The history of Wotton-under-Edge spans the last two thousand years and the landscape and features in and around the town bear witness to human presence and activity.

Whilst the first mention of Wotton dates back to 940 AD, the remains of an Iron Age fort just above the town show how this valley at the bottom of the wooded scarp to the Cotswolds has always supported industry, first as a centre from where to harvest woodland resources ('wude' is Saxon for wood, and 'ton' means village), then as a thriving wool town.

Following its industrial peak in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Victorian period did not force large scale industry on Wotton, mainly because transportation to other locations such as Stroud and Dursley was easier. This has left the town centre more or less untouched since the early Victorian period, with a number of late mediaeval, Jacobean and Regency houses which are still in use today.

Today, Wotton-under-Edge is a thriving market town, proud of its long heritage but also welcoming to visitors. If you come to the Heritage Centre, you will find on display a number of artefacts from most of the key periods of the town history, from Roman pottery to post-war rationing cards.