Everything about Cheltenham Gloucestershire totally explained
Cheltenham (or
Cheltenham Spa) is a large
spa town and
borough in
Gloucestershire,
England. The town has a population of 110,013 (
2001 census). The people of the town are known as "Cheltonians". Its motto is:
Salubritas et Eruditio ("Health and Education").
Cheltenham is located on the edge of the
Cotswolds and has an image of being respectable and wealthy. Cheltenham has been a health and holiday spa town resort since the discovery of mineral
springs there in 1716. The town is famous for its
Regency architecture and is said to be "the most complete regency town in England". The small
River Chelt flows under and through the town and is subject to regular floods.
Cheltenham is the home of the flagship race of British
steeplechase horseracing. The town hosts several
festivals of culture.
On
1 April 1974, under the
Local Government Act 1972, the borough of Cheltenham was merged with
Charlton Kings urban district to form the modern
non-metropolitan district of Cheltenham. Four parishes -
Swindon Village, Up Hatherley,
Leckhampton and
Prestbury - were added to the borough of Cheltenham from the borough of
Tewkesbury in 1991.
Education
In accordance with the "Eruditio" (Education) part of its motto, Cheltenham is a centre for education, including;
Cheltenham College,
Cheltenham Ladies' College and a campus of each of the
University of Gloucestershire and
Gloucestershire College.
See also
List of schools in Gloucestershire.
Festivals
Every year,
Cheltenham Festivals organises
music,
jazz, folk, literary and science festivals in the town. Events take place at venues including the
Town Hall, the Everyman Theatre,
The Playhouse Theatre and the
Pittville Pump Room.
Additionally,
Greenbelt, a
Christian arts and
music festival, is held at
Cheltenham Racecourse.
Sport and leisure
Cheltenham is known for its
horse racing.
Cheltenham Racecourse, located in the suburb of
Prestbury, is the home of
National Hunt, or jumps, racing in the
UK. Meetings are hosted from October to April. The highlight of the season is the
Cheltenham Gold Cup, which is normally held in the middle of March, during the
Cheltenham Festival. This co-incidence with
Saint Patrick's Day ensures that the town swells with an influx of
Irish horse racing devotees.
The local football teams are
Cheltenham Town F.C., who have recently enjoyed success in
The Football League, gaining promotion to
League One and
Cheltenham Saracens F.C. who are members of the
Hellenic League Division One West.
Amateur
rugby union clubs include Cheltenham Saracens RFC, Cheltenham North RFC,
Old Patesians R.F.C., and Cheltenham Civil Service RFC.
The
Cheltenham Rugby Festival is a rugby league nines event held in May.
The town features three
golf courses, at
Cleeve Hill,
Cotswold Hills and
Lilley Brook.
Sandford Parks Lido is one of the largest outdoor pools in England. There is a main pool as well as a children's pool and
paddling pool, both of which are set in
landscaped gardens.
Shopping and nightlife
Cheltenham is a regional shopping centre, home to
department stores, and centres including the Regent Arcade and the Beechwood Shopping Centre. It has a
Michelin two star restaurant, 'Le Champignon Sauvage'.
The old Flowers brewery site has been converted into a leisure quarter, "The Brewery", with gym, multiplex cinema, bingo, restaurants, pubs and bars. The town serves as a regional nightlife centre, attracting up to 30,000 people at the weekends (council figures).
Major employers
Cheltenham has
light industry employers, including food processing, aerospace, electronics and tourism businesses. The British government's
electronic surveillance operation
Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), renowned for its "doughnut-shape" building, is located in Cheltenham.
GE-Aviation,
Dowty Rotol,
Chelsea Building Society,
Endsleigh Insurance,
UCAS (Universities & Colleges Admissions Service), Kohler Mira,
Zurich Financial Services, Spirax Sarco and
Kraft Foods' UK headquarters all have sites in and around Cheltenham.
Railway
Cheltenham Spa railway station is located on the main
Bristol-Birmingham line, giving connections to
Gloucester,
Bristol,
Swindon,
London Paddington,
Cardiff Central,
Plymouth and the South West,
Birmingham,
Derby, the North West, the North East and
Scotland.
The
Cheltenham Spa Express, once known as the "Cheltenham Flyer", is a
named passenger train, connecting Cheltenham with London.
In addition, a restored
station at Cheltenham Racecourse is the south terminus for the
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway heritage railway.
Churches
Non-Anglican Churches
The town features two notable rings of bells hung for change ringing. The first is at St Christopher's (Warden Hill), these being the lightest ring of bells of church bells in the world. The bells of St Mark's (External Link
) are renowned for their tonal excellence and ease of "handling". The product of John Taylor's Bell Foundry they were cast in 1885 and 2007 and have undergone a major refurbishment. There is also a ring of 12 bells dating mainly from the 19th century, hung in St Mary's church. These are to be the venue in 2008 for the eliminators of the National 12 Bell Striking contest in which teams of Campanologists from around the world compete to win the Taylor Trophy.
Twin Towns
Cheltenham is twinned with:
- Annecy, France
- Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
- Göttingen, Germany
- Sochi, Russia
- Weihai, China
The town also has 'Friendship' status with:
- Stampersgat, Netherlands
- Kisumu, Kenya
Areas of Cheltenham
The districts of Cheltenham include Arle, Benhall, Charlton Kings, Fairview, Fiddlers Green, Hesters Way, Leckhampton, Montpellier, Pittville, Prestbury, The Reddings, Rowanfield, St Marks, St Paul's, St Peter's, Springbank, Spingfields, Swindon Village, Up Hatherley, Whaddon and Wyman's Brook.
Lansdown Crescent
Lansdown Crescent is a Regency period terrace, designed by John Buonarotti Papworth for R.W. and C. Jearrad and constructed in the 1830s. The terrace is convex, and opposite the north-eastern part stands Lansdown Court, an Italianate villa possibly designed by Papworth but more probably by the Jearrads and built about 1830.
Notable residents
» See List of Cheltonians
Further Information
Get more info on 'Cheltenham Gloucestershire'.
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