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This was the site of Badbrook Mill's millpond, and, behind it, the bowling green belonging to the Golden Heart Inn on King Street. The green was a space used for gatherings and demonstations; an air balloon ascended from here in 1836, and Chartist meetings were held in 1839. It became the drill ground for the Stroud Rifle Volunteers, formed in 1860, and an Armoury and Drill Hall were built for them. The Rifle Volunteers were the forerunners of the Territorial Army, who used the drill ground, and it saw military use until World War 2, when the Home Guard trained there.
The Drill Hall and Armoury were demolished to make the bus station, which was remodelled in 1971 when the first phase of the Merrywalks Shopping Centre was built, and finally closed with the second phase incorporating the cinema.
From January 2016, this website is managed by Stroud Local
History Society
Revised 2018 EMW
