Westbury-on-Severn

Westbury-on-Severn sits where the flat, fertile Vale of the River Severn gives way to the wooded hills of the Forest of Dean, a village strung along a lane between the water meadows and the trees. The Severn itself forms the parish's eastern and southern boundary here, a wide, brown, tidal river prone to one of nature's odder spectacles, the Severn Bore, which can be watched surging upstream from various points nearby. Historically the village looked to the river for its living, with a wharf and a ferry crossing to Framilode on the opposite bank, and orchards and market gardens filled the surrounding vale, a legacy still visible in the fruit trees dotted around the parish today.

The village itself is modest and unshowy, a scatter of houses along the main street with a scattering of timber-framed and brick buildings, some dating back centuries. Its centrepiece, both visually and historically, is the pairing of the parish church and its detached bell tower, standing apart from each other in a way that puzzles first-time visitors and points to a site with roots going back to the Crusades. Just beyond the churchyard lies the reason many people find their way to Westbury-on-Severn in the first place: a National Trust water garden that is one of the most important surviving examples of its kind in the country.

Top things to do in Westbury-on-Severn

Westbury-on-Severn rewards a slow, unhurried visit, whether that means a wander through a historic garden, a walk beside the river, or a drive into the Forest of Dean that begins just a few miles up the road.

• Westbury Court Garden — A National Trust property and a rare survival of a late 17th-century Dutch water garden, laid out from 1696 with long formal canals, clipped yew hedges and a restored walled garden planted only with varieties known before 1700. It was the Trust's first garden restoration project, begun in 1971, and the parkland's black poplars are among the tallest and oldest the Trust cares for.
• St Mary, St Peter and St Paul's Church and its detached tower — An unusual arrangement of a 13th-century parish church standing separate from its own bell tower, built as a watch tower around 1270 with a striking wooden spire, sheathed in oak shingles and recently re-clad. Cromwell's troops are said to have stabled horses here during the Civil War.
• The River Severn and the Severn Bore — The tidal river forms the village's boundary, and stretches nearby offer some of the best vantage points in the county for watching the Severn Bore surge upstream on the right tides, alongside quieter riverside walks and views across to Framilode.
• Forest of Dean — One of England's oldest and largest ancient woodlands begins just a short drive north-west, offering way-marked walking and cycling trails, sculpture trails, Puzzlewood, and the deep gorge scenery around Symonds Yat.
• Newnham-on-Severn — A short hop along the riverbank road, this small Severn-side town has a handsome high street, a church with sweeping river views, and a good spot to pick up the Severn Way long-distance footpath.
• May Hill — Rising to the north of the village, this National Trust hilltop, topped with its distinctive clump of pine trees, gives panoramic views across the Severn Vale, the Malverns and into Wales on a clear day.
• Westbury Brook Ironworks and Forest of Dean mining heritage — The wider Forest of Dean holds the remains of a centuries-old free mining tradition, with old iron and coal workings, scowles and disused railway lines to explore within easy reach.

Getting to Westbury-on-Severn

Westbury-on-Severn sits just off the A48 between Gloucester and Chepstow, around 9 miles south-west of Gloucester and a similar distance from the market town of Newent. The A48 gives easy onward access to the Forest of Dean towns of Newnham, Lydney and Coleford, and connects to the M50 and M5 near Gloucester for routes further afield. The nearest mainline railway station is Gloucester, which has regular services to Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff and London Paddington; from there, Westbury-on-Severn is a short onward drive or taxi ride, as the village itself is not on the rail network. Local bus services run along the A48 corridor linking the village to Gloucester and the Forest of Dean, though a car is the most practical way to explore the surrounding countryside at your own pace.

Best time to visit Westbury-on-Severn

Westbury Court Garden opens from mid-March to late October, so the spring and summer months are the obvious window for combining a visit to the garden with the surrounding countryside, with the walled garden's fruit trees in blossom in April and May and the formal canals at their prettiest through summer. Late summer and early autumn bring warm, quieter days for river walks and Forest of Dean trails before the crowds of school holidays fully arrive, while autumn colour in the Forest of Dean, from late September into November, is one of the most dramatic seasonal displays in the region. The Severn Bore is a year-round draw, but the biggest bores tend to occur around the spring and autumn equinoxes, so those planning a trip specifically to watch it should check tide tables in advance. Winter is quieter still, with the garden closed, but it suits those after a peaceful countryside break and cosy pub stops rather than an activity-packed itinerary.

Where to stay in Westbury-on-Severn

Accommodation directly in the village is limited, reflecting its size, so many visitors base themselves in nearby Gloucester, Newnham-on-Severn or one of the small towns fringing the Forest of Dean, all within a short drive. Bed and breakfasts and farmhouse stays are dotted around the Severn Vale and Forest of Dean, often set on working farms or in converted period buildings, while Gloucester offers a wider choice of hotels for those wanting more facilities or a base for exploring the wider county, including the Cotswolds to the east. Self-catering cottages crop up in the villages around Westbury-on-Severn and along the Severn Vale, well suited to longer stays exploring both the river and the forest, and for something more rural, the Forest of Dean has an established network of countryside inns with rooms.

Food and drink in Westbury-on-Severn

The village's own pub, the Red Lion, has served the community from its corner spot on the main street for well over a century, a traditional stop for a pint after a visit to the water garden or a riverside walk. Apple Orchard Campsite, just outside the village, runs a café and tea room using local produce, popular with both campers and passing visitors. For a wider choice, Newnham-on-Severn and the Forest of Dean towns nearby offer a good spread of country pubs, cafés and restaurants, many making the most of local Gloucestershire produce, from Forest of Dean venison to Severn Vale fruit and Gloucester Old Spot pork, while Gloucester itself has a full range of restaurants, cafés and its historic docks for a change of scene.