Weaving Along the Stroud Valley

Wool has been associated with the Cotswolds for many centuries. During the Middle Ages the fleece of the 'Cotswold Lion' breed was the most prized in all of Europe. Merchants from many countries despatched their agents to purchase it from the fairs and markets of the wold towns in the northern part of the region - most famously Northleach, Cirencester and Chipping Campden. Woven cloth eventually became a more important export and so the industry moved to the southern Cotswolds, with its steeper valleys and faster-flowing streams, which were well suited to powering woollen mills.

The concentration of mills in the Stroud area was evident by the early 15th century. Indeed, its importance was such that in a 1557 Act of Parliament that restricted cloth manufacture to towns, the villages of the Stroud area were exempted. By 1700 the lower Stroud Valley was producing 30,000 bolts (about 4.59 million sq m) of cloth every year. At this time the spinning and weaving was done in domestic dwellings or workhouses, the woven cloth then being returned to the mill for fulling, roughening and shearing. The mills were driven by the natural flow of the streams but the Industrial Revolution was to bring rapid change. There was great opposition to the introduction of mechanical spinning and shearing machines. This was heightened in 1795 by the development of the improved broadloom with its flying shuttle. The expectation was that, as well as compelling weavers to work in the mills rather that at home, it would bring mass unemployment. Progress marched on, however, and by the mid-19th century there were over 1,000 looms at work in the Stroud Valley. They came with their share of political unrest too, and in 1825 and 1828 strikes and riots had to be quelled by troops. The industry went into decline through the course of the 19th century, as steam replaced water power and it migrated northwards to the Pennines. By 1901 only 3,000 people were employed in the cloth industry, compared with 24,000 in the mid-17th century. Today, only one mill remains.

This walk begins in Chalford, an attractive village built on the steep sides of the Stroud Valley. Its streets are lined with terraces of 18th- and 19th-century clothiers' houses and weavers' cottages. On the canalside the shells of woollen mills are still plentiful.

The 18th-century church contains fine examples of craftsmanship from the 'Arts and Crafts' period of the late 19th century. Nether Lypiatt Manor is a handsome manor house now owned by Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Known locally as 'the haunted house', it was built in 1702 for Judge Charles Cox. Its classical features and estate railings, all unusual in the Cotswolds, inspired wealthy clothiers to spend their money on the addition of graceful elevations to their own houses.

While you're there

High up on the far side of the Stroud Valley, there are a number of places to go. Woodchester has a well-preserved, Roman mosaic and an unfinished, 19th-century gothic mansion. Rodborough Common is the site of an 18th- and 19th-century fort that was originally built as a luxurious palace by a wealthy wool dyer. At Selsley is a little church filled with stained glass designed by members of the Arts and Crafts Movement.

What to look for

As you walk along the Stroudwater Canal look out for the birds that like to creep among the reeds: moorhens and coots, of course, but occasionally a heron will suddenly launch itself up from out of the undergrowth. Voles and stoats can be seen, and even the occasional adder.

Where to eat and drink

There are two easy possibilities en route: the Ship Inn at Brimscombe and the Ram Inn at Bussage. Only a short distance from Brimscombe is Stroud, which has several restaurants and cafes.