Newent
Encyclopedia
Newent is a small market town
about 8 miles north west of Gloucester City
, on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean
, and lying within the Forest of Dean Local Authority District
. Its population at the 2001 census was 5,073. The town includes a half-timbered
market house, other houses of historical nature, and the site of the former small Victorian
museum, The Shambles, containing a replica of a 19th century street has been transformed and now real local traders occupy the once replica shops. There has been a settlement here since at least Roman
times and the town first appeared in the Domesday Book
.
The town's football team is Newent Town AFC who play in the North Gloucester Premier Division. They have a 1st Team, 2nd Team, 3rd Team, an Under 18s and an Under 13s youth team. Their home pitch and club house are at Wildsmith Meadow.. The most well known player produced by the Newent Youth Football structure is Stuart Fleetwood, who has player for Cardiff City, Accrington Stanley, Charlton Athetic and now Hereford United.
Newent's church, St. Mary's, dates from the 13th century but the site has been used since the Anglo-Saxon period. St. Mary's Church has stained glass windows from the famous company of Clayton and Bell
.
Newent is home to the Devonia, a large house dating back to the Georgian period.
Newent was served by the Hereford & Gloucester Canal, which opened between Gloucester and Ledbury
in 1798. The canal closed on 30 June 1881 and the section between Ledbury and Gloucester converted into a railway line
. This line, which was a branch of the Great Western Railway
, opened on 27 July 1885. The original course of the canal between Dymock
and Newent was by-passed as it was decided not to take the line through the 2,192 yard Oxenhall Tunnel. Newent had a station on this line. The line closed in 1959, but the canal (including the tunnel), is now being restored. Today the nearest station is Ledbury
on the Cotswold Line
.
Newent also contains the largest Cul-De-Sac
in Europe, Foley Road.
It is the birthplace of record producer Joe Meek
, 1, Market Square.
Newent is home to the National Birds of Prey Centre
, located just east of the neighbouring village of Cliffords Mesne
, a vineyard (The Three Choirs), and is at the centre of the Golden Triangle, so called because of the preponderance of daffodils in the surrounding area.
The town holds an Onion Fayre each September, at which there are competitions for growing onions and for eating onions.
Educational commissioners during the reign of Edward VI
(1547–53) noted the lack of educational opportunities in Newent. Gloucestershire commissioners reported that Newent was a market town with over 500 inhabitants but "all the youth of a great distance therehence rudely brought up and in no manner of knowledge and learning, where were a place meet to ... erect a school for the better and more godly bringing up of the same youth". Newent is now served by three schools, all within the town. Glebe primary school is for children aged 4 to 7, moving on to Picklenash Junior school
until age 11. Newent Community School
provides both Secondary and Tertiary education for ages 11 upwards.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
about 8 miles north west of Gloucester City
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
, on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
, and lying within the Forest of Dean Local Authority District
Forest of Dean (district)
Forest of Dean is a local government district in Gloucestershire, England, named after the Forest of Dean. Its council is based in Coleford. Other towns in the district include Cinderford, Newent and Tidenham....
. Its population at the 2001 census was 5,073. The town includes a half-timbered
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
market house, other houses of historical nature, and the site of the former small Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
museum, The Shambles, containing a replica of a 19th century street has been transformed and now real local traders occupy the once replica shops. There has been a settlement here since at least 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....
times and the town first appeared in 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...
.
The town's football team is Newent Town AFC who play in the North Gloucester Premier Division. They have a 1st Team, 2nd Team, 3rd Team, an Under 18s and an Under 13s youth team. Their home pitch and club house are at Wildsmith Meadow.. The most well known player produced by the Newent Youth Football structure is Stuart Fleetwood, who has player for Cardiff City, Accrington Stanley, Charlton Athetic and now Hereford United.
Newent's church, St. Mary's, dates from the 13th century but the site has been used since the Anglo-Saxon period. St. Mary's Church has stained glass windows from the famous company of Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell was one of the most prolific and proficient workshops of English stained glass during the latter half of the 19th century. The partners were John Richard Clayton and Alfred Bell . The company was founded in 1855 and continued until 1993...
