Don’t forget, if you’re a Friend of Stroud Valleys Project, you can enjoy an exclusive discount on selected events by entering your code at the checkout.
Find out more about becoming a Friend of Stroud Valleys Project here.
Minibeasties - Autumn Leaves
Join Stroud Valleys Project for a look into the wonderful world of autumn leaves!
We’ll be searching for colourful autumn leaves to make a leaf crown and ending the session with a story.
At Minibeasties, toddlers and preschoolers take a closer look at the wildlife on our doorstep through walks, craft activities and stories. Open to children between the ages of 2 and 4 years, who must be accompanied by an adult.
Tickets cost £3 per household - places are limited so booking is essential.
This event is supported by Little Acorns, Might Oaks and the Museum in the Park.
Green Halloween - Pumpkins in the Park
Join Stroud Valleys Project and the Museum in the Park for this year’s Green Halloween adventures!
As well as our family favourite carved pumpkin competition and trail, you can make your own sustainable Halloween accessories.
You can drop off your carved pumpkins between 2pm and 4.45pm so that they can be added to our pumpkin trail and entered into the competition.
This is a completely free event and is suitable for all ages. There is no need to book, just drop in at the Museum in the Park anytime between 2.30pm and 5.30pm. Donations for the Museum in the Park and Stroud Valleys Project welcomed.
The full schedule for the day is:
2.30-4.45 – Drop off pumpkins
2pm – 4.30 - Sustainable Willow Halloween Crafts
5pm – Room on the Broom
5pm – Judging – Including Andy Hussey – local children’s author
5.30 – Trail Begins
6pm – winners announced and collect pumpkins
This event is part of our Ripple Effect Project, which is supported by Stroud District Council.
Singing in Nature
Join award-winning song leader Eleanor Holliday to sing together in nature.
We’ll meet and walk along the towpath, where we will gather and learn some simple nature-based songs together. All are welcome; if you are bringing children, we’ll ask about this after you have booked. No dogs, please.
Booking is essential as numbers are limited; places are £7 per adult - please pay as you feel comfortable and any funds raised will go towards SVP’s charity work.
This is a Canal Reflections event from Cotswold Canals Connected and Stroud Valleys Project, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Rodborough Tab Harvest Eco-Fair
Stroll across the hills to the beautiful Rodborough Tabernacle, a community church set deep in the woods, for an afternoon of nature-based fun and friendship.
The Eco themed Harvest weekend at the Tab will run from 2-4pm with stalls, second hand clothes, bicycle powered cider press, Tombola and refreshments. The Tab will also be showing the People's Emergency Briefing film at 7pm.
Stroud Valleys Project will have a stall, with craft activities for children taking place with our brilliant project officer Tamsin. Come along and say hello!
This is a free event.
Fungi Foray
Join Stroud Valleys Project and fungi enthusiast Tony Hardware on UK Fungus Day for a delve into the wonderful world of fungi at Standish Woods.
Autumn is a great time to spot some of the weird and wonderful fungi that lurk amongst the leaves on the woodland floor. Don your wellies and walking boots, get outside and enjoy some time seeking out these fascinating treasures.
Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
Event is now fully booked.
A Short History of Rodborough Common
Join Dr Sharon Gardham for a walk on beautiful Rodborough Common. We’ll delve into the history of the Common and, using documentary evidence and the clues left on the land itself, we will cover more than a millennium of history, exploring how Rodborough has been shaped by its past inhabitants, both human and non-human.
This event is being run in collaboration with the National Trust.
Eel Tales: The Story of a Remarkable Journey
Join Stroud Valleys Project and eel expert Dr Laura Weldon on World Rivers Day 2026 for a journey into the remarkable lifecycle of freshwater eels.
There will be eel tales and activities for all to enjoy. We will even be DNA testing the water to see if eels are present! This event will be taking place near to Arundel Mill Pond, which is on the towpath going towards Brimscombe. Exact location details are provided after booking. Suitable for children aged 9+
World Rivers Day is an annual global celebration held on the fourth Sunday of every September to highlight the value of rivers and waterways and encourage their protection.
