Stroud District is a local government district in Gloucestershire, England. It is named for its largest town, Stroud, and has its administrative headquarters in Ebley, on the outskirts of the town.
The district is a somewhat arbitrary administrative creation, comprising part of the Cotswolds and an area of the flat, fertile valley of the River Severn. While the town of Stroud is by some way the largest in the area, it is located in the extreme north of the district and isolated from the south by poor communications through the surrounding hills. The southern portion of the district is served mostly by its own market towns, chief among which are Dursley and Wotton-under-Edge.
The area is rich in Iron Age and Roman remnants and is of particular interest to archaeologists for its Neolithic burial grounds, of which there are over 100.
Much of the landscape in this area is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The esteemed Cotswold Way walk leads through the area. Unfortunately, the Stroud District has become something of a minor conurbation, with many towns and villages all rolled together, including Cashes Green , Thrupp , Cainscross and the industrial Stonehouse. Many people consider that the countryside has been ruined by the urbanization of the area. In many places, congestion and traffic jams are big problems, as is the resulting pollution.
At the turn of the second millennium there was a boom in house prices, which has made the area something of an elite and expensive place to live. Property development schemes are flourishing all over the Five Valleys, worsening the problems of congestion.
