The Market town of Stroud has attracted and inspired artists for over a century – Victorian designer William Morris to twenty first century art superstar, Damien Hirst.

Whether or not inspired by the Arts and Crafts Movement, the area is currently a hotspot for artists, sculptors, designers and makers. Stroud Jasper Conran described the town as 'the Covent Garden of the Cotswolds'.

We've enjoyed becoming rather fashionable recently, with anecdotes about:

• Damien Hirst
• Colin Reid
• Cleo Mussi
• The Pangolin foundry

For the artistically-minded visitor, all this adds up to a contemporary arts scene where leading international artists show their work, exciting attractions, galleries and exhibitions to visit, craft shops and potteries of real quality and some distinctive and unusual shops, such as "Made in Stroud" in Stroud or Painswick Woodcrafts.

My advice to visitors is to note that the arts and crafts are alive and well and not confined to museums. Explore the towns, villages and festivals of the Cotswolds and you'll find vibrant creative people at work today, great galleries, exciting courses to join and beautiful work to take home.

Scan through the navigation bar on the left, to learn more about the arts.