special excursion trains for mill workers were provided for day outings (up to 1965). The Midland Railway Station was closed in 1965. Burdett Road Station, the last of two stations that Stonehouse possessed, was threatened with closure in 1972, but remains open. (The Midland line had a separate platform from the Bristol main line that users referred to as a third station.) Stonehouse was connected to the national motorway network in 1971, when the M5 opened. In the late 20th century, Stonehouse saw substantial growth within industry; large multinationals such as ABB, International Intelligence Limited and Intelligent Armour Limited moving into the area. Housing development in Stonehouse continued during the post-war period, with the Park Estate being built in the 1950s, Little Australia, Boakes Drive and continuing into the 21st century, with the small developments at Arrowsmith Drive and Court View, which is located opposite Stonehouse Court and built partially on the old Stroud and Nailsworth branch line in 2002. A small development adjacent to Arrowsmith Drive is being constructed in 2017, technically this is in the parish of Standish. In 2018, a small hamlet of 8 houses was built on the site of Stonehouse Youth Centre in Elm Road. In 1986 an outbreak of meningitis in Stonehouse led to the founding of The Meningitis Trust. Now known as Meningitis Now and based in nearby Stroud, the charity has funded over £12 million of preventative research. References External links Stonehouse Town Council Stonehouse History Group Stroud Voices (Stonehouse filter) - oral history site Towns in Gloucestershire Stroud District Civil parishes in Gloucestershire