This event is part of Cotswold Canals Connected Canal Reflections series, made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Booking now closed.
Minibeasties: Berries and Seeds
FULLY BOOKED
Join Stroud Valleys Project for a look into the wonderful world of berries and seeds. We’ll be playing berry bingo, hunting for nuts and berries followed up by a craft activity and a story.
Open to children between the ages of 2 and 4 years, who must be accompanied by an adult.
This is a monthly group, so keep your eyes open for next month’s theme!
£3 per family group/household (up to 2 adults and 2 children). If cost is barrier for you, please get in touch.
This event is supported by Little Acorns Projects
Water Blitz 2
Booking is now closed.
Join Stroud Valleys Project to monitor and record the water quality in the River Frome!
As part of the Great UK Water Blitz this September, we will show you how to check the quality of our local river water in central Stroud, and record it as part of the UK’s biggest citizen science freshwater survey: Great UK WaterBlitz - Earthwatch Europe
Sessions will be led by SVP’s Project Officer, Tamsin Bent, who manages our project at Frome Banks Nature Reserve and Arundel Mill Pond and carries out regular monitoring surveys. There will be 2 sessions, one at 10am at one site and one at 11am at another. Booking essential – meeting point will be provided on booking.
This event is part of our Ripple Effect project funded by Stroud District Council’s Climate and Nature Fund. Please note, any children must be accompanied by an adult and should be aged 8+.
Water Blitz 1
Booking is now closed.
Join Stroud Valleys Project to monitor and record the water quality in the River Frome!
As part of the Great UK Water Blitz this September, we will show you how to check the quality of our local river water in central Stroud, and record it as part of the UK’s biggest citizen science freshwater survey: Great UK WaterBlitz - Earthwatch Europe
Sessions will be led by SVP’s Project Officer, Tamsin Bent, who manages our project at Frome Banks Nature Reserve and Arundel Mill Pond and carries out regular monitoring surveys. There will be 2 sessions, one at 10am at one site and one at 11am at another. Booking essential – meeting point will be provided on booking.
This event is part of our Ripple Effect project funded by Stroud District Council’s Climate and Nature Fund. Please note, any children must be accompanied by an adult and should be aged 8+.
Herb Walk for Women
Wise women once drew upon their understanding of the natural world; today we know that much of their learning was rooted in scientific fact.
Join herbalist Laura Pardoe of Cotswold Herb Centre for a stroll along the canal from Fromebridge Mill in Whitminster to ‘meet’ some of the herbal helpers with the potential to boost your wellbeing. In this gentle walk for women, Laura will share the lore and history of the herbs and plants that grow on the banks, as well as explaining all about their healing properties.
Laura has identified some wonderful plants near Fromebridge Mill – ‘one of the best selections of autumn hedgerow plants I've seen in ages’ – as well as some fascinating plants along the canal such as reeds, water mint and water forget-me-not.
Full location details of the meeting point will be supplied upon booking.
There are two price points to make this event accessible for those on low incomes; please select whichever feels right for you.
This event is part of Cotswold Canals Connected Canal Reflections series, made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Wild Summer: Stand Up Paddleboarding for women
As part of the Wild Summer series of family events with Cotswold Canals Connected, Discover Paddling is offering kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) session for children (aged 13+) and adults.
This session on Saturday 5 September is for women to learn stand-up paddleboarding. Give it a try!
To book, visit Discover Paddling:
Wild Summer: Paddle with Mum
As part of the Wild Summer series of family events with Cotswold Canals Connected, Discover Paddling is offering kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) session for children (aged 13+) and adults.
This session on Saturday 5 September is for SUPs. Give it a try, together!
To book, visit Discover Paddling:
Wild Summer: Paddle with Mum
FULLY BOOKED
As part of the Wild Summer series of family events with Cotswold Canals Connected, Discover Paddling is offering kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) session for children and adults.
This session on Sunday 30 August is for kayaking. Give it a try, together!
For more details and to book, visit Discover Paddleboarding’s website.
