Tetbury

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Tetbury
latitude= 51.635683
longitude= -2.158238
population= 5,250 (2001 Census)
shire_district= Cotswold
shire_county= Gloucestershire
region= South West England
constituency_westminster= Cotswold
post_town=
postcode_district =
postcode_area=
dial_code=
os_grid_reference= ST890930

Tetbury is a town and civil parish within the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. It lies on the site of an ancient hill fort, on which an Anglo-Saxon monastery was founded, probably by Ine of Wessex, in 681. The population of the parish was 5,250 in the 2001 census.

In the Middle Ages, Tetbury became an important market for Cotswold wool and yarn. At this time the Tetbury Woolsack Races, in which competitors must carry a 60 pound sack of wool up a steep hill, were founded and are still contested annually.

Notable buildings in the town include the Market House, built in 1655 and the late-eighteenth century Gothic revival parish church of St Mary the Virgin and much of the rest of the town centre, dating from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Market House is a fine example of a Cotswold pillared market house and is still in use as a meeting place and market. Other attractions include the Police Bygones Museum. Chavenage House, Highgrove House and Westonbirt Arboretum lie just outside the town.

Events include Woolsack Day, famous for races and a fair. A flower show is held at the recreation ground, with classes ranging from children's "Make your own paper plate gardens" to adults "Best flower" and "Best knitting". The "Tetbury Fiesta" was held on the recreation ground in July 2008.

Geography

Tetbury is situated in a landscape of gently rolling hills primarily used for farmland, including grazing of sheep and grain production. Its location is associated with a nearby major east-west trade or drovers trail, which would account for its early importance as a wool trade center. Nearby to the west are Owlpen Manor, Beverston Castle and Calcot Manor, constructed from a bluish limestone. [ [http://www.luminatechnologies.org/luminaaw2.html C. Michael Hogan and Amy Gregory, "History and Architecture of Calcot Manor", Lumina Technologies Inc., prepared for Calcot Manor, July 5, 2006] ]

Nearby places

*Avening - 3 miles north
*Nailsworth - 5 miles northwest
*Kemble - 6 miles northeast
*Aston Down - 6 miles north
*Malmesbury - 5 miles southeast
*Stroud - 8 miles northwest
*Cirencester - 10 miles north-east
*Chippenham - 13 miles south
*Gloucester - 15 miles north
*Swindon - 17 miles southeast
*Cheltenham - 18 miles north
*Bristol - 20 miles southwest
*Birmingham - 60 miles north
*London - 90 miles east

Governance

Most of Tetbury falls in the Tetbury parish, although some of the northern parts of the town are officially in Tetbury Upton.

Tetbury is in the Cotswold district, and amentities are run by Cotswold District Council. Gloucestershire County Council is also responsible for parts of the town.

Nationally, Tetbury is in the Cotswold constituency, and has been represented in Parliament by Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative) since 1997. He has a majority of nearly 10,000 over the Liberal Democrats.

Economy

Tetbury is renowned for its antique shops, mostly found on and near Long Street, making it a stop-off for coach tours through the Cotswolds. The town centre also has a number of banks, estate agents, a branch of the auction house Bonhams and the lifestyle fashion brand Overider.

A Tesco supermarket was opened a quarter of a mile from the town centre in July 2002. Despite fears that the supermarket would threaten the existence of the town's main shopping streets, the majority of businesses have survived, although the number of food-selling shops in the town has fallen.

The town has pubs and hotels, including "The Royal Oak Inn, which was featured in the 1971 film [http://www.imdb.co.uk/title/tt0067027/ Dulcima] ( which starred John Mills and Carol White )", "The Priory Inn", "The Crown Inn","The Close Hotel", "The Greyhound Inn", "The Ormond at Tetbury", and "The Snooty Fox". The award-winning "Trouble House" is immediately outside the town. Between 1959 and 1964, the latter was served by Trouble House Halt, the only railway station in England built specifically to serve a pub.

Hospital

Tetbury Hospital is a privately run facility which funds itself from government funding and charitable donations. The hospital, which homes a Minor Injuries Unit, has been improved in recent years, although it was recently announced that beds at the site will be cut. The nearest Accident and Emergency Department is in Cirencester.

Education

The town has two schools, St Mary's Primary School and Sir William Romney's School, a secondary school which specialises in creative arts. Sir William Romney's recently announced that it would be closing its Sixth Form centre, meaning students wishing to sit A-Levels now travel to Cirencester or Stroud or even Filton College in Bristol.

Some Tetbury children travel further afield, with students at the two grammar schools, Marling School for boys and Stroud High School for girls, both in Stroud, and some at the comprehensive Deer Park School in Cirencester.

Transport

Tetbury has bus services which serve local towns. The nearest train station is at Kemble, while the nearest major airport is at Bristol. General aviation uses Kemble Airport at Kemble. The former airfield at Long Newnton (one mile southeast of Tetbury) was originally the home of the Cotswold Gliding Club, which has since moved some six miles to the north to Aston Down.

Tetbury is on the A433 road, with easy access to the M4 and M5 motorways. The A4135 road originates in Tetbury and proceeds westerly through Beverston.

Notable people

Present

*HRH Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, lives at Highgrove, Doughton, near Tetbury
*Anne Hooper, journalist, author and counsellor
*Jake Meyer, youngest Briton to climb Mount Everest
*Jet Black, drummer and founder member of rock band The Stranglers.

Past

*Brian Trubshaw, first British test-pilot of Concorde, died 2001
*Laurens van der Post, owned a nearby farm in the 1930s, died 1996
*Cecil "Sam" Cook, Gloucestershire cricketer and umpire, died 1996
*Robert Crowley, stationer, poet and Protestant clergyman in the 16th century

References

External links

* [http://www.tetburyonline.co.uk Tetbury Online]
* [http://www.tetbury.gov.uk/ Town Council]
* [http://www.tetburyskatepark.co.uk/ A Tetbury Community Youth Project]
* [http://www.tetburywoolsack.co.uk/ Woolsack Races]
* [http://www.rootsweb.com/~engcots/TetburyPhotos.html Images of the church]
* [http://www.tetbury-uptonpc.org.uk/ Tetbury Upton Parish Council]
* [http://www.somerset3d.co.uk/logos%20&%20pictures/town%20&%20village%20pages/gloucestershire/tetbury1.htm Tetbury in 3d (Anaglyphs).]
* [http://www.tetburytownfc.org.uk/ Tetbury Town Fooball Club]