96-588: Lechlade ( / ˈ l ɛ tʃ l eɪ d / ) is a town at the edge of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire , England , 55 miles (89 km) south of Birmingham and 68 miles (109 km) west of London . It is the highest point at which the River Thames is navigable, although there is a right of navigation that continues south-west into Cricklade , in the neighbouring county of Wiltshire . The town
192-569: A Brittonic female cognate Cuda , a hypothetical mother goddess in Celtic mythology postulated to have been worshipped in the Cotswold region. The Cotswolds' spine runs southwest to northeast through six counties, particularly Gloucestershire, west Oxfordshire, and southwestern Warwickshire. The Cotswolds' northern and western edges are marked by steep escarpments down to the Severn valley and
288-477: A convenience store, food outlets, a garden centre and a Christmas shop. Lechlade has hosted a music festival since 2011. In 2015 the festival's headline act was Status Quo . The festival was cancelled in 2023 due to poor weather causing the ground to be too soft, which resulted in the Lechlade Festival company going into liquidation. Lechlade has a number of youth activities, most of them centred on
384-476: A country park. Chipping Campden is also known for the annual Cotswold Olimpick Games , a celebration of sports and games dating to the early 17th century. Of the Cotswolds' nearly 800 square miles (2,100 km ), roughly 80 per cent is farmland. There are over 3,000 miles (4,800 km) of footpaths and bridleways, and 4,000 miles (6,400 km) of historic stone walls. A 2017 report on employment within
480-526: A hide next to the by-pass. There are a number of seasonal ponds and a wide variety of mature natural habitats have grown up around the edges including scrub, wet woodland, marsh, and reedbed. The pits are colonised by a rich flora. In the southern site grassland plants include southern marsh-orchid , bee orchid , common fleabane , field scabious and parasitic knapweed broomrape . Marshland plants include tufted forget-me-not , water mint , pink water-speedwell , common spike-rush , amphibious bistort and
576-495: A myriad of ditches and streams. Restoration schemes for many of the active mineral workings are taking into account the vital function of these flood water storage areas, as well as creating an important habitat for a number of Local and UK Biodiversity Action Plan species (LBAP and UKBAP). The Cotswold Lakes Trust (formerly the Cotswold Water Park Trust) is a registered charity. It owns, leases or manages
672-721: A number of sites within the area, and all are managed for a combination of conservation, public access, education and amenity. All these sites are important refuges and breeding grounds for several species of bats, dragonflies, damselflies, birds, mammals, fish, butterflies and other invertebrates. The Cotswold Water Park has its own Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) which targets many species or species groups, and habitat types for conservation priority. Management of all CWPT reserves incorporates requirements for these priority species and habitats, and serves to enhance and protect their sustainability. Regular surveys and monitoring are carried out by Trust staff and volunteers, and results fed into
768-642: A panel would be formed to consider making some of the AONBs into National Parks. The review will file its report in 2019. In April 2018, the Cotswolds Conservation Board had written to Natural England "requesting that consideration be given to making the Cotswolds a National Park", according to Liz Eyre, Chairman. This has led to some concern; one member of the Cotswold District Council said, "National Park designation
864-468: A small Cotswold village. The fictional detective Agatha Raisin lives in the fictional Cotswold village of Carsely . Other movies filmed in the Cotswolds or nearby, at least in part, include some of the Harry Potter series (Gloucester Cathedral), Bridget Jones's Diary ( Snowshill ), Pride and Prejudice (Cheltenham Town Hall), and Braveheart (Cotswold Farm Park). In 2014, some scenes of
960-483: A through route to Cheltenham . The line ran along the southern boundary of the Edward Richardson and Phyllis Amey reserve and was closed in the early 1960s. The track bed has disappeared under arable land, but this stretch remains as a haven for wildlife. It is raised above the adjacent fields, and has been colonised by a wide range of plants native to grassland, scrub, and woodland. The grassland flora
1056-628: A tithe barn. Tetbury Market House was built in 1655. During the Middle Ages , Tetbury became an important market for Cotswold wool and yarn. Chavenage House is an Elizabethan-era manor house 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northwest of Tetbury. Chedworth Roman Villa , where several mosaic floors are on display, is near the Roman road known as the Fosse Way , 8 miles (13 km) north of the town of Corinium Dobunnorum (Cirencester). Cirencester Abbey
SECTION 10
#17327733259301152-588: A water based Thames meander – the term for a long-distance journey down the Thames. The Thames Path also continues upstream to the traditional source of the Thames at Thames Head . The river is actually navigable for a short distance further upstream, near the village of Inglesham , where the Thames and Severn Canal joins the River Thames. Rowing boats can reach even further upstream, to Cricklade . Lechlade
