News & Events | News Archives

Stroud Preservation Trust's 41st AGM
Wednesday November 22nd 2023 at 7.30pm
The Pavilion, Museum in the Park, Stratford Road, Stroud, GL5 4AF

Light refreshments available from 6.45pm, and our Chair will welcome everyone at 7.00pm. 
The Trust’s accounts for Financial Year 2022/2023, and the Annual Report will be available.

We will begin with a presentation from Jon Lowe BA(Hons)Arch MCIFA, one of our trustees, on the subject
‘Heritage Significance: informing change’.
Understanding significance is key to successfully managing change to heritage assets and to fundraising. Using project experience and examples, Jon will examine how, why, and when significance is assessed.
 
Jon has worked in many extraordinary places in his career. We are privileged to have this unique opportunity to share in his knowledge of these buildings and structures, many of which are of great significance.
Some of his more recent projects have included: 
•  HMP Maze, Northern Ireland, advising the Office of First Minister on the cultural   significance of the Maze prison and the built legacy of the Troubles
•  building the archaeological record of Battersea Power Station 
•  spending a month underground discovering, exploring and recording 10km of tunnels of the Harris Lebus Factory Air Raid Shelters 
•  working on the South aisle roof of Westminster Abbey
 
For everyone involved in listed building restoration and renovation there will be much to appreciate from Jon’s invaluable and fascinating experiences.
Following the presentation we will conduct the formal business of the AGM (lasting approx 30 minutes).

Stroud Preservation Trust's 40th AGM
Thursday December 8th 7.30pm
St Laurence Church, Stroud, GL5 1JL

St Laurence Church Stroud, the Centre for Peace and the Arts, is an active place with events, concerts and congregations making up a dynamic offer in the centre of Stroud. Its church hall is also busy with use and an important part of the social justice element of a positive ministry.

While thousands come to the church through the year the building itself is not in good condition. The tower, the oldest part of the church is well built but the rest of the church, completed in high Victorian style in 1868 needs a lot of work and the roof is probably the most essential part.

Every five years there is a condition report called the Quinquennial and this year's report highlights the severity of the condition of the building and recommends that St Laurence is put on the Heritage at Risk Register.

The talk by Chartered Accountant David Arnold from Arnold Bartosch, will look at this condition report but also other really interesting work done in churches around the area - not to be missed.

Stroud Preservation Trust's Chair, Camilla Hale, has been working on a building regeneration project for the church but now there is a detailed condition report work can start on grant fund applications and the long term fundraising needed to bring the building into a good state for the next 150 years.

This is not a Stroud Preservation Project per se although trustees have advised Camilla on certain ways forward and acknowledge the importance of the building around which Stroud has been built.

And the Christmas Tree Festival with its 100 trees is too good a venue to be missed!!

Summer 2022
Stroud Chapels of Rest Feasibility Report now available

This feasibility report was prepared for us by distinguished historic building consultants Donald Insall Associates to enable the Trust to accurately examine future possibilities for the Chapels. We are sharing the report with its owners, Stroud District Council. Once the members of their Strategy and Resources committee have discussed the report we will examine the various possible outcomes and plan a mutual way forward to benefit both the near and longer term future of the buildings.  
 
You can view the report as a screen ready pdf here
 
During the summer months of 2022 the Trust will continue to look for good new uses for the buildings. We hope that we can open the buildings to the public  for a short period in the summer and autumn as a gallery for local artists. Watch this space.

The mystery of the dead trees
Earlier this year Stroud Preservation Trust received a letter from the county highways department telling us that there were two large dead trees on our property and that we were responsible to have them cut down.
We were astonished to find, after 30 years, that SPT is supposed to own a piece of land between the Ford garage and Bromford Housing Association, just above Arundel Mill housing. This was land, we are sure, that was never ours.
However we have decided to bite the bullet and pay for the dead trees to be taken down. That happened on Saturday 13th November. Chris Arnold Tree Surgery did the work and took all the wood away. They were much helped by the garage clearing their forecourt.
So all that remains is to continue the dialogue with the land registry to find out when this anomaly took place. Ideally we would not own a two metre strip of land running down to Arundel Mill Lane.

Chapels of Rest Client Brief and Tender Documents prepared

The Trust have started to send out tender documents for a detailed condition survey and costing for essential but minimal upgrade of the Chapels of Rest. To see what we are planning click on the following links:
>Client Brief
>Download Tender document 

Founder Member, Anne Mackintosh, has stepped down as SPT Trustee

​SPT's last founder member Trustee has stepped down from being a Trustee and the Treasurer of the organisation. Anne was joint project manager for 32-34 High Street and 55 High Street & Withey’s Yard becoming project manager for the Brunel Goods Shed, the Cainscross Toll House and the Arundel Mill houses.  As a founder member of Stroud Valleys Project, Anne was involved in CPC and the Brunel celebrations and co-ordinated all the work on the Archway Slavery Arch. She has been involved in SPT for 38 years - a remarkable achievement and her wisdom, knowledge of the projects and attention to detail will be sorely missed. We are hoping to be able to celebrate her achievements in 2021 when we can all get together to give her the thanks that she thoroughly deserves.