.
Newent is home to the Devonia, a large house dating back to the Georgian period.
Newent was served by the Hereford & Gloucester Canal, which opened between Gloucester and Ledbury
Ledbury
Ledbury is a town in Herefordshire, England, lying east of Hereford, and south of the Malvern Hills.Today, Ledbury is a thriving market town in rural England. The town has a large number of timber framed buildings, in particular along Church Lane and High Street. One of Ledbury's most outstanding...
in 1798. The canal closed on 30 June 1881 and the section between Ledbury and Gloucester converted into a railway line
Ledbury and Gloucester Railway
The Ledbury and Gloucester Railway , was a railway line in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, England, running between Ledbury and Gloucester. It opened in 1885 and closed in 1964.-History:...
. This line, which was a branch 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...
, opened on 27 July 1885. The original course of the canal between Dymock
Dymock
Dymock is a small village in the Forest of Dean district of Gloucestershire, England about four miles south of Ledbury, with a population of approx. 300 people....
and Newent was by-passed as it was decided not to take the line through the 2,192 yard Oxenhall Tunnel. Newent had a station on this line. The line closed in 1959, but the canal (including the tunnel), is now being restored. Today the nearest station is Ledbury
Ledbury railway station
Ledbury station is a small railway station on the outskirts of the town of Ledbury on the Worcester to Hereford line in the English Midlands. It also has services to Birmingham as well as Cotswold Line trains to London....
on the Cotswold Line
Cotswold Line
The Cotswold Line is an railway line between and in England.-Route:The line comprises all or part of the following Network Rail routes:*GW 200 from Oxford*GW 310 from Wolvercot Junction*GW 300 from Norton Junction*GW 340 from Worcester Shrub Hill...
.
Newent also contains the largest Cul-De-Sac
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
in Europe, Foley Road.
It is the birthplace of record producer Joe Meek
Joe Meek
Robert George "Joe" Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter....
, 1, Market Square.
Newent is home to the National Birds of Prey Centre
National Birds of Prey Centre
The International Centre for Birds of Prey, formerly the National Birds of Prey Centre, in the United Kingdom houses a large collection of birds of prey with over 60 species of owls, eagles and hawks. It works towards the conservation of birds of prey through education, captive breeding, research...
, located just east of the neighbouring village of Cliffords Mesne
Cliffords Mesne
Cliffords Mesne is a village in Gloucestershire, two miles south-west of the nearest town of Newent. It was the home of author Winifred Foley from the mid-1970s, after the success of her first book of reminiscences, A Child in the Forest.-Facilities:...
, a vineyard (The Three Choirs), and is at the centre of the Golden Triangle, so called because of the preponderance of daffodils in the surrounding area.
The town holds an Onion Fayre each September, at which there are competitions for growing onions and for eating onions.
Educational commissioners during the reign of Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
(1547–53) noted the lack of educational opportunities in Newent. Gloucestershire commissioners reported that Newent was a market town with over 500 inhabitants but "all the youth of a great distance therehence rudely brought up and in no manner of knowledge and learning, where were a place meet to ... erect a school for the better and more godly bringing up of the same youth". Newent is now served by three schools, all within the town. Glebe primary school is for children aged 4 to 7, moving on to Picklenash Junior school
Junior school
A junior school is a type of school which caters for children, often between the ages of 7 and 11.-Australia:In Australia, a junior school is usually a part of a private school that educates children between the ages of 5 and 12....
until age 11. Newent Community School
Newent Community School
Newent Community School was Gloucestershire’s first purpose built ‘comprehensive’. More than 40 years on and it is now a thriving Foundation School of 1300 students, serving the town and the rural community. The school provided both Secondary and Tertiary education for ages 11 upwards. The school...
provides both Secondary and Tertiary education for ages 11 upwards.