1248-564: Is Chavenage House , Tetbury, which is open to the public. Many exterior shots of village life in the Downton Abbey TV series were filmed in Bampton, Oxfordshire . Other filming locations in that county included Swinbrook, Cogges, and Shilton. The city of Bath hosted crews that filmed parts of the movies Vanity Fair , Persuasion , Dracula , and The Duchess . Gloucester and other places in Gloucestershire , some within
1344-601: Is Cleeve Hill at 1,083 ft (330 m), just east of Cheltenham . The predominantly rural landscape contains stone-built villages, towns, stately homes and gardens featuring the local stone. A large area within the Cotswolds has been designated as a National Landscape (formerly known as Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or AONB) since 1966. The designation covers 787 square miles (2,038 km ), with boundaries roughly 25 miles (40 km) across and 90 miles (140 km) long, stretching south-west from just south of Stratford-upon-Avon to just south of Bath , making it
1440-485: Is Woodchester Mansion , an unfinished, Gothic revival mansion house in Woodchester Park near Nympsfield. Newark Park is a Grade I listed country house of Tudor origins near the village of Ozleworth, Wotton-under-Edge . The house sits in an estate of 700 acres (300 ha) at the Cotswold escarpment's southern end. Another of the many manor houses in the area, Owlpen Manor in the village of Owlpen in
1536-547: Is a 2.82-hectare (7.0-acre) site near Cricklade . It is outside the Cotswold Water Park SSSI but is a separately assessed SSSI within the Cotswold Water Park. It provides protection and support for the snake's head fritillary . Example clusters include the more unusual creamy white than the dark purple (see citation reference which includes photograph of cream coloured flowerhead). Prior to
1632-680: Is a 38.35-hectare (94.8-acre) site near Cricklade and Malmesbury . The Lower Moor Farm reserve comprises three lakes, two brooks, ponds and wetland scrapes. These are linked together by ancient hedges, woodland and meadows. The reserve was opened in May 2007 by TRH the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall . It provides a 'gateway' to three neighbouring Wiltshire Wildlife Trust reserves: Clattinger Farm, Oaksey Moor Farm Meadow and Sandpool Farm. Upper Waterhay Meadow ( grid reference SU068932 )
1728-418: Is a popular resort for Thames boating. Boats of different types can be hired from here, from rowing boats to river cruisers. The highest lock on the Thames is St John's Lock , at Lechlade, where there is a statue of Old Father Thames overlooking the boating activities. There is a view from St John's Bridge across the lock and the meadows to the spire of St Lawrence's parish church. The River Leach flows into
1824-678: Is a region of central South West England , along a range of rolling hills that rise from the meadows of the upper River Thames to an escarpment above the Severn Valley and the Vale of Evesham . The area is defined by the bedrock of Jurassic limestone that creates a type of grassland habitat that is quarried for the golden-coloured Cotswold stone. It lies across the boundaries of several English counties: mainly Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire , and parts of Wiltshire , Somerset , Worcestershire , and Warwickshire . The highest point
1920-413: Is a shelter area for nest sites for various birds, and a hunting ground for Eurasian sparrowhawks . There are three reserves in the Cotswold Water Park and the adjacent area which have SSSI status attached to them. These are Clattinger Farm, Mallard Lake (Lower Moor Farm) and Upper Waterhay. Clattinger Farm ( grid reference SU017937 ) is a 60.33-hectare (149.1-acre) site near Malmesbury . It
2016-494: Is a significant area for wildlife and particularly for wintering and breeding birds. The local wildlife trusts ( Gloucestershire and Wiltshire ) are involved in partnership with the Cotswold Lakes Trust charity in working with local communities and organisations in the area. The lakes were created in the second half of the 20th century by extraction of glacial Jurassic limestone gravel , which had eroded from
SECTION 20
#17327733259302112-470: Is a significant step further and raises the prospect of key decision making powers being taken away from democratically elected councillors". In other words, Cotswold District Council would no longer have the authority to grant and refuse housing applications. Indicative of the Cotswolds' uniqueness and value is that five European Special Areas of Conservation , three national nature reserves and more than 80 Sites of Special Scientific Interest are within
2208-575: Is about half a mile (0.8 km) east of Somerford Keynes . The reserve was one of the oldest gravel workings in the upper Thames Valley. The extraction of the First Terrace Pleistocene gravels left behind an unusually deep lake, which is sealed by beds of Kellaway clay . It is a breeding site for birds including reed bunting , tufted duck , black-headed gull and great crested grebe . Water vole , water shrew and nightingale and large numbers of dragonflies are recorded for
2304-536: Is also important; cows and pigs are also reared. The livestock sector has been declining since 2002. According to 2011 census data for the Cotswolds, the wholesale and retail trade was the largest employer (15.8% of the workforce), followed by education (9.7%) and health and social work (9.3%). The report also indicates that a relatively higher proportion of residents worked in agriculture, forestry and fishing, accommodation and food services, as well as in professional, scientific, and technical activities. Unemployment in
