Car Hire Stonehouse

Stonehouse enjoys excellent connectivity via the M5 motorway and A419, positioning you perfectly for exploring this historic Gloucestershire market town and surrounding Cotswold countryside. The area experiences pleasant summers averaging 19°C and mild winters around 6°C, while the local population of approximately 7,500 residents maintains that perfect blend of market town character and modern amenities throughout the year.

Stonehouse serves as an ideal base for exploring the southern Cotswolds, offering rich industrial heritage including the restored Stroudwater Navigation canal, historic cloth mills and traditional market square.

Attractions In Stonehouse

Browse market town amenities and canal heritage, featuring historic market buildings, restored canal walks, independent shops, recreational facilities and excellent transport connections throughout the Stroud valleys region.

Coaley Peak

Set high on the Cotswold escarpment, Coaley Peak near Dursley offers magnificent panoramic views sweeping across the Severn Vale to the Bristol Channel and the hills of Wales. This popular picnic and walking spot, accessible 24 hours a day, is steeped in history; it is home to the Neolithic Nympsfield Long Barrow and is located directly on the Cotswold Way. It’s an ideal location for stunning sunsets, with woodlands of wild garlic adding to its natural beauty and historical intrigue.

Selsley Common

Nature’s playground unfolds across this designated Site of Special Interest in Stroud, where the famous “upsy-downsies” terrain creates delightful walking experiences through rolling dips and troughs that have enchanted families for generations. You’ll discover magnificent spring cowslips, rare orchids, soaring paragliders and melodic skylarks, with spectacular valley views on clear days, making this constantly accessible preserve perfect for peaceful picnicking and wildlife observation.

Woodchester Mansion Trust

Architectural magnificence frozen in Victorian times awaits discovery at this stunning Gothic mansion on the B4066 near Stonehouse, where construction mysteriously ceased in 1873 following William Leigh’s death. We highly recommend the included hour-long guided tours that reveal fascinating history and remarkable craftsmanship, with shuttle bus services operating from the National Trust car park and woodland walks providing additional exploration opportunities around historic ponds.

National Trust – Woodchester Park

Woodchester Park is a secluded, beautiful National Trust valley near Stonehouse, known for its “lost landscape” featuring a chain of five tranquil lakes and extensive woodlands with marked walking trails. Hidden deep within is the dramatic, unfinished Woodchester Mansion—a striking example of Victorian Gothic architecture mysteriously abandoned mid-construction. The park is a Site of Special Scientific Interest; its diverse habitats support abundant wildlife, including a significant breeding colony of rare Greater Horseshoe Bats and features conservation-grazing livestock.

Museum In The Park

Cultural treasures and local heritage come alive at this surprisingly extensive museum complex within Stratford Park in Stroud, where excellent displays showcase regional antiquities alongside contemporary art exhibitions in tastefully designed modern extensions. The immaculately maintained gardens and knowledgeable staff enhance your visit experience, with Tuesday through Friday access from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM and weekend hours from 11:00 AM to 4:30 PM, providing flexible scheduling options.

Nympsfield Long Barrow

Prehistoric majesty commands this elevated position along the Cotswold Way, where 5,000-year-old burial chambers offer direct connection to ancient civilisations and breathtaking countryside panoramas extending for miles across Gloucestershire valleys. The ancestral remains and various ceremonial materials can be found in Gloucester City Museum.

Haresfield Beacon & Standish Wood

Cotswold Way excellence showcases beautifully maintained walkways through mature woodlands leading to open areas with exceptional views over the picturesque Stroud Valleys below. You’ll discover multiple convenient parking locations and often encounter the popular Off Road Bean mobile coffee vendor, whose excellent coffee and tempting cakes create perfect refreshment stops during your countryside walking adventures through this stunning natural landscape.

Exploring the broader region becomes effortless when you consider these nearby destinations:

• Randwick
• Stroud
• Cambridge
• Quedgeley
• Dursley
• Bisley
• Wotton under Edge
• Newport

Dunkirk Mill Museum

Industrial heritage springs to life through working waterwheel demonstrations at this captivating heritage museum on Stroud Road in Nailsworth, where enthusiastic volunteer guides operate authentic machinery that recreates the authentic sounds and atmosphere of the regional textile industry. The huge overshot waterwheel, measuring twelve feet wide and thirteen feet in diameter, which was installed in 1855 during the mill’s final major rebuilding as a woollen mill, continues driving historical equipment, providing visitors with genuine sensory experiences that transport them back to Gloucestershire’s important manufacturing past and traditional craftsmanship methods.

The Boathouse

Victorian leisure elegance survives within this picturesque 19th-century structure in South Woodchester, where the Ducie family once enjoyed elaborate boating picnics amid the parkland’s tranquil lake settings. You can admire the architectural beauty from outside, as three different bat species now inhabit this historic building, possibly designed by John Adey Repton, creating perfect photography opportunities within the stunning Woodchester Park surroundings and protected wildlife habitat.

Doverow Hill

Doverow Hill is a modest elevated area near Stonehouse in the Stroud District of Gloucestershire, rising to approximately 143 metres above sea level. Situated close to the hamlet of Westrip, the hill offers pleasant views across Stonehouse town towards the River Severn and the distant hills of the Forest of Dean. The surrounding Doverow Wood adds natural charm to the area and the hill has historical significance to the local community, with the Stonehouse History Group maintaining records and research about its heritage.

Laburnum Park

Laburnum Park, also known as Laburnum Playing Field, is a public recreation ground situated on Laburnum Walk in the heart of Stonehouse, Gloucestershire. The park serves as one of three principal public green spaces in the town and features a children’s play area alongside open playing fields. Located just a short walk from Stonehouse High Street, the park is bordered by the Stonehouse Community Centre and provides an attractive green setting for local residents.