Churchdown, Docks 17th March 2010

Firstly, I feel I should apologise.  A statement I find myself using far too often for far too many reasons.  The reason for today's apology however is the huge delay between my ride and blogging about it; a full week and more none less.  I could reel off a list of excuses but won't.  Just be thankful for what you get!
Today's ride was, once again, based on a commute.  However, the journey into Hucclecote had no stops so effectively, we will start the blog there.

Leaving Hucclecote, I travelled North East along Churchdown Lane.  A quick glance to the right here is the site of Hucclecote rugby ground and the former Hucclecote secondary school, now a council run training centre.  A couple of thousands years previously, the site of Hucclecote Roman Villa.  No pictures though.  There is nothing left.  Not visible or above ground anyway.  Carrying on takes us uphill towards Churchdown hill.  I turn right into the village of Churchdown and stop at the Parish Church of St Andrew, so called because it was agreed and commissioned on St Andrew's day around 1900.   It is actually the Parish or St Bartholomew and St Andrew.  You may remember St Bartholomew's church from a previous blog.  I did mention that St Bart's is atop quite a significant hill and stood there for best part of a thousand years.  It seems quite a long time to realise that this caused problems for the elderly and infirm but realise they did and so 100 years ago St Andrew's was born.  And a very good job too.  Churchdown is an old village, dating back to at least the 16th century and, judging by St Bart's much further and this 'new' church must have fitted right in to the local area.  The second picture also shows that, in common with St Lawrence, Barnwood, there is a very recent addition for community activities.

At this point, I carry on through the village and leave Churchdown by the 'other centre'.  This is at the cross roads with the Old Cheltenham Road.  On the Churchdown side, on one side of the road is Churchdown's third Church of England parish church, the Church of St John the Evangelist.  By my reckoning, for a population of about 10000, that's just greedy. I must admit, I know less than nothing about this church and a quick Google (other search engines are available) search seems to give me just a load of broken links so here goes some gratuitous guessing.  I may not be an expert on ecclesiastical architecture, but I'm guessing the building isn't quite as old as many of our parish churches.  In fact, I'd be surprised if it dates much later than the end of the last World War.  My best guess is that it was originally built to serve the newer part of Churchdown and neighbouring Innsworth which were originally built about the same time.  The three churches are, I believe, all linked by the Churches Together local initiative.  I'm willing to be disproved on any part of this, particularly if you are the vicar of any of these churches.  One of you must be reading my blog some time.  Don't you do random Google searches on the Church name?  The other side of the road is the very typical local pub, the Hare and Hounds.  A regular haunt when I worked in nearby Staverton.

Crossing straight over, I do indeed head into Innsworth.  Much of the village having been built up around what was formerly RAF Innsworth but is now the multi-force base Imjin Barracks.  I risked prosecution and worse to take a snap of the entry gates.  For the second picture here, I turned 180 degrees and took a somewhat different snap.  If evidence of Gloucester being built on farming were ever needed, this shows arable land still in use and looks across the housing estate built for the forces personnel.

Leaving Innsworth, I rode through Longlevens, on out to Longford, skirted around the City Centre onto the new bypass passing behind the docks, stopping at Llanthony Secunda Priory.  Until recently, the priory stood very much on its own.  Recently, it has been encroached upon by the Quays development and new Sainsburys.  A very brief potted history of the site will not do it justice but let's try anyway.  The original Augustinian Priory dates back to the 12th century, as an offshoot of Llanthony Prima in Wales.  Very little of this remains, particularly since the fire in the 14th century.  Most of the surviving structure is from after this date.  The priory was, as you might expect, dissolved by Henry VIII.  The priory spent much time as a private residence before again taking a beating in the civil war.  It wasn't until the 19th century that the site was redeveloped and the more modern buildings that you can see were built.  These buildings saw a number of uses before being sold by the railways to the City Council in the 1970s.
Like I say, a potted history and I'm sure I will be lambasted for accuracy by someone who has written a book on local history.

Still, back on the bike, over St Annes's bridge - which, incidentally, hasn't made its way onto Google maps yet, and home along Bristol Road.

Total distance - 30Km

Average Speed - 27 KM/h

Weather - about 12C, Dry, Light southerly wind.

Elmbridge, Docks 16th March 2010

Brief report this one and a sort of addendum to my last entry but with a couple of differences.  This time, I have swapped my road bike for mountain bike and am joined by the good lady wife.  Use of the mountain bike will become apparent later.  Elmbridge sits sort of north west of Barnwood and the two blur into one.  Having cause to be in this part of Gloucester, we took the opportunity to bring the bikes and a camera and have a bimble.  I shan't be doing the normal distance and average speed thing at the end, just a guess because I don't believe the readings my computer was giving.  At one stage it suggested an average of  >200KM/h, and I'm not that good, before rapidly dropping to 3KM/h and I'm not that bad.  So any readings taken with a healthy pinch of salt.

For blog's sake, we are starting at Armscroft Park.  The Armscroft area/estate sits as a sort of border between Elmbridge and Barnwood. Armscroft Park has been a part of this area for ever and is now a part of the rather good, in my opinion  at least, Gloucestershire Park & Open Spaces scheme.  It is also now right on the edge of the redevelopment area that has been touted for some time by the Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration scheme.  It is also home to Gloucester Old Boys Rugby club.  This end of the park sits right by the level crossing area near Gloucestershire Royal hospital.  A small stream runs through the park and appears to have had the banks reinforced with overgrown wicker baskets.

Leaving the park, we cycle into the City Centre.  This doesn't feature much in the blog for a couple of reasons.  Primarily, you can't cycle round the City centre very much, rightly or wrongly.  Also, there is such a concentration of interesting stuff the blog would become a full time job.  Finally, most of the interesting history and buildings are covered by readily available books.  For a small fee, I would recommend The Story Of Gloucester if you are interested in such things.  Business done, time for a short bimble to the docks, or rather the Quays as it prefers to be known.  The new development here which is largely based on a large outlet shopping centre and hotel complex has polarised local opinion.  Just look at the comments pages attached to any vaguely related story in the local news web site.  The neigh sayers and doom mongers will come out in force.  Personally, I think it is fantastic.  It has regenerated the area, I'm sure there are things that could have been different but on the whole it has breathed life into a formerly run down ex industrial area.  It is a shame in a way, but there is little call now for goods to be transported by canal so to turn it into a leisure and shopping facility whilst blending in, more or less sympathetically, with the historic areas is good.  There are, as you can see in this picture, some of the derelict warehouses still standing empty and run down.  Whilst you could easily and reasonably argue they are an eyesore they also provide a powerful nod back to the history of the area.

From left to right, this picture shows the edge of the new Sainsburys, the blue and white of Gloucestershire College, St Anne's Way bridge right in the centre.  Behind the bridge, is the earliest dock basin with the renovated warehouses in the background, a bit of squinting and you should just about be able to see the Cathedral right at the back.  On round to the right of the picture are the derelict warehouses and behind them the new Quays development.  Of course, the canal is in the foreground.

Following a well earned coffee in Sainsburys cafe, overlooking the docks (and from where these pictures were taken), the trip home is only a couple of kilometres along the canal towpath.  This has largely been cleared in recent years and provides a very pleasant route; although more suited to a mountain bike.

Total distance - Probably about 15Km

Average Speed - Who knows?  But probably less than 200 KM/h

Weather - about 12C, Dry, Southerly wind.