Cam, England: travel guide to the Cotswold-edge village and its last woollen mill

Cam is a large village in Gloucestershire, in south-west England, set on the western edge of the Cotswolds and joined to the neighbouring town of Dursley, between the cities of Bristol and Gloucester. With around 8,500 residents it is actually larger than the town next door, and it combines a working past with fine walking country on its doorstep.

For travellers searching for Cam Gloucestershire, Cam Peak, the Cotswold Way or woollen mills near Dursley, it offers hills, heritage and easy access to the Cotswolds.

History and the woollen mill

Cam grew up beside the Cam brook beneath the Cotswolds and was for centuries part of the great Gloucestershire cloth industry. Tradition holds that a battle was fought here in the time of Edward the Elder between Saxons and Danes. Today the village is home to Cam Mills, the only surviving woollen mill in an area that once had many, long known for producing the cloth used to cover tennis balls since Tudor times.

Hills and walking

Rising above the village are Cam Peak and Cam Long Down, distinctive grassy hills that offer fine views and popular short walks, while the Cotswold Way national trail passes less than a mile away. The village has an identifiable centre around St Bartholomew's and St George's churches, with shops, pubs and its own Cam and Dursley railway station.

Practical information

Cam lies about 20 kilometres south-west of Gloucester and around 30 kilometres north-east of Bristol, with its own station on the line between the two, making it a convenient base for the southern Cotswolds.