Stroud Civic Society

This is a report on Alec Hamilton’s presentation to the Society on 17th February 2011. Text by Sue Houseago, pictures (mostly inserted below the text) attributed individually. This week’s talk, as our enthusiastic speaker Alec Hamilton confirmed, was to be a brief history of saving churches. We warmed instantly, in[…]

This is a report on the Society’s visit to Croome Park on September 9th 2010, written by Sue Houseago. (pictures by Juliet Shipman and Guy Williams) Stroud Civic Society Scores a First! During a lively visit to Croome Park, Juliet Shipman ensured that we were the first members of the[…]

This is a Report on the Society’s visit to Birmingham on July 4th 2010. Written by John Hatton BIRMINGHAM is a city of the good, the bad and the downright ugly. So the Civic Society’s day out in Birmingham to inspect the architecture was bound to be more challenging than most[…]

This is a Report on the talk given by Richard Bossons at our meeting on March 25th 2010. Report by Nick Miles. Richard Bossons treated members and guests to a very well-presented and informative talk on the restoration and conservation work carried out to the stone corona at Holy Trinity Church, Minchinhampton[…]

May 2009:  The winner of the public poll to find Stroud’s best shop front was announced as more than 60 residents and traders attended Stroud Town Council’s Annual Awards Evening in early May. Walkers Bakery was named as the winner during the evening at St Laurence Church Hall. The shop has undergone[…]

May 2009: Stroud has been nominated in the Great Towns category for an Academy of Urbanism award. The nomination describes the town as: “One of the more authentically gritty and industrial of the Cotswold towns, Stroud has been regenerating itself ‘bottom-up’ in recent years, with some notable success. There is[…]

Stroud’s ‘ugliest building’, Tricorn House, has been empty and derelict for many years. Its prominent position at a major road junction ensures everyone, residents and visitors alike, get a regular view of this monstrosity. © Photo copyright David Gruar and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence. There have been occasional campaigns[…]

Some general notes about Stroud – taken from our original website: The Stroud area has a complicated history and geography, set amongst the valleys of the River Frome and its tributaries, which cut deeply into the Cotswold escarpment south of Gloucester. The ‘five valleys’ have many settlements along their steep sides, and[…]

Stroud Civic Society’s new promotional and membership leaflet is now available for download. Photographs in the leaflet are by acclaimed local photographer Henri Kyriacou. Click here for your copy.

For 2009 the Stroud Town Design Awards scheme was used to promote good shop front design, with the Civic Society nominating five entries to go forward into a public poll run by Stroud Town Council. Attractive, well-maintained streets draw visitors and shoppers to a town and are a vital part of its vitality[…]