Cotswolds: A history and guide to Woodchester and Selsley.

'An indispensable guide and companion if you are travelling, taking a holiday, a short break or just interested in the English Cotswolds'

* Can I recommend reading Hunters of Longtree - A Cotswold Tale written by David Walker. This wonderful tale is set in Woodchester. Published by Orpheus Press in 2003, it can be ordered on amazon.co.uk or from bookshops quoting ISBN 0-9540366-0-3.
* Currently we are averaging 25,000 hits a month and have a multitude of links across the world.
* the site was featured and linked on the BBC.
* this site was written up in the Stroud News and Journal.
* the Daily Telegraph has a link.
* and whilst no major changes are being made, minor updates are added frequently.

Deep in the heart of England's Cotswolds, two villages enjoy a connection with William Morris, St Paul, King Arthur, Roman governers, the woollen industry, and one of England's most haunted and scariest houses. Selsley and Woodchester are steeped in a history that stretches across five thousand years: from the earliest migrant populations to history that is still being made today.
Here lies a fascinating tale and one that, without exaggeration, can truly claim to be unique. It is a sweeping history of England that can still be seen today, requiring only a stout pair of shoes, a strong pair of lungs (and a good heart if you're fascinated by ghosts).

If you have specific queries, research or media requests, please contact the author by e-mail.

We can also arrange bespoke, informative, imaginative and literate guided tours of the area, Woodchester Mansion, and Roman Gloucestershire.

graham thomas for more information.

Woodchester: Romantic industrial scenery. Old mills, clothiers' houses, Southfield Mill House the most interesting. The Cottage Improvement Society has done much good in preserving the village (e.g. Court Cottages, Selsley Hill). Site of a large Roman villa; a mosaic pavement situated in the old churchyard is uncovered every ten years or so. New church by Teulon. Dominican Priory and church by Charles Hansom, 1846; thoroughly Puginesque.
Woodchester Park situated in a secluded valley about three miles long with a chain of lakes and well wooded. Unfinished house designed by Benjamin Bucknall, translator of Viollet-le-Duc c.1858. Only inhabited by birds and bats.
Selsley: Church dramatically set on the side of a steep slope by Bodley, 1862, in his French Gothic style with complete set of earliest Morris glass windows; Burne-Jones, Philip Webb,
Rossetti and Ford Maddox Brown.
David Verey, 1971 Shell Guide.

The 'Multi Media' map, which can be linked below, also provides details of accommodation in the area.
Map of Woodchester and Selsley.

Woodchester Historical Society is an informal group of local residents who are interested in the history of the area. We carry out local research and hold 4 meetings a year with a speaker either from outside or within the group. The remaining meetings for 2006 are listed below:

Current Research
The WHS is building a database of everyone who has lived in the village since 1838. Sources include:
1)    transcriptions of the censuses from 1841 to 1881,
2)    births, death and marriage records,
3)    the 1838 tithe map key,
4)    apprenticeship records from the Bridges charity.
So far they have almost completed linking together the evidence from 1838 to 1861. At present this is not in a state that could be published, but they would be happy to search through if someone was carrying out specific research.
One of their members is investigating and recording the structure of old local houses to enable him to build up a chronology of the construction.
The group also provides a focus for research on other local topics.
For further information contact mike.warnes@tiscali.co.uk

Web has site of historic interest
A website dedicated to the history of Woodchester and Selsley has now been launched.
The site, which deals with life in the villages from the Neolithic period to the modern day, was set up by Woodchester man, Graham Thomas.
The site has taken him more than a year to compile and has over 40 pages of information on Woodchester Roman Villa, the William Morris stained glass window in Selsley Church and myths and legends from the villages.
"When I was in Woodchester I started writing a history of the village as I was involved with the mansion and its story stimulated me to look at the village as a whole," said Mr Thomas.
"As where I lived straddled both the parishes of Woodchester and Selsley I decided to combine their stories; in any case the two have always been very much interlinked.
"Technology has taken over since I first embarked on the project and it seemed to be more sensible to publish on the web with its global access rather than just restrict it to a book."
The site could also be updated as he received more information he said, which made it more valuable than a book.
Parts of the villages' history were of national importance, claimed Mr Thomas.
"Sometimes it is very easy to overlook the depth and breadth of history that is around us," he said.

"I just want to let you know how much I enjoyed reading through your web pages about Woodchester and Selsley. My husband and I moved to South Woodchester in December 1998 and live in the High Street. We managed to find some history about our village in the library and even uncovered an old photo of our house when it was a shop. I feel very honoured to live in such a historical village. I never realized that there was so much history to Woodchester.
From SV."

"Dear Mr Thomas
Just a quick e-mail to say what a wonderful website. I believe I discovered your website last August when myself and my partner were just about to move into Woodchester (September 1999). Coming from London it was a brilliant source of information then.
The new look site and additions (photos of Woodchester) really brings the site to life.
We have really enjoyed our time in Woodchester and feel it is our home now, especially after becoming heavily involved in the Roman Woodchester 2000 Exhibition (29 May - 18 June) and Special Events Weekend (10-11 June 2000), of which the final demonstration by the Ermine Street Guards making headline news in the local and national papers, but I am sure you probably know all about that. Once again a brilliant and informative website.
With kind regards RB"

A History of Woodchester and Selsley

(all the history of England in just two small villages)

by Graham Thomas FRSA