2400-400: Is designed to attract wetland birds, and has several linear islands which maximise the area of available reed fringe. Bittern , reed bunting , water rail , common snipe and reed warbler are recorded as visiting this refuge. There have also been sightings of otter and water vole . There are two bird hides. The footpath to the reserve from South Cerney is subject to frequent flooding from
2496-647: Is generally fairly flat and low lying. It is surrounded by lakes created from disused gravel extraction sites, forming parts of the Cotswold Water Park and several have now been designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest and nature reserves . The Edward Richardson & Phyllis Amey nature reserve consists of marsh and reedbeds which attract dragonflies and birds such as grey heron and great crested grebe . At Roundhouse Lake common visitors are Eurasian wigeon , red-crested pochard , common goldeneye , common pochard and tufted duck . Lechlade
2592-755: Is made up of a wide range of limestone-loving plants which include field scabious , lady's bedstraw , common bird's-foot-trefoil and oxeye daisy . Various colour-forms of greater knapweed may be found as well as common twayblade . Cowslips bloom in the spring. White campion , common toadflax and mouse-ear hawkweed are also supported. Common cornsalad may also be found which is becoming increasingly rare. There are thickets of bramble , hawthorn , blackthorn , dogwood , goat willow , buckthorn and dog-rose . Woodland comprises birch and pedunculate oak . The reserve supports butterflies such as brown argus , small copper , marbled white and purple hairstreak ; some 21 species have been recorded. The scrub
2688-535: Is named after the River Leach that joins the Thames near the Trout Inn and St. John's Bridge . The low-lying land is alluvium , Oxford Clay and river gravels and the town is surrounded by lakes created from disused gravel extraction sites, forming parts of the Cotswold Water Park ; several have now been designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest and nature reserves . Human occupation dates from
2784-426: Is not within the Cotswold Water Park SSSI definitions, but a separate SSSI adjacent to the park. It is a prime example of enclosed lowland grassland and is a hay meadow of international importance. This land has been farmed traditionally without artificial fertilisers. Mallard Lake ( grid reference SU012936 ) is a 13-hectare (32-acre) site and is part of Lower Moor Farm reserve ( grid reference SU008938 ) which
2880-733: Is the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway , a steam heritage railway over part of the closed Stratford–Cheltenham line , running from Cheltenham Racecourse through Gotherington , Winchcombe , and Hayles Abbey Halt to Toddington and Laverton. The preserved line has been extended to Broadway . The population of the Cotswold local authority area in the 2021 census was 90,800, an increase of 9.6% from 82,900 in 2011. The percentage of usual residents in relationships, aged 16 and above, were: In 2021, 96.3% of people in Cotswold identified their ethnic group with
2976-488: Is the Garden of Sudeley Castle at Winchcombe . The present structure was built in the 15th century and may be on the site of a 12th-century castle. It is north of the spa town of Cheltenham , which has much Georgian architecture. Further south, towards Tetbury , is the fortress known as Beverston Castle , founded in 1229 by Maurice de Gaunt . In the same area is Calcot Manor , a manor house with origins in about 1300 as
Lechlade - Misplaced Pages Continue
3072-580: Is the United Kingdom's largest marl lake system, straddling the Wiltshire–Gloucestershire border, north-west of Cricklade and south of Cirencester . There are 180 lakes, spread over 42 square miles (110 km ). The park is a mix of nature conservation activities, including nature reserves; recreation, including sailing, fishing, a country park and beach with water sports and play areas; rural villages; and holiday accommodation. It
3168-520: Is the highest town to which the River Thames is navigable by relatively large craft including narrowboats . It is possible to travel by river or walk the Thames Path from here to London. In the early eighteenth century goods unloaded in Bristol were transported to Gloucester , carried overland to Lechlade and sent down the Thames to London. The Halfpenny Bridge is therefore the usual start for
3264-643: The A417 and A361 . Where the A361 enters the town from the south it crosses the River Thames on Halfpenny Bridge . Another tributary of the Thames, the River Coln , joins the Thames at the Inglesham Round House . The town's railway station opened in 1873 and closed in 1962. The Church of England parish church of St Lawrence is a Grade I listed building . It replaced an earlier structure in
3360-767: The Cotswold Hills , and these filled naturally from rivers and streams after workings began to be exhausted in the early 1970s. Information may be found in detailed maps of locations and facilities, the Local Biodiversity Action Plan and other publications produced by the Cotswold Lakes Trust. It is that part of the Upper Thames catchment in North Wiltshire and south Gloucestershire which has been subjected to over 50 years of sand and gravel extraction. For ease of orientation,
