Cold Aston

Not to be confused with Cold Ashton.
Cold Aston

Cottages in Cold Aston
Cold Aston
 Cold Aston shown within Gloucestershire
Civil parishCold Aston
DistrictCotswold
Shire countyGloucestershire
RegionSouth West
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town CHELTENHAM
Postcode district GL54
Dialling code 01451
Police Gloucestershire
Fire Gloucestershire
Ambulance South Western
EU Parliament South West England
UK ParliamentCotswold
List of places
UK
England
Gloucestershire

Coordinates: 51°52′33″N 1°48′50″W / 51.8759°N 1.8138°W / 51.8759; -1.8138

Cold Aston (also known as Aston Blank) is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England, approximately 30 km (19 mi) to the east of Gloucester. It lies in the Cotswolds, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

History

Toponymy

The village was recorded as Eastunæ between 716–43.[1] It was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Estone, the name coming from the Old English ēast + tūn meaning "eastern farmstead or estate".[1][2] By the mid 13th century, the village was known as Cold Aston.[3] It was occasionally called Great Aston, to distinguish it from the nearby hamlet of Little Aston.[3] From the 16th century, the name Aston Blank took hold, the suffix "Blank" possibly deriving from the Old French word blanc, meaning "white" or "bare".[1][3] In 1972, the parish officially became known as Cold Aston again. Some think that the name "cold" is derived from the Saxon word which refers to a former settlement - in this case probably referring to a disused Roman camp or rest place for use when travelling the Fosse Way. It is fairly certain, contrary to common modern thinking, that the word "Cold" has no link to a meteorological reference.[3]

Governance

Cold Aston is part of the Bourton-on-the-Water ward of the district of Cotswold, represented by Councillors Sheila Jeffery and Len Wilkins, and by Charles Alfred Richard Gillams, all members of the Conservative Party.[4][5] Cold Aston is part of the constituency of Cotswold, represented at parliament by Conservative MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown.[6] It is part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.

Geography

Cold Aston is in the county of Gloucestershire and lies within the Cotswolds, a range of hills designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is approximately 30 km (19 mi) to the east of Gloucester. It is approximately 21 km (13 mi) east of its post town Cheltenham and about 4.5 km (2.8 mi) west of Bourton-on-the-Water. Nearby villages include Turkdean, Notgrove, Clapton, Naunton and Lower Slaughter.

Landmarks

St Andrew's Church

The village church is a Norman church dedicated to St Andrew.[7] Its walls incorporate Saxon stonework and the original church on this site may have been built in around AD 904.[8] Much of the present church was restored in 1875.[8]

The village pub, The Plough, is a 17th-century Grade II listed building.[9][10] It is the only pub between the three villages of Cold Aston, Turkdean and Notgrove in May 2013 re-opened after an extensive refurbishment. It now also offers accommodation. The pub's landlord claims that it is residence to a ghost named Old Harry.[10]

Education

The village has one primary school, Cold Aston Church of England Primary School, a voluntary controlled school for children from the age of 4–11.[11] In 2007, the school had 62 pupils.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Mills, A. D. (1998). Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford University Press. p. 17. ISBN 0-19-280074-4.
  2. ↑ "Cold Aston". Domesday Book. The National Archives. 1086. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "The History of Cold Aston". Official Cold Aston site. 2007. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
  4. ↑ "Cold Aston Parish Council". Gloucestershire County Council. 2007-09-04. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
  5. ↑ "Cotswold - Find your councillor". Cotswold District Council. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
  6. ↑ "Cotswold - Constituency - Conservative Party". Conservative Party. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
  7. ↑ "Cold Aston - St. Andrew". Gloucestershire County Council. 2006-03-16. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
  8. 1 2 "Cold Aston Village Church". Official Cold Aston site. 2007. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
  9. ↑ "The Plough". The Plough Official site. Retrieved 2013-05-23.
  10. 1 2 "Cold Aston Village Pub". Official Cold Aston site. 2007. Retrieved 2013-05-23.
  11. ↑ "League tables - Cold Aston Church of England Primary School". BBC. 2007-12-06. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
  12. ↑ "Cold Aston Church of England Primary School". Department for Children, Schools and Families. 2007. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
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