Cranham, Gloucestershire
Encyclopedia
Cranham is a village in the English
county of Gloucestershire
. Forming part of the district of Stroud
it is to be found a mile or so east of the A46 road
between Stroud
and Cheltenham
. The Cotswold Way
long distance footpath also runs nearby.
Composer Gustav Holst
lived in Cranham for a while, and it was there, in the house now called 'Midwinter Cottage' that he wrote what is probably the best known tune for the Christmas carol
In the Bleak Midwinter
by Christina Rossetti
. A Ham class minesweeper
, HMS Cranham
, was also named after the village.
A Fairport Convention
album, Gladys' Leap
, is named after local postwoman Gladys Hillier, who would jump over a local stream to avoid a long journey. The Ordnance Survey
have renamed that place in her honour.
In 1948, Cranham Scout Centre was opened by the chief scout of the time. Over 2000 people attended the celebration of the opening ceremony. . Since then it has developed from a small campsite into an activity centre with, indoor accommodation and lots of things to do.
In 2010, pop star Lily Allen
bought Old Overton House, just outside Cranham, for a reported £3 million.Old Overton Houss is grade II listed with the earliest part of the property dating back to the seventeenth century.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. Forming part of the district of Stroud
Stroud (district)
Stroud is a local government district in Gloucestershire, England. It is named after its largest town, Stroud, and has its administrative headquarters in Ebley Mill, in the Ebley area on the outskirts of the town.thumb |left |Ebley Mill...
it is to be found a mile or so east of the A46 road
A46 road
The A46 is an A road in England. It starts east of Bath, Somerset and ends in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, but it does not form a continuous route. Large portions of the old road have been lost, bypassed, or replaced by motorway development...
between Stroud
Stroud, Gloucestershire
Stroud is a market town and civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District.Situated below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills at the meeting point of the Five Valleys, the town is noted for its steep streets and cafe culture...
and Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
. The Cotswold Way
Cotswold Way
The Cotswold Way is a long-distance footpath, running along the Cotswold Edge escarpment of the Cotswold Hills in England. It was officially inaugurated as a National Trail on 24 May 2007 and several new rights of way have been created.-History:...
long distance footpath also runs nearby.
Composer Gustav Holst
Gustav Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....
lived in Cranham for a while, and it was there, in the house now called 'Midwinter Cottage' that he wrote what is probably the best known tune for the Christmas carol
Christmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...
In the Bleak Midwinter
In the Bleak Midwinter
"In the Bleak Midwinter" is a Christmas carol based on a poem by the English poet Christina Rossetti written before 1872 in response to a request from the magazine Scribner's Monthly for a Christmas poem....
by Christina Rossetti
Christina Rossetti
Christina Georgina Rossetti was an English poet who wrote a variety of romantic, devotional, and children's poems...
. A Ham class minesweeper
Ham class minesweeper
The Ham class was a class of inshore minesweepers , known as the Type 1, of the British Royal Navy. The class was designed to operate in the shallow water of rivers and estuaries. It took its name from the fact that all the ship names were British place names ending in -"ham"...
, HMS Cranham
HMS Cranham
HMS Cranham was one of 93 Royal Navy ships of the of inshore minesweepers.Their names were all chosen from villages ending in -ham. The minesweeper was named after Cranham in Gloucestershire.-References:...
, was also named after the village.
A Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
album, Gladys' Leap
Gladys' Leap
Gladys' Leap is a folk rock album by Fairport Convention originally released in August 1985. It was recorded in April and May 1985 at Woodworm Studios, Barford St. Michael, Oxfordshire, UK...
, is named after local postwoman Gladys Hillier, who would jump over a local stream to avoid a long journey. The Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
have renamed that place in her honour.
In 1948, Cranham Scout Centre was opened by the chief scout of the time. Over 2000 people attended the celebration of the opening ceremony. . Since then it has developed from a small campsite into an activity centre with, indoor accommodation and lots of things to do.
In 2010, pop star Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
bought Old Overton House, just outside Cranham, for a reported £3 million.Old Overton Houss is grade II listed with the earliest part of the property dating back to the seventeenth century.