Beyond Ownzone

Ownzone is located in the very centre of Stroud, which is itself in the heart of the Cotswold Five Valleys, close to nearby towns including Gloucester and Cheltenham.

Stroud

Famed for its thriving Farmers’ market, Stroud also boasts plenty of independent shops, galleries and cafes. There is plenty in the town and its surroundings to offer a range of activities to its visitors.

Below is a list of some things you may want to do if you have the time:

Visit the Shambles market, open every Friday and Saturday.

Stroud has a strong industrial heritage, with textile mills still standing along the banks of the canal, so why not take a walk along the Stroudwater Canal towpath, starting your trip from the Visitor Centre.

Visit the Painswick Rococo Garden, only 5 minutes’ drive away.

Stop by the Museum in the Park, which boasts an art gallery, walled garden and a museum telling the story of the local landscape and heritage of the Stroud District.

Take the family out for a picnic or an outdoor swim at Stratford Park Leisure Centre.

Attend an event at the Stroud Subscription Rooms.

Browse work by local artists at the Cotswold Craftsmen Gallery in nearby Nailsworth.

Visit the Pangolin Gallery fort its excellent sculpture and painting exhibitions.

For those who know the area but want to know more about Stroud and its governance, do visit the Stroud District Council website.

If you are able to go a little further afield, why not visit the historic centres of Cheltenham and Gloucester?

Cheltenham

Cheltenham Spa started as a Saxon village, but thanks to its healing waters, it was transformed into a thriving town from the 18th Century. Today, tourism plays a major role in its success and Cheltenham continues to flourish, avoiding much of the economic downturns experienced elsewhere in the country.

Pittville Gardens and Pump Room is a pretty ornamental park. Grade 1 listed, the Pump Room is a monument to Cheltenham’s Spa waters and a fine example of regency architecture.

Montpellier Gardens and District provides both the opportunity to relax in the gardens and shop in the boutique shops nearby. There are also plenty of restaurants and cafes.

The Everyman Theatre hosts a wide range of productions within a most beautiful and architecturally important building.

A short drive away, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway is a great day out. Operated by volunteers, it connects Cheltenham with Broadway using steam and heritage diesel trains on a journey through spectacular countryside.

Gloucester

Gloucester is known as the cathedral city of the Cotswolds, with a history encompassing Romans, Saxons and the Normans. It was here that the Domesday Book was ordered to be written by William the Conqueror and its strategic position at the crossing of the river Severn has ensured a thriving port, predominantly for the transport of cloth, its main industry.

Gloucester docks were opened as a heritage centre in 1988 and are well worth a visit. With a busy retail centre, cinema, restaurants and bars, as well as the National Waterways Museum and river cruises, it is a perfect way to spend a day out.

Other places that should be visited include:

Gloucester Cathedral

Beatrix Potter’s House of the Tailor of Gloucester

The New Gloucester Antiques Centre

St. Oswald’s Priory

The Gloucestershire Arts and Crafts Centre

The Jet Age Museum

There are many more things to see and do in and around Gloucester. For more information, please see Visit Gloucester.

Further afield

There are so many places to visit and things to do, the list below is not exhaustive, just some places we have enjoyed taking a trip to:

Bristol – 45 minutes from Stroud

Cirencester – 30 minutes from Stroud

Broadway  – 50 minutes from Stroud

Stow on the Wold – 50 minutes from Stroud

Tetbury – 50 minutes from Stroud