Fairford
Encyclopedia
Fairford is a small town in Gloucestershire
, England. The town lies in the Cotswolds
on the River Coln
, about 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Cirencester
, 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Lechlade
and 9 miles (14.5 km) north of Swindon
. Nearby are RAF Fairford
and the Cotswold Water Park
.
inspection in 2010.
There is also a primary school, Fairford Primary, and a playgroup.
. The event brings a large boost to economy of the town and surrounding areas.
The town has a football club Fairford Town F.C.
, whose ground is at Cinder Lane.
The Ernest Cook Trust has its headquarters in Fairford Park
, which also hosts the annual Fairford Steam Rally and Show.
In July 2007 Fairford suffered unseasonably high rainfall which led to major flooding of 64 homes on Milton Street and London Street as well as some other surrounding areas.
by the Witney Railway and its extension the East Gloucestershire Railway.
of Saint Mary
is renowned for its complete set of medieval stained glass
, stone carvings and misericord
s. Built in the early 1490s, the church is an example of late Perpendicular Gothic architecture that is characterised by slim stone window mullions and light but strong buttress
es. The style enabled larger windows than previously, allowing much more light into the building. Grade 1 listed by English Heritage, St. Mary's is of national historical and architectural importance because it houses the most complete set of mediaeval stained glass
windows in the country and its structure and details remains unaltered since originally built.
Fairford also has a 19th-century Catholic
church of St Thomas of Canterbury. Following the closure of the recusant
chapel at Hatherop
Castle in 1844, a church was built at Horcott (Fairford) the following year at a cost of £700. The first Mass was celebrated in 1845, five years before the Restoration of the Hierarchy in England
and before the creation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Clifton
. The stained glass window behind the altar depicts St. Thomas of Canterbury in the centre panel, showing the date 1845. The adjoining Presbytery
was built 20 years later to designs by Benjamin Bucknall
, the architect of Woodchester Mansion
. The church contains an organ by Hill and stained glass by William Wailes
, Hardman
and Geoffrey Robinson. The two windows in the porch were added to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first Mass. The left window depicts the crest of the de Mauley
family; that on the right depicts the Eucharist
.
The churchyard includes a stone memorial to Tiddles, the church cat who fell off the church roof. There is also a stone gargoyle to commemorate a young boy who climbed up the walls of the church and jumped, falling to his death.
The origins of Fairford United Church began in 1981 when a group of local Methodists approached the local Congregational Church to use the Chapel for their own services as there was no Methodist Church in Fairford. They were officially united into one congregation in 1986 and the present church follows the best traditions of both the Methodist Church and the Congregational Federation.
The churches in and around Fairford are jointly represented by the organisation Churches Together Around Fairford (CTAF) which has regular meetings and organises services of unity.
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....
, England. The town lies in the Cotswolds
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
on the River Coln
River Coln
The River Coln is a river in Gloucestershire, England. It rises at Brockhampton to the east of Cheltenham, and flows in a south/south-easterly direction through the Cotswold Hills via Andoversford, Withington, Fossbridge, Bibury, Coln St Aldwyns and Fairford...
, about 6 miles (9.7 km) east 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...
, 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Lechlade
Lechlade
Lechlade, or Lechlade-on-Thames, is a town at the southern edge of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. It is the highest point at which the River Thames is navigable. The town is named after the River Leach that joins the Thames near here....
and 9 miles (14.5 km) north of Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
. Nearby are RAF Fairford
RAF Fairford
RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England. It is a standby airfield, not in everyday use. Its most prominent use in recent years has been as an airfield for United States Air Force B-52s during the 2003 Iraq War, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and the first Gulf War in...
and 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:...
.
Schools
The town's secondary school is Farmor's School, an 11-18 co-educational comprehensive. The school is judged to be of outstanding standard, having achieved grade 1 in its OfstedOfsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
inspection in 2010.
There is also a primary school, Fairford Primary, and a playgroup.
Events
Each year, RAF Fairford hosts the world's largest military air show the Royal International Air TattooRoyal International Air Tattoo
The Royal International Air Tattoo is the world's largest military air show, held annually over the third weekend in July, usually at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom in support of The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust...
. The event brings a large boost to economy of the town and surrounding areas.
The town has a football club Fairford Town F.C.
Fairford Town F.C.
Fairford Town F.C. is a football club based in Fairford, Gloucestershire in England. The club was established in 1891 and joined the Hellenic League Division One in 1970. They are currently members of the Hellenic Football League Premier Division...
, whose ground is at Cinder Lane.
