Villages

There are villages everywhere. And like all villages, they are architecturally part of the countryside that created them.

The villages in the Cotswolds are picturesque and instantly attractive, but often isolated, difficult of access, and neglected.

The villages in the Vale are less attractive, but open and modern.

The villages in the Forest are difficult for the outsider to fully appreciate; they often feel enclosed even when physically they are not, as though the forest is hemming them in whether or not it still has real trees there. Again, isolation and neglect can be obvious, but at a second glance, so can village pride and a real sense of community.

The villages in the North most of all are affected by 'dormitory blight', becoming attractive commuter homes for the city worker and retirement villages for the wealthy elderly, and pricing the natives out of their own villages. But not only in the North; even around relatively small towns like Stroud and Cirencester villages are dying from this blight.

For example, in one such village not a single villager (or anyone else) came to the Village Fete in 2006.

As one consequence, villages have been losing post offices, shops and pubs. Loss of pubs used to be less noticeable here than in many parts of the country, but of recent years even that is no longer true.

But recently, a few village shops have been reopening as community ventures, staffed by volunteers, and even one village pub has reopened on the same basis. Maybe there is a way forward here - if a village spirit can be reawakened.