Borough of Cheltenham
	Shown within Gloucestershire
Geography
Status:	Borough
Region:	South West England
Admin. History See also History of Gloucestershire Gloucestershire is a historic county mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the 10th century The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to County:	Gloucestershire
Area: - Total	Ranked 304th 46.61 km²
Admin. History See also History of Gloucestershire Gloucestershire is a historic county mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the 10th century Surface area is the measure of how much exposed Area an object has This is a list of Districts of England ordered by area. The areas given are calculated from the Output Areas created for Census 2001 and made available To help compare sizes of different geographic regions we list here Areas between 10 km² (1000 Hectares and 100 km² (10000 hectares Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of HQ:	Cheltenham
Grid reference:	SO 9422
ONS code:	23UB
Demographics
Population: - Total (2006 est. The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The Office for National Statistics coding system is a hierarchical code used in the United Kingdom for tabulating Census and other statistical data In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology ) - Density	Ranked 190th 111,500 2392 / km²
Ethnicity:	94. The density of a material is defined as its Mass per unit Volume: \rho = \frac{m}{V} Different materials usually have different The figures are mid-year estimates for 2007 from the Office for National Statistics. 9% White 2. 0% S. Asian 1. 1% Mixed Race 0. 7% Black 1. 3% Chinese or other[1]
Politics
Cheltenham Borough Council www.cheltenham.gov.uk
Leadership:	Leader & Cabinet
Executive:	TBA (council NOC)
MPs:	Martin Horwood
Coat of arms

Cheltenham (or Cheltenham Spa) is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, England. See also Mineral spa A spa town, or simply spa, is a town frequented mainly for health reasons to "take the waters" A borough is an Administrative division of various countries In principle the term borough designates a self-governing Township although in practice History See also History of Gloucestershire Gloucestershire is a historic county mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the 10th century England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The town has a population of 110,013 (2001 census). A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 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. See also Cotswold The Cotswolds is a range of Hills in west-central England, sometimes called the "Heart of England" Cheltenham has been a health and holiday spa town resort since the discovery of mineral springs there in 1716. A spring is a point where Groundwater flows out of the ground and is thus where the Aquifer surface meets the ground surface The town is famous for its Regency architecture and is said to be "the most complete regency town in England". The Regency style of Architecture refers primarily to buildings built in Britain during the period in the early 19th century when George IV was ^[2] The small River Chelt flows under and through the town and is subject to regular floods. The River Chelt is a Tributary of England 's largest river the Severn. ^[3]

Cheltenham is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horseracing. The steeplechase is a form of Horse racing (primarily conducted in the United Kingdom, United States, France, and Ireland) and derives 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. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. The Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c 70 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in England and Wales Charlton Kings is a suburb of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, England. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of Local government district that covered an Urbanised area Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially ' shire districts', are a type of local government district in England. Four parishes - Swindon Village, Up Hatherley, Leckhampton and Prestbury - were added to the borough of Cheltenham from the borough of Tewkesbury in 1991. Swindon Village is both a Village and a Suburb in the Spa town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. Leckhampton is a district in south Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. See also Prestbury Cheshire Prestbury is a medium sized Village in the heart of the Cotswolds. ^[4]

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. Cheltenham College is a Co-educational Independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham Ladies' College is an independent boarding and day school for girls located in Cheltenham, a spa town in the English Cotswolds in the county The University of Gloucestershire is a University in Gloucestershire, England, spread over four campuses, three in Cheltenham and one in Gloucestershire College (also Gloucestershire College of Arts and Technology, abbreviated GLOSCAT) is a large College based in Gloucestershire

See also List of schools in Gloucestershire. The following is a partial list of currently operating schools in the South West region of England.

Festivals

Every year, Cheltenham Festivals organises music, jazz, folk, literary and science festivals in the town. World class Jazz, Music, Science, and Literature Festivals in Cheltenham The Cheltenham Music Festival is one of the oldest Music festivals in Britain and it has been held annually in Cheltenham in June/July since 1945 Cheltenham Jazz Festival is one of the United Kingdom 's leading Jazz festivals and is part of Cheltenham Festivals Ltd Events take place at venues including the Town Hall, the Everyman Theatre, The Playhouse Theatre and the Pittville Pump Room. Cheltenham Town Hall is an early twentieth-century Assembly rooms in Cheltenham, England. The Playhouse Theatre Cheltenham is a community theatre in Cheltenham, United Kingdom. Pittville Pump Room was the last and largest of the Spa buildings to be built in Cheltenham. Cheltenham is also home to the amateur dramatics group, Gyst.

