91-460: Cheltenham West is an area in the western part of Cheltenham , Gloucestershire , England . It is the generic name for an area which includes the council wards of Hesters Way, Springbank, Arle, Rowanfield, Alstone, Fiddlers Green, St Mark's and some of St Peter's and the Moors. This area has a population of about 30,000 and includes large amounts of social housing. Coronation Square shopping centre
182-596: A heavyweight always had a natural advantage over smaller fighters. Even so, the first British champion of the Regency era was Daniel Mendoza , a middleweight who had successfully claimed the vacant title in 1792. He held it until he was defeated by the heavyweight Gentleman John Jackson in April 1795. Other Regency era champions were famous fighters like Jem Belcher , Hen Pearce , John Gully , Tom Cribb , Tom Spring , Jem Ward and James Burke . Gully went on to become
273-779: A Regency spa town, tourism is an important sector in Cheltenham's economy, but it also has some light industry , including food processing, aerospace and electronics businesses. The Government's electronic surveillance operation Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), known for its "doughnut-shaped" building, is in Cheltenham. Vertex Data Science , GE-Aviation , Chelsea Building Society , Endsleigh Insurance , Archant , Nelson Thornes , UCAS (Universities & Colleges Admissions Service), Kohler Mira , Zürich Financial Services , Douglas Equipment , Volo and Spirax-Sarco Engineering all have sites in and around Cheltenham. A number of design agencies and businesses are located in
364-528: A company that owns and operates DVD rental kiosks. The Beechwood Shopping Centre in the town centre was demolished in 2017 to make way for a £30million, 115,000 square foot John Lewis store. Among Cheltenham's many restaurants, two are currently Michelin one-star restaurants , Le Champignon Sauvage and Lumière. The unemployment rate in Cheltenham was 2.7% in 2010 compared to the UK national unemployment level of 7.9%. The average GVA per head in Cheltenham
455-523: A contingency, the Act provided for his mother, Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales , to be appointed regent and discharge most but not all royal functions. In 1761, George III married Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and over the following years they had 15 children (nine sons and six daughters). The eldest was Prince George , born on 12 August 1762 as heir apparent. He was named Prince of Wales soon after his birth. By 1765, three infant children led
546-771: A joint “Cheltenham West Vision” listening project. Local residents were invited to give their views on a new vision for the area. The Vision also consolidated the designation of “Cheltenham West” to describe the area. In addition, several new private housing developments have been completed. The largest of these being on the site vacated by GCHQ, when it moved to its new site, also located in Hesters Way. India and Pakistan House were built February 1959: Two eight-storey blocks of flats approved for Hester's Way providing 78 homes. They were heralded as monuments to modern architecture. 1960: The first residents move in. July 1984: Cheltenham Borough Council carries out £100,000 of repairs to
637-532: A lady's rank, she may be expected to be proficient in reading and writing, mathematics, dancing, music, sewing, and embroidery. In Pride and Prejudice , the Bennet sisters are frequently out walking and it is at a ball where Elizabeth meets Mr Darcy . There was a contemporary belief that people had limited energy levels with women, as the "weaker sex", being most at risk of over-exertion because their menstruation cycles caused periodic energy reductions. One of
728-525: A mix of private and housing association houses and flats. 51°54′30″N 2°7′0″W / 51.90833°N 2.11667°W / 51.90833; -2.11667 Cheltenham Cheltenham ( / ˈ tʃ ɛ l t n ə m / ) is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire , England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following
819-532: A more positive direction, thereby leaving him with the pursuit of pleasure as his only outlet, as well as his sole form of rebellion against what he saw as disapproval and censure in the form of his father. In the 1810s, the Prince Regent proposed the conversion of Crown land in Marylebone and St Pancras into a pleasure garden. The design work was initially assigned to the architect John Nash but it
910-503: A no-holds-barred pastime with an unlimited number of players on opposing teams which might comprise whole parishes or villages. The playing area was an undefined stretch of land between the two places. The ball , as such, was often a pig's bladder that had been inflated and the object of the exercise was to move the ball by any means possible to a distant target such as a church in the opposing village. The contests were typically arranged to take place on feast days like Shrove Tuesday . By
1001-531: A notorious example being St Giles in London. These were places where alcoholism, gambling, prostitution, thievery and violence prevailed. The population boom, comprising an increase from just under a million in 1801 to one and a quarter million by 1820, heightened the crisis. Robert Southey drew a comparison between the squalor of the slums and the glamour of the Regent's circle: The squalor that existed beneath
