Stinchcombe is a small village and civil parish in
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean.
The county town is the city of Gl ...
, England on the
B4060 road between
Dursley
Dursley is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in southern Gloucestershire, England, almost equidistant from the cities of Bristol and Gloucester. It is under the northeast flank of Stinchcombe#Stinchcombe Hill, Stinchco ...
and
North Nibley. The church is called
St Cyr's and its churchyard contains 40–60 gravestones. The population taken at the
2011 census was 480.
It gives its name to the nearby Stinchcombe Hill () which is a , a nearly detached part of the
Cotswold Edge
The Cotswolds (, ) is a region in central-southwest England, along a range of rolling hills that rise from the meadows of the upper Thames to an escarpment above the Severn Valley and Evesham Vale.
The area is defined by the bedrock of Juras ...
, which was
notified as a
biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1966.
[Natural England SSSI information on citation, map and unit detail](_blank)
/ref> Stroud District Local Plan, adopted November 2005, Appendix 6 ‘Sites of Nature Conservation Interest’
Stinchcombe Hill
Stinchcombe Hill lies west of
Dursley
Dursley is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in southern Gloucestershire, England, almost equidistant from the cities of Bristol and Gloucester. It is under the northeast flank of Stinchcombe#Stinchcombe Hill, Stinchco ...
and forms part of the
Jurassic
The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The J ...
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
scarp of the
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds (, ) is a region in central-southwest England, along a range of rolling hills that rise from the meadows of the upper Thames to an escarpment above the Severn Valley and Evesham Vale.
The area is defined by the bedrock of Jur ...
. The site represents the semi-natural calcareous grasslands supporting particular flora and fauna, and particularly a number of rare and uncommon species.
The Hill has a large golf course on the top, and has a public right of way round its edge which is part of the
Cotswold Way
The Cotswold Way is a long-distance footpath, running along the Cotswold Edge escarpment of the Cotswold Hills in England. It was officially inaugurated as a National Trail on 24 May 2007 and several new rights of way have been created.
His ...
. (The exact line of the right of way and its interaction with the golf greens has been the subject of some controversy over the years.)
The rights of way were redefined by a public enquiry in 2012 and are signposted.
Views
The view from Drakestone Point ( at ) over the Vale to the
River Severn
, name_etymology =
, image = SevernFromCastleCB.JPG
, image_size = 288
, image_caption = The river seen from Shrewsbury Castle
, map = RiverSevernMap.jpg
, map_size = 288
, map_c ...
and
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. It forms a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and northwest, Herefordshire to the n ...
beyond, is particularly fine, but the tranquility is injured by the proximity of the
M5 Motorway. Since 1992 volunteers have done a great deal of work on the Hill, attempting to restore the open views over the Severn Vale. The cleared areas can be seen from the M5, and the Cotswold Way has now been re-routed around the Hill to take advantage of this work.
Notable residents
The novelist
Evelyn Waugh lived at
Piers Court
Piers Court is a English country house, country house in Stinchcombe on the Cotswold Edge in Gloucestershire, England. A Listed building, Grade II* listed building, in the mid-20th century the court was home to the novelist Evelyn Waugh.
Histor ...
in Stinchcombe from 1937 to 1956. During this time he wrote some of his best known works, including ''
Scoop'', ''
Brideshead Revisited'', ''
Men at Arms'' and ''
Officers and Gentlemen
''Officers and Gentlemen'' is a 1955 novel by the British novelist Evelyn Waugh.
''Sword of Honour'' trilogy
''Officers and Gentlemen'' is the second novel in Waugh's ''Sword of Honour'' trilogy, the author's look at the Second World War. The no ...
''. The village is also the birthplace of
William Tyndale (ca. 1494- 1536), scholar and translator of the Bible into English.
Popular culture
*The Potter family in the ''
Harry Potter
''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...
'' series originated in Stinchcombe, with
Harry Potter
''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...
's earliest known ancestor being known as Linfred of Stinchcombe.
References
SSSI Source
Natural England SSSI information on the citationNatural England SSSI information on the Stincombe Hill unit
External links
Natural England(SSSI information)
File:West of north from Stinchcombe Hill - geograph.org.uk - 1013401.jpg, View from Stinchcombe Hill
File:North of west from Stinchcombe Hill - geograph.org.uk - 1027059.jpg, View from Stinchcombe Hill
File:Trigpoint and toposcope Stinchcombe Hill - geograph.org.uk - 1024492.jpg, Trigpoint and toposcope on Stinchcombe Hill
File:"Thank you" seat on Stinchcombe Hill - geograph.org.uk - 1027066.jpg, Seat on Stinchcombe Hill
File:Broad Beans - geograph.org.uk - 196743.jpg, View to Stinchcombe Hill
File:Stinchcombe Hill Golf Club - geograph.org.uk - 18652.jpg, Golf club on Stinchcombe Hill
File:Stinchcombe Hill golf course, general view - geograph.org.uk - 1027113.jpg, Golf Course on Stinchcombe Hill
{{authority control
Villages in Gloucestershire
Hills of Gloucestershire
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire
Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1966
Cotswolds
Stroud District
Civil parishes in Gloucestershire
Mountains and hills of the United Kingdom with toposcopes