Additionally, Greenbelt, a Christian arts and music festival, is held at Cheltenham Racecourse. The Greenbelt festival is an annual Christian festival of music art and faith A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth A music festival is a Festival oriented towards Music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as Musical genre, Nationality or locality Cheltenham Racecourse is a Racecourse for Horse racing events located at Prestbury Park in the suburban village of Prestbury near the English

The centre of Cheltenham. The statue is of Edward Adrian Wilson, the Antarctic explorer. Dr Edward Adrian Wilson ("Uncle Bill" ( 23 July 1872 &ndash 29 March 1912) was a notable English polar explorer The municipal offices are in the background

Sport and leisure

Cheltenham is known for its horse racing. This article is about the sport For other uses see Horserace (drinking game or Horse race (politics. Cheltenham Racecourse, located in the suburb of Prestbury, is the home of National Hunt, or jumps, racing in the UK. Cheltenham Racecourse is a Racecourse for Horse racing events located at Prestbury Park in the suburban village of Prestbury near the English See also Prestbury Cheshire Prestbury is a medium sized Village in the heart of the Cotswolds. National Hunt racing is the official name given to the sport of horse racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland where the horses are required to jump over obstacles The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located 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. The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race in the United Kingdom for five-year-old and above horses The Cheltenham Festival is the most prestigious meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom and has race prize This co-incidence with Saint Patrick's Day ensures that the town swells with an influx of Irish horse racing devotees. Saint Patrick's Day (Lá ’le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig) colloquially St Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world

The Racecourse, seen from Cleeve Hill

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. Cheltenham Racecourse is a Racecourse for Horse racing events located at Prestbury Park in the suburban village of Prestbury near the English Cleeve Hill is the highest point both in the Cotswolds and in the County of Gloucestershire, at 330 metres (1083 feet Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League One, the third tier of English football The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Coca-Cola Football League 1 for sponsorship reasons is the second-highest division of The Football Cheltenham Saracens FC are a football club based in Cheltenham, England.

Amateur rugby union clubs include Cheltenham Saracens RFC, Cheltenham North RFC, Old Patesians R.F.C., and Cheltenham Civil Service RFC. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Old Patesians Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.

The Cheltenham Rugby Festival is a rugby league nines event held in May. GRL Cheltenham Rugby Festival is a Rugby league nines event held in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

The town has three golf courses, at Cleeve Hill, Cotswold Hills and Lilley Brook. Cleeve Hill is the highest point both in the Cotswolds and in the County of Gloucestershire, at 330 metres (1083 feet See also Cotswold The Cotswolds is a range of Hills in west-central England, sometimes called the "Heart of England"

Cheltenham is home to Steve Saunders, 10 times British champion trials rider and runner up in the World Championship in 1986.

Sandford Parks Lido is one of the largest outdoor pools in England. Sandford Parks Lido is one of the largest outdoor Swimming pools in the UK set in landscaped gardens in Cheltenham, England. There is a 50 m (164 ft) main pool as well as a children's pool and paddling pool, both of which are set in landscaped gardens. A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is an artificially enclosed Body of water intended for Swimming or The term landscape garden is often used to describe the English garden design style characteristic of the eighteenth century particularly with the work of Lancelot

The mechanical clock in the Regent Shopping Arcade, designed by Kit Williams. Kit Williams (born April 28 1946 in Kent England) is an English artist illustrator and author best known for his book Masquerade The distance from the duck to the fish is 45 feet.

