Events

Dudbridge Railway Station

by | 26th July 2026 | Events, History | 0 Comments

  I often walk the cycle track below Rodborough Hill, The old Midland Railway spur from Dudbridge, And I often cycle the track on to Nailsworth, Musing on the springs and watercourses, the ancient holloways, The Roman villa, medieval ridge and furrow, the woollen mills, The occasional mill chimney, still rising high into the Stroudwater sky. But, today, I stand at the blue brick retaining wall At the old Dudbridge railway station, Watching the cars career around the roundabout, Drivers mostly oblivious of the history of Dudbridge; But when I ignore the roar of the traffic, And I find my mind’s historical eye, I can see a medieval pilgrim crossing the bridge, A packhorse with Cotswold wool a mile behind. For here I stand by the confluence of two rivers. But also, at the junction of two railway lines: The interface of water power and steam power, The inexorable march of the industrial revolution: Foundries and forges and furnaces And cranes and pulleys and chains and smoke: A century-old pandemonium at Dudbridge, Where once there was an orchard and there is still a Meadow Lane. Carefully cross the road and study the information plaques On the wall at Sainsburys; the clothier’s 1646 doorway too; The inscription at REDLERS from 1910; The information board at Kimmins Mill, Then retrace your steps carefully back to the blue brick wall, And recite these words from T.S. Eliot to yourself: “And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first...
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Sapperton after the Great War

by | Jun 26, 2025 | , | 0 Comments

Sapperton in the 1920s   My grand-dad served throughout the Great War from 1914 to 1918. He was made redundant in 1919, in London, so he and his family moved back towards my grandmother’s home of Stroud. They lived in a Nissen hut by Minchinhampton Aerodrome (today’s...

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STEAM Museum Swindon

by | Jun 25, 2025 | , | 0 Comments

Dear Famous Five, If you want a great day out then you ought to come to the STEAM Museum in Swindon. Because this is what I saw when here today on holiday:   A gift shop, a fire engine, giant locomotive wheels, name plates and numbers, signals, holiday haunts...

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Capel’s Viaduct Stroud

by | Jun 25, 2025 | , | 0 Comments

History at Capel’s Viaduct It’s a great walk down to Capel’s Viaduct, Past old ridge and furrow and tenterhook hedgerows, Teazles here and there to raise your nap, Imagining the patchwork quilt of fields of two centuries ago, Field-names such as Bacon Slad, Calves...

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A Stroud Valleys and Canal Walk

by | Jun 25, 2025 | , | 0 Comments

A Stroud Valleys Railway and Canal Walk   At first glance, it might seem a bit odd to link old railway stations and halts near Stroud with Shelley’s poem Ozymandias. But if I give some famous lines a Dr Beeching tweak then I think you’ll know what I mean: ‘Look...

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The Gauges at Gloucester

by | Jun 25, 2025 | , | 0 Comments

Gloucester ‘On Monday, the Great Western line was opened throughout from London to Gloucester … 114 miles … four hours and a half distance reckoned by time … by ordinary trains; but there is an express train to and fro each day which performs the distance in five...

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