Cowley Manor Experimental takes away days, board meetings, team-building programs, private dinners and weddings for groups of 10 to 150 guests, and the whole house can be hired exclusively with its 36 bedrooms. The manor stands in 55 acres of gardens, lake and natural springs in the village of Cowley, Gloucestershire, a few miles south of Cheltenham in the Cotswolds.
Seminars and company events
Meeting rooms seat up to 18 around a boardroom table or 40 in theatre style. They come with a TV with HDMI or Mac adapter, WiFi, a flipchart, stationery and tea and coffee. The boardrooms have daylight and look out over the lake. The Study takes 14 at a boardroom table, beside a historic desk associated with Mr Horlick, with direct access to the terrace. Three further rooms in the main house can be set up as meeting spaces or private dining rooms. Away days, corporate meetings and team building are offered, and a group can end the working day at the spa or by the pools.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings use the lake, the gardens and the terrace, and an exclusive hire gives the couple and their guests every bedroom along with the restaurant, bar, lounge and games room. A wedding brochure can be downloaded from the website. Birthdays and other milestone parties are hosted too, from small dinners to full takeovers of the house.
Rooms and capacities
The Garden Room holds up to 30 guests, with its own terrace area, a link to the Games Room and views over the lake, the gardens and St Mary's church. The Study seats 14 for a meeting or a private dinner. The Library takes 10 for cocktails or relaxed seating and opens onto the terrace and gardens. The restaurant seats 84, or 100 with the Marble table, and the restaurant, bar and terrace can be privatized on their own.
Accommodation
The 36 bedrooms range from the Wildflower and Petite Cowley rooms to the Treehouse, the Water Lily, the St Mary Suite and the Grand Cowley Manor Suite. With an exclusive hire, every room goes to your group.
Catering
Restaurant Cowley Manor, led by chef Jackson Boxer, serves French-inspired cooking with local influences and a menu that follows the seasons, in a wood-paneled dining room. Groups of eight or more choose a three-course menu, a family-style feast or a buffet. The Experimental Cocktail Club Cotswolds, with a fireplace and a terrace, and the Pool Bar handle drinks.
History and setting
The house carries about 300 years of history and is a Grade II listed building. Designer Dorothée Meilichzon reworked the interiors while keeping original details. The C-Side Spa has a 15 meter heated outdoor pool and a 17 meter slate-lined indoor pool, both open all year, and a refurbished gym is announced for autumn 2026.
Getting there
Cheltenham is a short drive away, with trains from London, Birmingham and Bristol at Cheltenham Spa station. London is about two hours by car.
