Oakridge Community Website
The Oakridge Community consists of five villages with a combined population of about five hundred and is situated on the edge of the Cotswolds, overlooking the magnificent Golden Valley; six miles from Stroud and seven miles from Cirencester.
The five villages form the ecclesiastical parish of Oakridge, within the Civic Parish of Bisley-with-Lipyatt. The Oakridge Parish Church, part of the Bisley Benefice, is dedicated to St Bartholomew and was built in 1837 with funds raised by Thomas Keble, the then vicar of Bisley.
Oakridge is a thriving and very active community with many groups and societies and extensive amenities, including a Village Shop & Post Office, Primary School, Pub, Recreation / Cricket Ground, Tennis Court, Allotments, Childrens Playground and Village Hall.
A Village Show is held annually on the first Saturday in September. The School holds an annual May Revels on the village green.
Village Box Office Now Open for Event Bookings! - Click Here!
Latest News!
For more detailed information on many of these items and much more, download the current edition of What's On. Why not sign up to our events mailing list?
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Cinema comes to Oakridge! - Next screening on 4th June
Using the new 3.5m big screen, state of the art projector and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound system at Oakridge Village Hall we now have a regular and significant audience for our program of film that we hope will have broad appeal. A bar will be available the film and during the interval. For licensing reasons we are not always able to advertise the name of each film publicly, but the good news is that as a member of the What's On Mailing List you can find out now, and continue to be notified in advance of the film title whenever a film night is planned.
Sign up to the mailing list now at www.oakridgevillage.org/mailinglist for advance notice of these events and others! Doors open at 1845 for a 1930 start. Tickets are just £6 (CARD ONLY) on the door including a light snack. To help the team plan for numbers, please visit our box office to reserve a seat but remember to pay £6 on arrival - www.oakridgevillage.org/boxoffice In aid of Oakridge Village Hall Oakridge Show - 6th September 2025
We will be kick-starting the planning process at 6.30pm on Monday 3rd March, meeting in the Butchers Arms – the working group would love more help with organisation and running the Show, so if you can commit to a few meetings and getting involved on the day, please come along and join us, and/or look out for info on the village social media groups. As we like to keep things local, last year the Show donated £1,000 from profits towards the second village defibrillator, based at the Village Hall, and also funded replacement battery and other parts for the original equipment housed at Ollie’s Shop. We are looking to replace some of the Produce Show trophies, as some of these have reached the end of their lives and are showing signs of wear. If anyone, individual or local business, would like to sponsor a trophy – eg the ‘John Thomson Challenge Cup’ or the ‘Amy Johnson Rose Bowl’ sound good - please contact one of the working group members below before the end of February. Heather - [email protected] Gaza – [email protected] Vicky - [email protected] Your Church Needs You!
The Future of the Church in Oakridge The Church in Oakridge is likely to close within the next few years without help from those living within the village.
Since 1837 the Church has played an important part within the Parish of Oakridge. This includes Oakridge Lynch, Far Oakridge, Tunley, Waterlane and Bournes Green. The Church is important to many living in our village, whether you attend Church services and activities; or you use it as a quiet space, for weddings, baptisms, funerals and special occasions; or as a link with the past and with the School. All of this will end if the church closes. Some background. The church has too few members who actively support it by attending services and making financial donations. The annual cost of running the Church is over £22,000. This covers the running costs for the building and the contribution we make to central finds for the cost of ministry including your vicar. Our income from donations is around £20,000. We do not receive any support from elsewhere. So there is a shortfall in income of around £2,000. Other Churches in the Benefice are facing similar issues. The future for Christ Church in Chalford is under review. Many of you will know that Eastcombe Church has already closed, and the building sold. What are the PCC doing about this? We continue to engage within Oakridge. For the wider community there are Mothering Sunday services, Harvest Festival, Easter and Christmas services and activities, Remembrance Services and Open the Book – (dramatised bible story telling for the School), the church café and a House Group. We are discussing with other churches in the benefice whether we should close some churches and consolidate into a smaller number of buildings. Oakridge church is at risk. What can you do? Do you want your village church to remain open? Churches are a feature of an English village and in the past have been greatly valued. Once they are lost they do not re-open. If you would like to help your village church - make suggestions on what we can do to keep the Church going - by joining us at one or more of our services - with cleaning, flower arranging, providing music - with the maintenance and upkeep of the building - with publicity, notices and meetings - by joining our mailing list, so you receive details of services events and other news - with financial help, The primary need is for regular income. The Diocese runs a Parish Giving Scheme which anyone can join. All donations, both large and small, are gratefully received Contact details – For regular giving and donations please contact John Rhodes our Treasurer – phone no 01285 760264 [email protected] For other ways of helping please contact Linda Reardon 07794 425915 – [email protected] Thank you for reading this, and for your interest in the Church in Oakridge. We look forward to hearing from you. Oakridge PCC The Future of "What's On"
To those individuals and village groups who kindly made generous donations to What’s On funds – a huge thank you. These, together with the Parish Council grant, will ensure that this printed version will continue into 2024 (and hopefully beyond). After investigation, it is more cost effective to outsource the printing of each edition, which averages around £130 per print run. One positive of this form of printing will be that photos/images can be included, where space permits of course, so please do bear that in mind when submitting articles for publication.
