History of Ebley 
By Crystal Harrison 

Ebley, Gloucestershire - Historical Notes and Memories of Old Ebley. 

By Crystal Harrison priced £8 plus £2 postage in UK

Available from Ebley Post Office,  Telephone: 01453 763847
Address: 265 Westward Rd, Ebley, Stroud, GL5 4TN

or

Or from the author, contact 

The book contains notes on the various woollen mills and waterways in the Ebley area. Illustrating how the need for a cheaper form of transport lead to the cutting of the Stroudwater Canal in 1779 and two railway routes in 1845 (Great Western Line)and 1867 (Midland Line). Later, the coming of the motor car led to the demise of the railways but gradually the volume of traffic built up to such an extent that in 1994 a bypass through Ebley Meadows was needed.

There are also notes on Ebley Chapel, Ebley School, Cashes Green Hospital (an isolation hospital serving the community) and many of the older buildings in the village. These buildings include those built by the wealthy woollen cloth manufacturers, Ebley House, Ebley Court, Bridge House and Holly Tree House.

Review by John Loosley

Those of you who think of Ebley as a few houses on the road from Cainscross to Stonehouse, the home of Stroud District Council offices and nothing much more should read this book by one of our members, Crystal Harrison. The first thing that leaps out of the book is the importance of water to Ebley, not just for drinking but the ancient role of the water meadows, the river Frome powering the mills, the canal providing transport for coal, etc and the water for the breweries at Cainscross and Hamwell Leaze. Crystal has used a wide range of sources to explore in detail the histories of the many interesting buildings including the mills, the grand houses such as Ebley House and Court, the smaller houses and cottages and the various shops and industries. The people who made such a mark on the community from the mill owning Marlings to Rev. Benjamin Parsons of Ebley Chapel are described, as are the more humble inhabitants such as a weaver, Jeptha Young. There are many old photos including a lovely one of villagers in fancy dress. This book shows the pride the inhabitants of Ebley took in their community and the efforts they made to create a better place to live. Although Ebley is changing rapidly with large-scale house building the book looks to the future of the community with optimism.

From http://home.freeuk.com/gloshistory/lhcbrev7.htm