Sandhurst, Gloucestershire
Encyclopedia
Sandhurst is a village just outside Gloucester
, England
.
The River Severn
is the border between Sandhurst and the neighbouring parish of Maisemore
.
The Severn Way
long distance footpath follows the river on the eastern (Sandhurst) bank. There are only two roads out of Sandhurst, one towards Gloucester, and another towards Tewkesbury
. As a result the village is regularly used as a bypass by drivers hoping to avoid traffic along the A38
.
WWII Bomb
In September of 1998 an unexploded World War II
German bomb was detonated by bomb disposal experts. The bomb had laid undiscovered for almost 57 years, but when the local parish council announced plans to build a children’s play area on the allotment site local resident Tom Jones remembered a bomb falling on the site but never exploding. His fears led to a survey and the discovery of a 500 lb bomb embedded vertically into rock more than three meters below the surface of the ground. Initial letters were met with skepticism after an April fool's mail shot hoax, until the very true and serious nature of the bomb was confirmed. Every home within a 500 m radius was evacuated and Tom himself had the pleasure of pushing the button. After the incident, the Clerk to the local parish council at the time was reprimanded for sending a letter to the German embassy asking them if they would like to make a donation to help fund the construction of the play area. Although the German embassy sent a letter of support no donation was made.
CSG
In October of 2000 a chemical plant owned and run by CSG (Cleansing Service Group) was devastated by a series of explosions and a fire. Although the exact causes have never been determined, it's believed that incorrectly stored chemicals were to blame. On top of this before the site could be cleaned up, the area was flooded, and the chemicals washed into many of the nearby houses. For many years the villagers of Sandhurst, and the nearby village of Maisemore
had been complaining of the smells coming from the plant, and this incident was the final straw. After a heated public meeting involving Ken Pee the managing director of CSG, the company was taken to court and fined £250,000 plus £400,000 costs. The site has now been sold to Ronsons Reclamation.
2007 Summer Floods
The village was essentially an island for several days in late July, the only way in or out was via boat or tractor. Water Supplies were down for 2 weeks and the power supply was unreliable.
ABLOADS COURT
Originally Ablodes Court, meaning the Abbots Lode Court. “The Abbots crossing for the River Seven”. An interesting, not to mention stunning property and site with a history dating back to the 13th Century. During the 15th to 17th Century this area and what forms a large part of Sandhurst was formally the hamlet of Ablodes. There are many early historical references to the site held by The National Archives. Ablodes Court is even mentioned in “The Landscape of Beowulf”. Now a private home and grounds owned by a Publisher and Children’s writer.
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
, 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...
.
The River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
is the border between Sandhurst and the neighbouring parish of Maisemore
Maisemore
Maisemore is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It lies on the A417 road 2.5 miles northwest of Gloucester, on the west bank of the River Severn. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 488. There is a church, dedicated to St Giles.Maisemore Bridge connects the...
.
The Severn Way
Severn Way
The Severn Way is a waymarked long-distance footpath in the United Kingdom following the course of the River Severn in the West Country of England and Mid Wales.-Distance:...
long distance footpath follows the river on the eastern (Sandhurst) bank. There are only two roads out of Sandhurst, one towards Gloucester, and another towards Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
. As a result the village is regularly used as a bypass by drivers hoping to avoid traffic along the A38
A38 road
The A38, part of which is also known as the Devon Expressway, is a major A-class trunk road in England.The road runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. It is long, making it one of the longest A-roads in England. It was formerly known as the Leeds — Exeter Trunk Road,...
.
WWII Bomb
In September of 1998 an unexploded World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
German bomb was detonated by bomb disposal experts. The bomb had laid undiscovered for almost 57 years, but when the local parish council announced plans to build a children’s play area on the allotment site local resident Tom Jones remembered a bomb falling on the site but never exploding. His fears led to a survey and the discovery of a 500 lb bomb embedded vertically into rock more than three meters below the surface of the ground. Initial letters were met with skepticism after an April fool's mail shot hoax, until the very true and serious nature of the bomb was confirmed. Every home within a 500 m radius was evacuated and Tom himself had the pleasure of pushing the button. After the incident, the Clerk to the local parish council at the time was reprimanded for sending a letter to the German embassy asking them if they would like to make a donation to help fund the construction of the play area. Although the German embassy sent a letter of support no donation was made.
CSG
In October of 2000 a chemical plant owned and run by CSG (Cleansing Service Group) was devastated by a series of explosions and a fire. Although the exact causes have never been determined, it's believed that incorrectly stored chemicals were to blame. On top of this before the site could be cleaned up, the area was flooded, and the chemicals washed into many of the nearby houses. For many years the villagers of Sandhurst, and the nearby village of Maisemore
Maisemore
Maisemore is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It lies on the A417 road 2.5 miles northwest of Gloucester, on the west bank of the River Severn. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 488. There is a church, dedicated to St Giles.Maisemore Bridge connects the...
had been complaining of the smells coming from the plant, and this incident was the final straw. After a heated public meeting involving Ken Pee the managing director of CSG, the company was taken to court and fined £250,000 plus £400,000 costs. The site has now been sold to Ronsons Reclamation.
2007 Summer Floods
The village was essentially an island for several days in late July, the only way in or out was via boat or tractor. Water Supplies were down for 2 weeks and the power supply was unreliable.
ABLOADS COURT
Originally Ablodes Court, meaning the Abbots Lode Court. “The Abbots crossing for the River Seven”. An interesting, not to mention stunning property and site with a history dating back to the 13th Century. During the 15th to 17th Century this area and what forms a large part of Sandhurst was formally the hamlet of Ablodes. There are many early historical references to the site held by The National Archives. Ablodes Court is even mentioned in “The Landscape of Beowulf”. Now a private home and grounds owned by a Publisher and Children’s writer.