This book tells the story of Bishop's Cleeve and Woodmancote over a period of 12,000 years. The archaeological record, the written record and people's memories have been skilfully interwoven to create the first comprehensive history of these two communities. The story follows the fortunes of the inhabitants, from small groups of prehistoric farmers and on through the controlling influence of the Bishop of Worcester in the Middle Ages, to the traditional farming of the nineteenth century which was swept away by the developments following the arrival of Smiths' factory in 1939. The recent rapid expansion since 1990 has provided much new knowledge about the early history of the area and this is explained here for the first time.

Whether a newcomer wanting to know more about the villages or a long-time resident wanting to add to their own knowledge, or just someone interested in local history, everyone will find much of interest whether itA fs the explanation of familiar scenes or the exploding of commonly held myths about the past.