The Ernest Cook Trust has its headquarters in Fairford Park
Fairford Park
Fairford Park is a estate in the southern Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England, close to the small town of Fairford. Purchased by Ernest Cook from the Baker family in 1945, the former stables and coach house of Fairford Park House are used as the headquarters of the Ernest Cook Trust, which now...
, which also hosts the annual Fairford Steam Rally and Show.
In July 2007 Fairford suffered unseasonably high rainfall which led to major flooding of 64 homes on Milton Street and London Street as well as some other surrounding areas.
Transport
Fairford was formerly linked to OxfordOxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
by the Witney Railway and its extension the East Gloucestershire Railway.
Churches
The Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Saint Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
is renowned for its complete set of medieval stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
, stone carvings and misericord
Misericord
A misericord is a small wooden shelf on the underside of a folding seat in a church, installed to provide a degree of comfort for a person who has to stand during long periods of prayer.-Origins:...
s. Built in the early 1490s, the church is an example of late Perpendicular Gothic architecture that is characterised by slim stone window mullions and light but strong buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es. The style enabled larger windows than previously, allowing much more light into the building. Grade 1 listed by English Heritage, St. Mary's is of national historical and architectural importance because it houses the most complete set of mediaeval stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows in the country and its structure and details remains unaltered since originally built.
Fairford also has a 19th-century Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
church of St Thomas of Canterbury. Following the closure of the recusant
Recusancy
In the history of England and Wales, the recusancy was the state of those who refused to attend Anglican services. The individuals were known as "recusants"...
chapel at Hatherop
Hatherop
Hatherop is a village and civil parish in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, about north of Fairford in Gloucestershire. The River Coln forms part of the western boundary of the parish.-History:...
Castle in 1844, a church was built at Horcott (Fairford) the following year at a cost of £700. The first Mass was celebrated in 1845, five years before the Restoration of the Hierarchy in England
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...
and before the creation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Clifton
Roman Catholic Diocese of Clifton
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Clifton is a Latin Rite Roman Catholic diocese centred around the Cathedral Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Clifton....
. The stained glass window behind the altar depicts St. Thomas of Canterbury in the centre panel, showing the date 1845. The adjoining Presbytery
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
was built 20 years later to designs by Benjamin Bucknall
Benjamin Bucknall
thumb|240px|right|Woodchester Mansion, GloucestershireBenjamin Bucknall was an English architect of the Gothic Revival in Southwest England and South Wales, and then of neo-Moorish architecture in Algeria...
, the architect of Woodchester Mansion
Woodchester Mansion
Woodchester Mansion is an unfinished, Gothic revival mansion house located in Woodchester Park near Nympsfield in Woodchester, Gloucestershire, England...
. The church contains an organ by Hill and stained glass by William Wailes
William Wailes
William Wailes, , was the proprietor of one of England’s largest and most prolific stained glass workshops.- Biographical :Wailes was born and grew up in Newcastle on Tyne, England’s centre of domestic glass and bottle manufacturing. His first business was as a grocer and tea merchant...
, Hardman
Hardman & Co.
Hardman & Co., otherwise John Hardman Trading Co., Ltd., founded 1838, began manufacturing stained glass in 1844 and became one of the world's leading manufacturers of stained glass and ecclesiastical fittings...
and Geoffrey Robinson. The two windows in the porch were added to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first Mass. The left window depicts the crest of the de Mauley
Baron de Mauley
Baron de Mauley, of Canford in the County of Dorset, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1838 for the Whig politician the Hon. William Ponsonby, who had earlier represented Poole, Knaresborough and Dorset in the House of Commons...
family; that on the right depicts the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
.
The churchyard includes a stone memorial to Tiddles, the church cat who fell off the church roof. There is also a stone gargoyle to commemorate a young boy who climbed up the walls of the church and jumped, falling to his death.
The origins of Fairford United Church began in 1981 when a group of local Methodists approached the local Congregational Church to use the Chapel for their own services as there was no Methodist Church in Fairford. They were officially united into one congregation in 1986 and the present church follows the best traditions of both the Methodist Church and the Congregational Federation.
The churches in and around Fairford are jointly represented by the organisation Churches Together Around Fairford (CTAF) which has regular meetings and organises services of unity.
External links
- Official Town Council Website
- Fairford Community Website
- St. Mary's Church in Fairford - Sacred Destinations
- Fairford United Church
- St Thomas' Catholic Church website Includes history, pictures and details of services.
- Fairford Steam Rally
- BBC archive film of Fairford from 1986
- Ripples Community Magazine