SECTION 10
#17327768747481092-548: A planned extension of Cheltenham to the north, undertaken by Joseph Pitt , who laid the first stone 4 May 1825. Cheltenham's success as a spa town is reflected in the railway station, still called Cheltenham Spa , and spa facilities in other towns inspired by or named after it. Alice Liddell and Lewis Carroll were regular visitors to a house in Cudnall Street, Charlton Kings – a suburb of Cheltenham. Alice Liddell's grandparents owned this house, and still contains
1183-516: A programme of art exhibitions running throughout the year. The Wilson was named after polar explorer Edward Wilson , who was born in Cheltenham. In 2014, many of the town's historic cultural and leisure buildings were put under the control of The Cheltenham Trust , a charity set up to manage and develop the buildings on behalf of the town. Along with The Wilson, the Trust now manages the Town Hall,
1274-474: A pump to regulate water flow and erected an elaborate well-house complete with a ballroom and upstairs billiard room to entertain his customers. The beginnings of Cheltenham's tree-lined promenades and the gardens surrounding its spas were first designed by Captain Skillicorne with the help of "wealthy and traveled" friends who understood the value of relaxing avenues. The area's walks and gardens had views of
1365-540: A rental dispute and the club took temporary lease of a second ground in St John's Wood . This was in use for only three seasons until the land was requisitioned because it was on the proposed route of the Regent's Canal . MCC moved to a nearby site on which they established their present ground. Lord Byron played for Harrow School in the first Eton v Harrow match at Lord's in 1805. The match became an annual event in
1456-430: A residential street in Cheltenham. The graffiti depicted three men in trench coats and dark glasses apparently listening in to calls made in the telephone box. In 2016, it was removed – possibly destroyed – ahead of the sale of the house on which it had been painted. Cheltenham features several sculptural artworks of note, including: Cheltenham hosts the annual Cheltenham Music Festival , Cheltenham Jazz Festival and
1547-630: A significant impact on the town. In the Second World War , the United States Army Services of Supply , European Theatre of Operations established its primary headquarters at Cheltenham under the direction of Lt. Gen. John C. H. Lee , with the flats of the Cheltenham Racecourse becoming a giant storage depot for countless trucks, jeeps, tanks and artillery pieces. Most of this material was reshipped to
1638-669: A state of affairs severely aggravated by the combined impact of war, economic collapse, mass unemployment, a bad harvest in 1816 (the " Year Without a Summer "), and an ongoing population boom . Political response to the crisis included the Corn Laws , the Peterloo Massacre , and the Representation of the People Act 1832 . Led by William Wilberforce , there was increasing support for the abolitionist cause during
1729-536: A successful racehorse owner and, representing the Pontefract constituency , a Member of the first post-Reform Parliament from December 1832 to July 1837. Cribb was the first fighter to be acclaimed world champion after he twice defeated the American Tom Molineaux in 1811. Marylebone Cricket Club , widely known as MCC, was founded in 1787 and became cricket 's governing body. In 1788,
1820-414: A working Victorian kitchen and laundry, Regency drawing room and an Edwardian nursery. The Cheltenham Civic Society has been responsible for erecting commemorative plaques in the town since 1982: blue plaques to celebrate well-known people and green plaques to celebrate significant places and events. Every year, Cheltenham Festivals organises music , jazz , literature and science festivals in
1911-598: Is a dedicated museum and a monument in the town, and FKA Twigs . The collection's of the Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum include decorative arts from the era of the Arts and Crafts Movement . The collection enjoys National Designation by the Arts Council of England. The Holst Birthplace Museum contains personal belongings of the composer of The Planets , including his piano. It also includes
SECTION 20
#17327768747482002-471: Is a festival of 7s sport, which includes Netball, Rugby, Dodgeball and Hockey amongst others and incorporates drinking and musical acts over the weekend to complement the sport. Cheltenham has played host to and featured in a number of film and TV series: The Thistle Golden Valley Hotel was used by the ITV soap opera Crossroads for outdoor location filming from 1982 to 1985. Cheltenham has four theatres:
2093-407: Is also a public library with a GrowthHub satellite business hub. Much of the area was originally built as a Wimpey no-fines council area in the 1950s and 1960s as part of a national initiative to increase housing post WW2. The houses provided accommodation for a variety of people, including those working for GCHQ , which arrived in 1952, and local engineering companies. Changes that took place over