Shopping and nightlife

Cheltenham is a regional shopping centre, home to department stores, and centres including the Regent Arcade and the Beechwood Shopping Centre. A department store is a Retail establishment which specializes in selling a wide range of products without a single predominant merchandise line. It has a Michelin two star restaurant, 'Le Champignon Sauvage'. The Michelin Guide ( Le Guide Michelin) is a series of annual Guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries

Major employers

Cheltenham, looking north west from Leckhampton Hill

Cheltenham has light industry employers, including food processing, aerospace, electronics and tourism businesses. Leckhampton is a district in south Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. Light industry is usually less Capital intensive than Heavy industry, and is more Consumer -oriented than Business -oriented (i The British government's electronic surveillance operation Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), renowned for its "doughnut-shape" building, is located in Cheltenham. Surveillance is the monitoring of Behavior. Systems surveillance is the process of monitoring the behavior of people objects or processes within systems for conformity The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ is a British Intelligence agency responsible for providing Signals intelligence (SIGINT and Information 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. GE Aviation, a subsidiary of General Electric, is headquartered in Evendale Ohio (a Cincinnati suburb Dowty Rotol is the final incarnation of three major British aviation supply firms Dowty Equipment, Rotol Airscrews and British Messier, which Chelsea Building Society is a Building Society in the United Kingdom operating mainly in South East England; its head office is based in Cheltenham Endsleigh Insurance is a Cheltenham -based UK insurance intermediary specialising in the student and graduate markets UCAS ( Universities & Colleges Admissions Service, pronounced " ʏwk{{sc||A}}s " 'juːkæs is a Clearing house for applications to almost Zurich Financial Services Group is a major Financial services group based in Zürich, Switzerland. Kraft Foods Inc ( is the second-largest Food and Beverage company headquartered in North America (behind PepsiCo) and the third

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. Cheltenham Spa railway station is a Railway station serving the town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, located on the main Bristol-Birmingham The North-East/South-West route (sometimes simply The Cross-Country Route) is the major British rail route running from South West England via Bristol, Birmingham Gloucester (ˈɡlɒstɚ) is a city, district and County town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London Swindon ( is a large town in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire in the South West of England, midway between Bristol (64 km / 40 miles London Paddington station, also known as London Paddington, or just simply Paddington, is a major National Rail and London Underground station Plymouth ( is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England about south west of London. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Derby (pronounced "dar-bee" /dˈɑːbɪ/ is a city in the East Midlands of England. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain.

The Cheltenham Spa Express, once known as the "Cheltenham Flyer", is a named passenger train, connecting Cheltenham with London. The Cheltenham Spa Express is a British named passenger train service from Paddington station, in London to Cheltenham Spa, in Gloucestershire In the history of Rail transport, dating back to the 19th Century there have been literally hundreds of named passenger trains.

In addition, a restored station at Cheltenham Racecourse is the south terminus for the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway heritage railway. Cheltenham Racecourse railway station is a Railway station serving Cheltenham Racecourse on the outskirts of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, Overview The line was originally part of the Great Western Railway 's Cheltenham – Stratford-upon-Avon – Birmingham line built in A heritage railway ( United Kingdom) preserved railway ( United Kingdom) or tourist railroad ( United States and Canada) is a

Churches

The Town Hall, erected in 1902 to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra

Sandford Parks Lido

• Anglican Churches (Diocese of Gloucester) (not a complete list)
  • St Mary's Church - the original church of the town and the only surviving medieval building. Sandford Parks Lido is one of the largest outdoor Swimming pools in the UK set in landscaped gardens in Cheltenham, England. The Diocese of Gloucester is a Church of England Diocese based in Gloucester, covering the non-metropolitan county of Gloucestershire. St Mary's Parish Church ( Grid reference:) is the only surviving medieval building in Cheltenham.
  • St Matthew's Church (evangelical) - a 19th century foundation, now a combined parish with St Mary's.
  • St Philip and St James Church, Leckhampton (liberal) - part of the South Cheltenham mission area. St Philip & St James Leckhampton is a Parish in south Cheltenham, in the English county of Gloucestershire.
  • St Barnabas - Part of the West Cheltenham Team Ministry
  • St Mark [1] (evangelical) - part of the West Cheltenham Team Ministry [2]
  • All Saints' Church (Anglo-catholic) - Gustav Holst was a chorister at All Saints, his father, Adolph von Holst, being organist and Master of the Choristers. Gustav Theodore Holst (21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934was an English Composer and was a music teacher for nearly 20 years
  • Christ Church (evangelical)
  • St Paul's Church (evangelical)
  • St Luke's Church
  • Trinity Church (evangelical) - one of the largest Anglican congregations outside London. Trinity Church Cheltenham (previously Holy Trinity Cheltenham is an evangelical, Charismatic Anglican church in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

