Status: 11 volumes published. Three volumes in preparation.
The Gloucestershire County History Trust is pleased to record good progress in South Gloucestershire. The history of Yate, north of Bristol, was completed by Rose Wallis in 2014, and the resulting "Yate Short" was launched in September 2015. The research for Little Sodbury, Old Sodbury and Chipping Sodbury has been completed by Beth Hartland and Alex Craven and edited drafts are now being made available. This is a significant and welcome extension of coverage for the VCH in the south of the historic county.
The editorial groundwork has now been completed for a future volume (XV) covering Cheltenham and surrounding parishes. Between 2013 and 2017 Beth Hartland and Alex Craven drafted the history of Cheltenham from its medieval origins to 1945. Draft sections are now being editorially reviewed, and will be posted here when ready. Research to date - assisted by a strong group of volunteers - has uncovered significant caches of original source material not previously examined in detail, and there are good prospects for substantial additions to previous accounts of the town's history. Jan Broadway is now working on the post-1945 history of the town.
A 'VCH Short' volume Cheltenham before the Spa, by Alex Craven and Beth Hartland, was published in 2018. This describes the evolution of Cheltenham as a small Gloucestershire market town within a large agricultural parish, from the Saxon period until its transformation during the 18th century into a fashionable spa.
Concurrently, similar groundwork has been carried out for a future volume (XVI) covering Cirencester and district. Research on the medieval period started in October 2013 (Dr Beth Hartland), and as with Cheltenham, drafts have been submitted and will be posted here after editorial review. Research on post-Reformation topics was undertaken between 2014 and 2017 by Francis Boorman. Plans are in hand to complement the documentary sources for Cirencester with essays by subject specialists, describing the Roman context for later settlement in the town and environs. Drafts are being made available as they are edited.
Of the remaining parishes in the volume, Stratton has been researched and is awaiting editing, while the research on Baunton is nearing completion.
Cheltenham before the Spa published.
New editor appointed to work on Cirencester volume.