3456-476: The Stroud district, is also Tudor and Grade I listed. Further north, Broadway Tower is a folly on Broadway Hill, near the village of Broadway, Worcestershire. To the south of the Cotswolds is Corsham Court , a country house in a park designed by Capability Brown in the town of Corsham , 3 miles (5 km) west of Chippenham, Wiltshire. According to users of the worldwide TripAdvisor travel site, in 2018
3552-678: The Warwickshire Avon . This feature, known as the Cotswold escarpment or the Cotswold Edge, is a result of the uplifting (tilting) of the limestone layer, exposing its broken edge. This is a cuesta , in geological terms. The dip slope is to the southeast. On the eastern boundary lies the city of Oxford and on the west is Stroud . To the southeast, the upper reaches of the Thames Valley and towns such as Lechlade , Tetbury , and Fairford are often considered to mark
3648-589: The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 . Cleeve Hill , and its associated commons, is a fine example of a limestone grassland and it is one of the few locations where the Duke of Burgundy butterfly may still be found in abundance. A June 2018 report stated that the AONB receives "23 million visitors a year, the third largest of any protected landscape". Earlier that year, Environment secretary Michael Gove announced that
3744-506: The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) . The pools are separated by a narrow bund , and drain south towards the River Coln and the River Thames . The Court Brook is the northern boundary. The reserve is important for its wintering wildfowl, though also of interest are breeding birds, dragonflies, freshwater molluscs and plants. There are good numbers reported of tufted duck , pochard , coot, mallard and Canada geese wintering on
3840-419: The neolithic , Iron Age and Roman periods and it developed as a trading centre served by river, canal, roads and railway, although the station closed in 1962. The Anglican Church of St Lawrence is a Grade I listed building dating from the 15th century. The development of the nearby RAF Fairford and RAF Brize Norton after World War II contributed to the expansion of the town. A neolithic cursus
3936-431: The "White" category, a slight decrease from 97.8% in 2011. Over 1.3% identified as "Asian" or British Asian, 1.5% chose "Mixed or Multiple" category, 0.4% were "Black, Black British, Caribbean or African" and 0.4% chose "Other". The Cotswold region has inspired several notable English composers. In the early 1900s, Herbert Howells and Ivor Gurney took long walks together over the hills, and Gurney urged Howells to make
Lechlade - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-436: The 15th century (probably around 1470-1476), though the nave roof and clerestory, the north porch, and the tower and spire may have been added in the early 16th century. A west gallery for singers was installed in 1740 and there were further internal additions in the 1880s. The church contains a Monumental brass of John Twynyho (died 1485), set into his ledger stone on floor of north aisle . He, and his wife Agnes, acquired
4128-767: The 2016 movie Alice Through the Looking Glass were filmed at the Gloucester Docks just outside the Cotswold District; some scenes in the 2006 movie Amazing Grace were also filmed at the Docks. The television series Father Brown is set and primarily filmed in the Cotswolds. Scenes and buildings in Sudeley Castle was often featured in the series. The vicarage in Blockley was used for
4224-608: The 21st century has attracted wealthy Londoners and others who own second homes there or have chosen to retire to the Cotswolds. The name Cotswold is popularly believed to mean the "sheep enclosure in rolling hillsides", incorporating the term wold , meaning hills. Compare also the Weald , from the Old English term meaning 'forest'. But for many years the English Place-Name Society has accepted that
4320-541: The 93-mile (150 km) Cotswold Way (part of the National Trails system) from Bath to Chipping Campden. In August 2018, the final decision was made for a Local Plan that would lead to the building of nearly 7,000 additional homes by 2031, in addition to over 3,000 already built. Areas for development include Cirencester, Bourton-on-the-Water, Down Ampney, Fairford, Kemble, Lechlade, Northleach, South Cerney, Stow-on-the-Wold, Tetbury and Moreton-in-Marsh. Some of
4416-423: The AONB is varied, including escarpment outliers, escarpments, rolling hills and valleys, enclosed limestone valleys, settled valleys, ironstone hills and valleys, high wolds and high wold valleys, high wold dip-slopes, dip-slope lowland and valleys, a Low limestone plateau, cornbrash lowlands, farmed slopes, a broad floodplain valley, a large pastoral lowland vale, a settled unwooded vale, and an unwooded vale. While
4512-602: The Area of Natural Beauty, have been a popular location for filming period films and television programmes over the years. Gloucester Cathedral has been particularly popular. The sighting of peregrine falcons in the landscape of the Cotswolds is mentioned in The Peregrine by John Alec Baker . The television documentary agriculture-themed series Clarkson's Farm was filmed at various locations around Chipping Norton . Cotswold Water Park The Cotswold Water Park
4608-415: The Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty stated that the main sources of income were real estate, renting and business activities, manufacturing, and wholesale & retail trade repairs. Some 44% of residents were employed in these sectors. Agriculture is also important; 86% of the land in the AONB is used for this purpose. The primary crops include barley, beans, rapeseed and wheat, while the raising of sheep
