Bisley, a Charming Village in Gloucestershire, England
Bisley is a village in Gloucestershire, England overlooking the River Frome also called the Stroudwater. It is 4 miles east of Stroud, a market town in the same county. The village shares a parish with Lypiatt. Thus the two villages are sometimes called Bisley-with-Lypiatt.
It is a charming village with a lot of character and is famous for the Cotswold houses which have historical and architectural significance. The rows of Cotswold stone cottages climbing in terraces from the main street gives an illusion of an amphitheatre and is quite beautiful to behold. Some of these Cotswold cottages include the Lypiatt Park, Nether Lypiatt Manor, Daneway, Througham Court, Over Court, and Jaynes Court.
Food, Shopping and Accommodation in Bisley
Since the village was once a major artery for the wool trade routes in the Cotswold, it used to have around nine progressive inns and pubs. Regrettably, there are only two of them left; The Stirrup Cup and The Bear. Both pubs are trendy and doing good business because of their excellent selection of drinks and quality menus. For a place to stay the night, there are local B&Bs facilities as well as cottages for rent in this village.
Things to See and Do in Bisley
One old feature of the village is an unused well called “The Bonehouse” over which the Poor Souls Light has been built. According to legends, a priest’s body was found at the bottom of the well called “The Bonehouse”. The Poor Souls Light built above the well is a small hexagonal building for lighting candles as offering for the redemption of the souls of the poor. It is thought that it is the only outdoor structure of its kind in England. At the other end of the village, five other wells are blessed and decked with flowers every year during Ascension Day. The wells were restored to honour Thomas Keble, Bisley’s rector for 50 years.