2008 Summer Events Programme
(for information on our 2007/8 winter programme click here)

Thursday May 8th 7.30pm. Inns and Traffic in the Coaching Age
(NOTE CHANGE OF DATE) The second of Nicolas Herbert’s talks (see February's talk) on the development of roads. Speaking within a great coaching inn, Dr Herbert will talk about the highly competitive stage coach services, the prestigious mail-coach system and the network of freight carriers in the golden years before the canals and railways came.

At the Bear of Rodborough: Cost £5.00 at the door. Tea and Coffee will be available afterwards.

Sunday June 22nd 2.30pm Bourne Mill, Brimscombe
UPDATE; this is now POSTPONED until Sunday September 14th 2.30pm - see below for details.

Sunday August 10th 9.00am to 6.00pm Eton College and Dorney Court
Eton, the oldest school in the country, is famed for its fine buildings, especially the magnificent chapel. A private guided tour has been arranged and afterwards there will be lunch in the Senior Common Room. In the afternoon we will visit the naerby Dorney Court, one of the 'finest Tudor Manor houses' in England. Grade I Listed, it is still owned and occupied by the Palmer family, who have lived there for 450 years. Cream teas will be available.

Price £28.00 to include the guided tour of Eton College, entrance to Dorney Court with guided tour and coach travel.
See note on lunch costs below. To book see below.

Lunch costs: We are awaiting confirmation of the price of lunch as the catering manager is away at the time of writing - but it should be in the region of £10.00 - to be collected on the day.

Sunday September 7th 2.30pm - 5.00pm An Afternoon in Nailsworth
Our walking tour starts with a look at Nailsworth's new Design Strategy and a discussion with local residents. From there we take a circular walk along Brewery Lane into the Newmarket Valley to observe the impact of change form old industry to new housing and the resultant pressures on infrastructure. Our guide will be Nailsworth architect and Civic Society Committtee member David Austin. The walk ends at his fascinating eco-house, designed by him and with a garden planted by his wife Elly Austin. There will be tea and cakes to finish the afternoon.

Price £3.00 to be collected on the day. Please telephone 01452 770263 to reserve a place as numbers will be limited.

Sunday September 14th 2.30pm. Bourne Mill, Brimscombe
(postponed from J une 22nd) A guided tour of the historic Bourne Mills at Brimscombe. Two handsome 19th century mills, long neglected, have recently been beautifully restored by their current owners Mr & Mrs Hart of Noah's Ark. Mr Hart will give us a tour around the mills and explain the problems of restoring these historic buildings. Ian Mackintosh will explain something of the complex's long and varied history, sited next to Brimscombe Port and by the railway, canal and river. tea and cakes available.

Admission by pre-booked ticket only - £5.00 - see below for how to book.

Friday October 3rd Visit to Lower Mill Estate, Cotswold Water Park
ADVANCE NOTICE: We are very lucky that Jeremy Paxton, the developer of this amazing eco-estate extraordinaire, is arranging the first ever public visit - for us. You may have seen articles in the newspapers about the exciting modern houses there and the new £7.2 million 'Ordchid House' now being built.

EVENTS BOOKING INFORMATION:
All bookings should be sent to Juliet Shipman, Rose Cottage, The Street, Eastcombe, Glos GL6 7DN 01452 770263. Cheques payable to Stroud Civic Society. Please enclose SAE.

Back to to current events listing

Previous events in our 2007/8 winter season:

January: Great Monastic Barns – the Cathedrals of the medieval farm. James Bond, author of ‘Monastic Landscapes’ gave an illustrated talk on some of the magnificent barns that still survive, including Frocester (which we plan to visit in the summer).

February: Travel and Transport in Georgian Gloucestershire: The first of two talks on Roads, Travel and Inns in the Coaching Age by Nicolas Herbert (editor VCH Gloucestershire 1970-2003). In February Dr Herbert described the evolution of roads, from narrow lanes sunk into the limestone or meandering open tracks on the hilltops, to the creation of the Turnpike Trusts (and the problems they caused) and the development of professionally-engineered roads, which helped our local towns to grow. The second talk is in April (see below).

March: The Wreckage of Stroud: Our AGM was followed by a short illustrated talk by Tim Mars, a member of the committee, on his involvement with the new Public Realm Strategy. Tim surveyed the wreckage of Stroud and what can be salvaged, looking at some of the problems he thinks the new strategy could, and hopefully will, address (and he told us what it all means).

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