The area is rich in
Iron Age and
Roman remnants and is of particular interest to
archaeologists for its
Neolithic burial grounds, of which there are over a hundred. Much of its wealth was built on the cloth industry during the
Victorian era, and its many mills, most of which are now
listed buildings, survive as testament to this. Much of the landscape in this area is designated as an
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The
Cotswold Way walk leads through the area. There are
gliding clubs at
Aston Down and
Nympsfield. The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the
Local Government Act 1972. It covered the whole area of four former districts and parts of another three, which were all abolished at the same time: •
Dursley Rural District •
Gloucester Rural District (part, rest split between Forest of Dean and Tewkesbury) •
Nailsworth Urban District •
Sodbury Rural District (parish of
Alderley only, rest went to
Northavon) •
Stroud Rural District •
Stroud Urban District •
Thornbury Rural District (parishes of
Alkington,
Berkeley,
Ham and Stone,
Hamfallow and
Hinton only, rest went to Northavon) The new district was named Stroud after its largest town. Boundary reviews in 1991 saw the district gain the parish of
Hillesley and Tresham from Northavon and cede the parish of
Quedgeley to Gloucester. ==Governance==