Hotels near the Stanway House

Picturesque Stanway House in Gloucestershire, built between 1580 and 1630 of mellowed Cotswold stone, is a beautiful place to spend a leisurely afternoon. The 18th-century water garden boasts a majestic 70-foot single jet fountain.

After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s when Henry VIII destroyed the power of the English Church and they were forced to relinquish their extensive properties and wealth, the house - which had belonged to Tewkesbury Abbey - was leased to a Richard Tracy MP, who redeveloped it. Since further renovations in 1630 it has remained untouched.

Children enjoy playing in the landscaped gardens, where they can feed the ducks and muck about beside the cascade and three ponds. A wonderful walk from beside the house leads to Wood Stanway, one of the most beautiful and unspoilt villages in Gloucestershire.