Cotswold Walks Chalford Stroud Valleys

Another Cotswold Walk this time in Chalford near Stroud in Gloucestershire.
If you have any experience of walking in this area you will know that paths tend to be either going up or going down, there is very little flat walking to be had except in the valley bottoms. Chalford was built on the cloth trade powered by the river Frome. There were six large mills here but also a lot of cottage industries connected to them with weavers and clothiers cottages ranging up the hillsides. Since the raw materials could be bulky and the finished produces heavy the mills and workers used donkeys to transport it up and down the steep paths. In later years when the mills had gone, the locals still used the donkey to carry shopping and groceries, and this continued until quite recently.
The Chalford valley was also the route chosen for the Great Western railway on its route from Cheltenham and Gloucester to London, which was the same destination for the ambitious Thames to Severn Canal which also quietly wanders through here.
Although the walking is a little strenuous at times it is well worth the effort to see this unique hamlet with its alpine feeling of dwellings clinging to the hillsides, and history at every turn.

[@grata2248]

i grew up in bussage, just near chalford, and i went to school at thomas keble school. every year we would do this walk for a sponsored walk, brings back great memories. i really didnt appreciate the beauty of the cotswolds much until now, i really miss that place!

[@ParkinsonsWalks]

Hi Grata, nice to hear from you, glad the film brought back nice memories. Take care. Ron

[@grata2248]

@@ParkinsonsWalks thank you very much Ron, and also great work on the video! All the best my friend!

[@clomojo87]

Ahh gotta love Chalford I lived there for 19 years and now i live in bussage, my parents still live there though! Shame they took the donkey statue down at the top of the hill

[@ParkinsonsWalks]

More Chalford coming up in the not too distant future. Ron

[@adamsell2675]

Absolutely loved this walk! I live in Colorado now but lived in the Chalford Valley forty-odd years ago. Roamed the paths you took, 10, 000 times or more. Still dream of this most beautiful of places. Thank you so much.

[@ParkinsonsWalks]

Glad you enjoyed it Adam, take care. Ron

[@nicholaslewis6065]

Mr Parkinson, your walks are a tremendous comfort in these days of lockdown. I particularly enjoy your snippets of history such as the donkeys and your visits to churches. Your videos deserve a wider audience. Nicholas

[@ParkinsonsWalks]

Thanks Nicholas

[@michaelpilling9659]

Life really is up and down in Chalford. The settling of displaced Flemish Huguenot weavers in the 17th and 18th centuries brought quality silk and woollen cloth manufacturing to the valley. In came the canal and then the railway. A gorgeous walk. You were very informative. I certainly learnt a lot about what i was looking at. A marvellous film. Thank you for a wonderful walk.

[@ParkinsonsWalks]

You need to be fit to walk there, not sure I could do it now. P.W.

[@dravenzachariah8454]

I realize it's quite off topic but do anybody know of a good site to watch new movies online ?

[@jaxonpeyton9513]

@Draven Zachariah I use Flixzone. Just search on google for it :)

[@roycelouie3786]

@Jaxon Peyton yup, I have been using Flixzone for since april myself =)

[@dravenzachariah8454]

@Jaxon Peyton Thanks, I went there and it seems to work =) Appreciate it !!

[@peace-po1hy]

Thanks for the lovely video

[@ParkinsonsWalks]

My pleasure 😊. P.W.

[@philippankhurst6680]

Wonderful walk through, up and down a quite exceptional valley. It makes you realise what a fabulous destination it will be for boaters when the canal is restored. Today's nursery children may live long enough to see it...

[@ParkinsonsWalks]

Couldn't agree more! P.W.

[@paulkimber2468]

Ron Before I moved to Tuffley I used to live in Chalford in Field cottages on Rack Hill. They used to be weavers cottages and it was called rack hill (it may have been spelt Wrack Hill but it was the early 70s) as the hill was covered in racks that was used for drying the wool after it had been dyed. You are right there is no flat only up and down. Thanks for a lot of memories Paul

[@ParkinsonsWalks]

You are welcome Paul. Ron

[@DrWhoFanJ]

If you thought the way you went was steep, you should try going up our hill (which you skilfully avoided here). Even cars struggle doing it!

[@ParkinsonsWalks]

I think I might give that a miss JMW.

[@DrWhoFanJ]

@@ParkinsonsWalks That’s probably for the best.

[@ParkinsonsWalks]

@@DrWhoFanJ Lol. P.W.

[@williamclarke2020]

Hi Mr. Parkinson. I can see why you could be out of "puff"! That's quite the ascent. Still,what a lovely and idyllic village it is. Gloucestire is the number one place on my list to visit. Primarily, the Stroud area.
Thank you sir for the wonderful video. Cheers!

[@ParkinsonsWalks]

Thanks for the post William, you might be interested in my Severn and Thames canal video, it goes through the Stroud valleys and is worth a visit. P.W.

[@harryconquest803]

Wonderful stuff

[@ParkinsonsWalks]

Thanks Harry. P.W.

[@AppletonPermaculture]

Lovely video, thanks!

[@ParkinsonsWalks]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@chrismccartney8668]

Superb video such an attravtive area and as im easr anglia this gives me vertigo !!

[@ParkinsonsWalks]

Thanks Chris, that made me smile. P.W.

[@freddiewhittaker8844]

I can see my house

[@ParkinsonsWalks]

The royalty cheque is in the post Freddie!! Ron

[@spesinfracta]

There is one R in Chalford not Charlford!

[@ParkinsonsWalks]

Thanks Tony, hope it didn't spoil it for you, amending it now, PW