Dowdeswell is a
civil parish in the ward of
Chedworth,
Cotswold, in the
ceremonial county
The counties and areas for the purposes of the lieutenancies, also referred to as the lieutenancy areas of England and informally known as ceremonial counties, are areas of England to which lords-lieutenant are appointed. Legally, the areas i ...
of
Gloucestershire,
England. It is separated into Upper and Lower Dowdeswell, the former being south of the latter. The population of the civil parish at the
2011 census was 134.
About 7.1 km (4.4 mi) to the northwest is
Cheltenham
Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...
, and 19 km (12 mi) to the west is
Gloucester. In 2001, it had a population of 185.
The Church of Saint Michael and All Saints is a Grade I listed building.
Environment
Northwest of Lower Dowdeswell, there is Dowdeswell Woods. Immediately south of these woods is Dowdeswell Reservoir.
Both
Dowdeswell Reservoir and Dowdeswell Woods have been managed historically as nature reserves through the
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (formerly named Gloucestershire Trust for Nature Conservation). On the opposite hillside to Dowdeswell Woods lies
Lineover Wood which is a
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
and is on the steep face of the Cotswold scarp. The
Cotswold Way runs at the edge of Dowdeswell Woods, crosses the A40 and runs through Lineover Wood. The nature reserve of
Arle Grove lies in the parish of Dowdeswell.
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust reserves information online
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Railways
In 1891, Dowdeswell was the name given to a station in the nearby village of Andoversford
Andoversford is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold District of Gloucestershire, England, about east of Cheltenham. The village is on the River Coln, parallel to the A40.The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 555. In 2 ...
on the Midland and South Western Junction Railway; the name was to avoid confusion with Andoversford station on the Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...
's Cheltenham
Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...
to Banbury line. The name of Dowdeswell station was changed to Andoversford and Dowdeswell in 1892. The station closed to passengers in 1927 after the GWR had taken over the M&SWJR; however, it remained open for goods traffic until 1962.
References
External links
Cotswold District Council
* ''Gloucestershire Railway Stations'', Mike Oakley, Dovecote Press, 2003, .
* ''Gloucestershire: the Cotswolds'', David Verey, Pevsner Architectural Guides: The Buildings of England, Penguin, 1970, . pp. 216–219.
Civil parishes in Gloucestershire
Cotswold District
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