Stroud Valley Scout Group has a remarkable local history. Our story reaches back through St Lawrence Scout Troop, St Peter’s Scout Group, Standish House, the Hollow Lane Scout Centre, and the life and work of Netlam Frederick Cordwell Bigg.
Stroud Valley Scouts heritage
Our history is a story of service, adventure, inclusion and community — from the first St Lawrence Scout Troop in 1928, to the pioneering Standish House Scout Group in 1934, the Hollow Lane headquarters opening in 1938, and the St Lawrence Scouts who fundraised their way from Stroud to Kandersteg in 1949.
Our history is being developed as a collection of connected pages. Each story can be read on its own, but together they show how Scouting in Stroud has grown through generosity, courage, inclusion and adventure.
Founded by Netlam Bigg in 1934 for boys who were hospital patients at Standish House, this is one of the most pioneering and moving parts of our history.
St Lawrence Scout Troop first began in 1928, ceased in 1931, and was re-established by Netlam Bigg in 1937.
In 1949, St Lawrence Scouts travelled from Stroud to Kandersteg in Switzerland after fundraising through waste paper and cardboard collections.
Netlam Frederick Cordwell Bigg was a local philanthropist, Scout leader, churchman, organiser, supporter of music and drama, and one of the central figures in Stroud’s Scouting story.
From Mrs Bigg’s land and the first St Lawrence headquarters to the Stroud Valley Scouting Centre we use today, Hollow Lane remains central to our story.
The dedicated pages tell the fuller stories. This overview explains how the main parts of our history connect.
1934
Netlam Bigg starts Standish House Scout Group for boys who were hospital patients.
1937
Netlam Bigg re-establishes St Lawrence Scout Troop after an earlier troop had ceased.
1949
St Lawrence Scouts travel from Stroud to Switzerland for an international Scouting adventure.
Standish House and Stroud Valley Scouts are connected through the wider story of Netlam Bigg and Scouting in Stroud. This history shows that Scouting has long been about inclusion, service, friendship and giving young people opportunities they might otherwise never have had.
A quick route through the main events in the history of St Lawrence, Standish House and Stroud Valley Scouts.
Kenneth Newman of Standish House received the Cornwell Decoration for bravery in 1939, often known as the Scouts’ VC.
The St Lawrence story includes wartime service, remembrance, and the planting of silver birch trees in memory of those connected with the group who died in service.
Netlam Bigg believed strongly in the international brotherhood of Scouting, a theme that runs through Standish House, St Lawrence and Kandersteg.
Today, Stroud Valley Scout Group continues the story built by St Lawrence, St Peter’s and the many volunteers, families and young people who came before us.
Our group provides Scouting for young people across Stroud, helping them develop confidence, friendships, practical skills and a sense of belonging.
The values that shaped the early group are still visible today: service, adventure, friendship, international Scouting, community support and skills for life.
In 1949, St Lawrence Scouts fundraised locally and travelled from Stroud to Kandersteg.
Today, Stroud Valley Scouts are preparing for their own Switzerland adventure, continuing a tradition of international Scouting, friendship and adventure.
For generations, Scouting in Stroud has been built by local people giving their time, skills and support so that young people could experience friendship, adventure and opportunity.
Your donation helps Stroud Valley Scouts keep Scouting affordable, maintain and improve our Scout Centre, provide equipment and activities, support families where cost is a barrier, and give more young people the chance to take part.
This history has been adapted primarily from The World of Netlam Bigg: A Centenary Celebration, researched by John Gardiner and published in 1999. Material and images from the book are reproduced with permission.
Additional supporting context has been drawn from the St Laurence Church social history archive, particularly its section on St Lawrence Scout Troop, and from Stroud Valley Scout Group’s own records and archives.
We are grateful to the previous leaders, volunteers, families, Scouts, local historians and community members who preserved the photographs, memories and records that allow this story to be shared today.
Historic image credits: unless otherwise stated, images are from The World of Netlam Bigg by John Gardiner, reproduced with permission.
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