Bishop's Cleeve
Encyclopedia
Bishop's Cleeve is an urbanised village in the Borough of Tewkesbury
, Gloucestershire
, England
, near Cheltenham
. The village lies at the foot of Cleeve Hill
, the highest point in the Cotswolds
.
It dates back at least to the 8th Century, though Iron Age
and Roman
remains have also been found. At the time of the Domesday Book
in 1086, there were approximately 100 people living there. The oldest houses still standing are from the 12th and 13th centuries. The centrepiece of the village is the church, St Michael & All Angels
, which has many Norman features
. The tower and the nave
arches were rebuilt in the 17th century when other features were enlarged.
At the beginning of the 20th century Bishop's Cleeve had a population of barely 400, but at the 2001 census the figure was 9,944. Yet this increase has been mainly due not to close proximity to Cheltenham, but to the arrival of major employers in Bishop's Cleeve itself. The village expanded first in the 1950s with the opening of the nearby Smith's Industries factory, many new houses being built for the workers. Bishop's Cleeve secondary school was opened in 1956. The village expanded again in the mid 1980s. A long-awaited bypass for the main A435 road
was constructed in the late 1980s, and further housing was constructed around the new road. At around the same time a large office building for Eagle Star Insurance (now Zurich Financial Services
) was constructed alongside the old Priory building.
Bishop's Cleeve was once served by a railway line, a relative latecomer in British railway history, opened on 1 June 1906 by the Great Western Railway
and running from Stratford-upon-Avon
to Cheltenham
, part of a main line from Birmingham
to the South West and South Wales. Bishop's Cleeve station along with almost all others on this section closed on 7 March 1960 and was subsequently demolished, but the nearby Cheltenham Racecourse
station remained in operation for royal visits to the Racecourse until 1965; through passenger services continued until 25 March 1968, and freight until 1976 when a derailment at Broadway damaged the line. It was decided not to bring the section back into use and by the early 1980s it had been dismantled. The stretch between Toddington
and Cheltenham Racecourse has since been reconstructed and reopened as a heritage railway
called the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
, but there are as yet no plans to restore Bishop's Cleeve station.
Bishop's Cleeve was also served, though less well, by a station called Cleeve on the present Birmingham to Bristol
main line (ex-Midland Railway
, later LMS
), about 1.5 miles to the west, but this station closed on 20 February 1950.
Bishop's Cleeve is bordered by the village of Woodmancote
to the east, the former Great Western railway line dividing the two parishes.
The main concerns about this development is the strain on the local infrastructure it will create, and the fact that the area is a flooding 'hotspot'.
Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, near Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
. The village lies at the foot of Cleeve Hill
Cleeve Hill
Cleeve Hill is the highest point both in the Cotswolds hill range and in the county of Gloucestershire, at . It commands a clear view to the west, over Cheltenham and the racecourse, over the River Severn and into Wales; and to the north over Winchcombe. It is a conspicuous outcrop on the edge of...
, the highest point in the Cotswolds
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
.
History
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
and Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
remains have also been found. At the time of the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
in 1086, there were approximately 100 people living there. The oldest houses still standing are from the 12th and 13th centuries. The centrepiece of the village is the church, St Michael & All Angels
St Michael & All Angels Church, Bishop's Cleeve
St Michael & All Angels is the Anglican church in the village of Bishop's Cleeve, just north of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. Informally the church is known simply as St Michael's.-History:...
, which has many Norman features
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
. The tower and the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
arches were rebuilt in the 17th century when other features were enlarged.
A435 road
The A435 is a main road in England running between Birmingham and Cirencester .-Birmingham to Alcester:...
was constructed in the late 1980s, and further housing was constructed around the new road. At around the same time a large office building for Eagle Star Insurance (now Zurich Financial Services
Zurich Financial Services
Zurich Financial Services AG is a major financial services group based in Zurich, Switzerland.-History:The Company was founded in 1872 as subsidiary of the Schweiz Marine Insurance Company under the name Versicherung Verein...
) was constructed alongside the old Priory building.
Bishop's Cleeve was once served by a railway line, a relative latecomer in British railway history, opened on 1 June 1906 by the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
and running from Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
to Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, part of a main line from Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
to the South West and South Wales. Bishop's Cleeve station along with almost all others on this section closed on 7 March 1960 and was subsequently demolished, but the nearby Cheltenham Racecourse
Cheltenham Racecourse
Cheltenham Racecourse is a racecourse for horse racing events, located at Prestbury Park, in the suburban village of Prestbury on the outskirts of the English town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire...
station remained in operation for royal visits to the Racecourse until 1965; through passenger services continued until 25 March 1968, and freight until 1976 when a derailment at Broadway damaged the line. It was decided not to bring the section back into use and by the early 1980s it had been dismantled. The stretch between Toddington
Toddington, Gloucestershire
Toddington is a village and civil parish in north Gloucestershire in Tewkesbury Borough, located approx. 20 km north-east of Cheltenham with a population of around 300 people....
and Cheltenham Racecourse has since been reconstructed and reopened as a heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
called the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is a volunteer-run heritage railway on the Gloucestershire/Worcestershire/Warwickshire Borders that has reopened the closed railway line between Laverton Halt and Cheltenham Racecourse railway stations in Gloucestershire/Worcestershire., it currently...
, but there are as yet no plans to restore Bishop's Cleeve station.
Bishop's Cleeve was also served, though less well, by a station called Cleeve on the present Birmingham to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
main line (ex-Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
, later LMS
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
), about 1.5 miles to the west, but this station closed on 20 February 1950.
Bishop's Cleeve is bordered by the village of Woodmancote
Woodmancote, Gloucestershire
Woodmancote is the name of three villages in Gloucestershire, England.The largest lies near Cheltenham, at the foot of Cleeve Hill and to the east of Bishop's Cleeve...
to the east, the former Great Western railway line dividing the two parishes.
Development
In 2010, the development of 450 houses began at Homelands farm, with the developers, Comparo, wanting to build an extra 550 houses on top of this. Although this was rejected by Tewkesbury Borough Council in 2007, the developers have since launched an appeal to the Secretary of State for communities and local government about the decision, which has triggered a full planning inquiry.The main concerns about this development is the strain on the local infrastructure it will create, and the fact that the area is a flooding 'hotspot'.