Dowdeswell is a civil parish in the ward of Chedworth,

Cotswold 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 ...

, 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 The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is the Gloucestershire local partner in a conservation network of 46 Wildlife Trusts. The Wildlife Trusts are local charities with the specific aim of protecting the United Kingdom's natural heritage. The Gl ...

(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 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 ...

runs at the edge of Dowdeswell Woods, crosses the A40 and runs through Lineover Wood. The nature reserve of

Arle Grove Arle Grove () is a nature reserve in Gloucestershire. The site is listed in the 'Cotswold District' Local Plan 2001-2011 as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).

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 2019 ...

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 ...

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 {{Gloucestershire-geo-stub