage to traditional craftsmanship, while the eight acres of land host a variety of spaces that reflect Ernest Barnsley’s original plans. There is a leisure garden, a walled garden, a topiary, and a terrace. During the summer months, the pathway toward the Summer House is bursting with fragrance and color, owing to an abundance of roses that grow there each year. Visitors can pay to explore the house and gardens, home to the fourth generation of the Biddulph family.

Close to Rodmarton Manor and also situated in the Cotswolds AONB, Chavenage House represents a Cotswolds manor that has not changed in the past four centuries. It was thought to once belong to Princess Goda, daughter of King Æthelred the Unready (r. 978-1013 and 1014-16). Prior to that, records indicate that Chavenage Green was used as a meeting location for the Hundred Court in the 9th century. Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, Augustinian monks moved to the area. By the end of that century, an English Community was established in the wider area of Horsely, where Chavenage sat. In 1320, the administration of the community was moved to Bruton, in Somerset, following a rather severe indiscretion by the Prior. In that century, a few buildings were built in Chavenage, including some parts of the present-day manor.

Following Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries, Lord Seymour of Sudeley, who married the recently widowed Catherine Parr, was also granted the Chavenage estate. However, after Seymour was executed in 1549, Chavenage fell under the Crown’s possession. By 1564, the estate had passed to Edward Stephens of Eastington, who undertook a huge restoration and reconstruction project. He stripped the medieval building down and built it back up into an Elizabethan-style property by adding a porch and two large wings. In the Oak Room, a Gothic-style fireplace has been dated to around 1587-99. In the Great Hall, the chimney-piece is thought to have been constructed years later, around 1625.

During the English Civil War (1641-45), Chavenage House found itself serving as a Parliamentarian stronghold, with the Lord of the Manor raising a regiment on horseback. A young girl at Chavenage was discovered to be secretly dating a Royalist commander who was posted at a nearby Royalist stronghold, Beverstone Castle. She would leave a candle in the window to signify that no attacks were being planned from Chavenage. When this situation was discovered, a candle was placed, drawing away the commander and leaving Beverstone exposed to an attack from Chavenage. Shortly afterward, Charles I was captured, and his execution was scheduled. The Lord of the Manor at Chavenage reluctantly supported the regicide, much to the horror of his daughter, who uttered a curse on her father for tarnishing the family name.

In 1845, the estate passed to the Lowsley-Williams family, with one family member having to change his name to George Williams Lowsley Hoole-Lowsley-Williams. This fantastical name was the result of necessity; George had to add his surname by Royal License to inherit the Lowsley estates. Today, the Lowsely-Williams still retain ownership of the Chavenage estate, which members of the public can visit via reservation only.

Not far from the house at Chavenage is a property offering history enthusiasts a slightly different experience. Tucked away in the Cotswolds AONB, Woodchester Mansion is a Victorian Gothic house that was never quite finished. Consequently, visitors can get a detailed insight into the construction styles of the time. The property was designed by architect Benjamin Bucknall, who emulated French styles that he admired, particularly by Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, a renowned French architect. Prior to 1845, records indicate that settlements existed in the wider area of Woodchester Park as far back as the Roman period.

In 1564, the Crown granted ownership to the Huntleys of Frocester. They set about creating a deer park and building a hunting lodge, which later was adapted into Spring Park Mansion. Frederick Prince of Wales stayed during 1750, and King George III visited the property in 1788. However, it was in 1845 that William Leigh purchased the Woodchester Estate and hoped to improve the now derelict Georgian house that was Spring Park Mansion. His plans were dashed after Victorian architect A. W. N. Pugin condemned the building altogether.

Leigh and his family were devout Catholics and helped to embed the religion into the community. Leigh commissioned Catholic architect Charles Hansom to build a new church and monastery. These projects were completed by 1853. While the Leigh family lived in a gardener’s cottage, works began on the property. Architectural drawings for the present-day Woodchester Mansion have been discovered dating back to 1857. Leigh had inherited the phenomenal sum of £100,000 at just 13 and made further fortunes as a merchant but was now struggling financially. He requested that Charles Hansom take on Benjamin Bucknall, a young and inexperienced architect. Bucknall would later take over the project, with Leigh actively supervising (and micromanaging) each bit of work.

Leigh’s health declined in the last few years of his life, and upon his death in 1873, much of the house was unfinished. His son inherited the property, and, realizing it would cost the earth to build and run, he only made a few improvements. He, too, was plagued by financial problems, and when he passed in 1906, his son took on the estate but died the following year. In 1922, following alterations to the farms, the addition of more buildings, and the modernization of The Cottage, it was sold for £52,500. Leigh had originally purchased it for £170,000.

The new purchaser was none other than Willie’s eldest daughter, Miss Blanche Leigh, who worked hard to ensure that the property returned revenue. Many of the outlying farms were initially sold off; however, she successfully gained possessory title of the 1,000-acre estate. When she died in 1946 and her sister Beatrice in 1949, the Leigh family line came to an end. Sometime in the 1940s, Barnwood Hospital House declared interest in the property; however, after World War II ended and no development plans were realized, it was sold in 1953. In 1988, Stroud District Council purchased the house and 23 acres of surrounding land. Today, the public can visit the property on scheduled open days to learn more about the history of the house and farmlands.

One of the most impressive castles in all of Gloucester is the Berkeley Castle. Situated close to the River Severn, it has been home to the Berkeley family for over 850 years. Considering the bloody, turbulent, and dramatic history of the past millennium, it is astonishing that the castle has stayed in the same family’s hands for so long. Castle archives, art, architectural styles, and even the walls have made it to the 21st century unscathed. Originally, the castle was built to keep the Welsh out, with distinctive defensive designs, including arrow slits and trip steps. The stone has a warm pink color, giving the castle an ethereal, fairytale-like glow when dusk falls.

The Berkeley family can trace their ancestry back to Saxon times, and they have archives dating back to 1154 with over 25,000 documents connected to the estate. Throughout the castle, ceramics, paintings, and tapestries that the Berkeley family has collected all speak to different periods in history. The estate comprises 6,000 acres and is home to a medieval deer park and even a segment of the River Severn. Despite being the intimate home to the Berkeleys, the castle is open to the public, and guided tours of the castle are available.

9. Explore St Briavels Castle, Once a Stronghold for English Kings

Across the River Severn from Berkeley Castle and much closer to the border of Wales sits St Briavels Castle. It was built in the early 1100s, around the same time as Berkeley Castle, with the same purpose: to help with the Welsh and Scottish campaigns. Sometime in 1160, King Henry II (r. 1154-89) built a keep, and in 1292, King Edward I (r. 1272-1307) built the twin-towered gatehouse, two rotund structures that serve as the rather impressive entrance to the castle. The royal stronghold was also strategically situated within the Forest of Dean, which played an important role in the medieval iron industry, with crossbow bolts being produced by the thousands over the years.

By the end of the 1400s, Wales had been conquered, and the castle fell into disuse. Many of the buildings were demolished in 1680, and the castle gatehouse later became a prison for individuals awaiting trials. By the 1750s, the keep had fully collapsed, and some 20 years later, the east tower followed suit. Despite this, the castle continued to perform as a gaol (prison) for debtors right up to the early 1840s. Following restorations in the early 20th century, the castle now serves as a youth hostel and is managed by English Heritage. Visitors can explore the castle grounds and remaining structures for free.