2184-536: Is at the centre of Cheltenham West and includes supermarkets, an optician, a dental practice, charity shops, betting shops and a variety of fast food outlets. After a number of years of decline, a regeneration programme for the shopping centre was started in 2013. More recent signs of new life include the opening of the Cheltenham Science Centre and innovative new business Create on the Square. There
2275-653: The British Isles , Cheltenham experiences a temperate oceanic climate ( Cfb in the Köppen climate classification ). It has warm summers and cool winters. The town held the British maximum temperature record from 1990 to 2003—temperatures reached 98.8 °F (37.1 °C). The absolute minimum is −4.2 °F (−20.1 °C), set during December 1981. During a typical year, 145.6 days will report at least 1 mm of rain, and some 42.2 nights will record air frost. As
2366-581: The Care of King During his Illness, etc. Act 1811 , commonly known as the Regency Act 1811 . The King was suspended from his duties as head of state and the Prince of Wales assumed office as Prince Regent on 5 February 1811. At first, Parliament restricted some of the Regent's powers, but the constraints expired one year after the passage of the Act. The Regency ended when George III died on 29 January 1820 and
2457-572: The City of Westminster and the London Borough of Camden . Following the death of Raffles soon afterwards, the 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne assumed responsibility for the project and supervised construction of the first animal houses. At first, the zoo was used for scientific purposes only with admittance restricted to Fellows of the ZSL which, in 1829, was granted a Royal charter by George IV. The zoo
2548-663: The Everyman , the Playhouse , the Bacon and the Parabola Arts Centre. Regency era The Regency era of British history is commonly understood as the years between c. 1795 and 1837, although the official regency for which it is named only spanned the years 1811 to 1820. King George III first suffered debilitating illness in the late 1780s, and relapsed into his final mental illness in 1810. By
2639-463: The Regency Act 1811 , his eldest son George, Prince of Wales , was appointed Prince Regent to discharge royal functions. When George III died in 1820, the Prince Regent succeeded him as George IV. In terms of periodisation , the longer timespan is roughly the final third of the Georgian era (1714–1837), encompassing the last 25 years or so of George III's reign, including the official Regency, and
2730-772: The River Thames in London. In sailing, the first Cowes Week regatta was held on the Solent in August 1826. Track and field competitions in the modern sense were first recorded in the early 19th century. They are known to have been held by schools, colleges, army and navy bases, social clubs and the like, often as a challenge to a rival establishment. In the public schools, athletics competitions were conceived as human equivalents of horse racing or fox hunting with runners known as "hounds" and named as if they were racehorses. The Royal Shrewsbury School Hunt , established in 1819,
2821-796: The Royal Academy . The National Gallery was established in London in 1824. The plays of William Shakespeare were very popular throughout the period. The performers wore modern dress, however, rather than 16th-century costumes. London had three patent theatres at Covent Garden , Drury Lane and the Haymarket . Other prominent theatres were the Theatre Royal, Bath and the Crow Street Theatre in Dublin . The playwright and politician Richard Brinsley Sheridan controlled
Hesters Way - Misplaced Pages Continue
2912-927: The South West of England region being 88 miles (142 km) west-northwest of London, 38 miles (61 km) northeast of Bristol and 41 miles (66 km) south of Birmingham. The districts of Cheltenham include: Arle , Benhall , Charlton Kings , Fairview , Fiddler's Green, Hesters Way , Lansdown , Leckhampton , Lynworth, Montpellier , Oakley, Pittville , Prestbury , the Reddings, Rowanfield , St Luke's, St Mark's, St Paul's , St Peter's, Springbank, Swindon Village , Tivoli, Up Hatherley , Whaddon and Wyman's Brook . The borough contains three civil parishes within its boundaries. These are Charlton Kings , Leckhampton with Warden Hill and Prestbury . These all have their own parish councils who handle local services and planning with elected councillors. Parts of
3003-624: The Victorian era (1837–1901). The latter term had contemporaneous usage although some historians give it an earlier startpoint, typically the enactment of the Great Reform Act on 7 June 1832. The Prince Regent himself was one of the leading patrons of the arts and architecture . He ordered the costly building and refurbishing of the exotic Brighton Pavilion , the ornate Carlton House , and many other public works and architecture. This all required considerable expense which neither
3094-519: The 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. The head office of the British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), known to locals as The Doughnut , is located in Cheltenham, to which it moved in 1951. As with the vast majority of
