Woodchester Mansion sits on the site of a much earlier Georgian country house called Spring Park. We do not know when work began on the new house, but by 1866 the clock tower was complete and the roof was in place. Workers mysteriously laid down their tools in early 1868 and never returned. Rumours that they were unsettled by several mysterious deaths and one murder have never been substantiated, but refuse to go away. After failing to complete the project, it was destined to become a mental institution, but the Second World War came and Woodchester Mansion became a base for American and Canadian troops. It was during training that several lives were lost when a bridge collapsed, plunging some of the troops into the lake and to a watery grave. Their bodies were stored inside the building and some believe that they haunt Woodchester mansion to this very day.
The original manor house for Woodchester in South West Glousestershire was in the heart of the settlement of Woodchester itself, next to the old church. After a succession of owners the manor was granted to George Huntley in 1564. The expense of creating a huge deer park is thought to have nearly bankrupted the Huntleys and the manor and park were sold to Sir Robert Ducie in 1631. Later generations of the Ducie family decided to build a grand country house and, at the same time, create a magnificent landscaped park out of the deer park. Quite why this site was chosen will forever remain an unknown fact. The steep sides of the valley mean that for much of the year the sun is obscured....read more>>>...