Wickham Grange, St Mary's, Chalford, Stroud, Gloucestershire. GL6 8PP

Wickham Grange is situated in one of the deep valleys (five in all) which converge on Stroud.  In the immediate vicinity are opportunities for walking, horse riding and cycling through the winding country lanes to visit hidden Cotswold villages, without even getting into your car.  

Between the valleys are the hills and plateaux which combine to make the unique scenery of this area.  Minchinhampton, Rodborough and Selsey Commons lie together on the edge of the escarpment, and the views from the edge of the escarpment down over the Severn Vale towards the Brecon Beacons are not be missed.  Windy days especially can be appreciated with the lightest of kites. 

Stroud itself was the centre of the production of wool in the eighteenth century, and many of the buildings and names around the area bear witness to this.   During the year there are numerous opportunities to visit some of the old mills, regrettably none of them now working, but many of them having working machinery which is demonstrated on these occasions.  The annual Stroudwater Textile Festival acts as a forum both to celebrate the textile heritage of the area, and combines this with a ‘celebration of what is new in textiles and design’.  Added to this is the annual arts event when a large number of local artists open their houses for visitors to view their work

Although William Morris was not born in Stroud, his influence was felt by other craftsmen who were based in the area.  Creating artistic and functional work, men such as Ernest Gimson, Peter Waals, and the Barnsleys worked in the district at the end of the nineteenth century.  Examples of their work are still seen around the area, and the legacy of these craftsmen lives on in the form of the Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsmen with its permanent showroom in Painswick, as well as exhibitions elsewhere in the county.