3185-550: The Cheltenham Festival of the Performing Arts (formerly Cheltenham Competitive Festival) is a collection of more than 300 performance competitions that is the oldest of Cheltenham's arts festivals, having been started in 1926. Greenbelt , a Christian arts and music festival, and Wychwood Festival , a family-friendly folk and world music festival, were held at Cheltenham Racecourse . The town also hosts
3276-835: The Cheltenham International Film Festival, the Cheltenham Cricket Festival and the Cheltenham Food & Drink Festival . In steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup is the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held every March. Cheltenham is located at River Chelt , which rises nearby at Dowdeswell and runs through the town on its way to the Severn . It was first recorded in 803, as Celtan hom ;
3367-461: The Cheltenham Racecourse and surrounding green park, along with St Peter Leckhampton parish church and Brizen Playing Fields/Haven and Greenmead parks along the south of the borough, are covered. In May 2024, under plans by Gloucestershire County Council , it was reported that there are secret talks to formally merge the conurbations of Cheltenham and Gloucester with each other. The plans suggest that around ten new garden towns could be built around
3458-689: The Cheltenham West community website and newsletter. Prior to that, the area was often referred to as Hesters Way or West Cheltenham, both titles being geographically inaccurate, but also carrying the negative image historically associated with them. Cheltenham West wards, particularly Hesters Way, have been the focus of regeneration since the 1990s, with projects like the Hesters Way Neighbourhood Project establishing resource and community centres. In 2017, Cheltenham Borough Council and Cheltenham Borough Homes instigated
3549-471: The Drury Lane Theatre until it burned down in 1809. Among the popular newspapers, pamphlets and other publications of the era were: In 1814, The Times adopted steam printing. Using this method, it could print 1,100 sheets every hour, five and a half times the prior rate of 200 per hour. The faster speed of printing enabled the rise of the " silver fork novels " which depicted the lives of
3640-533: The King recovered and the Bill was withdrawn. Had it been passed into law, the Prince of Wales would have become the regent in 1789. The King's mental health continued to be a matter of concern but, whenever he was of sound mind, he opposed any further moves to implement a Regency Act. Finally, following the death on 2 November 1810 of his youngest daughter, Princess Amelia , he became permanently insane. Parliament passed
3731-544: The Pittville Pump Room, the Prince of Wales Stadium and Leisure @, a large fitness and swimming complex. A volunteer board of Trustees controls the Trust. The Cheltenham Paint Festival attracts hundreds of mural artists from dozens of countries worldwide and is a highlight of the Gloucestershire arts calendar. In 2014, a piece of graffiti by street artist Banksy appeared next to a telephone box in
Hesters Way - Misplaced Pages Continue
3822-425: The Prince Regent succeeded him as George IV. After George IV died in 1830, a further Regency Act was passed by Parliament. George IV was succeeded by his brother William IV . His wife, Queen Adelaide , was 37 and there were no surviving legitimate children. The heir presumptive was Princess Victoria of Kent , aged eleven. The new Act provided for her mother, Victoria, Dowager Duchess of Kent to become regent in
3913-734: The Regency era, culminating in passage of the Slave Trade Act 1807 and the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 . The longer timespan recognises the wider social and cultural aspects of the Regency era, characterised by the distinctive fashions , architecture and style of the period. The first 20 years to 1815 were overshadowed by the Napoleonic Wars . Throughout the whole period, the Industrial Revolution gathered pace and achieved significant progress by
4004-781: The Regency era, the five classic races had all been inaugurated and have been run annually since 1814. These races are the St Leger Stakes (first run in 1776), The Oaks (1779), the Epsom Derby (1780), the 2,000 Guineas Stakes (1809) and the 1,000 Guineas Stakes (1814). National Hunt racing began in 18th century Ireland and developed in England through the Regency era. There are tentative references to races held between 1792 and 1810. The first definitely recorded hurdle race took place on Durdham Down , near Bristol , in 1821. The first officially recognised steeplechase
4095-440: The Regent himself nor HM Treasury could afford. The Regent's extravagance was pursued at the expense of the common people. While the Regency is noted for its elegance and achievements in the fine arts and architecture, there was a concurrent need for social, political and economic change. The country was enveloped in the Napoleonic Wars until June 1815 and the conflict heavily impacted commerce at home and internationally. There
