Hardwicke (Stroud), Gloucestershire

Hardwicke is a village south of Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England. Despite its close proximity to Gloucester, the village actually comes under Stroud (district) Council.

The village has a pub (‘The Pilot’), an inn 'The Starting Gate' (formerly ‘The Morning Star’), a branch of The Royal British Legion, and several shops.In the centre of the village is the Hardwicke Parochial School, a Church of England school that teaches children from the ages of four to eleven.

Hardwicke Court

Hardwicke Court has since the late 18th century been the principal Gloucestershire seat of the Lloyd-Baker family. The extant house was designed in neo-Classical style by Robert Smirke in the early 19th century, although it retains a canal feature from the early 18th century gardens of the Trye family. The house and gardens are occasionally open to the public in the summer.

Religion

Hardwicke has an excellent example of a traditional English village church. St Nicholas' Church on Church Lane / Sellars Road is located in the oldest part of the village. There have been records of a chapel on the site since 1092. The Church has experienced certain restoration over the years, but still performs regular Church of England Sunday services and annual flower shows.

Sport

Hardwicke has a number of local youth football teams collectively called Hardwicke Rangers F.C. The Club was founded in 1990 by local parents of the village who wanted a team for their children to compete in. The Club has grown rapidly over the years, and now has over three hundred members, making it one of the largest in Gloucestershire. There are teams for different age groups that range from under 7s to under 16s. Each team plays in their corresponding age group in the Gloucester and Stroud Youth Leagues.As of the 2006–07, Hardwicke Rangers Youth F.C has entered its first girls’ team.

Hardwicke Cricket Club offers an alternative to football during the summer months. The club runs several senior sides and has a successful youth section (Hawks). The club enters league and cup competitions for all teams organised by the Stroud District Cricket Association. With each season brings a new team and 2008 sees the introduction of the under 9's. In 2007 the senior teams were bolstered by the introduction of a 2nd XI. The club is run by committee which regularly meets throughout the year.

Hardwicke is the home town of television presenter Anne Robinson.

External links

* [http://www.hardwicke.ik.org/ Hardwicke Parochial School]
* [http://www.4354.net/hardwicke/Monthly/Home.htm/ The parishes of Hardwicke Elmore and Longley]
* [http://beehive.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=SiteHome&ID=10889/ Hardwicke Rangers Youth F.C]
* [http://www.hardwickecc.co.uk Hardwicke Cricket Club]