Chedworth
Encyclopedia
Chedworth is a village
in Gloucestershire
, in the Cotswolds
and best known as the location of Chedworth Roman Villa
, administered since 1924 by the National Trust
.
' and was discovered by accident in 1864 It is the remains of one of the largest Romano-British
villa
s in England featuring several mosaic
s, two bathhouses
, hypocaust
s (underfloor heating), a water-shrine and a latrine. The water shrine became very special as the Romans used it to worship the goddess of the natural spring that gives it an endless amount of water.
, which is situated near the parish church
. The village lines a street over a mile long and has many attractive Cotswold stone
houses.
A railway line once served the village – the Midland & South Western Junction Railway (later part of the Great Western Railway
), which closed in September 1961. It ran through Chedworth Tunnel, 494 yards in length, and Chedworth railway station
was in a deep cutting.
During the Second World War there was an RAF
airfield at RAF Chedworth
. The remnants of this can be seen today.
Chedworth was mentioned in author Craig Thomas'
first novel "Rat Trap" published in 1976.
situated on the South side of the Coln Valley and midway between the villages of Chedworth and Withington and next to the Roman Villa owned by the National Trust. The reserve is a section of the disused Cheltenham to Cirencester railway line and the track bed includes both cuttings and embankments. The Reserve takes the form of a woodland ride, with expanses of beech woods on either side of the railway line.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in 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....
, 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...
and best known as the location of Chedworth Roman Villa
Chedworth Roman Villa
Chedworth Roman Villa is a Roman villa located at Chedworth, Gloucestershire, England. It is one of the largest Roman villas in Britain.-Siting:...
, administered since 1924 by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
.
Roman villa
It is a 1,700-year-old 'stately homeStately home
A stately home is a "great country house". It is thus a palatial great house or in some cases an updated castle, located in the British Isles, mostly built between the mid-16th century and the early part of the 20th century, as well as converted abbeys and other church property...
' and was discovered by accident in 1864 It is the remains of one of the largest Romano-British
Romano-British
Romano-British culture describes the culture that arose in Britain under the Roman Empire following the Roman conquest of AD 43 and the creation of the province of Britannia. It arose as a fusion of the imported Roman culture with that of the indigenous Britons, a people of Celtic language and...
villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
s in England featuring several mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
s, two bathhouses
Thermae
In ancient Rome, thermae and balnea were facilities for bathing...
, hypocaust
Hypocaust
A hypocaust was an ancient Roman system of underfloor heating, used to heat houses with hot air. The word derives from the Ancient Greek hypo meaning "under" and caust-, meaning "burnt"...
s (underfloor heating), a water-shrine and a latrine. The water shrine became very special as the Romans used it to worship the goddess of the natural spring that gives it an endless amount of water.
History
The oldest house in the village is the manor houseManor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
, which is situated near the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
. The village lines a street over a mile long and has many attractive Cotswold stone
Cotswold stone
Cotswold stone is a yellow oolitic limestone quarried in many places in the Cotswold Hills in the south midlands of England. When weathered, the colour of buildings made or faced with this stone is often described as 'honey' or 'golden'....
houses.
A railway line once served the village – the Midland & South Western Junction Railway (later part of 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...
), which closed in September 1961. It ran through Chedworth Tunnel, 494 yards in length, and Chedworth railway station
Chedworth railway station
Chedworth railway station was on the Midland and South Western Junction Railway in Gloucestershire. The station opened on 1 October 1892, 14 months after the opening of the section of the line between Cirencester Watermoor and the junction at Andoversford with the Great Western Railway's Cheltenham...
was in a deep cutting.
During the Second World War there was an RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
airfield at RAF Chedworth
RAF Chedworth
RAF Chedworth was a Royal Air Force station near Chedworth, Gloucestershire. It opened in spring 1942 as a satellite station to RAF Aston Down. It was the home of 12 Group Tactical Exercise Unit....
. The remnants of this can be seen today.
Chedworth was mentioned in author Craig Thomas'
Craig Thomas (author)
David Craig Owen Thomas was a Welsh author of thrillers, most notably the Mitchell Gant series.-Background:...
first novel "Rat Trap" published in 1976.
Chedworth Nature Reserve
This is a Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust nature reserveGloucestershire Wildlife Trust
The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is the Gloucestershire local partner in a conservation network of 47 Wildlife Trusts. The Wildlife Trusts are local charities with the specific aim of protecting the United Kingdom's natural heritage...
situated on the South side of the Coln Valley and midway between the villages of Chedworth and Withington and next to the Roman Villa owned by the National Trust. The reserve is a section of the disused Cheltenham to Cirencester railway line and the track bed includes both cuttings and embankments. The Reserve takes the form of a woodland ride, with expanses of beech woods on either side of the railway line.