4186-594: The Second World War. Cheltenham is on the edge of the Cotswolds , an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the South-West region of England. The small River Chelt flows under and through the town. Cleeve Hill , overlooks the town and is the highest point in the county of Gloucestershire and the Cotswold Hills range, at 1,083 feet (330 m). The town is near the northeastern edge of
4277-603: The Ukulele Festival of Great Britain. In 2010, Cheltenham was named the UK's fifth "most musical" city (sic) by PRS for Music . Musicians Brian Jones , guitarist and founding member of the Rolling Stones , and Michael Burston, nicknamed ' Würzel ' of Motörhead were both born in Cheltenham, with Jones buried in the town's crematorium following his death in 1969. Other Cheltenham-born musicians of international renown include Gustav Holst , for whom there
4368-537: The beginning of the 19th century, efforts were being made in the English public schools to transform this mob football into an organised team sport. The earliest-known versions of football code rules were written at Eton College (1815) and Aldenham School (1825). Horse racing had been very popular since the years after the Restoration when Charles II was a frequent visitor to Newmarket Racecourse . In
4459-491: The borough council. Since 2002, elections have been held every two years with half of the councillors elected at each election. Cheltenham was an ancient parish . Until 1786 it was administered by its vestry , in the same way as most rural areas. The vestry was supplemented by a body of unelected improvement commissioners in 1786 known as the Paving and Lighting Commission, initially charged with paving, lighting and repairing
4550-633: The buildings are listed, including the Cheltenham Synagogue , judged by Nikolaus Pevsner to be one of the architecturally best non-Anglican places of worship in Britain. Built in 1902 within the Imperial Square, Cheltenham Town Hall is a Grade II-listed building and features a plaque commemorating the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra . The Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum , also called The Wilson, hosts
4641-550: The champion fighter in Britain was also, in effect, the world champion. Britain's only potential rival was the United States, where organised boxing began c. 1800 . Boxing was in fact illegal but local authorities, who were often involved on the gambling side of the sport, would turn a blind eye. In any case, the huge crowds that attended championship bouts were almost impossible to police. Like cricket and horse racing , boxing attracted gamblers . The sport needed
SECTION 50
#17327768747484732-405: The club drafted and published a revised version of the sport's rules. MCC had considerable influence throughout the Regency era and its ground, Lord's , became cricket's premier venue. There were in fact three Lord's grounds. The first, opened in 1787 when the club was formed, was on the site of Dorset Square in Marylebone , hence the name of the club. The lease was terminated in 1811 because of
4823-590: The coming of the railways and the growth of the factory system . The Regency era overlapped with Romanticism and many of the major artists, musicians, novelists and poets of the Romantic movement were prominent Regency figures, such as Jane Austen , William Blake , Lord Byron , John Constable , John Keats , John Nash , Ann Radcliffe , Walter Scott , Mary Shelley , Percy Bysshe Shelley , J. M. W. Turner and William Wordsworth . George III (1738–1820) became King of Great Britain on 25 October 1760 when he
4914-582: The complete reigns of both George IV and his brother and successor William IV . It ends with the accession of Queen Victoria in June 1837 and is followed by the Victorian era (1837–1901). Although the Regency era is remembered as a time of refinement and culture, that was the preserve of the wealthy few, especially those in the Prince Regent's own social circle. For the masses, poverty was rampant as population began to concentrate due to industrial labour migration. City dwellers lived in increasingly larger slums ,
5005-736: The continent for and after the D-Day invasion . Lee and his primary staff had offices and took residence at Thirlestaine Hall in Cheltenham. The first British jet aircraft prototype, the Gloster E.28/39 , was manufactured in Cheltenham. Manufacturing started in Hucclecote near Gloucester, but was later moved to Regent Motors in Cheltenham High Street (now the Regent Arcade), considered a location safer from bombing during
5096-422: The countryside, and soon the gentry and nobility from across the county were enticed to come and investigate the beneficial waters of Cheltenham's market town spa. The visit of George III with the queen and royal princesses in 1788 set a stamp of fashion on the spa. The spa waters can still be sampled at the Pittville Pump Room , built for this purpose and completed in 1830; it is a centrepiece of Pittville ,
5187-413: The discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the most complete Regency town in Britain . It is directly northeast of Gloucester . The town hosts several cultural festivals, often featuring nationally and internationally famous contributors and attendees: the Cheltenham Literature Festival , the Cheltenham Jazz Festival , the Cheltenham Science Festival , the Cheltenham Music Festival ,