Family Nature Walk
WE’RE SORRY, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED
Join us for a family friendly nature walk along Frome Banks (beside the river) to Wallbridge and return along the canal to Capel’s Mill looking out for wildlife along the way. We’ll be using our walk leaflet and a wildlife spotting sheet to help us.
Please book a place for all people attending (including children). Suitable for children aged 5+. The walk is about a mile in length and unfortunately not suitable for pushchairs or buggies.
This event is part of Cotswold Canals Connected’s Wild Summer series of events, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
A Calamity of Waters - Book Launch
Join Stroud Valleys Project and Chloe Turner for a special event celebrating the launch of Chloe’s new book, A Calamity of Waters. Held at the SVP Eco Shop, the evening will feature a conversation with Chloe, exploring the inspiration behind the book and its themes.
In a generous gesture of support for the charity, Chloe is donating all her author profits from the sale of A Calamity of Waters to Stroud Valleys Project.
A Calamity of Waters is loosely based on the events of the Severn flood of 1607, a cataclysmic event for the communities along the coasts of the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary.
JANUARY 1607. THE SEVERN VALLEY. THE GREATEST FLOOD IN LIVING MEMORY.
Habren has never quite forgiven herself. Her father only sings bawdy carols for farthings these days, none of the sweet songs he used to sing their mother, and perhaps it’s no wonder her sisters Syble and Margret have put many leagues between themselves and their old home. But then Syble summons her to Gloucester, and if Habren can keep on the right side of their pin merchant master, perhaps it’s the chance she needs to make up for the past.
Then the river rises. In a single January morning, the Severn floods the vale and upends every life in it. And somewhere down that swollen estuary is Ambrose, the man Habren loves.
With Syble and new friend Raynould beside her, Habren sets out for Bristol to find him, through a city the flood has torn apart. And as they search, secrets they have kept close to their hearts begin, one by one, to surface.
A Calamity of Waters will be available to purchase at this event. If you would like us to reserve a copy for you, please let us know when booking. Paperback copies are available for £12, and hardback copies for £18.
Join Stroud Valleys Project and Chloe Turner for a special event celebrating the launch of Chloe’s new book, A Calamity of Waters. Held at the SVP Eco Shop, the evening will feature a conversation with Chloe, exploring the inspiration behind the book and its themes.
Canal Reflections: Bat Walk
Please note: This session is a women only event. Thank you for respecting the nature of this event.
Did you know that there are at least 17 bat species in the UK?
Find out more about our incredible British bats with local expert Gemma Waters in this summertime Bat Walk for Women.
We’ll use shared bat detectors to track and identify the flying mammals and hopefully spot some in flight. Species that might put in an appearance are Common and Soprano Pipistrelle, Brown Long-Eared Bat, Daubenton's Bat, Lesser Horseshoe, Myotis Species, Noctule, and Serotine.
Please wear weather-appropriate clothing and suitable footwear and bring a torch.
This session is priced at £7 or £1, depending on your level of abundance; please feel free to choose the cost that works best for you.
This is a Canal Reflections event for women in partnership with Cotswold Canals Connected, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Golden Hour Kayaking for Women
FULLY BOOKED
In this event for women, you can try your hand at kayaking along the Stroudwater Canal as the days draws to a close. Enjoy the beauty of the canal as dusk starts to fall.
Scything Workshop
Join us and find out about this ancient method of mowing using the lightweight and ergonomic Austrian scythe. We will provide you with guidance in setting it up, sharpening, safety, and efficient mowing action.
Scything can be very useful for orchard management, wildflower meadows or anywhere that has long grass or other herbage.
We will mow areas of a beautiful wildflower meadow site and rake up the cuttings to help in its management.
Scythes and sharpening stones provided.
Singing in Nature - A Women & Children's Session
FULLY BOOKED
Please note: This session is a women and children only event. Thank you for respecting the nature of this event.
Join award-winning song leader Eleanor Holliday to sing together in nature. We’ll meet and walk along the towpath to Rodborough Fields, where we will gather and learn some simple nature-based songs together. You’re invited to bring something to sit on as we will conclude our walk in a stubbly field!
Women and children are welcome; if you are bringing children, we’ll ask about this after you have booked. No dogs, please.
