Matson, Gloucester

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Matson is a suburb in the City of Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England.

History

Unlike neighbouring villages, such as Brookthorpe and Upton St Leonards, Matson is not mentioned in the Domesday Book. It appears to have been a part of Kings Barton at the time of the survey. The origins of the name are unclear but early versions recorded include Matesknolle, Mattesdune and Matesden[1] and it is likely that the names refer to Robinswood Hill,[1] a large hill which lay entirely within the ancient parish of Matson and on the flanks of which the village lies.

It has been suggested that iron ore was mined from Robinswood Hill in Saxon times[1] although there is little evidence for this. A spring called the Red Well rising just above Matson is ferruginous in nature.

Matson House, a large manorial house, was the headquarters of King Charles during the Siege of Gloucester.[2] It subsequently became the property of Major General William Selwyn in 1679.[3]

1950s to Present

Today, Matson is best known for the council estate that was built in the village after the Second World War. Parmjit Dhanda former MP for Gloucester (2001-2010) lives in Matson with his family. Matson contains a ski slope, a pub, a shopping parade, doctors surgery, Neighbourhood Project and several churches.

Matson police station was closed in 1994 [citation needed]. A new motorway service station is planned near Matson.[4]

Matson is bordered primarily by Robinswood Hill, a large hill that rises to 283m above sea level. Much of Matson is built on the sides of the hill including the Gloucester Ski Centre.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Rudge, Thomas: The History of the County of Gloucester, page 171. 1803
  2. ↑ Siege of Gloucester, King Charles quartered at Matson House
  3. ↑ N.M. Herbert (editor) (1988). "Matson". A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 4: The City of Gloucester. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 18 October 2012. 
  4. ↑ New service station plan for M5

Coordinates: 51°50′N 2°13′W / 51.833°N 2.217°W / 51.833; -2.217


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.