4704-527: The Board carries out a range of work from securing funding for 'on the ground' conservation projects, to providing a strategic overview of the area for key decision makers, such as planning officials. The Board is funded by Natural England and the seventeen local authorities that are covered by the AONB. The Cotswolds AONB Management Plan 2018–2023 was adopted by the Board in September 2018. The landscape of
4800-622: The Celtic path later known as Fosse Way . During the Middle Ages , thanks to the breed of sheep known as the Cotswold Lion, the Cotswolds became prosperous from the wool trade with the continent, with much of the money made from wool directed towards the building of churches. The most successful era for the wool trade was 1250–1350; much of the wool at that time was sold to Italian merchants. The area still preserves numerous large, handsome Cotswold Stone "wool churches". The affluent area in
4896-592: The Cotswold District was among the lowest in the country. An August 2017 report showed only 315 unemployed persons, a decrease of five from a year earlier. Tourism is a significant part of the economy. The Cotswold District area gained over £373 million from visitor spending on accommodation, £157 million on local attractions and entertainments, and about £100m on travel in 2016. In the larger Cotswolds Tourism area, including Stroud, Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury, tourism generated about £1 billion in 2016, providing 200,000 jobs. Some 38 million day visits were made to
SECTION 50
#17327733259304992-501: The Cotswold Tourism area that year. Many travel guides direct tourists to Chipping Campden , Stow-on-the-Wold , Bourton-on-the-Water , Broadway , Bibury , and Stanton . Some of these locations can be very crowded at times. Roughly 300,000 people visit Bourton per year, for example, with about half staying for a day or less. The area also has numerous public walking trails and footpaths that attract visitors, including
5088-452: The Cotswold Water Park is split into three areas. The Cotswold Water Park area sits low in an historic river valley and as such is exposed to fluctuations in ground water levels. Much of the farmland in this area is made up of flood meadows which take up water from the River Thames. Many of the lakes are connected by underground culverts, allowing transfer of water between them. There is also transfer of water through ground water feeds and via
5184-463: The Cotswolds AONB. The Cotswold Voluntary Wardens Service was established in 1968 to help conserve and enhance the area, and now has more than 300 wardens. The Cotswold Way is a long-distance footpath, just over 100 miles (160 km) long, running the length of the AONB, mainly on the edge of the Cotswold escarpment with views over the Severn Valley and the Vale of Evesham . Pictured
5280-622: The Cotswolds and is navigable from Inglesham and Lechlade-on-Thames downstream to Oxford . West of Inglesham. the Thames and Severn Canal and the Stroudwater Navigation connected the Thames to the River Severn ; this route is mostly disused nowadays but several parts are in the process of being restored. The area is bounded by two major rail routes: in the south by the main Bristol–Bath–London line (including
5376-593: The Cotswolds. Bath , Cheltenham , Cirencester , Gloucester , Stroud , and Swindon are larger urban centres that border on, or are virtually surrounded by, the Cotswold AONB. Chipping Campden is notable as the home of the Arts and Crafts movement , founded by William Morris at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Morris lived occasionally in Broadway Tower , a folly, now part of
5472-584: The Kempsford–Lechlade electoral ward . This ward stretches from Lechlade in the east to Kempsford in the west. The total population of this ward taken from the 2011 census was 3,973. Although in Gloucestershire, and traditionally in the hundred of Brightwells Barrow , from 1894 till 1935 the town was administered as part of Faringdon Rural District in Berkshire . From 1935 till 1974 it
5568-604: The Memorial Hall and the adjacent Lechlade Pavilion Hall. Behind the Town Hall are large playing fields, an astro turf pitch, a skate park and a playground. The memorial hall has been rebuilt after a fire in 2016. 1970 Squadron, Air Training Corps was founded in the town in 1997. The squadron's membership consists of young people from Lechlade and neighbouring towns such as Fairford and Faringdon . The unit has disbanded and all cadets have been transferred many attending
5664-577: The National Landscape area was 139,000 in 2016. The largest excavation of Jurassic period echinoderm fossils , including of rare and previously unknown species, occurred at a quarry in the Cotswolds in 2021. There is evidence of Neolithic settlement from burial chambers on Cotswold Edge, and there are remains of Bronze and Iron Age forts. Later the Romans built villas, such as at Chedworth , settlements such as Gloucester, and paved
5760-861: The South Wales main line) and in the west by the Bristol–Birmingham main line . In addition, the Cotswold line runs through the Cotswolds from Oxford to Worcester , and the Golden Valley line runs across the hills from Swindon via Stroud to Gloucester , carrying fast and local services. Mainline rail services to the big cities run from railway stations such as Bath , Swindon , Oxford , Cheltenham , and Worcester . Mainline trains run by Great Western Railway to London Paddington also are available from Kemble station near Cirencester, Kingham station near Stow-on-the-Wold, Charlbury station , and Moreton-in-Marsh station . Additionally, there
