In the early 19th century Bussage and the whole of the Chalford and Stroud area was undergoing massive social and economic change as the industrialisation and subsequent collapse of the local weaving industry left entire communities in abject poverty with no-one to help them. The Church of England in the form of the Oxford Movement, or more specifically the people in that movement who passionately believed that it was their mission reach out to the occupants of the slums and poverty-stricken areas in this country, aimed to change this by planting a church in Bussage. This is the story of how that was done and what effect this had on the people. This was a time of massive change in the UK and the story of this small community presents a microcosm of the wider story. A story that is still ongoing today.
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