Pictures of Dursley

About Dursley

The visitor arriving in Dursley from the M5 could be forgiven for thinking that maybe this was just another modern motorway suberb, but closer inspection reveals that it definately, is not.

Dursley is an ancient place, set in lush greenery to the edge of the Cotswolds in the midst of the beautiful Vale of Berkley, close to the River Severn. It is a place steeped in history, and it was at the centre of agriculture at the time when the town was made a borough in 1471.

The town owes many of it's fine buildings to the day's when the wool trade was at it's height. The parish church of St.James the Great is a 13th-century church that was added to and altered in the 14th and 15th-centuries. The church is well worth seeing, it has a cool beauty and many ancient reminders of the past. The church did have a steeple but this collapsed in the 17th-century. Opposite the church is the very fine Market House, built in 1738 by the Estcourt family. This arched building stands on pillars and contains a bell turret. On the east side of the building is a statue of Queen Anne and on the South side is the Estcourt family coat of arms. This building now functions as the Town Hall but in earlier times it was used as a market hall.

Interestingly, at the lower end of Silver Street is the Broadwell, a natural spring that gurgles into life and forms a tributary to the River Ewelme. The ancient Priory in Long Street is another building worth seeing, and worthy of note is the fact that the beautiful Cotswold Way passes through Dursley.

Dursley is a lovely old town, it is lively and full of interest. It offers an excursion into the past along with modern day facilities. There are excellent shops, hospitable inns and restaurants, and it is not far from the old town of Stroud and the enchanting 'cider with rosie' Slad Valley. Nearby attractions include - Westonbirt Arboretum and Slimbridge Wildfowl Trust.