History Society

A society for everyone who is interested in the local history of Sheepscombe, Gloucestershire

The Village

Sheepscombe lies in a narrow valley hidden behind the Cotswold scarp, to the east of Painswick. Over time it has undergone several major changes. Five hundred years ago it was sparsely populated, and used as a deer park and hunting ground.  The modern village has its origins in the seventeenth century, developing on the back of agriculture and the growing textile trade.  The nineteenth century, however, brought a period of industrial decline, and Sheepscombe suffered from increasing poverty and a falling population. Since that time, its population has been revived once again and today it is a vibrant community, although no longer the working village that it used to be.

The Society

The Sheepscombe History Society exists to promote the study of the village’s history, and to collect and preserve an archive of relevant historical material. All residents of Sheepscombe are members, and there is no membership fee.

Visit the History Society website which makes some of the archive material available to a wider audience and encourages others to join in village study.  The Society’s meetings are open to all, whether resident in the village or not, and everyone with an interest in the subject will be made most welcome.