Booking is essential as numbers are limited; places are £7 or £1 per adult – please pay as you feel comfortable and any funds raised will go towards SVP’s charity work.
This is a Canal Reflections event from Cotswold Canals Connected and Stroud Valleys Project, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Paddle with Mum
FULLY BOOKED
As part of the Wild Summer series of family events with Cotswold Canals Connected, Discover Paddling is offering kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) session for children and adults.
This session on Sunday 16 August is for SUPs. Give it a try, together!
For more details and to book, visit Discover Paddling’s website.
Wild Weaving for Families
FULLY BOOKED
Join us to weave the wild, on the banks of our local canal.
Working with artist Emily Joy, you’ll use small hand looms to create beautiful layered woven pieces inspired by the colours and textures of the canals.
Create your own unique artwork using the wonderful flowers and foliage found around the banks of the canal, plus natural sheep’s wool, flax, natural dyed fibres, and thin strips of cyanotype paper onto which you can write words inspired by the canals.
Once off the looms and mounted onto driftwood or sticks provided, these pieces will be long lasting mementoes of the canals in summer.
Free, but booking is essential: please book one place for each adult and child in your group. This session is suitable for family with children aged six and above.
Supported by Cotswold Canals Connected and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
SUP for Women
FULLY BOOKED
Discover stand-up paddleboarding for the first time on the stunning Stroudwater Canal in Stonehouse. Paddle at golden hour for a relaxed evening on the water.
You will be instructed by a fully qualified instructor who will teach you all the basics to be paddling with confidence, as well as practising mindfulness and enjoying the beautiful wildlife and surroundings.
Visit the Discover Padding website to find out more and to book.
Botanical Casting Workshop for Women
FULLY BOOKED.
Join ceramic sculpture tutor and artist Emily Joy for an introduction to casting with clay and plaster. You'll create a beautiful and detailed mini plaster tile, showing all the glorious shapes and textures of our summer foliage and flowers. We will spend some time choosing flowers and foliage from the canal banks before casting them to create a unique artwork for you to take home or give as a gift.
This event will take place in an outdoor location in central Stroud; full details provided upon booking.
This event is priced to be accessible to everyone, with two pricing levels. The higher rate represents a donation to Stroud Valleys Project.
This is part of the Canal Reflections events for women in partnership with Cotswold Canals Connected, made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Minibeast Hunt: Second session
FULLY BOOKED
Please note: this event takes place on Friday 7 August not Saturday as previously advertised. Join Stroud Valleys Project and King’s Stanley Parish Council for a family minibeast hunt! Together we will scour the fields for the many intriguing tiny creatures who live all around us.
This event is suitable for primary aged children and their grown-ups! It is a FREE event, but places are strictly limited so booking is essential.
Each child must have their own ticket and all children/family groups must be accompanied by an adult. Adults do not need to book a ticket.
Minibeast Hunt: First session
FULLY BOOKED
Please note: this event takes place on Friday 7 August not Saturday as previously advertised. Join Stroud Valleys Project and King’s Stanley Parish Council for a family minibeast hunt! Together we will scour the fields for the many intriguing tiny creatures who live all around us.
This event is suitable for primary aged children and their grown-ups! It is a FREE event, but places are strictly limited so booking is essential.
Each child must have their own ticket and all children/family groups must be accompanied by an adult. Adults do not need to book a ticket.
Family Dragonfly Walk
FULLY BOOKED
Join us for a walk, not with actual dragons, but dragonflies. Prehistoric fossils show dragonflies were up to 61cm in size! Today, these flying predators are still impressive, in their acrobatic flying abilities, bright colours, and the way they change from pond predator as young into aerial killing machines (in some cases 😊)!
In our Walk with Dragonflies, we’ll stroll for a couple of kilometres along canal and river, to seek these flying insects, find out about their lifecycle, and learn the names of common local species using an ID chart, and binoculars.
We will be starting the walk in central Stroud. Full details will be given on booking.
This event is part of our Ripple Effect project funded by Stroud District Council’s Climate and Nature Fund.
Pond Dipping
FULLY BOOKED
Join Stroud Valleys Project to check out the wonderful underwater world of the pond.