5278-411: The event of William's death before 24 May 1837, the young Victoria's 18th birthday. The Act made allowance for Adelaide having another child, either before or after William's death. If the latter scenario had arisen, Victoria would have become Queen only temporarily until the new monarch was born. Adelaide had no more children and, as it happened, William died on 20 June 1837, just four weeks after Victoria
5369-427: The first Grand National , but there are historical uncertainties about the three races between 1836 and 1838 so they are officially regarded as precursors to the Grand National. Some sources insist they were held on Old Racecourse Farm in nearby Maghull but this is impossible as that course closed in 1835. The first official Grand National was the 1839 race . Rowing and sailing had become popular pastimes among
5460-505: The fists only. A round ended when a fighter was grounded and the rules prohibited the hitting of a downed opponent. He was helped to his corner and then had thirty seconds in which to "step up to the mark", which was a line drawn for that purpose so that the fighters squared off less than a yard apart. The next round would then begin. A fighter who failed to step up and square off was declared the loser. Contests continued until one fighter could not step up. There were no weight divisions and so
5551-468: The flats into bed and breakfast accommodation. September 2005: The flats feature in two episodes of BBC1 drama Casualty . January 2006: The flats are earmarked for demolition Overall the blocks of flats were demolished due to the high crime and low maintenance of the blocks. The demolition of several blocks of council flats (most recently Pakistan House and India House ) which were derelict and deemed an eyesore. They are systematically being replaced by
SECTION 60
#17327768747485642-435: The following thirty years adversely affected the area and reflected changes in society in general. Owner occupation, structural changes in the economy and the make up of the housing stock and subsequent housing allocations led to a concentration of relative poverty in this area of predominantly social housing . The earliest use of the term “Cheltenham West” to describe the area was around 2016, when local volunteers established
5733-492: The glamour and gloss of Regency society provided sharp contrast to the Prince Regent's social circle. Poverty was addressed only marginally. The formation of the Regency after the retirement of George III saw the end of a more pious and reserved society, and gave birth of a more frivolous, ostentatious one. This change was influenced by the Regent himself, who was kept entirely removed from the machinations of politics and military exploits. This did nothing to channel his energies in
5824-423: The green belt at Boddington which if removed would result in the complete merger of both boroughs. Doing so would facilitate and effectively merge the two into a supercity . The move has been criticised by both Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucester City Council . Cheltenham Borough Council is the local authority for Cheltenham; it is split into 20 wards, with a total of 40 councillors elected to serve on
5915-430: The investment provided by gambling, but there was a seamier side in that many fights were fixed. At one time, prizefighting was "anything goes" but the champion boxer Jack Broughton proposed a set of rules in 1743 that were observed throughout the Regency era until they were superseded by the London Prize Ring Rules in 1838. Broughton's rules were a reaction to "bar room brawling" as they restricted fighters to use of
6006-399: The meaning has not been resolved with certainty, but latest scholarship concludes that the first element preserves a Celtic noun cilta , 'steep hill', here referring to the Cotswold scarp; the second element may mean 'settlement' or 'water-meadow'. As a royal manor, it features in the earliest pages of the Gloucestershire section of Domesday Book where it is named Chintenha[m] . The town
6097-407: The mirror, or looking glass, that was purportedly inspired for Lewis Carroll's novel Through the Looking-Glass , published in 1871. Horse racing began in Cheltenham in 1815 and became a major national attraction after the establishment of the Festival in 1902. The racecourse attracts tens of thousands of visitors to each day of the festival each year, with such large numbers of visitors having
6188-463: The most common activities among the upper class was attending and hosting balls, house parties, and more. These often included dancing, food, and gossip. The food generally served included items such as white soup made with veal stock, almonds and cream, cold meats, salads, etc. Bare-knuckle boxing , also known as prizefighting , was a popular sport through the 18th and 19th centuries. The Regency era has been called "the peak of British boxing" because
