Gloucestershire

**Gloucestershire**

Geography
Status	Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin	Historic
Region:	South West England
Area - Total - Admin. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England. 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 Surface area is the measure of how much exposed Area an object has council - Admin. area	Ranked 16th 3,150 km² Ranked 17th 2,653 km²
Admin HQ:	Gloucester
ISO 3166-2:	GB-GLS
ONS code:	23
NUTS 3:	UKK13
Demographics
Population - Total (2006 est. This is a List of Ceremonial counties of England by Area. See also To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here areas between 1000 km2 and 10000 km2 Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of This is a list of non-metropolitan counties of England by area Gloucester (ˈɡlɒstɚ) is a city, district and County town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. ISO 3166-2GB is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to the United Kingdom. The Office for National Statistics coding system is a hierarchical code used in the United Kingdom for tabulating Census and other statistical data The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, ( NUTS) for the French nomenclature d'unités territoriales statistiques, is a Geocode In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology ) - Density - Admin. The density of a material is defined as its Mass per unit Volume: \rho = \frac{m}{V} Different materials usually have different council - Admin. pop.	Ranked 24th 833,100 264 / km² Ranked 21st 578,700
Ethnicity:	97. This is a List of Ceremonial counties of England by Population. This is a list of non-metropolitan counties of England by population. 3% White
Politics
Gloucestershire County Council http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/
Executive	Conservative
Members of Parliament	Roger Berry (L) Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (C) Parmjit Dhanda (L) David Drew (L)/(Co-op) Mark Harper (C) Martin Horwood (LD) Doug Naysmith (L)/(Co-op) Dan Norris (L) Laurence Robertson (C) Steve Webb (LD)
Districts
Gloucester Tewkesbury Cheltenham Cotswold Stroud Forest of Dean South Gloucestershire (Unitary)

Gloucestershire (pronounced /ˈglɒstɚʃɚ/ GLOSS-ter-sher) listen (help·info) is a county in South West England. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Composition Graphical representation of the House of Commons This is a comparison of the party strengths in the British House of Commons Dr Roger Leslie Berry (born July 4, 1948) British Politician and is the Labour Member of Parliament for Kingswood The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Geoffrey Robert Clifton-Brown (born March 23, 1953) British Politician and Farmer. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Parmjit Singh Dhanda (born September 17, 1971) is a British Labour Party Politician. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the David Elliott Drew (born 13 April 1952 British Politician. He is the Labour Co-operative Member of Parliament for Stroud. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the The Co-operative Party is a democratic socialist Political party in the United Kingdom committed to supporting and representing co-operative Mark James Harper (born 26 February 1970) British Politician and accountant. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Martin Charles Horwood (born 12 October 1962, Cheltenham) is the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for the Cheltenham The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the John Douglas Naysmith ( Doug) (born April 1, 1941) is the Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament for Bristol The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the The Co-operative Party is a democratic socialist Political party in the United Kingdom committed to supporting and representing co-operative Dan Norris (born 28 January 1960 London) is the Labour Member of Parliament for Wansdyke in England. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Laurence Anthony Robertson (born 29 March 1958, Bolton, Lancashire) is a British politician The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Steven John Webb, better known as Steve Webb is a British Politician, the Member of Parliament for Northavon and the Liberal Democrat Shadow The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the Gloucester (ˈɡlɒstɚ) is a city, district and County town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Education Parishes and settlements Alvington, Awre, Aylburton Blaisdon, Bromsberrow Geography The River Severn forms the north-western edge of the area with a wide coastal plain terminated by the Severn Escarpment. The counties of England are territorial divisions of England for the purposes of administrative political and geographical demarcation 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 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 county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean. See also Cotswold The Cotswolds is a range of Hills in west-central England, sometimes called the "Heart of England" For other rivers named "Severn" see Severn River. The River Severn ( Welsh: Afon Hafren, Latin The Forest of Dean is a geographical historical and cultural region in the western part of the County of Gloucestershire, England

The county town is the city of Gloucester, and other principal towns include Cheltenham, Stroud, Cirencester, and Tewkesbury. A county town is the 'capital' of a County in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. Gloucester (ˈɡlɒstɚ) is a city, district and County town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Education Stroud is a Town and Civil parish in the County of Gloucestershire, England. Cirencester is a Market town in Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles (150 km west northwest of London Tewkesbury (ˈtjuːksbri is a Town in Gloucestershire, England.