I would be interested to receive any comments or suggestions, or can provide banking details for anyone wishing to make a donation – please email me at [email protected], or call 01285 760339. If you’d like a free digital copy direct to your email inbox, please sign up here. In Memoriam
We have recently said a sad farewell to two prominent members of our community, Richard Mackie and Bob Gardiner. Bob’s memories of growing up in Oakridge were featured in the October/November 2020 edition, and Bizzie White adds her tribute to Richard below.
Richard was a true gentleman, so wise, so interested and involved in Oakridge and its environs. He was special, so much part of the community and loved by all. His devotion to his family and they to him was heart-warming for all of us.” It is impossible to think of a more perfect memorial to someone much loved. Many wrote of his enthusiasm for wildlife which was inspirational and sprang from a profound understanding of the natural world and of birds in particular. Happiness shone out of him in the dawn chorus walks. The walks finished very satisfactorily with breakfast at the Old Cottage organised by Judy and Sylvia White. He was, of course, very hands on with helping clear scrub from Strawberry Banks, Three Groves Wood and Siccaridge Wood. Sue Dodds remembers Richard in his element “Bounding down the steep slopes like a mountain goat, while I trailed cautiously behind him. One day we were taking a ladder down to Three Groves Wood to put up bird boxes. A passer-by asked why were we carrying a ladder in the wood? Richard replied, “to clean windows.” Ask a silly question of a schoolmaster……. Ann Fry from Far Oakridge remembers Richard when he was a pupil at Kelly College. Who would have thought a Devon lass and a Devon lad would meet up again about 50 years later in a small Cotswold village? Richard much enjoyed her very special cinnamon buns. Richard’s connexion with St Bartholomew’s was long and deep. He was for many years churchwarden with Meryl Short. They worked so well together that I’m not entirely sure I believed him when he said he was very much in awe of her. He loved being in the choir, front row of course, and he also sang with Geraldine’s choir in Nailsworth. Music was such a great part of his being. For many years he helped with the bookstall at the village fete and contributed his “Nature Notes” in the village magazine, What’s On. He loved swimming and friends remember his zest for life as he ran into the waves at Croyde Beach, without wetsuit, surfing on his wooden board. Friends wrote that there are some people who make our lives richer, and one of those, was Richard. Lunch Club - BACK
Lunch Club is held at the Village Hall on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, at a price of £8 per head.
All welcome, arrive from 12 noon, to sit for 12.30. A wonderful chance to catch up with friends, or meet new. If you would like to come but haven’t already put your name on the list the previous month, or need to cancel your place, please leave a message for Ali Mills on 01285 760568. This must be done by the Friday before the Lunch Club at the latest, to allow for food ordering and preparation. Ollie's Shop
Oscar and I are super excited to bring you a sneak peek at our “Delicias de España” section. A selection of the very best products directly sourced from Spain: from staples from my mother’s kitchen when I was growing up (including the best rice from Valencia - essential to make a good paella) to award winning delicacies currently being served only at Michelin star restaurants around the world: award winning Manchego cheese, crisp and bright Albariño wine, hand carved ibérico ham, premium olive oil, delicious olives from the best regions of Spain and even octopus (for the very best Pulpo a la Gallega you can have without leaving your home), …. just to name a few. We will be bringing more every week as well as adding new goodies so stop by to see what’s in store and give your taste buds a well deserved trip to Spain, right here in Oakridge. Buen provecho!
Laura Rojo Oakridge Parochial School
We are excited to announce that we have appointed a new headteacher who will be starting in September. Ross Irwin is currently a senior deputy head at Wycliffe and we are all looking forward to working with him soon.
