Birth of a Gloucestershire village

People were living in farmsteads in Bishop's Cleeve in the Bronze Age

The church of St Michael and All Angels was fundamental to the development of the village of Bishop's Cleeve according to David Aldred's most recent book: 'A History of Bishop's Cleeve and Woodmancote'.

David has spent many years researching the history of the area where he has lived for over fifty years, spurred on by the absence of such a book to help people understand the history of this part of North Gloucestershire.

"It's quite clear that until the founding of St Michael's, in the eighth century at the latest, people had lived in scattered farmsteads as far back as the Bronze Age (2000BC-800BC).

The founding of St Michael's gave people a reason to move to live around it, to trade and work for the priests and their families," explains David.

Cultivation

Woodmancote, he thinks, developed three or four centuries later as woodland on the lower slopes of Cleeve and Nottingham Hills was cleared for cultivation.

David Aldred has spent many years researching the history of the area

One of the features of the book is that it brings together, for the first time since 1990, the archaeological discoveries during the expansion of the village.

The discoveries relating to the prehistoric period were especially important as so little was known previously.

The book also studies in detail the 800 years when the village belonged to the Bishop of Worcester and the changes brought to farming in the Victorian period before ending with the impact of Smiths' Industries in the second half of the 20th century, which ended the traditional way of life.

Tribute

David pays tribute to the large number of local people who have helped with their photographs and memories, as he left no stone unturned to make the book as complete as possible.

"I hope people will gain as much pleasure from reading it as I have from writing it," he declared.

The book is illustrated with over 150 illustrations, thirty of which are in colour.

A History of Bishop's Cleeve and Woodmancote is published by Amberley Publishing at £15.99 and copies are available from Courtyard Books in Bishop's Cleeve (www.courtyardbooks.co.uk or 01242 674335).