- Huntley, Gloucestershire
infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 51.52
longitude= -2.24
official_name= Huntley
Council=Gloucesteshire
constituency_westminster= Forest of Dean
post_town= GLOUCESTER|postcode_district = GL19
postcode_area= GL |dial_code= 01452
os_grid_reference= SO7219
population= 1,012
shire_district=Forest of Dean
shire_county =Gloucestershire
region= South West EnglandHuntley,
Gloucestershire , is a village on the A40 located seven miles west ofGloucester in the north of theForest of Dean .History
Huntley (meaning Huntsman's clearing) is mentioned in the
Domesday Book as Huntelei.The village was the scene of fighting during the
English civil war . In 1643 the Royalists took the parliamentary garrison, but they were betrayed and in 1644 the parliamentarians regained control.The roads to
Mitcheldean andRoss-on-Wye were turnpiked in 1726 and the Toll house, which was built c1830 stood at their junction. This Toll house, that operated where theLonghope Road joins the
Ross Road, was of sufficient importance to be replaced by a new one in 1881 and the house still stands today.William Cobbett wrote that, during one of his "Rural Rides" through England in September 1826, he wanted to spend the night inGloucester , but arrived there at the time of theThree Choirs Festival . As rooms were so expensive, he had to continue to the coaching inn at Huntley.The common, part of which is now the recreation ground and allotments, was enclosed in 1857 and in 1872 most of the remaining common land on Huntley Hill was also enclosed.
The village
stocks were originally situated on the main road. They were re-sited on the recreation ground in the early 1970s. They are believed to be the only remaining set in theForest of Dean .Church
The church, dedicated to
St John the Baptist , dates from the 11th Century. In the 19th Century a new church was effectively built on to the Norman tower. It was designed bySamuel Sanders Teulon and it has been described by a President of theRoyal Institute of British Architects as "one of the most interesting buildings in England". Thereredos displays in detail the story of theLast Supper . The stonework is finished in local red sandstone and honey coloured Cotswold stone. It has ornate and elaborate decoration of the interior, with paintings of Biblical texts.School
The local junior school is Huntley Church of England Junior School [http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/findaschool/searchdetails.asp?SchoolSelect=116] and is situated next to the church.
Economy
Over time, the focus of the village has moved from the Church and School, on the slopes of Brights Hill, down towards the Toll House and the pub. Between 1951 and 1980 a large number of new houses and roads were built around the centre.
Many residents commute to
Gloucester to work, but some do work locally. Fruit production has declined in recent years, but much land is still devoted toagriculture ,horticulture andwoodland . There has been a growth in the leisure and recreation sector, such as agolf course , agarden centre and a School ofEquitation . The village has its ownPost Office ,pub , "The Red Lion", a traditional butcher's shop and other businesses.A range of community groups use the
Village hall , including the football club, which plays in the Northern Senior League of Gloucestershire County League of the FA. Thecricket club, founded in 1874, has its own ground to the south of the main road and runs aBeer Festival in the summer [http://www.huntleyfestival.co.uk/] .Huntley Quarry
Huntley Quarry (to the west of the village at
grid reference SO 7095 1955) exposes a volcaniclastic suite of rocks not known anywhere else. Their age is enigmatic; past suggestions have included eitherPrecambrian ,Ordovician or EarlySilurian . In addition to their problematic age and the perplexing rock type, the strata has been considerably deformed by faulting andtectonic movement.Gloucestershire Geology Trust is currently in the process of buying nearly two acres of land, which includes Huntley Quarry. The quarry and its environs will become the first geology reserve in the county, and the first to be owned by a geology trust. See also
Geology of Gloucestershire .External links
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=3686070 photos of Huntley and surrounding area on geograph]
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