A Stonehouse construction company has recently undertaken the third stage of the Woodchester Mansion restoration project. Tom Shepherd went along to find out how the work is progressing on the 19th century gothic building which stands in one of the most beautiful valleys in the Stroud district

WOODCHESTER Mansion is one of the finest examples of 19th century Gothic Revival architecture, yet it has remained in an unusual state of incompletion for 133 years.

The aim of the Woodchester Mansion Trust, however, is not to complete the building to make it fully habitable, but rather to repair it back to the state it was left in by the builders in Victorian times.

The tertiary stage of restoration is currently being carried out by John Dorrington Ward and his construction company Ward & Co.

"We started on February 17 and are due to complete our work by Christmas," said Mr Ward.

"Being a local firm we are very pleased to be involved in the project. It is a very high quality building and there was no expense spared by the original designers."

Although it is not completely understood why work suddenly stopped on the building in 1870, the swiftness with which the workers left the site is apparent.

Along with scattered Victorian tools, impressive wooden ladders remain propped against exposed walls and large sections of the house are open to the roof. It is the roof which Mr Ward and his team are working on.

They are repairing the original coverings and overall structure of the western roof, as well as upgrading the caretaker's accommodation and installing an office for the trust, which is currently based in Stroud.

A tea-room is also planned to cater for the summer visitors to Woodchester Park.

Nevertheless, chief executive of the Woodchester Mansion Trust, David Price is adamant the building must not be fully completed.

"If we finished it, it would be a very grand house in the Cotswolds, but here you get to see a house in the process of being built to medieval principles," he said.

"It's a step back in time. If the ceilings and floors were put in, it would lose that magic and mystery.

"And we don't know exactly how they would have finished it. We would be putting 21st century interpretation on what is effectively a 19th century structure."

Designed by Bristol architect Charles Hansom and Benjamin Bucknall, son of a clothier in Rodborough, the mansion was commissioned by William Leigh in the 1850s.

The wealthy Leigh had bought the 4,000 acre estate in 1845, but decided the Georgian house previously occupying the site of the mansion was not to his taste.

Leigh was a devout catholic and set up a catholic school in Nympsfield as well as a monastery in Woodchester.

It has been suggested the mansion was intended to be a refuge for Pope Pius IX at a time when the Vatican was under enormous threat from both internal and external forces.

It is known that the Vatican was looking for a European retreat at the time and England was certainly keen to help the Pontiff.

Historians believe Woodchester Mansion was far too small to accommodate a papal entourage and a combination of financial and personal loss for William Leigh resulted in the abandonment of his colossal building project anyway.

He died in 1873 and his son, known in the district as Squire Leigh, was not driven to complete the project.

The trust is now one of the country's leading conservation bodies, teaching stonemasonry and lime repair methods to craft students.

Prince Charles agreed to become patron of the mansion after a private visit last spring.

And a Prince of Wales craft scholarship scheme is to be established to run alongside the Woodchester programme, sponsored by The Prince's Foundation and The College of Estate Management.

One of the many considerations for Mr Ward and his restoration team concerns the bats at the mansion which is home to four species of the flying mammals.

Since the 1950s Reginald Kelly from Dursley has been observing the colonies, making them the most studied population of British mammals.

"People always think of bats as problematic when building, but we are demonstrating quite clearly you can restore a building and preserve animals," said Mr Price.

Mr Price is also glad to be working with local craftsmen for this particular stage of the restoration.

"I enjoy seeing John using the same techniques used by the Victorian workers. You can imagine stepping back in time," he said.

A large proportion of the Woodchester Mansion Trust's annual income is raised by opening the house to the public at weekends and Bank Holidays during the summer.

With its beautiful lakes and acres of woodland the park is truly stunning and the house a monument to a bygone era of architecture.

The Woodchester Mansion Trust can be contacted on 01453 750455.