Hardwicke is a village south of Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England. Despite its close proximity to Gloucester, the village actually comes under Stroud (district) Council.
With its name deriving from the Old English heorde wic, “herd [tending] settlement,” it is not surprising that farming is still the major industry of the parish. Hardwicke was once renowned for its cider and cheese , this may have led to its survival during the battle for Gloucester in the Civil War – neither side wanted to damage a source of much appreciated sustenance!
Though there is a typical village green and pond on Green Lane, along with some of the village's oldest cottages, there was never a distinct centre to the village and other parts have a distinct “Victorian” feel. Added to this are the newer developments of the 1970s.
The village has two pubs, ‘The Pilot' (on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal) and 'The Starting Gate' (formerly ‘The Morning Star’, on the Bristol Road (B4008)), a branch of The Royal British Legion, a village hall and two shops, one of which is also a post office. In the centre of the village is the Hardwicke Parochial School, a Church of England school that teaches children from the ages of four to eleven.
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Hardwicke Court (listed, grade II*) has since the late 18th century been the principal Gloucestershire seat of the Lloyd-Baker family. The extant house was designed in neo-Classical style by Robert Smirke in 1817–19[1], although it retains a canal feature from the early 18th century gardens of the Trye family. The house and gardens are occasionally open to the public in the summer.
Hardwicke has an excellent example of a traditional English village church. St Nicholas' Church (listed, grade I)is located on Church Lane in the oldest part of the village. There have been records of a chapel on the site since 1092 although that may have been built over an Anglo-Saxon church foundation. The present church, founded in the 13th century, contains a good selection of ancient monuments to past lords of the manor and their families and some ancient gravestones. It boasts a fine lytch gate that was built as the village war memorial. It has experienced certain restoration over the years, but still performs regular Church of England Sunday services and annual flower shows.
Hardwicke has a number of local youth football teams collectively called Hardwicke Rangers F.C. The Club was founded in 1990 by local parents of the village who wanted a team for their children to compete in. The Club has grown rapidly over the years, and now has over three hundred members, making it one of the largest in Gloucestershire. There are teams for different age groups that range from under 7s to under 16s. Each team plays in their corresponding age group in the Gloucester and Stroud Youth Leagues. As of the 2006–07, Hardwicke Rangers Youth F.C has entered its first girls’ team.
Hardwicke Cricket Club offers an alternative to football during the summer months. The club runs several senior sides and has a successful youth section (Hawks). The club enters league and cup competitions for all teams organised by the Stroud District Cricket Association. With each season brings a new team and 2008 sees the introduction of the under 9s. In 2007 the senior teams were bolstered by the introduction of a 2nd XI. The club is run by committee which regularly meets throughout the year.
The village boasts a free magazine, “Hardwicke Matters” (started in 1989), that is delivered to 2025 households and business in the parish and beyond, keeping the residents apprised of events and village news in addition to advertising locals businesses and providing bus time tables etc.
A little over a mile to the south-east in the village of Haresfield is the moated site of a motte and bailey castle, known as Haresfield Mount.
Hardwicke Reformatory was probably the first 'approved' school for boys in the world. With a strict but fair regime it was established in Hardwicke in 1852 with the local squire, T. B. Lloyd Baker, being one of the founders. The boys, mainly from inner cities, were given an education and worked within the parish if they were old enough. This establishment attracted attention from other parts of Britain and the rest of the world. Remaining open until 1922 many boys committed to and taught at the Reformatory gained honours during the First World War and a roll of honour is on display in the church. Unfortunately the building suffered neglect from WW2 and is now in a severe state of disrepair, never having attained the status of being a listed building despite a campaign by a local resident.
Probably apochryphal, but enduring, is the anecdote about the name of this farm (house, 17th century, listed, grade II). The story goes that King Henry VIII was one one of his processions around the country when he came to Hardwicke late in the afternoon. His then wife, Anne Boleyn, declared that she was too tired that day to face the pomp and ceremony of Heny's entry into the city of Gloucester. Thus they ended their journey for the day by imposing themselves on the farmer.