South Cerney
Encyclopedia
South Cerney is a village and civil parish
in the Cotswold district
of Gloucestershire
, 3 miles south of Cirencester
and close to the border with Wiltshire
. It had a population of 3,074 according to the 2001 census
. It was founded in 999 by Saxon settlers, with a charter by King Aethelred II.
South Cerney was winner of the best kept village award, (big villages) for 2001.
The Village is home to an active Theatre group called the South Cerney Players.
The village of South Cerney lies within The Cotswold Water Park
, an area made up of over 140 lakes, mostly formed by gravel extraction. Many of the lakes are now used for leisure activities including fishing and sailing.
South Cerney Sailing Club
South Cerney Sailing Club is well established in the Cotswold Water Park.
Outdoor Education Center
South Cerney is also home to the South Cerney Outdoor Education Centre which was created in 1971 by Gloucestershire County Council as a non-profit organisation to promote outdoor learning and provide low cost outdoor activities for young people.
Kids activities
The village is also home to active Beaver, Cub, Scouts, Guide and Brownie Packs.
Hall located on School lane on Wednesdays from 5:45-7:00
Social Activities
South Cerney has a range of local amenities including a Post Office and newsagents (known as South Cerney News), Londis general store, hairdressers, Indian restaurant/takeaway, fish and chip shop, a pharmacy and a dental surgery. There are 3 public houses in South Cerney, The Old George, The Oak and The Eliot Arms.
RAF South Cerney
is located approximately 1 mile outside the Village.
Its also home to South Cerney Golf course. South Cerney Golf Course & Driving Range is a par 70 - 5,987yrds course.
Ann Edwards lived in South Cerney and was actively involved in education in the early 19th century. She was the wife of the village curate and ran a dame school. When her husband unexpectedly came into money, she endowed the first school building which was opened in 1820. It was a Church of England Foundation School and we know from early records, that there were 29 pupils in 1867. The colours of the Coat of Arms of Ann Edwards - black and gold - have been adopted as the colours of the school uniform in memory of the founder.
The original building still stands in School Lane; it was used as a school until 1972 when it was outgrown and children moved to buildings on the present site. These were demolished in 1990, having been replaced by a modern, purpose-built school.
The present school is a Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School. It serves the communities of South Cerney, Cerney Wick, and Somerford Keynes.
The school was designed as a semi open-plan building by a local architect and stands on a landscaped site of approximately six acres.
The re-built school was formally opened by Pam Ayres
in 1990.
At the end of Silver Street in South Cerney is Edwards College, founded by Anne Edwards in 1834 (the primary school in South Cerney is called Anne Edwards School) to house the widows of clergymen. And in nearby Station Road, an attractive row of gabled cottages dates from the 16th and 17th Centuries. The remains of the some of the old railway line can also be found in this area of the village.
And with the ever increasing interest and demand for "leisure pursuits" being as strong as ever, it seems that the area will continue to grow in popularity for many years to come.
South Cerney has a growing business community with many companies occupying the industrial and business estates that have built up on the outskirts of South Cerney.
), Cheltenham (A435
), Warwick (A429
"Fosseway"), Oxford (A40
via the B4425), Swindon (A419
), Chippenham (A429), Bristol and Bath (A433), and Stroud (A419).
The nearest railway station is a few miles away at Kemble which is on the main line to London (Paddington).
The nearest airports are at Bristol, Cardiff and Birmingham, all more than an hour away by road.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Cotswold district
Cotswold (district)
Cotswold is a local government district in Gloucestershire in England. It is named after the wider Cotswolds region. Its main town is Cirencester....
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....
, 3 miles south of Cirencester
Cirencester
Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
and close to the border with Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. It had a population of 3,074 according to the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
. It was founded in 999 by Saxon settlers, with a charter by King Aethelred II.
South Cerney was winner of the best kept village award, (big villages) for 2001.
Culture
Arts and TheatreThe Village is home to an active Theatre group called the South Cerney Players.
Tourism and Recreation
Cotswold Water ParksThe village of South Cerney lies within The Cotswold Water Park
Cotswold Water Park
The Cotswold Water Park is the United Kingdom's largest water park. It consists of 147 numbered lakeswhich were formed by allowing old gravel quarries to become filled with water.-Location:...
, an area made up of over 140 lakes, mostly formed by gravel extraction. Many of the lakes are now used for leisure activities including fishing and sailing.
South Cerney Sailing Club
South Cerney Sailing Club is well established in the Cotswold Water Park.
Outdoor Education Center
South Cerney is also home to the South Cerney Outdoor Education Centre which was created in 1971 by Gloucestershire County Council as a non-profit organisation to promote outdoor learning and provide low cost outdoor activities for young people.