It has also been a busy time here showing potential new families around our school who have all given us very positive feedback. We have already welcomed a number of new families throughout this year and have many more joining us in September. Both classes have been busy with exciting events throughout the term. Class 2 have recently had a Viking Day and the whole school have enjoyed an animation workshop with groups of children of all ages creating their own stories on film. We also had a day learning circus skills which was excellent in developing co-ordination, balance and perseverance. Children noticed how much happier they felt when they achieved something that they initially found hard. Bob Gardiner was a very important part of life at Oakridge School for many years and is someone we still talk about with the children. He very kindly gave us some money, which we want to use in a way that will remind us of him. Having spoken to his family we have decided that we will create a special place at our allotment called ‘Bob’s Bee Garden’. He had his own beehives and made delicious honey. Not only did he love bees but he was also a keen gardener, winning many of the prizes at the Oakridge Show like the longest runner bean! We will grow flowers to attract bees and have a bee house. There will be artwork and information boards too. Class 1 are going to be learning all about minibeasts next term with a focus on bees to get us started. In addition, we hope to give the children a few gardening lessons on growing vegetables. This follows on from Class 1’s work on Beatrix Potter and Mr. McGregor’s Garden. We hope that you will take a look when it’s finished. Sports news Oakridge School have had a busy year in sporting events. Although small, the mighty Oakridge have always given their best in representing their school. Often against much larger schools, they have had some good results. They were unbeaten in the new sport of Endball, KS2 finished joint 3rd in Boccia, we won a basketball festival unbeaten and runner up in a hockey festival. Our best result to date is as runner up in a multi skill Panathlon Challenge where we will represent Gloucestershire in the County finals. Sports still to come are Dodgeball, Shonkball and Rounders where we are sure the children will compete strongly. Overall, it has been an excellent academic year for sport and we are proud that every child has represented the school at some time. May Revels A huge thank you to all who supported the Oakridge School May Revels on Saturday 18th May. This year's event was the biggest and best ever - and yet again, we were blessed with sunshine. The children chose a circus theme and the atmosphere was fantastic, with colourful face-painting and a fancy dress competition. Opened this year by May Queen and King, Iris and Archie, the event featured entertaining circus tricks from the Magnificent Mr Kai and wonderful music from harpist Morwenna and Cranham Orchestra. The crowds were also treated to the now-traditional maypole dance, as well as a Basque BBQ, the best ever collection of raffle prizes, beers from Stroud Brewery, a massive tombola, a wide range of stalls selling plants, books, toys, cakes and bric-a-brac, and a whole field of games. Revels 2024 brought record numbers of old faces and new from Oakridge, Bisley and surrounding villages. We were particularly touched by the number of donations and raffle ticket purchases from the village this year. It all really, really helps! Thank you again and see you next year. Oakridge School Association |
Garden Club
It was lovely to have such a good turn out at our AGM in February, and business was conducted swiftly. All members should have a copy of the minutes, so if there are any amendments needed then please do let me know.
Following the club’s official business we welcomed our speaker Fred Gillian. He spoke with a deep understanding about foraging and particularly Mycelium and their incredible value to the natural world, and we were provided with canapés of seaweed and mushroom liqueur... we know how to treat our members! Coming up, our speaker in April, Tuesday 1st at 7.30pm, is Margie Hoffnug. As Conservation Officer for the Garden’s Trust, her talk on ‘Garden Visiting- a Very British Tradition’ should be a delight. Margie has worked locally at Highgrove, Westonbirt, and with Rosemary Verney. Our first trip of the year is set for Thursday 29th May, and members will have been sent through the details. Caisson Garden, featured on Monty’s BBC series last year, and is highly recommended. As in common with many of the village groups we rely on a small committee to help the wheels of the club turn smoothly, as well as continued support from our membership through ‘annual subs’. If you missed the meeting and need to pay your subs. then please do contact our Treasurer Jenny Gardiner. We are also looking for a Treasurer to take over from Jenny and a Chairperson. Please do come forward if you can make time to join a friendly committee at their 6 meetings a year. Jenny would be happy to work alongside anyone interested in the role over the coming months. Signing off now to pot up some new dahlia arrivals, and wishing you a happy, busy planting time over the next few months.. Spring is definitely on its way. Cheryl Oakridge Village Hall - into the digital world...
The Trustees of Oakridge Village Hall are pleased to announce completion of a state of the art digital audio/visual installation. This includes:
- 6000 lumens WUXGA laser digital projector - 3.5m wide motorised screen - New up-to-date sound system - Blu-ray player - Chromecast and Apple TV - 900 Mbps high speed broadband - Wireless operation The installation is designed to support many cultural activities such as showing/streaming films, presentations, dances, concerts and theatre. The Trustees plan to launch the facility soon with a village open day when its capability will be demonstrated. History Group
Andy Meller’s talk on the history of cider making in Gloucestershire was an excellent start to 2025.
