Pictures of Bisley

About Bisley

The village of Bisley is all charm. It has an excellent collection of very fine buildings as well as some interesting local folklore. One interesting tale tells of the days in the 18th-century when most of the villagers worked at looms in their homes. They stood firm against the closure of the waste land where they kept their pack horses. Over a hundred years after this event, a certain Lord Donnington stood for parliament and as he campaingned the local countryside, crowds called out to him ' who stole the donkey's dinner'. The chilling winter winds that rip through the village have earned it the title endowed by villages of ' Bisley, God Help Us' and another ditty tells of 'Beggarly Bisley' and this was caused through the town's suffering at the time of the industrial revolution when the textile industry went into decline.

A first glance at the main street reveals row, after row, of stone cottages, rising on either side in terraces, giving the illusion of an amphitheatre. It all looks so very special. At the top of George Street stands the Bear Inn which has 17th-century columns supporting the upper floor. It is believed to have been the old court house and close to this is the village goal, dated 1824.

The beautiful church of All Saints dates from the 13th and 14th-centuries. It was restored in the mid 19th-century in the neo-romanesque style. The peaceful churchyard contains a Poor Souls Light, a small hexagnol building in which candles were placed for masses to be said for the redemption of the souls of the poor. It is believed to be the only outdoor one of it's kind in England. It is built over a well and another legend tells of a Priest who drowned in the well as he was on his way to administer to a dying parishoner. What a wealth of stories surround this enchanting little village!

At one end of the village are five water chutes, they were restored as wells to commemorate Thomas Keble, rector of Bisley for nearly 50 years. Thomas Keble was the brother of the noted John, for whom Keble College was founded.

A walk past the church to the far end of the village and you chance upon a fine row of pretty cottages that have gabled windows rising from the roof and are adorned with small gabled porches that all have gaily painted doors. It is an essentially English scene, very pleasing to the eye. No wonder so many tourists find their way to this high hill top village. It is charmingly set within 'Cider with Rosie' country and well worth a visit. Nearby attractions include; A museum at Stroud, the Gardens at Miserden and the very beautiful Cotswold Way runs close-by.