5856-400: The Thames at St John's Bridge. The poet Percy Bysshe Shelley composed A Summer Evening Churchyard here which includes the lines Clothing in hues of heaven thy dim and distant spire Around whose lessening and invisible height Gather among the stars the clouds of night The town is a popular venue for tourism and river-based activities. There are several pubs, some antique shops ,
SECTION 60
#17327733259305952-469: The adjacent Cerney Wick Brook and rising ground waters. A silt lagoon was formed by the mineral workings that created the Cleveland Lakes. This is now colonised and provides a suitable habitat for wintering and breeding birds and a refuge for reptiles and mammals. The site (Fairford Region; South Cerney Region; Coke's Pit Lake; Edward Richardson and Phyllis Amey reserve; Bryworth Lane reserve)
6048-437: The beauty of the Cotswolds AONB is intertwined with that of the villages that seem almost to grow out of the landscape, the Cotswolds were primarily designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for the rare limestone grassland habitats as well as the old growth beech woodlands that typify the area. These habitat areas are also the last refuge for many other flora and fauna, with some so endangered that they are protected under
6144-425: The border regions of South Warwickshire and Worcestershire, through West Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, and takes in parts of Wiltshire and of Bath and North East Somerset in the south. Gloucestershire County Council is responsible for sixty-three per cent of the AONB. The Cotswolds Conservation Board has the task of conserving and enhancing the AONB. Established under statute in 2004 as an independent public body,
6240-518: The eastern end of the reserve, and the associated reed hide allows views across the reedbed to the wooded heronry. Additional wildlife species of note for this reserve include European otter and water vole . Coke's Pit Lake ( grid reference SU027953 ) is a 3.2-hectare (7.9-acre) site. It was excavated 40 years ago, was given to the Cotswold Water Park Trust in 2002 and was declared a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) in 2003. It
6336-506: The eastern section of the Cotswold Water Park. There are four nature reserves called Whelford Pools, Edward Richardson & Phyllis Amey, Roundhouse Lake and Bryworth Lane. The Pools ( grid reference SU175995 ) and ( grid reference SU176993 ) are in the eastern section of the park, between Fairford and Lechlade . The site was purchased by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust in 1979 with grant aid from
6432-505: The establishment of the Cotswold Water Park Trust, certain elements of, or activities within the area were overseen by the Cotswold Water Park Society Limited. The Society's Chief Executive of the time, Dennis Grant, was imprisoned in 2011 for defrauding the organisation of more than £650,000, and the trust was subsequently relaunched as a registered charity working for the benefit of people and wildlife in
6528-681: The following were among the best attractions in the Cotswolds: The Cotswolds lie between the M5 , M40 and M4 motorways . The main A-roads through the area are: These all roughly follow the routes of ancient roads, some laid down by the Romans , such as Ermin Way and the Fosse Way . There are local bus services across the area, but some are infrequent. The River Thames flows from
6624-416: The group in Highworth . The 1st Lechlade Scout Group can trace its origins back to 1915 when Robert Baden-Powell inspected Scouts from Lechlade and the surrounding area. Lechlade Manor , north east of the town centre, was built in a Jacobean style in 1872. During World War II it became the Catholic Convent of St Clotilde. The main roads through the town are busy, as the town is at the crossroads of
6720-444: The lake regularly. The Bryworth Lane reserve ( grid reference SP200007 ) is a 0.6-hectare (1.5-acre) site between Lechlade and Fairford to the west of the minor road to Southrop. It is a 300-yard stretch of disused railway and was purchased from the British Railways Property Board in 1990. It was part of a 25-mile-long (40 km) branch line from Oxford , which was opened in 1873. This line extended beyond Fairford to provide
6816-400: The landscape, including the nearby Malvern Hills , the inspiration for future work. In 1916, Howells wrote his first major piece, the Piano Quartet in A minor, inspired by the magnificent view of the Malverns ; he dedicated it to "the hill at Chosen ( Churchdown ) and Ivor Gurney who knows it". Another contemporary of theirs, Gerald Finzi , lived in nearby Painswick . Gustav Holst , who
6912-401: The largest National Landscape area and England's third-largest protected landscape. The Cotswold local government district is within Gloucestershire. Its main town is Cirencester . In 2021, the population of the 450-square-mile (1,200 km ) district was 91,000. The much larger area referred to as the Cotswolds encompasses nearly 800 square miles (2,100 km ). The population of
