Newent
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Newent, Gloucestershire (originally called "Noent") is a small market town about 8 miles north west of Gloucester City, on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean, and lying within the Forest of Dean Local Authority District. Its population at the 2001 census was 5,073. The town includes a half-timbered market house, other houses of historical nature, and a small Victorian museum containing a replica of a 19th century street. There has been a settlement here since at least Roman times and the town first appeared in the Domesday Book.
Newent's church, St Mary's, dates from the 13th century but the site has been used for Christian worship since the Anglo-Saxon period.
Newent is home to the Devonia, a large house dating back to the Georgian period.
Newent was served by the Hereford & Gloucester Canal, opened in 1845; this closed in 1881 and the section between Ledbury and Gloucester converted into a railway line, a branch line of the Great Western Railway, though a stretch between Dymock and Newent was by-passed as it was decided not to take the line through the 2,192 yard Oxenhall Tunnel. Newent had a station on this line. The line closed in 1959, but the canal (including the tunnel), is now being restored.
Newent is also home to Europe's largest cul-de-sac, Foley Road, and is the birthplace of record producer Joe Meek, 1, Market Square.
Newent is home to the National Birds of Prey Centre, a vineyard (The Three Choirs), and is at the centre of the Golden Triangle, so called because of the preponderance of daffodils in the surrounding area.
Newent holds an Onion Fayre each September, at which there are competitions for growing onions and for eating onions. In 2005, the event was washed out by a severe rainstorm, during which large parts of Newent were underwater. The fire brigade were called out to pump out the flooded areas, but it is not recorded how many onions were lost. The Fayre in 2006 was opened by Würzel of Motörhead and it is estimated that 15,000 people attended the event.
Newent is served by three schools, all within the town. Glebe Infants school is for children aged 4 to 7, moving on to Picklenash Junior school until age 11. Newent Community School provides both Secondary and Tertiary eductaion for ages 11 upwards. The school offers GCSEs as well as A-Levels on site. In 2001 the school was granted Arts College Specialist Status. In 2007 the school was also granted Science College Specialist Status as a second specialism.
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