Cheltenham


Borough of Cheltenham
Location within the British Isles.
Geography
Status:Borough
Region:South West England
Admin. County:Gloucestershire
Area:
- Total		Ranked 304th
46.61 km²
Admin. HQ:Cheltenham
Grid reference: SO 9422
ONS code:23UB
Demographics
Population:
- Total (2004 est.)
- Density		Ranked 186th
110,900
2,379 / km²
Ethnicity:96.7% White
1.4% S.Asian
Politics
Cheltenham Borough Council
http://www.cheltenham.gov.uk/
Leadership:Leader & Cabinet
Executive:Liberal Democrats
MPs:Martin Horwood, Laurence Robertson
For other places with the same name, see Cheltenham (disambiguation).

Cheltenham (or Cheltenham Spa) is a spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, England, near Gloucester and Cirencester. The town has a population of 110,013 (2001 census) and the people of the town are known as "Cheltonians". The town motto is: Salubritas et Eruditio ("Health and Education").

The town is located on the edge of the Cotswolds and has an image nationally of being 'respectable' and wealthy or, simply, posh. Cheltenham has been a health and holiday spa town resort since the discovery of mineral springs there in 1716. The small River Chelt flows through the town.

Cheltenham is well known for being the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horseracing, the Cheltenham Gold Cup; and for schools including Cheltenham Boys College and Cheltenham Ladies' College. The town hosts several festivals of culture, principally the Cheltenham Festival of Literature.

The current boundaries of Cheltenham were set under the Local Government Act 1972, when the existing borough of Cheltenham was merged with Charlton Kings urban district to form the modern non-metropolitan district of Cheltenham.

Contents

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Outline

The centre of Cheltenham. The statue is of Edward Adrian Wilson, the Antarctic explorer. The Municipal Offices are in the background
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Education

In accordance with the "Eruditio" part of its motto, Cheltenham is a major centre for education, including Cheltenham Ladies' College, Cheltenham College, Dean Close School, Pate's Grammar School and the main campuses of the University of Gloucestershire.

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Festivals

Cheltenham holds music, jazz, folk, literary and science festivals every year. These festivals include the Cheltenham Festival of Literature, the Cheltenham Music Festival, and Greenbelt, a Christian arts and music festival.

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Sport

Internationally, Cheltenham is well known for its horse racing. Cheltenham Racecourse, located in the suburb of Prestbury, is the home of National Hunt, or jumps, racing in the UK. Meetings are hosted during the winter months (when the ground is soft enough for the horses to safely negotiate the fences) from November to April. The highlight of the season is the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which is normally held in the middle of March, during the Cheltenham Festival. This happy co-incidence (with St Patrick's Day) ensures that the town swells with an influx of Irish horseracing devotees.

The local football team is Cheltenham Town F.C., who have recently enjoyed success in the football league.

There are several well known amateur rugby clubs including Cheltenham RFC, Cheltenham North RFC, Old Patesians RFC, and Cheltenham Saracens RFC.

The mechanical clock in the Regent Shopping Arcade. The distance from the duck to the fish is 45 feet.
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Shopping & Nightlife

Cheltenham is a popular regional shopping centre, home to several department stores, including Cavendish House, part of the House of Fraser chain, and arcades including the Regent Arcade. Although not noted nationally for it's nightlife, the town also serves as a regional nightlife centre.

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Local Employers

Cheltenham has a number of light industries, including food processing, aerospace, electronics and tourism. The British government's electronic surveillance operation GCHQ, renowned for its 'doughnut-shape' building, is located in Cheltenham. Cheltenham is also home to UCAS (Universities & Colleges Admissions Service).

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Railway

Cheltenham Spa railway station is located on the main Bristol-Birmingham line, giving connections to Gloucester, Bristol, Swindon, London Paddington, Plymouth and the South West, Birmingham, Derby, the North West, the North East and Scotland.

The Town Hall, erected in 1902 to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra
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Twinning arrangements

The town is twinned with Annecy, France; Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.; Göttingen, Germany; Sochi, Russia and Weihai, China. The town also has 'Friendship' status with Stampersgat, the Netherlands and Kisumu, Kenya.

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Districts of Cheltenham

The districts of Cheltenham include Benhall, Charlton Kings, Hesters Way, Leckhampton, Montpellier, Pittville, Prestbury, Rowanfield, St Marks, St Paul's, Swindon Village, Up Hatherley, and Whaddon.

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Notable Cheltonians

Statue of Edward Adrian Wilson in the town centre. Born Cheltenham 1872, died Antarctica 1912. The plinth reads:
Edward Wilson of the British Antarctic Expedition reached the South Pole on January 17th 1912 and died with Captain Scott on the Great Ice Barrier in March 1912

Notable people from Cheltenham include:

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Trivia

  • On August 3, 1990, Cheltenham recorded a temperature of 37.1°C (98.8°F), the highest temperature recorded in the United Kingdom until 2003.
  • The pipes providing water from Cheltenham's spring decayed in 2004, but they were reinstated in 2005 and the spring waters are flowing once more.
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Schools

Cheltenham's schools include:

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External links

Following the Cotswold Way
Towards
Bath		Towards
Chipping Campden
16km (10 miles) to
Leckhampton, from White's Barn		13.5km (8 miles) to
Winchcombe, from White's Barn



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Counties with multiple districts: Cornwall - Devon - Dorset - Gloucestershire - Somerset - Wiltshire