Directions and How to Get There
Once you’ve arrived at Owlpen Manor, you’ll find plenty to explore nearby. The manor is set in its own quiet valley, so having a car makes it much easier to get around. See our page on the local area and things to do, if you’d like!
Local taxi companies are available and are a good option if you are looking to stay somewhere close by on the night of the wedding. These need to be booked in advance, as services can be limited in rural areas! See our pages on accommodation and our Q&A for more information about local options and event timings.
By Car
Driving is the easiest way to reach Owlpen Manor, especially if you want the flexibility to explore the Cotswolds. From London, the journey takes about 2.5 hours via the M4 motorway: exit at Junction 18 (Bath/Stroud) and follow signs through Tetbury towards Uley. From Bristol, it’s around a 45-minute drive via the M5 or A38. Visitors coming from Birmingham can reach us in just under 1.5 hours by taking the M5 south. On arrival, follow signs for Uley village — Owlpen Manor is well signposted locally, with parking available on site.
By Train
The nearest train stations are Kemble (about 25 minutes by car), Stroud (15 minutes), and Stonehouse (20 minutes). Direct services run from London Paddington to Kemble and Stroud in around 90 minutes. From Bristol Temple Meads, trains to Stroud take roughly 40 minutes. Taxis are usually available at these stations, but booking in advance is recommended. Local car hire is also an option if you’d like more independence during your stay.
By Bus and Coach
National Express coaches run from London Victoria, Birmingham, and Bristol to Gloucester and Stroud, where you can connect with local buses or taxis. Stagecoach runs regular bus services between Gloucester, Stroud, and Dursley, with stops in nearby towns. However, as Owlpen is tucked away in a rural valley, the closest bus stops are still a few miles from the manor, so onward travel by taxi will usually be needed.
From Airports
For international visitors, the most convenient airports are Bristol Airport (around 50 minutes’ drive) and London Heathrow (just under 2 hours by car). From Heathrow, you can take the RailAir coach to Reading, then catch a direct train to Stroud or Kemble. From Gatwick, there are direct trains into London Paddington, where you can connect with services to the Cotswolds. Car hire is available at all major airports and is often the simplest option for reaching the manor.
Owlpen Manor
Owlpen (locally pronounced “Ole-pen”) takes its name from Olla, a Saxon thegn who established an enclosure here by the natural springs in the ninth century.
The surrounding hills are rich in archaeology, with prehistoric barrows, standing stones, and the great Iron Age hillfort of Uley Bury, with sweeping views across the Severn Vale to the Welsh hills. Nearby is Hetty Pegler’s Tump, one of the best-preserved Neolithic long barrows of the Cotswold-Severn group. Between the manor and Uley Bury lies the site of a Romano-Celtic temple (4th century A.D.), where the celebrated head of Mercury — now in the British Museum — was discovered, alongside numerous ritual offerings.
By the late 12th century, the de Olepenne family had been settled here for generations, holding the manor for nearly 300 years. Loyal allies of the powerful Berkeley family of Berkeley Castle, they served as executors, witnesses to charters, and even joined their campaigns abroad. Their residence at Owlpen was unusual for the time, as many landowners did not live permanently on their estates.
The estate itself has an unbroken history stretching back nearly a thousand years, linking Owlpen to notable families, estates, and cultural figures across the West Country, Ireland, and beyond.
We will be getting married in the historic Cyder Barn, built in 1446, where massive oak cruck beams and a traditional cider press still dominate the interior.
Dating back to 1450, the Owlpen manor and estate sits in a secluded valley once described by poet Algernon Charles Swinburne as “a paradise incomparable on earth.” It is shaped by the Ewelme stream and tucked beneath the Cotswold escarpment.