Ponds are a vital wildlife habitat and are good for people too! Families will have a hands-on opportunity to get a closer look at the exciting variety of animals that live in our ponds.
Each child must have their own ticket and all children/family groups must be accompanied by an adult. Adults do not need to book a ticket.
This event is part of our Ripple Effect project funded by Stroud District Council’s Climate and Nature Fund.
Willow Workshop for Women
Join Stroud Valleys Project and expert willow weaver Sophie Buckley for this special event for women.
Sophie will be guiding you as you create a fish decoration from this flexible, sustainable natural material, learning a little about the history of willow and its importance in art and culture as we go.
The workshop will take place outside near Capel’s Mill in central Stroud (full location details are provided upon booking) and you are invited to bring picnic rugs or camping chairs to sit on.
This event is part of Cotswold Canals Connected’s Canal Reflections series of events, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Places are limited so booking is essential. Please select the payment level that best suits your circumstances.
Women’s Sunrise Canal Walk: Flowers & Wildlife Walk
Join us for a peaceful women-only early morning walk along the Stroud Canal, looking for wildlife. celebrating the flowers, wildlife and quiet beauty of this special urban nature corridor.
Led by Wild Stroud, an organisation dedicated to protecting and enhancing Stroud’s urban wildlife corridor, this guided walk explores the rich wildlife of the Stroud Canal. Who knows what we will see… but fingers crossed for a kingfisher and even an otter… However, at the end of this walk you will know where to look and Apps you can use to help you identify, insects, birds and flowers (Info on these apps will be supplied in joining instructions).
Our walk starts at St Cyr’s Church near Stonehouse. This gentle out and back walk lasts around 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Please wear sturdy shoes and bring waterproofs in case of rain, along with a drink. A torch is recommended for later in the evening, although we don’t expect to need it.
Book your place on Wild Stroud’s Sunrise Walk here.
This is a Canal Reflections event from Cotswold Canals Connected and Stroud Valleys Project, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Canal Reflections: Singing in Nature (session 2)
Join award-winning song leader Eleanor Holliday to sing together in nature. We’ll meet and walk along the towpath to Rodborough Fields, where we will gather and learn some simple nature-based songs together. You’re invited to bring something to sit on as we will conclude our walk in a stubbly field!
Women and children are welcome; if you are bringing children, we’ll ask about this after you have booked. No dogs, please.
Booking is essential as numbers are limited; places are £7 or £1 per adult – please pay as you feel comfortable and any funds raised will go towards SVP’s charity work.
This is a Canal Reflections event from Cotswold Canals Connected and Stroud Valleys Project, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Dash and Bash
New date!
Women of Stroud District – join us for a unique evening on the towpath! Whether you’re an experienced runner or someone of good to average fitness who’d like to give it a try, come and take part in a twilight run with a difference – you’ll be helping us tackle invasive plants that choke our native species.
Together we’ll jog along the canal towpath near Ebley before tackling Himalayan Balsam close to the canal.
Our event leaders are keen runner Gill Thomas and SVP project officer and Balsam Basher extraordinaire Ruth Powell.
We’ll release full location details upon booking. This event is free, but booking is essential. There is an option to pay £7, the standard SVP event price, if you’d like to make a donation to SVP’s charity work.
Please note, you will need to wear (or bring with you) long sleeves and long trousers; these can be stored safely while you dash!
This is a Canal Reflections event for women in partnership with Cotswold Canals Connected, made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Willow Workshop for Families
FULLY BOOKED
Join Stroud Valleys Project and expert willow weaver Sophie Buckley for this special event for families with children aged eight and above.
Sophie will be guiding you as you create a fish decoration from this flexible natural material. Working together, you will make an artwork that you can take home and display with pride!
The workshop will take place outside near Capel’s Mill in central Stroud (full location details are provided upon booking) and you are invited to bring picnic rugs or camping chairs to sit on.
This event is part of Cotswold Canals Connected’s Wild Summer series of events, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Places are limited so booking is essential. Cost is for one family; we will email you upon booking to ask how many children you are bringing.
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