Churchdown

Churchdown
Population	11,261
OS grid reference	SO875205
Shire county	Gloucestershire
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	GLOUCESTER
Postcode district	GL3
Dialling code	01452
Police	Gloucestershire
Fire	Gloucestershire
Ambulance	South Western
UK Parliament	Tewkesbury

Churchdown is a village in Gloucestershire, England, situated between Gloucester and Cheltenham.

The Village is unusual in having two centres. The old centre is near St Andrew's Church; the new centre is near St John's Church. Churchdown is a relatively large village, with a population of 11,261 (2001).

Location

St Bartholemew's Church, on top of Churchdown Hill in Gloucestershire

Churchdown is located in a semi-rural environment; so close to the city of Gloucester as to be treated by many as a suburb, but surrounded on three sides by open countryside. The local landmark is Churchdown Hill (also known as Chosen Hill), which rises to 154m above sea level and has views over the Vale of Severn and to the Cotswolds, Gloucester, Cheltenham, the Malverns and Wales. The hill is home to the historic sites of Mussell Well and the "Roman" Steps, and a radio transmitter broadcasting BBC Radio Gloucestershire and Six reservoirs operated by Severn Trent Water.

Churchdown borders RAF Innsworth to the North and the district of Innsworth to the North West.

Administrative

Churchdown is within the parliamentary constituency of Tewkesbury. At a local government level, Churchdown is represented as two wards - Churchdown Brookfield (the southern half of Churchdown also known locally as Churchdown Village) and Churchdown St John's (the northern half near St John's church). For European Parliament purposes, it lies within the South West Region.

Radio

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Transport and travel

Churchdown has long benefited from a convenient location along routes between larger settlements. The Gloucester and Cheltenham Tramroad brought prosperity to the northern (St John's) end of the village. This was succeeded by a road between Cheltenham and Gloucester along a similar route (called Cheltenham Road East as it traverses Churchdown), which was once part of the main trunk road from London to Fishguard. This road now provides access to Cheltenham and Gloucester, and also to the M5 via the Golden Valley Bypass section of the A40.

Rail

From 1874 until 1964 Churchdown was served by a railway station on the main line between Birmingham and Bristol. Little remains of the station itself next to what is now Station Close, but through traffic continues.

Air

Churchdown is adjacent to Gloucestershire Airport (still known locally as Staverton) and light aircraft are a regular feature in the skies above the village.

Bus

Local bus services are operated by Stagecoach west. Three services pass through Churchdown: The 94 between Cheltenham and Gloucester passes through on Cheltenham Road east, every 10 minutes. There are also the 97/98 routes, which also run between Cheltenham and Gloucester, but take a different, longer route between the two towns. In the village, the 97 runs via Parton Road and the 98 via Pirton Lane.

Publications

Residents enjoy the Churchdown Magazine, which is produced bimonthly and is delivered free of charge to 5100 households. It includes articles of local interest, advertisements and details of local events, and has been in print since 1974.

Education

See also List of schools in Gloucestershire

Churchdown has six schools, including two secondary schools - Churchdown School and Chosen Hill School. There are also two primary schools called Churchdown Parton Manor School and St. Mary's Catholic School along with Churchdown Village Infant and Junior Schools.

Sport and leisure

Churchdown has an eighteen hole golf course and driving range on its outskirts at Brickhampton, and an inline and skateboard facility at Churchdown Park. Churchdown also boasts numerous football pitches and rugby pitches, as well as sports halls at both Churchdown and Chosen hill schools.

Youth football is active through the Churchdown Panthers, who play mostly in the Cheltenham FA league. The club does not have a club house, but uses local public pitches. It is mostly run by parents and has a history of significant success at junior level.

The Chosen Hill Former Pupils rugby club first team plays in the South West League and has an active youth section.

The park on the north side of the village has a skate board ramp and a number of public football pitches.

Churches

St Andrew's Church, in Churchdown Village in Gloucestershire

Churchdown has three Church of England Churches: St John's, St Andrew's and St Bartholomew's. There are also the Evangelical Golden Valley Church which meets at Parton Manor School, Catholic Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour on Cheltenham Road East and Churchdown Methodist Church on Chapel Hay Lane. St Bartholemew's is on the top of Churchdown Hill, built upon the site of a pre-Christian, Iron Age settlement.

Historic buildings

The Old School House building at The Green in Churchdown

Churchdown has several interesting old structures including the Old School House on The Green, where the first village school was held, Ye Old House on Sandfield Road (thought to have been built in the 16th Century, Dunstan Cottage in Chapel Hay Lane and The Cottage on Oldbury Orchard.

Other information

The village has two main rows of shops and two pubs - the Hare and Hounds near St John's, and the Bat and Ball near St Andrew's. There is also a Working Men's Club (Churchdown Social Club) located at the Community Centre where games of bowls and tennis sometimes take place.

Chosen Hill was made famous by composer Herbert Howells. His Piano Quartet is dedicated "to the hill at Chosen and Ivor Gurney who knows it".

In common with several other places, some claim Churchdown is the largest village in England.

References

• "Churchdown Gloucester - Official Guide" 1 363642002X5 hardback, also paperback, 1975, "by order of the Parish Council", Forward Publicity Ltd, no author marked, copy held at Churchdown library

• "The Story of Churchdown", Gwen Waters, ISBN 0-904586-04-9, Gloucester Reprints, 1999

External links

• Churchdown Online Website
• Churchdown Radio - Official Site
• Woodland Trust - Churchdown Hill, Gloucestershire
• World Gazetteer on Innsworth and Churchdown
• Churchdown Parish Council