7008-798: The legal name and designation remains "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 , amending the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 . The term AONB is still used in this section. The Cotswolds National Landscape area (formerly the Cotwolds AONB) was originally designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1966, with an expansion on 21 December 1990 to 1,990 square kilometres (768 sq mi). In 1991, all AONBs were measured again using modern methods, and
7104-803: The limit of the region. To the south the Cotswolds, with the characteristic uplift of the Cotswold Edge, reach beyond Bath , and towns such as Chipping Sodbury and Marshfield share elements of Cotswold character. The area is characterised by attractive small towns and villages built of the underlying Cotswold stone (a yellow oolitic limestone ). This limestone is rich in fossils , particularly of fossilised sea urchins . Cotswold towns include Bourton-on-the-Water , Broadway , Chalford , Charlbury , Chipping Campden , Chipping Norton , Cricklade , Dursley , Malmesbury , Minchinhampton , Moreton-in-Marsh , Nailsworth , Northleach , Painswick , Stow-on-the-Wold , Stroud , Tetbury , Witney , Winchcombe and Wotton-under-Edge . In addition, much of Box lies in
7200-663: The local stone. He said: "The truth is that it has no colour that can be described. Even when the sun is obscured and the light is cold, these walls are still faintly warm and luminous, as if they knew the trick of keeping the lost sunlight of centuries glimmering about them." The term "Cotswolds National Landscape" was adopted in September 2020, using a proposed name replacement for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). All AONBs in England and Wales were re-branded as "National Landscapes" in November 2023, although (as of 2024)
7296-748: The main character's residence and the Anglican St Peter and St Paul church was the Roman Catholic St Mary's in the series. Other filming locations included Guiting Power , the former hospital in Moreton-in-Marsh , the Winchcombe railway station, Lower Slaughter , and St Peter's Church in Upper Slaughter . In the 2010s BBC TV series Poldark , the location for Ross Poldark's family home, Trenwith,
7392-520: The manor of "Hallecourte" in Lechlade. This may have been the same property as "Butler's Court", a 4-yardland estate which in 1304 had been granted by John de Bellew to John Butler. John Twynyho of Cirencester was lord of Butler's Court in 1479. There is a Baptist Church on Sherborne Street which was built in 1817. Cotswolds The Cotswolds ( / ˈ k ɒ t s w oʊ l d z , ˈ k ɒ t s w əl d z / KOTS -wohldz, KOTS -wəldz )
7488-438: The money received from developers will be earmarked for new infrastructure to support the increasing population. Cotswold stone is a yellow oolitic Jurassic limestone . This limestone is rich in fossils , particularly of fossilised sea urchins . When weathered, the colour of buildings made or faced with this stone is often described as honey or golden. The stone varies in colour from north to south, being honey-coloured in
7584-581: The national biodiversity reporting framework. Cleveland Lakes Reserve is made up of two of the Cotswold Water Park's larger lakes (Lake 68a/b and Lake 74) as well as the Waterhay Reedbed (Lake 68c/d). It includes 2.5 km (1.6 miles) of permissive footpath and cycleway as well as three bird viewing hides, and is an important site for breeding and wintering birds such as Eurasian coot , great crested grebe , gadwall , tufted duck , little egret and grey heron . New reedbeds have been created at
7680-611: The north and northeast, as in villages such as Stanton and Broadway ; golden-coloured in the central and southern areas, as in Dursley and Cirencester ; and pearly white in Bath . The rock outcrops at places on the Cotswold Edge; small quarries are common. The exposures are rarely sufficiently compact to be good for rock-climbing , but an exception is Castle Rock, on Cleeve Hill , near Cheltenham . In his 1934 book English Journey , J. B. Priestley wrote of Cotswold buildings made of
7776-401: The northern pit since 1972. The pits were created by the extraction of Oolitic gravel , the lakes are bedded by Oxford clay . The depth of the water fluctuates throughout the year and the pools are unusually shallow for water park pits. A nature trail around the southern site allows viewing of the different habitats. There is no public access to the northern pit but wildfowl may be viewed from
7872-542: The official area of the Cotswolds AONB was increased to 2,038 square kilometres (787 sq mi). In 2000, the government confirmed that AONBs have the same landscape quality and status as National Parks . It is England's third-largest protected landscape, after the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales national parks. The Cotswolds National Landscape, which is the largest in England and Wales , stretches from
7968-402: The ponds. Roundhouse lake is a 17-hectare (42-acre) site. It is a large open body of water and supports a large number of wintering wildfowl, including wigeon , red-crested pochard , goldeneye , pochard and tufted duck . Great crested grebe and little grebe are frequent visitors and kingfisher sightings reported. Birds may be viewed from a hide. Eurasian otters are reported to visit
8064-435: The rare greater tussock-sedge . A relatively large number of species of dragonfly and damselfly are recorded, as well as good populations of southern aeshna , common sympetrum and common blue damselfly . The emperor dragonfly visits occasionally. Patches of nettle and thistle attract many butterflies and teasel attracts brimstones and encourages goldfinches . The site is of interest to birdwatchers throughout