Bisley Road Cemetery Chapels of Rest Open Day
Sunday 25th October

This was a really successful day with people coming and talking, looking for the first time into the Chapels of Rest - many of them long term Stroud people who had never had the opportunity to see inside before and hear a little about the history of the Chapels.
 
Thanks to everyone for queuing so well, wearing masks and offering such constructive and useful ideas. Sun, rain, wind and a rainbow - it was a wonderful place to see the weather coming in from the south west - what terrific views.
 
We will regularly update with next steps on Stroud Preservation's journey to develop a long lasting and meaningful repurposing of the Chapels - watch this space and thanks to everyone who came and gave ideas.
 
If you were inspired by the Chapels visit please complete our survey: 
​>SPT Chapels of Rest visitors' survey link

 
On October 8th, Stroud District Council’s Strategy and Resources Committee agreed that the Chapels of Rest could be asset transferred to Stroud Preservation Trust for £1
There are four conditions:
  • That a detailed feasibility study is presented
  • That there is plenty of public consultation
  • That there is a further report to Strategy and Resources
  • And that the scheme supports community use and improvement to the building beyond its worth to the Council.
The Chapels of Rest at Bisley Road Cemetery, a Grade II listed building, is one of Stroud’s iconic, landmark buildings. Cemetery visitors can enjoy the spectacular view of the valleys from the surrounding public space. Set high up in Stroud Cemetery, the spire is a familiar sight from miles around. Stroud Cemetery is a serene, green space and a Local Nature Reserve with exceptional wildlife interest.

The building, out of use as a Chapel of Rest for decades, has been empty for the last 3 years. The building, and the tarmac apron around it, are owned by Stroud District Council. Stroud Cemetery, a nature reserve of great value is owned and managed by the Town Council.

Stroud Preservation Trust (SPT) is a building preservation trust which has completed six building restoration projects in Stroud including Withey’s Yard, the Medieval Hall (at the top of the High Street) and the Goods Shed. Trustees have been researching the cost of restoring and converting the Chapel with the help of Stroud District Council and the Town Council. Historic buildings often need new uses. The options for the Chapels of Rest that have been looking at include a mix of residential, work and community use.  

Bringing the building into full use with all modern conveniences will cost far more than the final value of the building. The difference is known as the conservation deficit. Stroud Preservation Trust as a charity with a good building record will have to raise grants for the work. If SPT cannot raise sufficient in its feasibility plan the building will revert to SDC to sell.

Local community consultation has said at public meetings that this is not what is wanted. So Stroud Preservation Trust has a task on its hands!

​This is the first time that the building will be fully open to the public – come and see your community asset, join SPT as a member and give us your ideas for the building’s future.

Bisley Road Cemetery Chapels of Rest
​ 

The Chapel of Rest in the Bisley Road Cemetery is a lovely, graceful building, seen from across the valleys, and is currently unused. The building (one chapel for Church of England and one side for Non Conformists) and its surrounding tarmac area is currently owned by Stroud District Council.

​Stroud District Council have agreed that Stroud Preservation Trust can go ahead and develop a full feasibility study. If successful the buildings will be asset transferred to SPT for £1. An asset transfer is where a local authority feels that the best economic, social and cultural option for an asset that they own is to transfer it to a local community organisation.

SPT will then work closely with the local community, SDC and STC  to inform a detailed feasibility study to assess the potential of bringing the building fully into use. This, including fundraising for the building (as there is a considerable conservation deficit) will take approximately 2 years.

Built in 1856 The twin chapels, surmounted by a spire and the original entrance lodge were designed, in decorated Gothic, by the local architects, Messrs Baker and Son, 3 Albert Buildings, Stroud, and built to a high standard of stone masonry. The overall cost (excluding the land) was £2,800.00.

The Bisley Road Cemetery was consecrated in 1856 and laid out in the fashion of the times with lovely walks and trees. The cemetery is now owned by Stroud Town Council. There are still some interments but the whole site is run as a nature reserve with a fantastic array of plants, insects, butterflies, beetles and reptiles living there. 

SPT book available here – £10 + £2.50p&p

'Stroud – A Town Changed by Community Action' is Stroud Preservation Trust’s latest publication for sale from December 2013.

It covers ten significant community projects and campaigns over the past 40 years in Stroud and charts the difference they have made to the town, the economy and the community. 32 people were interviewed for this book of living history. A further 67 projects and campaigns have been collated to show the extraordinary vibrancy of the town of Stroud and the people that live here.

For anyone interested in the recent history of the town this book, full of quotes, photographs and newspaper headlines is a must!

Available from Stroud Bookshop; Stroud Valleys Project and Uplands Post Office.

> BUY THE BOOK HERE!