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Gossip around the village pump.

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World Statistics Day

World Statistics Day

World Statistics Day

Did you know that on average 99.9% of people didn’t know that this was World Statistics Day!

There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.

Attributed by Mark Twain to Benjamin Disraeli

World Statistics Day – my website of the week!

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The Three Bears at Home

Three Bears in Lockdown

A Book of Bears

During lockdown earlier this year, my sister Shelagh sent regular photos of what her three large teddy bears were doing to her grandchildren to make them laugh. She ended up with over 50 photos of bears involved in various activities.

As these photos were very popular with other children, or those who are young at heart, she has now put them into a book with captions.

The book makes an excellent Christmas Present for any age range from 2 to 92! ALL the proceeds of the book are going to the National Deaf Children’s Society. A charity that is special to Shelagh, and they have written a very supportive piece in the book.

To order a copy

Anyone who would like a copy of the book can either:

  • contact me as I have copies at home. (saves postage)
  • or email the Three Bears!
  • Cost £8 from myself or £10 (with postage) from the Three Bears

Please spread the word

If you can download and print the poster it would be much appreciated.

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Edge Radio Logo

Edge Radio

Community Internet Radio for Wotton under Edge and beyond

Started during lockdown Edge Radio from Wotton under Edge is steadily growing in content and popularity. Now with our own Mike Henton on the radio in the Boo and You show it will grow from strength to strength!

How to Listen and Contact

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A38 Roundabout

The Missing Mile

The Roundabout on A38 at J13 of M5

Everyone must have seen the impressive road workings at the A38 roundabout. This is where the new canal is being put through. The Missing Mile refers to the section of the Stroudwater Navigation from the A38 to the Oldbury Brook. It was infilled when the M5 was built and the road from the A38 to the M5 J13 is actually built on the infilled canal.

Proposed new route of canal.

M5 Underpass

The next obstruction for the new canal is the M5 itself. Here there is an existing underpass for the River Frome. The plan is for a new concrete canal channel to be added alongside the river. However the level of the new canal would have to be lower than the normal river level. In order to achieve the required headroom for navigation. A consequence of this is that during flood events the canal channel would be unusable.

Cross-Section of proposed M5 underpass (not to scale)

Costs

The current estimated costs are £23M. However I cannot find a finish date at present.

Further Reading

If you are interested in the above I suggest the site Cotswold Canals in Pictures – Phase 1b Overview as the starting place. Also the Gloucestershire Highways – A38 Canal Bridges

Fascinating Fact

The Stroudwater Navigation is still a company owned by the current owners of the original 200 shares. A separate Trust owns just over half and runs the company. In 2005 the company leased the canal back to the then British Waterways for 999 years.

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Wottan Area CAN Logo

Wotton Area C.A.N.

Wotton Area Climate Action Network

Wotton Area Climate Action Network or C.A.N. are a community-led Climate Action Group. Serving Wotton-under-Edge and the surrounding areas Wotton Area C.A.N. aims to help residents and businesses to reduce their carbon emissions. Towards a goal of helping the area become carbon neutral by 2030.

Wotton CAN news

Despite not being able to hold public meetings in person, Wotton CAN has lots to offer its supporters. To keep up with all news, subscribe to the free monthly newsletter – full of interest, useful tips and information on many Climate issues.

Also visit the website follow on Facebook or email

September 2020 Newsletter can be downloaded here

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Stinchcombe Village Hall Logo

Village Hall Autumn Update

A letter from the Village Hall Committee

Dear Stinchcombe Village Resident,

On behalf of the Village Hall Committee, it is a great pleasure to provide you with an update on the excellent progress which has been made regarding the extension of the Village Hall Car Park. Despite the challenges which have been faced this year with the coronavirus pandemic, the initiative to extend the existing car park has continued thanks particularly to the energetic and effective leadership provided by Charlie Oakhill.

In the early spring the purchase of an additional area of land adjoining the Village Hall went ahead with the area subsequently levelled and prepared for later surfacing. This was followed by a tree and hedge planting initiative in April, which was effectively supported by many volunteers from the village who assisted during the period of lockdown. Grassing and fencing the area directly behind the Village Hall has added another attractive dimension to the Village Hall for activities and entertainment when life return to a more normal pattern.

In the meantime, we look forward to the next stage of the development with the start of the tarmac work at the end of this week. Work will commence on Friday 2nd October and should be completed by Wednesday 7th October. In order to minimize the disruption caused, it is anticipated that the working hours will be a little longer than usual with the contractor making an early start at 7.30 am on 2 days. During the pandemic greater flexibility has been allowed with working hours and we are keen to see this work completed without unnecessary inconvenience.

We look forward to the completion of this new car park facility, which there is no doubt will be of considerable benefit to wider Stinchcombe community.

