Rowanfield
Encyclopedia
Rowanfield is a neighbourhood
in Cheltenham
, England
. It consists primarily of a social housing estate of Wimpey no-fines
houses and low-rise flats, built around 1953, with Rowanfield School and a playing field to the West separating it from Hesters Way
and also the older Rowanfield Road to the East. To the south-west Rowanfield borders the district of St Mark's. Rowanfield is located 1.5 miles west of the centre of Cheltenham.
primarily producing cider apple
s. All the names of the avenues were named after the counties of England (except Cambridge Avenue and Bedford Avenue, presumably since Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire were considered too long). There is a grass square on Norfolk Avenue (at times known as Norfolk Square or the nickname of the "green") in the middle of the estate where the council put up swings and a roundabout. These were taken away sometime in the 1950s
after complaints of misuse late at night. Cheltenham's King George the Fifth playing field
is set to the east of the estate. Near the northern end of Devon Avenue is a small shopping area. At one time this had a butcher
's shop, and still offers a fish and chip shop, a bookmaker
a newsagent
.
, hairdresser
and bookmaker
. The pub opposite (at the time Cotterills Bar, named after the manager of Cheltenham Town Football Club and boldly decorated in the club's colours, previously The Golden Miller) was demolished in 2004 and in 2008 its location is currently being builded on
.
as of 2006; the remainder are owned by the local authority, Cheltenham Borough Council. Council-owned no-fines houses
benefitted from the installation of clearly visible external insulation panelling and improved ventilation to address perceived disadvantages with the no-fines construction.
Each road in the council estate in Rowanfield is named after an English county. The road layout has a geometric style typical of planned social housing.
Neighbourhood
A neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
in 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...
, 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...
. It consists primarily of a social housing estate of Wimpey no-fines
Wimpey no-fines house
The Wimpey No-fines House is a house design by the George Wimpey company and intended for mass-production of social housing for families. Designed under the Ministry of Works post-World War II Emergency Factory Made programme, they are now one of the most common building designs in Britain...
houses and low-rise flats, built around 1953, with Rowanfield School and a playing field to the West separating it from Hesters Way
Hesters Way
Hesters Way is an area in the western part of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. It is home to Gloucestershire College's Cheltenham campus and Pate's Grammar School....
and also the older Rowanfield Road to the East. To the south-west Rowanfield borders the district of St Mark's. Rowanfield is located 1.5 miles west of the centre of Cheltenham.
History
Until the Second World War, the area between Brooklyn Road and Rowanfield Road was an orchardOrchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
primarily producing cider apple
Cider apple
Cider apples are a group of apple cultivars grown for their use in cider production. In the UK the Long Ashton Research Station categorised Cider apples in 1903 into four main types according to the nature of their flavour components. For Cider production it is important that the fruit contains...
s. All the names of the avenues were named after the counties of England (except Cambridge Avenue and Bedford Avenue, presumably since Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire were considered too long). There is a grass square on Norfolk Avenue (at times known as Norfolk Square or the nickname of the "green") in the middle of the estate where the council put up swings and a roundabout. These were taken away sometime in the 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
after complaints of misuse late at night. Cheltenham's King George the Fifth playing field
King George's Fields
A King George's Field is a public open space in the United Kingdom dedicated to the memory of King George V ....
is set to the east of the estate. Near the northern end of Devon Avenue is a small shopping area. At one time this had a butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
's shop, and still offers a fish and chip shop, a bookmaker
Bookmaker
A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
a newsagent
Newsagent
A newsagent's shop , newsagency or newsstand is a business that sells newspapers, magazines, cigarettes, snacks and often items of local interest. In Britain and Australia, these businesses are termed newsagents...
.
Facilities
Rowanfield has a small collection of local shops known as Rowanfield Exchange, including a fish and chip shop, newsagentNewsagent
A newsagent's shop , newsagency or newsstand is a business that sells newspapers, magazines, cigarettes, snacks and often items of local interest. In Britain and Australia, these businesses are termed newsagents...
, hairdresser
Hairdresser
Hairdresser is a term referring to anyone whose occupation is to cut or style hair in order to change or maintain a person's image. This is achieved using a combination of hair coloring, haircutting, and hair texturing techniques...
and bookmaker
Bookmaker
A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
. The pub opposite (at the time Cotterills Bar, named after the manager of Cheltenham Town Football Club and boldly decorated in the club's colours, previously The Golden Miller) was demolished in 2004 and in 2008 its location is currently being builded on
Political
Rowanfield falls within the Cheltenham parliamentary constituency and the local council ward of Rowanfield and St Marks. It is within the South West England European Parliament constituencySouth West England (European Parliament constituency)
South West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation, reduced from 7 in 2004.-Boundaries:...
.
Other information
Around half of the houses in Rowanfield are owner-occupiedOwner-occupier
An owner-occupier is a person who lives in and owns the same home. It is a type of housing tenure. The home of the owner-occupier may be, for example, a house, apartment, condominium, or a housing cooperative...
as of 2006; the remainder are owned by the local authority, Cheltenham Borough Council. Council-owned no-fines houses
Wimpey no-fines house
The Wimpey No-fines House is a house design by the George Wimpey company and intended for mass-production of social housing for families. Designed under the Ministry of Works post-World War II Emergency Factory Made programme, they are now one of the most common building designs in Britain...
benefitted from the installation of clearly visible external insulation panelling and improved ventilation to address perceived disadvantages with the no-fines construction.
Each road in the council estate in Rowanfield is named after an English county. The road layout has a geometric style typical of planned social housing.