Clearwell Castle is an 18th‑century Gothic Revival country house in the village of Clearwell in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. The approach is via a tree‑lined drive leading to a portcullis and turreted frontage, with lawns, terraces and surrounding woodland giving it a classic romantic‑castle setting ( I mean just look above!)
 
The house was begun in 1727 for Thomas Wyndham and is recognised as one of the earliest Georgian Gothic Revival “castles” in England, predating Strawberry Hill by over two decades. I have also painted Strawberry Hill.
 
Interesting fact…
Surprisingly for such a romantic location Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Bad Company, Queen, among other rock legends have stayed here. It actually housed a recording studio in the 1970’s.
In fact Black Sabbath began writing and recording parts of “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” there, and guitarist Tony Iommi later claimed to have seen a ghost in the building during those sessions (maybe that was the drugs!)