Cornhill market and the Market Tavern (ex-pub)

The Cornhill shopping centre which includes a market place and some mini-shops, was completed in 1991. This, unfortunately, was in the middle of a recession. When I moved to Stroud, in '94, most of the shoplets were empty, and the market place was very seldom used, apart from once a year, for gigs. Stroud already has the Shambles marketplace for its regular markets on Friday, Saturday, and (to a lesser extent) Wednesday.

The Stroud Farmers' market opened in 1999, in the Cornhill market place, and became an overnight success. It's held very week now, and attracts visitors from as far away as Birmingham. So it was a surprise when, at the end of last year, a row broke out, in which the District Council seemed to be saying they had an obligation to put the market out to tender. The original founders had been running the market with great assurance for almost fifteen years, and the traders were happy, the customers were happy, the other shopkeepers were happy with the increased footfall....

A series of meetings were held, and eventually the DC agreed to let the founders carry on running the farmer's market for another two years (we think). Everything went quiet and then, in the middle of the summer holiday season, when almost everyone was away, a new story broke about how the pub below the Cornhill, known as the Market Tavern, was possibly going to be demolished to make room for an in-town supermarket, with the Cornhill market area to be used as well. The farmers' market is apparently going to be relocated on the roof of the existing marketplace (as you can see from the photo, that will need to be remodelled!) if the scheme goes ahead.

There is a Waitrose store not 500 yards away, an Iceland within 100 yds, and a Tesco's and a Sainsbury's also ringing Stroud. In addition to this latest proposal, a giant Asda is proposed in the Dudbridge area of Stroud, and another unspecified supermarket in Cainscross, again about 200 yards from Sainsbury's.

Did I mention that Stroud is not a very big town? And that online shopping is becoming quite fashionable?


I went climbing in Gloucester; caught the early bus. It was cold and foggy. Caught the bus back at almost midday, when it was still cold and foggy. Got some fog-shots in Gloucester docks, but preferred this one because it has more colour and a little mist over Butterow/ Rodborough. I managed to do an hour and a bit of gardening today; mainly chopping back brambles and transporting them to a fire-base. I hope I can do a little every week, so that the garden is not a jungle by next spring, which is often the way.