Domesticated apples (rather than wild crab apples) originated in Kazakhstan and in this country until the mid-16th century most apple orchards were on the property of monasteries or abbeys. Those who developed the processes for turning the apples into cider were monks. When the monasteries were dissolved the monks became itinerant, taking their skills to communities through the countryside and showing other people how to make cider from their apple trees. Cider became one of the ways for farmers to pay workers. Andy showed a firkin, a small barrel capable of holding 4 pints, which agricultural labourers carried to work under their arm and had filled each morning (and half-filled again later to reach the 6 pint quota) for the day’s work. Making your own cider became so widespread that in 1763 the government decided it could gain useful income by taxing cider making. This led to the Cider Riots (had you ever heard ot them?) and the tax had to be discontinued in 1765. Many remains of equipment such as cider presses or mill stones are found in the gardens or sheds of old cottages. We learned that apples fall into 4 categories: a sweet and a cooking type for eating and a sweet and a sharp type used for cider making. There are dozens and dozens of specific and somewhat idiosyncratic names for individual apple tree stocks – “Upright French”, “Red Foxwhelp” and “Hen Turds” to mention just a few. We will report on Tony Condor’s talk in March in the next edition of What’s On. Please put in your diary the following two dates: 23 April Maureen Anderson “Major General Sir Fabian Ware, a truly great Gloucestershire man” 28 May John Putley “Pilgrims and Pilgrimage in Gloucestershire” We look forward to seeing you. John Loosley & Kay Rhodes Check out our Village Gallery!
With thanks to Beth Hughes for this fabulous collection of local photographs, head over to the gallery....
Sapperton Railway Tunnel
It is interesting to speculate on the effect the construction of the railway tunnel had on the local community. In 1837 Charles Richardson, Brunel’s engineer, began surveying the line of the proposed tunnel by sinking trial shafts and erecting large staffs to assist the surveying on the surface. It was on the 27 April that the people became fully aware of the surveying activity as a large staff was raised. This is described in Richardson’s journal.
“Got hauling pegs &c driven – got large sheer legs up and had some difficulty to get the hauling parts in the right place. The Staff had a violent shake when first lifted off the props. Raised it easily, steadily and without the slightest accident – large crowd of spectators many of whom lent a hand. Tried several ways of getting up the Staff but was forced to climb up by the main hauling rope. Tightened cross tree gyes and plumbed the head of the Staff thereby. Cast hauling tackle adrift and was lowered down. Tightened the gyes but was forced to put a sheepshank, about a yard long, in each.” The construction of the tunnel commenced in 1838 and was completed in 1845. A series of shafts were excavated, and miners were lowered down these shafts to dig out the tunnel and the spoil was hauled up these shafts. These railway miners came from all over the country and the 1841 census records many lodging at Sapperton, Frampton Mansell, Daneway, Far Oakridge and Oakridge Lynch. There was a total of 48 recorded and some miners had families with them, and they rented cottages. This activity must have brought in welcome business to the area where there was high unemployment due to the collapse of the woollen cloth industry in Chalford. Although, no doubt, many locals obtained casual labouring jobs, few were employed as miners but Amnon Bishop of The Frith the son of a local weaver is described in the census as a miner and brothers James and Henry Hayden of Oakridge became tunnel miners later working in many parts of England and Scotland. Following the opening of the railway many Oakridge men went to work on the railway both on track maintenance and on the trains. This of course was not the first time that “foreign” miners had come to the area as in 1784 work commenced on the Sapperton canal tunnel which was completed in 1789. Most of these miners were accommodated at Daneway and, according to Norman Jewson, in barracks on the road from Sapperton to Frampton Mansell. Head on over to the Oakridge History Website for more... Start here for more on transport services... John Loosley Bisley-With-Lypiatt Parish Council
Please see the Parish Council website for Ward information and minutes of Council meetings. www.bisley-with-lypiatt.gov.uk.
The Parish Council (PC) is busy with the project to develop a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) as an addition to Stroud District Council’s Local Plan to plan how the area will progress over the next 10 years. Consultations are under way with Village Hall meetings in the 3 constituent Wards to canvas opinion with ALL residents – so any ideas you have on the way YOU want YOUR area to develop would be happily received. Feel free to contact us if you want to share ideas about our future in Oakridge Ward. Ward Councillors - Roger Budgeon, Dennis Robbins, Beth Hughes, Ian Greves. Clerk - Heather Finlay 07966 763 795 [email protected] The John Taylor Foundation
The John Taylor’s Foundation is a local charity that issues small grants to students going on to Higher Education (excluding A Levels) or those undertaking apprenticeships, to assist with the cost of books, tools or equipment.
