Boasting some 5,000 years of human settlement the Gloucestershire town of Stroud is a fascinating place to visit. First settled by peoples of the Neolithic period, who practised agriculture in the areas around Stroud, and an ancient barrow (Hetty Pegler’s Tump) gives evidence of their time here, and dates from around 2,800 BC. Two of the finest ancient burial grounds in the region, Uley Bury and Nympsfield are also close by. Much later during the Industrial Revolution, Stroud became important for cloth production, and its perfect location for the powering of water mills, was a significant factor in this. Rainy weather brought a deluge of water from the Fibe Valleys, which meet at Stroud, and this power was well utilised in the production of woollen cloth for which the area became well known. Only 2 woollen cloth mills remain from 150 which once stood here, a sign of the ever decreasing industrial production of both Stroud and England in general. Among places to visit in Stroud are the Bank Gardens, the Church of St Lawrence, the Cornhill Market Place, Sim’s Clock and the Museum in the Park. Stroud is situated south of Gloucester and Cheltenham and is around eighty five miles from London.