Kids activities
The village is also home to active Beaver, Cub, Scouts, Guide and Brownie Packs.
Hall located on School lane on Wednesdays from 5:45-7:00
Social Activities
- South Cerney Flower Show
- South Cerney Gardening Club.
- The C.O.S.Y Club (Cerney Over Sixty Years Club).
Local Amenities
The village sits close to many major connections.South Cerney has a range of local amenities including a Post Office and newsagents (known as South Cerney News), Londis general store, hairdressers, Indian restaurant/takeaway, fish and chip shop, a pharmacy and a dental surgery. There are 3 public houses in South Cerney, The Old George, The Oak and The Eliot Arms.
RAF South Cerney
RAF South Cerney
RAF South Cerney is an airfield which is now the home of the Joint Air Mounting Centre. It is located in the village of South Cerney near Cirencester in Gloucestershire, England....
is located approximately 1 mile outside the Village.
Its also home to South Cerney Golf course. South Cerney Golf Course & Driving Range is a par 70 - 5,987yrds course.
Ann Edwards Primary School
Ann Edwards School is also located within the village. The name of the school was adopted when the buildings were located on the present site in 1970.Ann Edwards lived in South Cerney and was actively involved in education in the early 19th century. She was the wife of the village curate and ran a dame school. When her husband unexpectedly came into money, she endowed the first school building which was opened in 1820. It was a Church of England Foundation School and we know from early records, that there were 29 pupils in 1867. The colours of the Coat of Arms of Ann Edwards - black and gold - have been adopted as the colours of the school uniform in memory of the founder.
The original building still stands in School Lane; it was used as a school until 1972 when it was outgrown and children moved to buildings on the present site. These were demolished in 1990, having been replaced by a modern, purpose-built school.
The present school is a Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School. It serves the communities of South Cerney, Cerney Wick, and Somerford Keynes.
The school was designed as a semi open-plan building by a local architect and stands on a landscaped site of approximately six acres.
The re-built school was formally opened by Pam Ayres
Pam Ayres
Pam Ayres MBE is an English poet, songwriter and presenter of radio and television programmes. Her 1975 appearance on the television talent show Opportunity Knocks led to a variety of appearances on TV and radio shows, a one woman touring stage show and performing before the Queen.-Early life:Pam...
in 1990.
South Cerney Church and Edwards College
The South Cerney church contains a beautiful carved wooden head and foot of Christ, taken from a crucifix in Compostela, dating from the 12th Century.At the end of Silver Street in South Cerney is Edwards College, founded by Anne Edwards in 1834 (the primary school in South Cerney is called Anne Edwards School) to house the widows of clergymen. And in nearby Station Road, an attractive row of gabled cottages dates from the 16th and 17th Centuries. The remains of the some of the old railway line can also be found in this area of the village.
A Thriving Village
Industrial areas have sprung up on the outskirts of South Cerney, bringing more requirements for housing and a large estate was built on the land sold by Aggregate Industries some years ago.And with the ever increasing interest and demand for "leisure pursuits" being as strong as ever, it seems that the area will continue to grow in popularity for many years to come.
South Cerney has a growing business community with many companies occupying the industrial and business estates that have built up on the outskirts of South Cerney.
Transportation
Cirencester it located at the hub of a significant road network with important routes to Gloucester (A417A417 road
-Streatley - Gloucester :It runs from Streatley at its junction with the A329 to Wantage, over the picturesque Berkshire Downs. In Wantage, it negotiates the market place -Streatley - Gloucester (M5):It runs from Streatley at its junction with the A329 (between Reading and Wallingford) to Wantage,...
), Cheltenham (A435
A435 road
The A435 is a main road in England running between Birmingham and Cirencester .-Birmingham to Alcester:...
), Warwick (A429
A429 road
The A429 is a main road in England that runs in a north-northeasterly direction from junction 17 of the M4 motorway to Coventry in the West Midlands, by way of Malmesbury, Cirencester, Stow-on-the-Wold, Moreton-in-Marsh, east of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, and Kenilworth.For much of its length...
"Fosseway"), Oxford (A40
A40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...
via the B4425), Swindon (A419
A419 road
The A419 road is a primary route between Chiseldon near Swindon at junction 15 of the M4 with the A346 road, and Whitminster in Gloucestershire, England....
), Chippenham (A429), Bristol and Bath (A433), and Stroud (A419).
The nearest railway station is a few miles away at Kemble which is on the main line to London (Paddington).
The nearest airports are at Bristol, Cardiff and Birmingham, all more than an hour away by road.