8160-531: The site is the only known one in Gloucestershire for the tiny 'pea mussel'. The Edward Richardson and Phyllis Amey reserve ( grid reference SP215007 ) is an 11.1-hectare (27-acre) site. There is a 5.4-hectare (13-acre) gravel pit south of the by-pass and a 5.7-hectare (14-acre) gravel pit north of the by-pass. The site is named after the late site manager and the sister of the former Amey Roadstone Corporation chairman. The two pits are leased from ARC Properties Ltd. The southern pit has been leased since 1970 and
8256-432: The site. Elmlea Meadows is a Site of Special Scientific Interest . The designation recognised the nationally scarce downy-fruited sedge ( Carex tomentosa ) and snake's head fritillary . The old railway line (previously Midland and South Western Junction Railway ) is a wildlife corridor between South Cerney and Cricklade. Shorncote Reedbed is at the north-east corner, towards South Cerney (Lakes 84 and 85). It
8352-510: The site. Also present are great crested grebe, mute swan and shoveler . Red-crested pochard and ruddy duck are occasional visitors. The site is a breeding area for tufted duck and great crested grebe along with kingfisher , reed bunting and sedge warbler . There are two main lakes and three small pools frequented by dragonflies. The emperor dragonfly , migrant hawker , black-tailed skimmer and red-eyed damselfly are amongst other breeding species. Freshwater molluscs are represented and
8448-430: The term Cotswold is derived from Codesuualt of the 12th century or other variations on this form, the etymology of which is "Cod's-wold", meaning "Cod's high open land". Cod was interpreted as an Old English personal name, which may be recognised in further names: Cutsdean , Codeswellan, and Codesbyrig, some of which date to the 8th century. It has subsequently been noticed that Cod could derive philologically from
8544-408: The town was passed in 1210. Lechlade Priory was founded in the early 13th century and lasted until 1472. The town developed as a trading centre linked by the river, canal, roads and railway. The town's railway station opened in 1873 and closed in 1962. The development of RAF Fairford and RAF Brize Norton after World War II increased local employment and the need for housing. Lechlade falls in
8640-453: The tune for Come Down, O Love Divine . His opera Hugh the Drover depicts life in a Cotswold village and incorporates local folk melodies. In 1988, the 6th symphony (Op. 109) of composer Derek Bourgeois was titled A Cotswold Symphony . The Cotswolds are a popular location for scenes in movies and television programmes. The 2008 film Better Things , directed by Duane Hopkins, is set in
8736-578: The year. Resident birds include common moorhens , Eurasian coots , mallards , great crested grebes and tufted ducks and herons fish the northern lake. Scrub and willow carr provide nesting sites for sedge warblers , whitethroats , Eurasian wrens and common chaffinches . Common house martins and common swifts feed on the abundant insect life. Common kingfishers breed in the northern area. In winter brambling , fieldfare , Eurasian wigeon , gadwall , pochard and Eurasian teal may be sighted. Great crested newts , frogs and toads breed in
8832-544: Was born in Cheltenham, spent much of his early years playing the organ in Cotswold village churches, including at Cranham , after which he titled his tune for In the Bleak Midwinter . He also called his Symphony in F major, Op. 8, H47, The Cotswolds . Holst's friend Ralph Vaughan Williams was born at Down Ampney in the Cotswolds and, though he moved to Surrey as a boy, gave the name of his native village to
8928-602: Was discovered from cropmarks on aerial photographs was identified in 1943. There are several archaeological remains of dwellings from the Iron Age and Roman periods, which have now been scheduled as an ancient monument . William the Conqueror gave the manor of Lechlade to Henry de Ferrers , who had accompanied him to England in 1066, and the manor is mentioned in the Domesday Book . A charter granting market to
9024-615: Was founded as an Augustinian monastery in 1117, and Malmesbury Abbey was one of the few English houses with a continual history from the 7th century through to the Dissolution of the Monasteries . An unusual house in this area is Quarwood , a Victorian Gothic house in Stow-on-the-Wold . The grounds, covering 42 acres (17 ha), include parkland, fish ponds, paddocks, garages, woodlands and seven cottages. Another
9120-511: Was listed in the Cotswold District Local Plan 2001–2011 as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS). Only a few of the lakes are accessible for public use. It is a 135-hectare (330-acre) site of Site of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1994. In January 2021, further areas were given SSSI status and a consultation begun on further extending the area covered. The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust activities are based in
9216-527: Was part of Cirencester Rural District in Gloucestershire, and since 1974 it has been a part of Cotswold District . The town is part of The Cotswolds UK Parliament constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament , since its 1997, creation by Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown , a Conservative . The geology of the area consists of Alluvium , Oxford Clay and River Gravels. The land
#929070