Small Towns

The area is dotted with small towns, each with a unique character of its own, from abbey-crowned Tewkesbury on its wide floodplain to the mediaeval borough of Wotton-under-Edge half hidden by the hills.

The towns do reflect their areas even more strongly than in other parts of the country, not least because of their building materials; Cotswold Stone in the Southeast, Welsh slate in the Forest, thatch and old brick in the North. Generalisations are therefore going to be regarded as unfair, and rightly so.

But some generalisations are true enough to be mentioned. There are pockets of real deprivation and poverty in the towns which are often overlooked. The vogue for second homes twenty years ago has damaged them - not as much as the damage to villages, but still real. The relationship to supermarkets and out-of-town shopping centres remains contentious. Too many local councils are happy to pass blame up to the county councils or to the government instead of facing up to their own decisions. Pushing new industry to the fringes in order to avoid disturbing the domestic council tax payers is creating ugly approaches and bad first impressions for visitors and potential investors.

But of course these are mere generalisations. They don't apply to your town, obviously.

There are some other generalisations that might be more acceptable. The towns do have a real sense of community which goes beyond mere insularity - as the floods of 2007 demonstrated. Schools, churches, community centres, sports centres - and even companies - often have a real sense of integration with their communities. And there is a real awareness of history, and not just in the obviously historic towns: mention bicycles or lawnmowers in a Dursley pub and you might be surprised at what you learn.