Gloucestershire
| Gloucestershire | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | England |
| Borders | Berkshire Herefordshire Monmouthshire Oxfordshire Somerset Warwickshire Wiltshire Worcestershire |
| Population | 1,145,442[1] |
| Area (sq mi) | 1,295 sq mi[1] |
| Population density (/sq mi) | 885 people per square mile |
Gloucestershire is a county in south-western England, which lies between the West Country, of which its sometimes considered a part, and the Midlands. Gloucestershire is home to large parts of the River Severn, which runs through Gloucester, a cathedral city which serves as the county town, before reaching the Bristol Channel. It is also home to the northern part of the port city Bristol, with the southern part being in neighbouring Somerset.
In the Anglo-Saxon era, Gloucester and Tewkesbury has been established as places of Christian worship by the 7th century. Gloucestershire was first identified by name in the 10th century, and had absorbed Winchcombe and the Forest of Dean by the 11th century.
Contents
Geography
Physical
The county is split into three distinct areas:
- The Royal Forest of Dean
- The Cotswolds
- The Severn Vale
Demographics
Gloucestershire has a population of around 1,150,000.[2]
History
The Germanic peoples Angles, Saxons and Jutes began migrating from the continent to Great Britain in c. 450 AD. In the mid-6th century, the Anglo-Saxons were expanding their territory westwards, with Cynric, king of Wessex (died 560 AD), defeating the Celtic Britons at Sarum and Barbury (both now in Wiltshire) in 552 AD and 556 AD respectively. The Battle of Deorham of 577 AD is portrayed by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as a pivotal military encounter between the West Saxons and Celtic Britons. It is considered to have split Brittonic territory; driving an Anglo-Saxon wedge between what would become Wales itself and the "West Welsh" (who would become the Cornish people).[3][4] It is thought most likely to have taken place at present-day Dyrham the south-west of Gloucestershire. The Chronicle states "Here Cuthwine and Ceawlin fought against the Britons, and they killed 3 kings, Coinmail, Condidan and Farinmail, in the place which is called Deorham, and took 3 cities: Gloucester and Cirencester and Bath".[5]}} By c. 580 AD, the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Hwicce had been established. The exact boundaries are unknown but it's likely they were similar to the Romano-British era Dobunni territory and coincided with the later Diocese of Worcester (established c. 679 AD), thus covering the vast majority of present-day Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, plus some westerly areas of Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Wiltshire and a small part of south-west Staffordshire. The Forest of Dean is usually associated with Cantref Coch and may have remained in Brittonic territory as part of the kingdom Ergyng (existed from c. 449 AD-c. 620 AD).
Unlike many Pagan Anglo-Saxons, who were converted to Christianity following the late 6th-early 7th century Gregorian mission, it seems that the Germanic people of Hwicce may have been converted to Christianity by local Celtic Christians. The existence of place-names with eccles, which invariably identifies the presence of a Romano-British church, and Christian burial sites such as that at St Mary de Lode Church in Gloucester, suggest that Christianity locally survived the 6th century influx.[6]
In the late 10th century, the Welsh kingdoms of Glywysing and Gwent merged to form Morgannwg (or Glamorgan). In the 16th century, the Welsh cartographer and antiquarian Humphrey Llwyd (1527-1568) referred to Cantref Coch as "seventh cantref of the Kingdom of Glamorgan, now in Gloucestshire, and is called the Forest of Dean". Richard Blome (1635-1705) described the Cantref as being part of the kingdom of Gwent.
Administration
As of 2024, much of the county is covered by Gloucestershire County Council, which consists of 6 local government districts and is administered from Gloucester, although this council area also covers parts of Warwickshire and Worcestershire. The parts of Britsol within the traditional county are covered by Bristol City Council, and South Gloucestershire Council broadly covers the south-west of the county. The far north-east of the county is administered by Warwickshire County Council and Stratford-on-Avon District Council.
Statistical
Most of the council areas that cover Gloucestershire form part of the statistical region South West England, although the parts of the county under Warwickshire County Council are in the West Midlands.
Famous People
John McAfee (1945-2021), founder of McAfee Antivirus Software, born in Cinderford
Siân Berry (b. 1974), leader of the Green Party, born in Cheltenham
See also
- BBC Gloucestershire Local News
- Gloucestershire County Council
- Forest of Dean District Council
- Stroud District Council
- Tewkesbury Borough Council
- Cotswold District Council
- Gloucester City Council
- Cheltenham Town Council
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Great Britain and Ireland - Interactive map - Wikishire
- ↑ Gloucestershire County Council accessed on 12/4/2007
- ↑ The Battle of Deorham, A.D. 577
- ↑ The Battle of Dyrham AD577: An Interdiscipliary Conference
- ↑ Swanton, M. (1996). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles. London: Phoenix, 18.
- ↑ C. Thomas, Christianity in Roman Britain to AD 500 (1981), pp.253–71; Hooke, p.10; C. Heighway, 'Saxon Gloucester' in J. Haslam ed., Anglo-Saxon Towns in Southern England (Chichester, 1984), p.375.