When considered as a ceremonial county, Gloucestershire borders the preserved county of Gwent in Wales, and in England the ceremonial counties of Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Bristol. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies The Preserved counties of Wales are the current areas used in Wales for ceremonial purposes such as Lieutenancy. Gwent is a preserved county and a former local government county in south-east Wales. Constitution Herefordshire was reconstituted both as a new Non-metropolitan district (effective 19th July 1996 and as a new County comprising the area of the Worcestershire (ˈwʊstəʃə abbreviated Worcs) is a county located in the West Midlands region of central England. Geography Warwickshire is bounded to the northwest by the West Midlands Metropolitan county and Staffordshire, by Leicestershire to History See also History of Oxfordshire The county of Oxfordshire was formed in the early years of the 10th century and is broadly situated in the Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London As an administrative county, it excludes the area covered by the South Gloucestershire unitary authority. Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London Geography The River Severn forms the north-western edge of the area with a wide coastal plain terminated by the Severn Escarpment. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions

According to a 2002 campaign by the charity Plantlife, the county flower of Gloucestershire is the Wild Daffodil^[1]. Plantlife is a wild plant conservation charity founded in 1989 In a number of countries plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas Narcissus pseudonarcissus (known as the Wild daffodil) is a perennial Flowering plant of the family Amaryllidaceae which grows

Gloucestershire is also known as where the "cheese rolling" takes place. Cheese rolling is where a wheel of cheese is thrown down a slippery, muddy hill and people run down the hill trying to catch the cheese.

1 History
- 1.1 2007 Flooding
2 Economy
3 Education
- 3.1 Secondary Schools
- 3.2 Higher and Further Education
4 Towns and villages
5 Antiquities and other places of interest
6 Gloucestershire in popular culture
7 See also
8 Notes
9 External links

History

Main article: History of Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire is a historic county mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the 10th century, though the areas of Winchcombe and the Forest of Dean were not added until the late 11th century. The region now known as Gloucestershire was originally inhabited by Brythonic peoples (ancestors of the Welsh and other British Celtic peoples in the Iron Age The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of Annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. Winchcombe is a Cotswold Town in the Local Authority District of Tewkesbury, in Gloucestershire, England. The Forest of Dean is a geographical historical and cultural region in the western part of the County of Gloucestershire, England The area of South Gloucestershire was made part of the administrative County of Avon in 1974. Geography The River Severn forms the north-western edge of the area with a wide coastal plain terminated by the Severn Escarpment. The former County of Avon was a non-metropolitan county and ceremonial county in the west of England, named after the River Avon, which Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Upon the abolition of Avon in 1996, it became a unitary authority, and is now part of the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies

The official former postal county abbreviation was "Glos. ", rather than the frequently used but erroneous "Gloucs. " or "Glouc. ".

2007 Flooding

In July of 2007, Gloucestershire had the worst flooding in recorded British history, with tens of thousands of residents affected. The 2007 United Kingdom floods were a series of destructive floods that occurred in various areas across the country during the summer of 2007 The RAF conducted the largest peace time domestic operation in its history to rescue over 120 residents from flood affected areas. The damage has been estimated at over 2 billion pounds. ^[2]

The county is recovering rapidly from the disaster, investing in attracting tourists to visit the many sites and diverse range of shops in the area.

Economy

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Gloucestershire at current basic prices published (pp. 240-253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.

Year	Regional Gross Value Added^[3]	Agriculture^[4]	Industry^[5]	Services^[6]
1995	5,771	196	1,877	3,698
2000	8,163	148	2,677	5,338
2003	10,617	166	2,933	7,517

Education

Secondary Schools

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

Gloucestershire has mainly comprehensive schools with seven selective schools; two are in Stroud, one in Cheltenham and four in Gloucester. There are 41 state secondary schools, not including sixth form colleges, and 12 independent schools, including the renowned Cheltenham Ladies' College. A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 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 Sixth form provision is good with about two schools in each district not having a sixth form, but the Forest of Dean only has two schools with sixth forms. All schools in South Gloucestershire have sixth forms.

Higher and Further Education

Gloucestershire has one university, the University of Gloucestershire and one higher and further education college, Gloucestershire College. 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 Each has campuses at multiple locations throughout the county.

Towns and villages

Main article: list of places in Gloucestershire

Antiquities and other places of interest

Berkeley Castle, an example of a feudal stronghold. This is a list of cities, Towns and Villages in the County of Gloucestershire, England. Berkeley Castle (historically sometimes spelt Berkley Castle) is a Castle in the town of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, UK (
Beverston Castle
Forest of Dean
Hailes Abbey
Owlpen Manor
Sudeley Castle
Tewkesbury Abbey
Tyndale Monument
Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, Slimbridge

