Discover Dursley

Sitting on the famous Cotswold Way route, which passes by its 18th century Market House, the town is nestled in a wooded valley under the glorious Cotswold escarpment, ideally positioned halfway between Gloucester and Bristol, close to the Cam and Dursley train station.

Originally renowned for its woollen cloth, Dursley later became known for its world-famous Lister-Petter engines and of course Mikael Pedersen and his distinctive bicycle. Its rich history is preserved today by the many fine buildings located in the town, including Jacob's House and The Priory and also by the information and artefacts held in its Heritage Centre. It may have even been home, for a time, for The Bard, William Shakespeare!

Today the town has 'Walkers are Welcome' status and is a 'Cotswold Gateway Town'. With its successful annual Walking Festival, its an ideal base for walkers to enjoy the outstanding natural beauty of the local landscape and the surrounding Cotswold Edge and Severn Vale area.

Walk or drive to the summit of any of the hills surrounding the town and you will be rewarded with breath-taking panoramic views of the Gloucestershire countryside, including the Severn estuary and even Wales.

The 18th Century Market House is home to a bustling Farmer's Market on the second Saturday of every month as well as a vibrant Artisan Market on the first. The town has a variety of independent small shops. Visitors can enjoy culinary delights ranging from artisan coffee and traditional British pub grub, to a varied selection of world cuisine from plenty of great cafes, restaurants and pubs including the award-winning 'Old Spot'.

There are many excellent facilities to take advantage of during your visits including the Library and The Active Lifestyles leisure centre, which includes a modern fully equip gym, dance studio, swimming pool and fitness classes.

Throughout the year, the town is home to a range of festivals and events including an exciting summer Town Festival, the iconic 'Dursley Dozen' all terrain race, the popular, already mentioned Dursley Walking Festival, annual Tyndale Arts trail and the famous 'Festive Dursley' Christmas lights switch on.

There's so much to discover in Dursley; our beautiful small vibrant market town on the Cotswold Way. We look forward to making you welcome.

Dursley's Visitor Information Centre is located in the Library on May Lane. For email enquires contact: dursleyvic@Gloucestershire.gov.uk

Current VIC opening hours are:
Monday 9:30am-5pm, Tuesday 9:30am-6:30pm, Wednesday 9:30am-2pm, Thursday 9:30am-5pm, Friday 9:30am-6:30pm, Saturday 9:30am-4pm, Sunday Closed.

Public toilets are located next to the May Lane car park, opposite 'The Old Spot' pub. Sainsburys also has a customer toilet.

The 'Discover Dursley' pages of our website provide information on Dursley's attractions, places of interest and other helpful information for tourists and visitors to our lovely town.

The 'Out of Hours' information below includes useful visitor information relating to health and public transport.