Coberley

Coberley
Seven Springs
Coberley is located in Gloucestershire
Coberley
Coberley
Location within Gloucestershire
Population351 (2011 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceSO 9621 1605
Civil parish
  • Coberley
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townCheltenham
Postcode districtGL53
Dialling code01242
PoliceGloucestershire
FireGloucestershire
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Gloucestershire
51°50′35″N 2°03′23″W / 51.84306°N 2.05643°W / 51.84306; -2.05643

Coberley is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold District of Gloucestershire in England, 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Cheltenham. It lies at the confluence of several streams (Seven Springs) that form the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames. The medieval village was closer to the main road, near a spring to the east of Coberley Court. The sites of the medieval and modern villages of Upper Coberley are a short distance to the east.

History

The parish has two long barrows: one about 0.75 miles (1.21 km) west of the parish church and the other about 2 miles (3.2 km) west-north-west of the church.[3] A skeleton was discovered in the latter before 1779.[3]

The valley north of Coberley is the site of a Roman villa complex. It has been the source of numerous archaeological finds, including coins, tiles, pottery and mosaics.[4] The site was excavated by Channel 4's Time Team in 2007 for an episode that was broadcast on 3 February 2008.[4]

The Church of England parish church of Saint Giles had Norman features until the architect John Middleton rebuilt it in 1869-72.[5] Middleton retained the Decorated Gothic south chapel, built in 1340 as a chantry to Saint Mary.[5] He retained also the Perpendicular Gothic bell tower.[5]

Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn rode to Coberley on 2 August 1535 from Gloucester. Henry went on to hunt at Miserden while Anne returned to Gloucester.[6]

Dowmans Farm house was built in the 17th century.[7] The present rectory was designed by Richard Pace and built in 1826.[8] Its predecessor sheltered the future Charles II of England for the night on 10 September 1651, as he was fleeing from defeat in the Battle of Worcester, disguised as a groom.[9]

The village school was designed by David Brandon and built in 1857.[8] It is now Coberley Church of England Primary School.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Parish population 2011". Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  2. ^ "Neighbourhood Statistics: Full dataset view: Area selected: Cotswold (Non-Metropolitan District)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
  3. ^ a b Verey, 1970, page 192
  4. ^ a b "Coberley, Gloucestershire First screened 3 February 2008". TimeTeam. Channel 4. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  5. ^ a b c Verey, 1970, p. 190
  6. ^ Historical Manuscripts Commission, 12th Report, Appendix 9: Gloucester (London, 1891), p. 444.
  7. ^ Verey, 1970, pages 191-192
  8. ^ a b Verey, 1970, page 191
  9. ^ Christopher Winn: I Never Knew That about the Thames (London: Ebury Press, 2010), p. 11.
  10. ^ Coberley C of E Primary School

Sources

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Coberley.