Huntley, Gloucestershire
| Huntley | |
| Gloucestershire | |
|---|---|
| |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SO723195 |
| Location: | 51°52’26"N, 2°24’12"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 1,012 |
| Post town: | Gloucester |
| Postcode: | GL19 |
| Dialling code: | 01452 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Forest of Dean |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Forest of Dean |
Huntley is a village in Gloucestershire on the A40 located seven miles west of Gloucester. It is in the north of the Forest of Dean.
History
Huntley is listed in the Domesday Book as Huntelei, from the Old English huntan leag meajing 'Huntsman's meadow'.
The village was the scene of fighting during the Civil War. In 1643 the Royalists took the parliamentary garrison, but they were betrayed and in 1644 the parliamentarians regained control.
The roads to Mitcheldean (now the A4136) and Ross-on-Wye were turnpiked in 1726 and the toll house, which was built c1830 stood at their junction. This toll house, that operated where the Longhope Road joins the Ross Road, was of sufficient importance to be replaced by a new one in 1881 and the house still stands.
William Cobbett wrote that, during one of his Rural Rides through England in September 1826, he wanted to spend the night in Gloucester but arrived there at the time of the Three Choirs Festival. As rooms were so expensive, he had to continue to the coaching inn at Huntley.
The common, part of which is now the recreation ground and allotments, was enclosed in 1857 and in 1872 most of the remaining common land on Huntley Hill was also enclosed.
The village stocks were originally situated on the main road. They were re-sited on the recreation ground in the early 1970s. They are believed to be the only remaining set in the Forest of Dean. They are not now used for the purpose for which they were installed.
The village was the home of the Forest of Dean chronicler Winifred Foley and her husband Sydney until the mid-1970s.[1]
Two miles north-west lie the earthwork remains of Taynton Castle, a ring motte of C11-C12 date.
Church
The church, dedicated to St John the Baptist, dates from the 11th Century. In the 19th Century a new church was effectively built on to the Norman tower. It was designed by Samuel Sanders Teulon and it has been described by a President of the Royal Institute of British Architects as "one of the most interesting buildings in England". The reredos displays in detail the story of the Last Supper. The stonework is finished in local red sandstone and honey coloured Cotswold stone. It has ornate and elaborate decoration of the interior, with paintings of Biblical texts.
Economy
Over time, the focus of the village has moved from the Church and School, on the slopes of Brights Hill, down towards the Toll House and the pub. Between 1951 and 1980 a large number of new houses and roads were built around the centre.
Many residents commute to Gloucester to work, but some do work locally.
The farms of the village were once dominated by fruit production; less so in recent years. There has been a growth in the leisure and recreation sector, though the golf course and a riding school have closed. There is still a garden centre, and a small range of local shops.
The village pub is "The Red Lion".
Sport and leisure
A range of community groups use the village hall, including the football club
The cricket club, founded in 1874, has its own ground to the south of the main road and used to run a Beer Festival in the summer.
Huntley Quarry
Huntley Quarry (to the west of the village, SO70951955) exposes a volcaniclastic suite of rocks not known anywhere else. Their age is enigmatic; past suggestions have included either Precambrian, Ordovician or Early Silurian. In addition to their problematic age and the perplexing rock type, the strata has been considerably deformed by faulting and tectonic movement.
Gloucestershire Geology Trust has bought nearly two acres of land, which includes Huntley Quarry. The quarry and its environs will become the first geology reserve in the county.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Huntley, Gloucestershire) |
References
- ↑ The Times obituary. Retrieved 19 October 2010.