Cheltenham
- This article is about the town of Cheltenham in England. For other places called Cheltenham 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). The town motto is: Salubritas et Eruditio ("Health and Education").
The town is located on the edge of the Cotswolds and is generally regarded as respectable and wealthy. It has been a health and holiday spa town resort since the discovery of mineral springs there in 1716, although the local mineral water is no longer consumed, especially after the pipes connecting to the spring decayed in 2004. It is popular as a shopping centre, and is home to the department store Cavendish House. It is particularly known for its private schools: Dean Close School, Cheltenham College and the Cheltenham Ladies' College. It is also home to the prestigious Pate's Grammar School, and to campuses of the University of Gloucestershire.
On August 3, 1990, Cheltenham recorded a temperature of 37.1°C (98.8°F), the highest ever temperature in the United Kingdom until 2003.
| Borough of Cheltenham | |
|---|---|
| Template:GBdot-small | |
| 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 (2003 est.) - Density |
Ranked 189th 109,962 2,359 / 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 |
Outline
Horse racing
Internationally, Cheltenham is probably best known for its horse racing. Cheltenham Racecourse, located on the outskirts of the town 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. It also plays host to Greenbelt once a year — a Christian arts and music festival.
Daniel Gale
An upcoming member in communism society of cheltenham which is booming and hopefully ready for world domination in spring 2006. His right hand man Sam Popat is the guy you wanna see if you need anything most likely dodgy back of the van but who really cares. Soon Gale will be hosting more communism propaganda talks if your interested but he mostly talks bullsh*t. Hope you enjoy this liitle inceit to the future.
Written by John Clarkson
Festivals
Cheltenham holds music, jazz, folk, literary and science festivals every year.
See Cheltenham Festivals for further details.
Sport
The local football team is Cheltenham Town F.C., who have recently enjoyed success in the football league.
There are several amateur rugby clubs: Cheltenham RFC, Cheltenham North, Old Patesians etc.
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.
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.
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.
Famous Cheltonians
Famous people from Cheltenham include the composer Gustav Holst; the explorer Edward Wilson (who joined Scott on his ill-fated Antarctic Expedition); physician Edward Jenner who invented vaccination; Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones; and Duncan Boyes.
Gallery
 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 |
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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 |