Community Led Tourism Network
Please help us collate information about your area
The Community Led Tourism Network is open to local councils, groups, traders, accommodation providers, volunteers, attractions and venues in Dursley, the surrounding Cotswold Edge and Vale area.
The network recognises that there is a need for the area to develop a co-ordinated and joined up approach towards tourism, to take advantage of new and existing initiatives and opportunities to attract visitors to the area.
The network is community led and currently includes people from Dursley, Berkeley, Wotton-under-Edge, Hinton, Hamfallow, Arlingham, Sharpness and Slimbridge.
Workhas started to develop a Tourism Strategy and as part of this the network isundertaking a parish by parish inventory to record potential unique selling points and tourist related information.
If you or local volunteers, can help us to collate relevant information relating to your area we would be very grateful. The attached template can be used for this purpose (electronic version available). Information should be returned to Dursley Town Council, Jacob’s House, Castle Street, Dursley, GL11 4BS. If you have any questions about the network or require further information please do not hesitate to make contact via email or telephone 01453 547758.
Thank you very much for your assistance
Mike Studden, Berkeley Community Trust
Chair of the Tourism Network
Please tell us which town/parish/village this template covers: Wotton-under-Edge
Please provide information relating to the following categories using the table below. It would be helpful if you could supply key names and addresses wherever relevant:
Industrial heritage (e.g. mills, canals, sites, heritage centres) / Wotton Heritage Centre.Information held on the historic Woollen Industry/ Mills, Cotswold Collotype print-works and a variety of small industries once here.
By 1470, together with Wiltshire and Somerset, Gloucestershire was producing one third of the woollen cloth made in England. This noble manufacture was the backbone of local prosperity for the next 400 years. The cloth industry has shaped the Town that can be seen today.
Historic/famous buildings / Wotton Town Hall
Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin (over 700 years old). The 13th Century Church of St Mary the Virgin, is home to the organ that was originally in St. Martins-in-the-Fields and probably played there by Handel.
Almshouses -17th Century Perry & Dawes Alms-houses' with delightful courtyard and Chapel, two other Alms-houses located in other parts of Town date from the 19th Century,
The War Memorial, Anne Bearpackers and Rowland Hill, Sir Isaac Pitman-house (Blue Plaque).
We also have the Tolsey House; this was given to the Town by the Countess of Warwick in 1595. Its famous clock was erected to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.
A visit to the Heritage Centre in the Chipping Car Park will not only give visitors more historical information, but details of what is going on in and around Wotton.
Sites of interest/monuments/film sets / Tyndale Monument, Newark Park, Chavenage, Brackenbury Ditches, Hawkesbury Monument
Special landscape features (e.g. lakes, hills) / Wotton Hill-Jubilee Pines, Ozelworth Bottom, Tyley Bottom and Waterley Bottom, Westridge Woods, Wimley Hill, Old London Road, Coombe Lakes.
Discovering Wotton under Edge and the surrounding area has been ongoing for over 2000 year. The first travellers camped out in what is now called Brackenbury Ditches (Westridge Woods) and they have been coming ever since.
Walks(e.g. routes, festivals, events, existing leaflets) / Cotswold Way.
Wotton Walking Festival (May)
A wide range of walks are available (info from Heritage Centre and One-Stop-Shop).
Millennium Trail (Town Trail)
Visit the Tyndale Monument on one of our many local walks.
Cycling (e.g. hire, routes, events)
Specialist food & drink (e.g. restaurants, pubs, local ales, produce) / The Swan Hotel, The Falcon, The Royal Oak, India Palace
The Ark Coffee Shop, Relish (Deli), Wotton Farm Shop, Healthfood Store, Singing Teapot, Edge Café, Wotton Coffee Shop.
Anecdotes (historical/current) / Sir Isaac Pitman (creator of Pitman Shorthand) lived in Wotton for a while.
Renishaw took over the old Tubbs Lewis Elastic Factory building (Mill) and expanded from there.
The first documentary evidence of Wotton under Edge is in a Saxon Royal Charter of 940A.D. in which King Edmund of Wessex leased to Edric “four Hides of the land at Wudetun”. Thereafter the Town’s history has always been linked to the fortunes of the Berkeley family. Lady Berkeley obtained a Royal Charter in 1252 for the Town to hold a weekly market and a yearly fair. We still hold those events in one form or another.
Wotton is closely associated with the Berkeleys,,,,,the Grammar School was founded by Katharine Lady Berkeley in 1384.
Kingswood Abbey Gate survives.
Wildlife (e.g. key sites, sightings, birds/animals/plants of interest) / Holywell Leaze, Westridge Woods and Wotton Hill
Accommodation providers(incl. names addresses, contact information, no. beds etc.) / See attached List
Venues/visitor attractions(incl. names, addresses, contact information) / Newark Park (National Trust), Wotton Cinema Wotton Swimming Pool Under the Edge Arts (UTEA) Cotswold Edge Golf Club, Wotton Library, Wotton Heritage Centre-Museum (new exhibitions every 3 to 4 months), Town Hall Teas (every Sunday & Bank Holiday (April-November), Wotton Auction Rooms, an array of various shops including several Gift Shops.
Community Sports Foundation-Sports/fitness facilities.
Key annual/local events(e.g. festivals) / Secret Garden Trail 28/5
Party in the Parc 17/6
Sculpture Trail & Gardens 30/4 -1/5
Wotton Blues Festival 22/9-24/9.
Wotton Arts Festival 28/4 to 7/5/17
Walking Festival – 5/5 to 7/5
St Georges Day Celebration 22/4/17 Market Street 10.30am
Wotton Dramatic Society productions,
Wotton in Bloom (all summer-baskets)
Wotton Firework Display -November 2017
Spring Horticultural Show - April
Wotton Charities Fair – Civic Centre in November
Christmas under the Edge
Wotton Silver Band concerts
Existing material marketing your area to visitors (e.g. leaflets, websites) / Wotton Town Council Website
Town Flyer
Heritage Centre Flyer and Facebook
One Stop Shop-Civic Centre
Wotton under Edge Directory (publication)
Or watch the video:
Any other information you wish to share / Bowls Club, Wotton Community Sports Foundation sports pitches, sensory walk, weekly Parkrun, fitness suite, Wotton United Church, Catholic Church of the Holy Cross, Oliver Memorial Chapel,
Wotton Parkrun:
Cotswold-Edge Golf Club
Cotswold Way
Newark Park (National Trust)
Wotton Bowls:
Town Hall Teas (in aid of local groups) – every Sunday & Bank Holiday from April to November
Wotton is a Fair Trade and Dementia Friendly Town.
Wotton Auction Rooms
Completed forms should be returned to Dursley Town Council, Jacob’s House, Castle Street, Dursley, Glos. GL11 4BS.
Thank you very much for your help.
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