Hucclecote is an affluent and sought-after village in Gloucestershire (part of Cotswolds), England situated on the old Roman road connecting Gloucester with Barnwood, Brockworth, Cirencester and Cheltenham. It is situated on the outskirts of Gloucester and near the border of Cheltenham
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Hucclecote was originally a small village that began development prior to the outbreak of World War II in 1939. Development was halted during the war and the area was bombed by the Luftwaffe due to the aircraft factories and other industrial facilities in the area which were originally within the boundary of Brockworth. Due to redistricting, the airfield from which the world's first jet fighter took off for test flights is now within the boundary of Hucclecote. The area which borders Brockworth is currently undergoing redevelopment, with the derelict land that formerly housed the airfield and factory, now making way for houses, a Tesco Supermarket, a Travel Inn, and many office buildings, with plans to add a restaurant and other retail facilities.
Hucclecote is generally split into two parts; with the dividing line being the M5 Motorway bridge. The part to the west of the bridge, and thus closest to Gloucester, is the largest part, and falls under Gloucester City Council, while to the east of the bridge, the Parish of Hucclecote is part of Tewkesbury Borough Council. The Parish of Hucclecote has considered changing its name in recent times, to reflect its identity as a separate part of Hucclecote. Possible names for this "new" village have included Whittlesfield, after Frank Whittle, who invented the jet engine that powered the plane that took off from the airfield, and Pineholt, which had been used to describe a small part of the area before a housing estate more than doubled the Parish's size in the late 1990s. As of 2011 interest has started to build to change the name formerly to Pineholt, to separate the more desirable area from Hucclecote.
A Roman Villa dating from the second or third century AD has been found at Hucclecote.[1]
Possibly, though very doubtfully,Hucclecote derives from Welsh: 'Uchel'+'coed' = high wood (cf Wotton & Barnwood).
During the floods of Summer 2007, Hucclecote escaped the damage on the scale that afflicted other parts of Gloucester, however on Friday 20 July 2007, a few roads were submerged, which prevented access to many homes, and were blocked off by the Police.
Hucclecote has many locally owned shops and two pubs; The Royal Oak and The Wagon & Horses, both operated by national chains. National brands such as The Co-operative and Lloyds Pharmacy have branches in the village. There is also an independent green-grocer, deli and butcher.
Hucclecote is an affluent area with most homes being privately owned. The average 3 bedroom semi-detached home was said to be £201,000 in 2010 and the average four-bedroom detached home was said to be £290,000 - both above the national average. The highest priced property was sold at £825,000 in 2009.
According to the office of National Statistics, the average household income was £49,000 - above the national average.
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