Thank you for your continued support and interest.

Kind regards

Your Village Hall Committee

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Farmer by Stone Wall

Gloucestershire’s Stone Stiles: An Update

This is an update on last September’s post about a project to record all the stone stiles in Gloucestershire. Peter Wilson reports a “fantastic” response. More about that below and keep reading to find out about a special role for Stinchcombe.

Surprises

Three things have surprised Peter:

  • the enthusiastic support (over 120 contributors)
  • the extraordinary number of stone stiles already reported (over 400)
  • the discovery of many stiles tossed aside or where there is no longer a path

Types of Stile Reported

So far there are few step stiles, more squeeze stiles than anticipated, but an abundance of slab stiles. This ties in with findings in Stinchcombe where we’ve found one squeeze stile, five slab stiles and no step stiles at all. Peter reasons that slab stiles were the best at preventing those Cotswold sheep from roaming. They are also a tricky or even impossible obstacle for some walkers! As a result, alternative access through boundary walls and hedges exists in many places. It would be a great shame if that led to these historical landscape features being abandoned.

example of a step stile
An example of a step stile (not in Stinchcombe)
A step stile on Park Lane, Stancombe Park, Stinchcombe
A step stile on Park Lane, Stancombe Park, Stinchcombe
A disused slab stile in Stinchcombe parish, near Snitend Bridge
A disused slab stile in Stinchcombe parish, near Snitend Bridge

Getting Recognition for Stone Stiles

Like it or loathe it, Brexit is changing farming support. In future, public money will support farmers who deliver public benefits. This is the perfect time to emphasise the historic landscape value of stiles. Stone stiles, along with stone walls, also provide an important wildlife habitat. Furthermore, learning about them can stimulate an interest in the countryside.

But … this integral part of the landscape is unprotected and barely mentioned in the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. Peter has secured the support of Siobhan Baillie MP, who is taking up the matter with Defra. Others involved in the project are contacting their own MPs. The aim is to get stone stiles recognised in Defra’s planning processes and ideally within the stewardship schemes.

Stinchcombe’s Stone Stiles

There could be more to find – are you still looking?

Peter is especially keen that people keep an eye out for disused stone stiles. They may highlight lost rights of way that it is not too late to restore. Two Gloucestershire rambling clubs are now publicising the project.

Remember, disused stone stiles are usually near the modern path rather than actually on it. No need to stray from the path though – all those found have been visible from a public right of way.

The two maps show the locations of the six stiles already identified in our parish. I am most grateful to Gloucestershire Archives and Know Your Place for permission to use screenshots from the Know Your Place digitial mapping project. If you haven’t explored the maps at Know Your Place Gloucestershire you have a treat in store.

Know Your Place screenshot of north Stinchcombe with stone stiles marked
Know Your Place screenshot of north Stinchcombe – stone stiles marked with red crosses
(with the kind permission of Gloucestershire Archives and Know Your Place)
Know Your Place screenshot of south Stinchcombe with stone stiles marked
Know Your Place screenshot of south Stinchcombe – stone stiles marked with red crosses
(With the kind permission of Gloucestershire Archives and Know Your Place)

A Special Role for Stinchcombe

Stinchcombe History Society has been asked to pilot the next phase of the project – collection of information for the proposed interactive App. The App will combine OS map recording with a detailed record for each stile. The plan is for the pilot to take place in only one parish in the whole of Gloucestershire. We are honoured and very excited to be chosen.

What is more, as you can see from the brief below, the pilot has the potential to be a real community effort. If you’re a keen photographer, walker, map reader, local historian, archaeologist or geologist WE WANT YOU!

The Brief for the Pilot

  1. Add up to four photographs of each stile and its landscape in an agreed format.
  2. Identify the type of stone in any adjacent stone wall, possible source, any signs of re-use, and age since quarried/sited
  3. Identify type of stile, type and source of stile stone used and any signs of reuse.
  4. Relate the site to the nearest known ancient burial site(s) and considering whether this is the source of the stone.
  5. Try to determine the date of the stile and adjacent wall (often after a Land Enclosure Act).
  6. Note and investigate any changes made to the stile.
  7. Verify the OS co-ordinates.
  8. Note the right of way, if applicable, on which the stile is located.
  9. Describe the condition of stile and pathway and how it used or bypassed, including suitability for people with disabilities.
  10. For disused stiles, seek out any knowledge of the former pathway.
  11. Create in partnership with others succinct, informative notes in a format suitable for addition to the App, together with appropriate photographs.

Contact

If you would like to get involved with the pilot, please contact Kath.

Any further stone stiles you find in the parish can be reported to Peter using the form you can download here. If you prefer, I can fill the form in, crediting you as the finder.

Kath Hudson

Clingre Lane a stone step stile standing in front of a wire fence with the roots of a tree to its right

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