Avening

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Avening is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England, about three miles north of Tetbury. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,094. The village has two pubs. Nearby is Gatcombe Park, the home of Princess Anne.

[edit] History

Vestiges of much early habitation can be found somewhat to the southwest in the form of Beverston Castle and Calcot Manor. The ancient Calcot complex structures are relicts along an ancient Roman road, indicating the prominence of this locale in Romano-British history.^[1] Remains of Roman stone carving have been retrieved indicating evidence of a significant Roman road.

During the Second World War, Avening lay on GHQ Line. Extensive anti-tank ditches were constructed to the south and southeast, and were overlooked by a number of pillboxes. The defences were constructed as a part of British anti-invasion preparations.^[2]

[edit] Famous Residents

Michael Powell (1905-90). Film director, producer, screenwriter, actor. Buried in Holy Cross Church. The gravestone was designed by his son Columba who appeared in some of his films [1].

Tina Hobley. English actress, born 1972, who acts in Holby City. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tina_Hobley

[edit] Related place names

Avening is also the name of a rural community immediately south of Creemore, Ontario, Canada, on the Mad River. One of its pioneers was Frederick C. Thornbury, who built a grist mill and a sawmill in the Ontario community in 1860, and named the settlement "after his native place in England".^[3]

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

^ C. Michael Hogan and Amy Gregory, History and Architecture of Calcot Manor, Lumina Technologies Inc., prepared for Calcot Manor, July 5, 2006
^ Foot, 2006, p 291-296.
^ Places in Ontario: Their Name Origins and History, Part I, by Nick and Helma Mika, Mika Publishing Company, Belleville, Ontario, 1977, p 111.

[edit] General references

Foot, William (2006). Beaches, fields, streets, and hills ... the anti-invasion landscapes of England, 1940. Council for British Archaeology. ISBN 1-902771-53-2.