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Stroud is a town in the county of Gloucestershire , England . It is the main town in Stroud District . ] PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES Perched on the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills , at the meeting point of the Five Stroud Valleys , the town is notable for its steep streets. Stroud is at . The Cotswold Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty surrounds the town in all directions, and the Cotswold Way path passes by it to the west. HISTORY Historically, Stroud is known for its involvement in the grant. Stroud Railway Station (on the Gloucester - Swindon "Golden Valley" line) was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel . BUSINESS viewed from the Cainscross road.]] There is still a small textile industry (the green Baize cloth used to cover Snooker tables is made here), but today, the town functions primarily as a centre for light engineering and small-scale manufacturing, and a provider of services for the surrounding villages. A Farmers' Market , launched in 1999 , takes place at the Cornhill market on the first and third Saturdays of the month. It was nominated for ''Farmers' Market of the Year'' in 2001 and won the Cotswold Life magazine award for the best farmers market in Gloucestershire in 2003 , 2004 and 2005 . EDUCATION The town is home to two of the country's last remaining state for boys and the Stroud High School for girls. They continued on long after the Comprehensive School became the norm, and their future was the subject of long-running controversy; they were among the first schools to "opt out" and become Grant-maintained . The two schools now share a mixed Sixth Form , called the Downfield Sixth Form . Downfield is currently part of the three-way consortium between Archway Sixth Form and Stroud College. Downfield is also very popular with a lot of the surrounding schools. The town's other secondary schools are Archway School, a comprehensive school located in the Paganhill area, and Thomas Keble School in Eastcombe. CHARACTER AND AMENITIES As well as shops and banks, the town centre contains a cinema (which, controversially, replaced the bus station) and a Multi-storey Car Park next to the medical centre. There is also a McDonalds which, when plans were unveiled in 2004, came against a lot of opposition from locals. The Subscription Rooms in the heart of the town centre provide a venue for entertainment and also house the local tourist information centre. In addition to the farmers market there is a smaller market held in The Shambles, an area adjacent to the steep High Street. On the fringes of the town is Stratford Park , originally the park of a small stately home, now home to a leisure centre with indoor and outdoor Swimming Pool s. Visitors and locals say that there is a unique and 'laid back' air to the town, which is home to a significant number of Artist s, Author s and Poet s. Stroud has a significant ' Bohemian ' community that dates back to the early part of the twentieth century, including a number of 'new age' types. "Stroudie" (Sometimes spelt "Stroudy") is a locally used term for residents of Stroud. There is a stereotype of the Green Party -supporting Stroudie, generally opposed to Genetically-modified produce, Oil Companies ( Esso in particular) and McDonalds . Stroud acts as a centre for many surrounding villages, hamlets and market towns including Minchinhampton , Amberley , Slad , Bisley , Stonehouse , Woodchester , Painswick , Chalford , Thrupp , Sheepscombe and Nailsworth FAMOUS RESIDENTS The town's most famous children and residents are authors. Those born in the area, or who lived there while writing, include Laurie Lee , Jilly Cooper , Jasper Fforde , Katie Fforde and the Reverend W. V. Awdry , creator of Thomas The Tank Engine . The nearby Slad Valley is the setting of '' Cider With Rosie '', the first part of Laurie Lee's autobiographical trilogy. From 1837 to 1841, Stroud's MP was Lord John Russell of the Whig party who was later to become Prime Minister . Russell was one of the most important politicians of his day, responsible for passing many acts of parliament such as the Public Health Act of 1848 , but he is mainly remembered as one of the chief architects of the Reform Act 1867 . This act, also known as the second reform act gave the vote to every urban male householder, not just those of considerable means. This resulted in the electorate being increased by 1.5 million voters. Lord Russell is remembered in the town by two street names - John Street and Russell Street as well as in the name of the Lord John public house. POLITICS The current Member Of Parliament for Stroud is David Drew of the Labour & Co-op Parties . For further details see the article on the Stroud Constituency . TWIN TOWNS
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