6279-492: The multi-venue Walk the line festival . Two sporting events are also routinely described as the "Cheltenham Festival" or "the Festival": the Cheltenham Cricket Festival, which features Gloucestershire County Cricket Club , and National Hunt racing's Cheltenham Festival . In 2021 the Cheltenham 7s festival began and is held at the end of July each year at the Newlands Rugby club opposite the main GE Aviation (ex Smiths Industries site) works between Southam and Bishops Cleeve. It
6370-463: The national crisis included the Peterloo Massacre in 1819 and the various Corn Laws . The Whig government of Earl Grey passed the Great Reform Act in 1832. Essentially, England during the Regency era was a stratified society in which political power and influence lay in the hands of the landed class. Their fashionable locales were worlds apart from the slums in which the majority of people existed. The slum districts were known as rookeries ,
6461-418: The order of succession and Parliament again passed a Regency Act as contingency. The Minority of Heir to the Crown Act 1765 provided for either Queen Charlotte or Princess Augusta to act as regent if necessary. George III had a long episode of mental illness in the summer of 1788. Parliament proposed the Regency Bill 1789 which was passed by the House of Commons . Before the House of Lords could debate it,
6552-601: The outer cladding. November 1989: India House residents complain lifts have been out of action for two weeks. January 1993: More than 100 residents are evacuated after fire breaks out in Pakistan House. December 1993: Tenants say the reputation of the flats has been tarred by vandalism, muggings and fears of fire. July 2004: Council leaders vote to demolish India and Pakistan House. November 2004: Fire breaks out in India House. The council unveils plans to turn
6643-572: The period, and Lord Frederick Beauclerk as the outstanding amateur player. The 1821 match ended prematurely after the Gentlemen team, well behind in the contest, conceded defeat. This had been billed as the "Coronation Match" because it celebrated the accession of the Prince Regent as King George IV and the outcome was described by the sports historian Sir Derek Birley as "a suitably murky affair". Football in Great Britain had long been
6734-531: The property containing Cheltenham's first mineral spring upon his 1732 marriage to Elizabeth Mason. Her father, William Mason, had done little in his lifetime to promote the healing properties of the mineral water apart from limited advertising and building a small enclosure over the spring. Skillicorne's wide travels as a merchant had prepared him to see the dormant potential on this inherited property. After moving to Cheltenham in 1738, he immediately began improvements intended to attract visitors to his spa. He built
6825-470: The rich and aristocratic. Publishers used these as a way of spreading gossip and scandal , often clearly hinting at identities. The novels were popular during the later years of the Regency era. During the Regency era and well into the succeeding Victorian era, society women were discouraged from exertion although many did take the opportunity to pursue activities such as dancing, riding and walking that were recreational rather than competitive. Depending on
6916-407: The social calendar. Lord's staged the first Gentlemen v Players match in 1806. This fixture provides another illustration of the class divide in Regency society as it matched a team of well-to-do amateurs (Gentlemen) against a team of working-class professionals (Players). The first match featured Billy Beldham and William Lambert , who have been recognised as the outstanding professionals of
7007-484: The streets, which later gained other powers including providing a watch and setting standards for new buildings. The commissioners were reformed in 1852 to be partly-elected and were eventually replaced in 1876 when the town was incorporated as a municipal borough . On 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972 , the borough of Cheltenham was merged with Charlton Kings urban district to form
7098-575: The town has green belt along its fringes, and this extends into the surrounding Tewkesbury district, helping to maintain local green space, prevent further urban sprawl and unplanned expansion towards Gloucester and Bishop's Cleeve, as well as protecting smaller villages in between. West of the Greenfield Way and Fiddlers Green Lane roads, along with much of the open space up to the Civil Service Sports Ground, as well as
7189-877: The town, attracting names with national and international reputations in each field. Events take place at venues including the town hall , the Everyman Theatre , the Playhouse Theatre and the Pittville Pump Room . Several other cultural festivals, including the Cheltenham International Film Festival, Cheltenham Paranormal Festival, the Cheltenham Design Festival, Cheltenham Folk Festival, Cheltenham Poetry Festival, The True Believers Comic Festival and Cheltenham Comedy Festival are separately organised but also attract international performers and speakers. A more local event,
