About Stroud
Stroud is the only proper town in the southern Cotswolds and the meeting point of the Five Valleys — Slad, Painswick, Nailsworth, Chalford and the long Stroud valley itself. Cloth was milled here for 800 years and the town still wears its industrial past in tall stone mills, several converted to studios and food halls.
Saturday brings the farmers' market that everyone in the region drives to — the FARMA-best in the country in three of the last ten years — sprawling across Cornhill from 9am to 2pm.
The Cotswold Guide Top Tips
- Park free at the station car park on Saturdays; it's a five-minute walk to the market.
- Drive — or, better, walk — the four-mile Slad Valley loop from Stroud to The Woolpack and back via the Slad Brook.
Attractions in Stroud
Where to eat & drink
Sticky Lemon Café
All-day brunch on Lansdown; everything baked in-house.
Felt Café
Inside the Subscription Rooms; lunchtime salads and beautifully made coffee.
Star Anise Arts Café
Vegetarian, plant-based and excellent — busy at weekend lunchtimes.
The Crown & Sceptre
Pub with rooms in the Slad Valley; Laurie Lee drank here.
Getting there
By train
direct from London Paddington (1h30) and Cheltenham Spa (12 minutes).
By car
junction 13 of the M5; free parking at the railway station Saturday and Sunday.
Best time to visit
Saturdays for the market; first weekend in October for the Site Festival. The Slad Valley footpaths are at their best in May (bluebells) and October (gold).
Upcoming events in Stroud
17–18 Jul 2026
28–30 Aug 2026
Find accommodation near Stroud
Hotels, B&Bs and self-catering cottages within easy reach of Stroud — browse availability for your dates on Booking.com.
Find accommodation near Stroud →Attractions near Stroud
Within 10 miles, ordered by distance.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Continue reading
Minchinhampton
Hilltop common above the Five Valleys
Read entry →