If you are aged under 25, and live in the Ancient Parish of Bisley (the area includes all of the civil parish of Bisley with Lypiatt, including Eastcombe and Oakridge, most of Bussage and part of Chalford), please apply in writing to The Trustees at [email protected] stating your full name, age, address, university course or employer. The Trustees of the John Taylor’s Foundation meet twice a year in March and September when applications will be considered. From The Ground
Oakridge Parochial School Allotment Project
Read The February/March
Update Here ... OAT (Oakridge Allotment Team) Tel: 07983 65414 Email: [email protected] Dame Margaret Weston
Dame Margaret Weston, born in Oakridge in 1926, the daughter of Mr Weston, headteacher at Oakridge School in the 1940s (and remembered in several of the recent ‘Memories’ articles), has recently passed away at the age of 94. Following education at Stroud High School and Birmingham Municipal Technical School, she was one of only 3 women alongside 300 men, selected for a student apprenticeship at The General Electric Company, where she became a Chartered Electrical Engineer. Following qualification, she joined the Science Museum in London in 1955, rising to become the first female director of a national museum in 1973. Her aim there was to make the Science Museum more fun, more accessible to children, and more various in its contents, including making its galleries more interactive. She was also instrumental in creating a network of museums extending outside London, the nationwide Science Museum Group.
Appointed a Dame in 1979, she retired in 1986 and spent her last years back in Stroud, where she helped set up the Museum in the Park, and was a patron of the Stroudwater Textile Trust and Cotswold Canal Trust. Oakridge Village Hall
The Village Hall continues to be regularly used by the Ballyhoo Dance School, and by many fitness groups and the Choir, among others.
Don’t forget that the Bookings Calendar is available online - www.oakridgevillage.org/village-hall.html Gigaclear Broadband Access – open to all users of the Hall – help us to keep the service available by signing up. Network: Oakridge Village Hall Gigaclear (No password required) For more, see the village hall page. Booking enquiries: email [email protected] 
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Did You Know? Siccaridge Wood
Siccaridge Wood is one of the few places in the Cotswolds in which the hazel dormouse makes its home, numbers of which are closely monitored as part of a national scheme, while wood ant nests can be found on the ground and silver washed fritillary and comma butterflies flit around the open rides. The Arts and Crafts Movement Oakridge was a hub of the Arts and Crafts Movement and famous painters, furniture makers, poets and other interesting people have lived here. Find out more at our Oakridge History Archive. Daneway Banks Just beyond Siccaridge Wood lies Daneway Banks, where the steep sides have almost lunar like bumps made by generations of yellow meadow ants. A classic example of limestone grassland, it is also home to the large blue butterfly which has been recently re-introduced after being extinct in the UK for several decades. |
Hire Our Village Hall Why not hire our Village hall?
Garden Club - Local Links Download the Gloucestershire Federation of Gardening Societies Spring Newsletter.
Visit the Generous Gardener Website for news of Gardening Lecture Days, Masterclasses and Specialist Plant Sales at The Coach House Garden, Ampney Crucis. Find out about the new Cafe and what's on at Miserden Nursery. |
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Oakridge Events Diary If you would you like us to add an event - please get in touch through the Contact Us page. Full calendar and "What's On" available here. Village Hall Bookings Calendar Please see here for a guide to availability
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"What's On" Newsletter We protect your information and privacy strictly in accordance with all legal requirements and we do not share your personal information with any third party.
What's On Editor: Victoria Beard Tel: 01285 760339 Email: [email protected]
Regulars Out and About Chalford Sports & Social Club
From time to time events and courses at the Chalford Sports & Social Club are included in 'Whats On' which you can download above or visit their website at chalford-ssc.co.uk Bisley "Well Dressing"
Bisley's famous "Well Dressing" custom, dating from 1863, is held every Ascention day - Find out more. Useful Links |
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Artists and Artisans In Residence Find out about the Artists and Artisans who live and work in Oakridge, Including:
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Country and Wildlife |
From the Archive
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Delve into the Archive at oakridgearchives.omeka.net
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And buy the Book! 
You can buy this beautiful 175 page fully illustrated hardback 'Oakridge a History' for just £12 from Ollie's Shop or by mail from John Loosely, Email :
[email protected] |
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