The cathedrals of Gloucester and Bristol, the magnificent abbey church of Tewkesbury, and the church of Cirencester with its great Perpendicular porch, are described under their separate headings. Beverston Castle, also known as Beverstone Castle, was originally constructed as a Medieval stone Fortress and is situated in the village of Beverston The Forest of Dean is a geographical historical and cultural region in the western part of the County of Gloucestershire, England Hailes Abbey is two miles northeast of Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, England. Owlpen Manor is a Tudor Grade I listed Manor house of the Mander family, situated in the village of Owlpen in the Stroud district Sudeley Castle is located near Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, England. The Abbey of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Tewkesbury in the English county of Gloucestershire is the second largest parish church The Tyndale Monument is a Tower built on a hill at North Nibley, Gloucestershire, England. WWT Slimbridge is a Wetland reserve managed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (a UK charity at Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, England Gloucester Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Undivided Trinity, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity is the Anglican Cathedral in the city of Bristol, England, and is commonly known The Abbey of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Tewkesbury in the English county of Gloucestershire is the second largest parish church Tewkesbury (ˈtjuːksbri is a Town in Gloucestershire, England. Cirencester is a Market town in Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles (150 km west northwest of London English Gothic is the name of the Architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520 Of the abbey of Hailes near Winchcombe, founded by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, in 1246, little more than the foundations are left, but these have been excavated with great care, and interesting fragments have been brought to light. Hailes is a Scottish ball game dating back to the eighteenth century and gaining in popularity during the nineteenth Winchcombe is a Cotswold Town in the Local Authority District of Tewkesbury, in Gloucestershire, England. Richard of Cornwall ( 5 January 1209 – 2 April 1272) was Count of Poitou (from 1225 to 1243 Earl of Cornwall (from

Most of the old market towns have fine parish churches. Market town or market right is a legal term originating in the Medieval period for a European settlement that has the right to hold Markets A parish church, in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a Parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches At Deerhurst near Tewkesbury, and Bishop's Cleeve near Cheltenham, there are churches of special interest on account of the pre-Norman work they retain. Deerhurst is a Village near Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, England on the east bank of the River Severn. Bishop's Cleeve is a large Village in the Local Authority District of Tewkesbury Gloucestershire, England, near Cheltenham. Education The Perpendicular church at Lechlade is unusually perfect; and that at Fairford was built (c. In Geometry, two lines or planes (or a line and a plane are considered perpendicular (or orthogonal) to each other if they form congruent Lechlade is a Town in Gloucestershire, England. It is located at the southern edge of the Cotswolds. Fairford is a small Town in Gloucestershire, England. It lies in the Cotswolds on the River Coln. 1500), according to tradition, to contain the remarkable series of stained-glass windows which are said to have been brought from the Netherlands. For the Blackford Oakes novel see Stained Glass (novel The term stained glass refers either to the material of coloured Glass or to the art The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands These are, however, adjudged to be of English workmanship, and are one of the finest series in the country.

Calcot Barn is an interesting relic of the abbey of Kingswood. Calcot is a settlement in the English county of Gloucestershire. An abbey (from Latin abbatia derived from Syriac abba "father" is a Christian Monastery or Thornbury Castle is a fine Tudor ruin, the pretensions of which evoked the jealousy of Cardinal Wolsey against its builder, Edward Stafford, duke of Buckingham, who was beheaded in 1521. Thornbury Castle is a castle in Thornbury South Gloucestershire, England. The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was an English royal Dynasty that lasted 118 years from 1485 to 1603 a period known as the Tudor period A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official usually a bishop, of the Catholic Church. Thomas Cardinal Wolsey (c1470–1471 – November 28 or November 29 1530 who was born in Ipswich Suffolk England was an English Statesman and a cardinal Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham ( 3 February 1478 &ndash 17 May 1521) was an English nobleman Decapitation (from Latin, caput, capitis, meaning head or beheading, is the cutting off of the head of a person or animal Near Cheltenham is the fine 15th-century mansion of Southam de la Bere, of timber and stone. Memorials of the de la Bere family appear in the church at Cleeve. The mansion contains a tiled floor from Hailes Abbey. Hailes Abbey is two miles northeast of Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, England. At Great Badminton is the mansion and vast domain of the Beauforts (formerly of the Botelers and others), on the south-eastern boundary of the county. At Owlpen is one of the most picturesque Tudor manor houses set in a densely-wooded valley. Owlpen is a small Village and Civil parish in the Stroud district of Gloucestershire, England, set in a picturesque valley in

There are several royal residences in Gloucestershire, including Highgrove House, Gatcombe Park, and (formerly) Nether Lypiatt Manor. A palace is a grand residence especially the home of a Head of state or some other high-ranking Public figure. Highgrove House is the country home of HRH The Prince of Wales, in Gloucestershire, England. Gatcombe Park is the private country home of Anne Princess Royal, situated in England between the Gloucestershire villages of Minchinhampton Nether Lypiatt Manor is a compact neo-Classical Manor house situated in the parish of Bisley, near Stroud in Gloucestershire.