7280-547: The town. Weird Fish was founded in Cheltenham. The multinational design house Meri Meri has its European headquarters in Cheltenham. SuperGroup plc, owner of the Superdry label, has its headquarters in Cheltenham. Cheltenham is a regional shopping centre, home to department stores , the oldest being Cavendish House , from 1823, and the Regent Arcade. Since 2006, Cheltenham is the headquarters of "The Movie Booth",
7371-650: The vast majority of people, street performers provided their sole access to music of any kind. However, the upper class enjoyed music such as Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 30, Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Sonata in F major, MWV Q 7, and much more. Especially popular composers of the time included Beethoven, Rossini, Liszt, and Mendelssohn. The most prominent landscape painters were John Constable and J. M. W. Turner . Notable portrait painters include Thomas Lawrence and Martin Archer Shee , both Presidents of
7462-588: The wealthier citizens. The Boat Race , a rowing event between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club , was first held in 1829 at the instigation of Charles Merivale and Charles Wordsworth , who were students at Cambridge and Oxford, respectively. Wordsworth was a nephew of William Wordsworth . The first race was at Henley-on-Thames and the contest later became an annual event on
7553-417: Was 18. Officially, the Regency began on 5 February 1811 and ended on 29 January 1820 but the "Regency era", as such, is generally perceived to have been much longer. The term is commonly, though loosely, applied to the period from c. 1795 until the accession of Queen Victoria on 20 June 1837. The Regency Era is a sub-period of the longer Georgian era (1714–1837), both of which were followed by
7644-508: Was 22 years old, succeeding his grandfather George II . George III had himself been the subject of legislation to provide for a regency when Parliament passed the Minority of Successor to Crown Act 1751 following the death of his father Frederick, Prince of Wales , on 31 March 1751. George became heir apparent at the age of 12 and he would have succeeded as a minor if his grandfather had died before 4 June 1756, George's 18th birthday. As
7735-469: Was awarded a market charter in 1226. Though little remains of its pre-spa history, Cheltenham has always been a health and holiday spa town resort since the discovery of mineral springs there in 1716. Captain Henry Skillicorne (1678–1763), is credited with being the first entrepreneur to recognise the opportunity to exploit the mineral springs. The retired "master mariner" became co-owner of
7826-500: Was higher than across the South West as a whole in the year ending September 2023. The employment rate remains now at 81.3%, for ages 16-64. Unemployment (people looking for work) has risen since a year earlier. The most recent unemployment rate for Cheltenham was about the same as across the South West as a whole. The town is known for its Regency architecture and is said to be "the most complete regency town in England". Many of
7917-402: Was mass unemployment and, in 1816 , an exceptionally bad harvest . In addition, the country underwent a population boom and the combination of these factors resulted in rampant poverty . Apart from the national unity government led by William Grenville from February 1806 to March 1807, all governments from December 1783 to November 1830 were formed and led by Tories . Their responses to
8008-650: Was not opened to the public until 1847, after it became necessary to raise funds. Jane Austen , Lord Byron , Walter Scott and others were the most prominent writers of the Regency era. However, the time period also produced some of the 19th century's most prolific writers such as Charles Dickens , Charlotte Brontë , and Benjamin Disraeli . Especially popular forms of literature at this time were novels and poetry, such as Lord Byron's The Regent's Bomb. Wealthy households staged their own music events by relying on family members who could sing or play an instrument. For
8099-628: Was over a cross-country route in Bedfordshire on 8 March 1830. Aintree Racecourse held its first meeting on 7 July 1829. On 29 February 1836, a race called the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was held. One of its organisers was Captain Martin Becher who rode The Duke to victory. The infamous sixth fence at Aintree is called Becher's Brook . The 1836 race, which became an annual event, is recognised by some as
8190-447: Was the father and son partnership of James and Decimus Burton who had the majority of input to the project. Landscaping continued through the 1820s and Regent's Park was finally opened to the public in 1841. The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) was founded in 1826 by Sir Stamford Raffles and Sir Humphry Davy . They obtained land alongside the route of the Regent's Canal through the northern perimeter of Regent's Park, between
8281-477: Was £21,947.27 in 2011 compared to the national average of £26,200. In 2012, The Guardian found that, at the end of 2011, 41 multi-millionaires lived in Cheltenham, which was the fourth-highest rate in the UK of multi-millionaires per 100,000 people at 35.44. According to the Office of National Statistics, employment in Cheltenham has decreased in comparison with the previous year. Cheltenham's employment rate
#747252