Gotherington is a village north of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, England. It is surrounded on the north by the villages of Woolstone and Oxenton, and to the south by Woodmancote and Bishop's Cleeve. It has a population of around 1,200.[1]
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It is believed that Gotherington was founded in about 780 A.D. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Godrinton,[2] and was for around six centuries split into Upper Gotherington and Lower Gotherington. It was a strongly agricultural area until the mid-nineteenth century, from which point market gardening increased in its place. Development of the village began in the 1880s, with a school opening in 1881 and a post office in 1894. The local Parish Council was formed in the same year.[1]
Gotherington railway station opened in 1906[1] and closed in 1955. It has recently been restored by a private owner, and a halt built on the neighbouring Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway[3] this links to the Cheltenham Racecourse. Unfortunately a Landslide on Nottingham hill meant there had to be repairs done to the track near Manor Lane in Gotherington and only part of the track was open for sometime, but it was fully opened once again in 2011. Various trains use this line other than the main steam train for certain evens such as thomas the tank engine weekends and the occasional Diesel Engined Train.
Gotherington contains twenty Grade II listed buildings:[4]
Gotherington Primary school is a relatively small school with just over 200 pupils on the roll. It was recently inspected by OFSTED, who rated every single aspect as Outstanding. The sole area noted as needing improvement was the library provision.[5]
Nearby is the Rex Rhodes building, housing the Garden House Nursery School, and an after school club for the children of Gotherington school. The Village Hall hosts a regular Parent and Toddler group for young families.
The first school in the village was opened in 1881.[1]
The village has several sports opportunities, with locals fielding cricket and football teams.
As is common in the Church of England, Gotherington is part of a complex structure of rural parishes.
The overall benefice of Bishop's Cleeve and Woolstone with Gotherington and Oxenton is made up of two ecclesiastical parishes - Bishop's Cleeve, and Woolstone with Gotherington and Oxenton.
The parish of Woolstone with Gotherington and Oxenton encompasses the tiny villages of Woolstone and Oxenton as well as Gotherington. There are two church buildings - St Martin de Tours at Woolstone, and St John the Baptist at Oxenton - but there is no Anglican church building in Gotherington even though most of the population live there. To redress this imbalance, services are held from time to time in Gotherington Village Hall (see the link below for details.)
Prior to 2000 there was a Free Church in Gotherington. The building is still there but at the time of writing its future, and the question of any free church ministry in the village, is uncertain.
Despite being a relatively small village Gotherington is served by a local shop, Gotherington Stores, which also has a tea room and carries the village's post office.[6] The village also has a pub, The Shutter Inn. Many houses in the village of Gotherington are old and original, with some new houses being built adjacent to the local pub, and others clad in local stone clustered around the school.
The children's recreation area has been upgraded to meet the needs of all age groups. A gardening club, wine club and community group are also active.
Gotherington railway station is located on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. The village is served by bus companies Stagecoach West and Swanbrook.[7]