• Non-Anglican Churches
  • St. Gregory's - the principal Roman Catholic church.
  • Bethesda Methodist Church
  • Cambray Baptist Church
  • Christian City Church - located at Rowanfield Primary School
  • Elim Christian Centre of the Elim Pentecostal Church
  • URC in Cheltenham - United Reformed Church (including St Andrew's Montpellier). The Elim Pentecostal Church (EPC is a UK-based Pentecostal Christian denomination (not to be confused with the U An unrelated American church of similar name is the United Reformed Churches in North America.
  • Cheltenham Evangelical Free Church
  • St Thomas More Catholic Church

The town features two notable rings of bells hung for change ringing. Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes" The first is at St Christopher's (Warden Hill), these being the lightest ring of bells of church bells in the world. ^[5] The bells of St Mark's [3] 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. Campanology (from late Latin campana, "bell" and Greek grc -λογία -logia) is the study of bells It encompasses

Twin Towns

The twinning emblems for Cheltenham, Gottingen and Toruń

Cheltenham is twinned^[6] 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

The Minotaur and the Hare” bronze on the Promenade sculpted by Sophie Ryder in 1995

Areas of Cheltenham

Cheltenham in 1933

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. Göttingen ( ˈgœtɪŋən, Low German: Chöttingen is a College town in Lower Saxony, Germany. Toruń Lublin Voivodeship Toruń (Thorn Torń Thorunium see also other names) is a city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River with population Annecy ( Èneci / Ènneci in Arpitan language is a city in the Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Cheltenham Pennsylvania is a census-designated place within Cheltenham Township Pennsylvania, with a zip code of 19012 The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Göttingen ( ˈgœtɪŋən, Low German: Chöttingen is a College town in Lower Saxony, Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Sochi (Сочи ˈsotɕɪ is a Russian Resort city, situated in Krasnodar Krai just north of the southern Russian border Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Administrative divisions The Prefecture-level city of Weihai administers 4 county-level divisions, including 1 districts and 3 county-level cities China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Stampersgat is a village situated in the municipality of Halderberge, in the north-west of the North Brabant province in the Netherlands. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Kisumu is a Port city in western Kenya at 1131m with a population of 355024 (1999 census The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south Benhall is a small district within the town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Charlton Kings is a suburb of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, England. Fairview is an area of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. Situated between the town centre and Pittville, it is largely residential Hesters Way is an area in the western part of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. Leckhampton is a district in south Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. Montpellier is an area of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire ( England) at the end of the Promenade south of the town centre Pittville is a northern area of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, founded in the early Nineteenth Century by Joseph Pitt. See also Prestbury Cheshire Prestbury is a medium sized Village in the heart of the Cotswolds. Rowanfield is a Neighbourhood in Cheltenham, England. It consists primarily of a Social housing estate of Wimpey no-fines houses Swindon Village is both a Village and a Suburb in the Spa town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. This article refers to the area of Whaddon in the town of Cheltenham Gloucestershire and not to the village of Whaddon Gloucestershire in Stroud district. Wymans Brook is a district in the north-west of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, named after the small river which flows through the district

Lansdown Crescent

Lansdown Crescent is a Regency period terrace, designed by John Buonarotti Papworth for R. Artistic trends Regency architecture Regency fashions Regency dance Regency novels John Buonarotti Papworth ( 24 January 1775, Marylebone, London &ndash 16 June 1847, Little Paxton, St Neots 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. In the course of the history of Classical architecture, an Italianate style of architecture was a distinct nineteenth-century phase in which Italian sixteenth-century

Notable residents

The 30,000 capacity mainstage at Greenbelt 2007

See List of Cheltonians

References

• David Verey, Gloucestershire: the Vale and the Forest of Dean, The Buildings of England edited by Nikolaus Pevsner, 2nd ed (1976) ISBN 0-14-071041-8

See also

• HMS Cheltenham, a Racecourse class minesweeper of 1916
• Acclaim Cheltenham, a game studio that made Extreme-G 3 and XGRA: Extreme-G Racing Association
• List of spa towns in the United Kingdom

External links

• Cheltenham Borough Council
• VisitCheltenham Cheltenham Borough Council - Official Tourism Information Centre website
• Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum
• Gloucestershire Echo - Website for the local newspaper
• Genealogical web site including many relevant references on Cheltenham
• Cheltenham at the Open Directory Project

Coordinates: 51°53′48″N 2°04′42″W / 51.89652, -2.07843