Cam, Gloucestershire
| Cam | |
|---|---|
 Cam from Cam Peak | |
  Cam Location within Gloucestershire | |
| Population | 8,520 (2021 Census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | ST7499 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Dursley |
| Postcode district | GL11 |
| Dialling code | 01453 |
| Police | Gloucestershire |
| Fire | Gloucestershire |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
Cam is a large village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England, situated on the edge of the Cotswolds and contiguous with the town of Dursley, north of Bristol and south of Gloucester. The Cotswold Way runs less than a mile from the village.
Cam had 8,160 residents with 3,575 households in the 2011 census. Its population is actually larger than neighbouring Dursley, which is a town.[2] The population is planned to grow, with new developments near the railway station increasing the number of households by about 12%.
Facilities
[edit]The village has an identifiable centre, with several shops including a pharmacy, a florist, a hardware store and funeral directors, three takeaways, a restaurant, a beauty salon, a combined Post Office and card shop, parish council offices, two pubs including the Berkeley Arms and The Railway Inn and a Tesco supermarket clustered loosely around St Bartholemew's Church. South of the village centre sits the medieval Grade 1 listed Parish Church of St George[3] opposite the Cam Congregational Church. There are more businesses, including a national award-winning butchers in Woodfields and small industrial estate to the west of the village centre close to Shell garage. There is a delightfully named Nikki's Doorstep Sandwich Bar as well as a printing shop and a popular local cafe, Froffy Coffee. Behind Tesco is Rackleaze Wetlands Area, a small patch of marshland with various boardwalks to view the nature. To the north of the village centre is the Draycott Industrial Estate containing various workplaces including a Kwik Fit, TJW Precision engineering and a Royal Mail Delivery Office. Across the street from Draycott is Shell Petrol Station, the main petrol station for Lower Cam. Behind the Industrial Estate is The River Cam, as well as a pathway bridge going over the river. Shortly up the road and a right turn takes you to Box Road, where you will find Cam & Durlsey Park and Ride and the ongoing Box Road Developments. Coaley Sewage Treatment Works and Halmore Mill can both be found further down a path from the Park & Ride, as well as a bike path that leads to Ashmead Green. North on the A4135 from Tesco and Draycott leads toward a Roundabout connecting to the A38.
Cam supports three state sector primary schools located in the Woodfields, Hopton and Everlands districts of the village. The nearest mainstream secondary school is Rednock, just across the parish boundary in Dursley. A community hub called GL11 is named after the post code.
Leisure
[edit]Cam Bulldogs FC is Cam's football team and plays in the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League Division One. The cricket team is called Cam Cricket Club. Both play at Cam Sports Club, Everlands, which was established In 1923 by the owner of Cam Mills and now run and managed by Cam Sports Club, a registered charity.
There are three public play areas; Woodfield, Cam Green and Jubilee Fields with well maintained play equipment, including swings, carousels, seesaw, spring rockers, skateboard park, gyro spiral, climbers, climbing wall, slides, fitness equipment, basketball courts and football fields. Some of the facilities are on all weather surfaces. Disabled access and some equipment for disabled use.
There is a swimming pool, library, indoor gyms, running clubs, and cycle clubs in nearby Dursley.
Future development
[edit]The council's development strategy for the period to 2031 is contained in the 2015 Stroud District Local Plan[4], locally known as the Box Road Developments. This plan has been under construction since 2016, when construction began on Brunel Road. This designates a 29.1 hectare site on the North-East edge of the village for a strategic development, to feature:
- 450 new dwellings (including 135 affordable dwellings).
- 11.4 hectares of new B1, B2 and B8 employment land, forecast to attract up to 1500 new jobs.
- A new landscaped linear park extending along the riverside
- A new lit cycle and footpath running through the site to link the village to Cam and Dursley railway station
Employment
[edit]One of the main employers in Cam is Cam Mills, which has just under 100 employees. It is the only remaining woollen mill in an area that had many and has been manufacturing cloth, now mainly for tennis balls, for over 200 years.
Notable residents
[edit]The artist Alan Lowndes lived in Upper Cam from 1970 until his death in 1978.[5]
Peter Currell Brown, author of Smallcreep's Day, lived in Cam and Dursley while working at Lister’s. In later life he devoted himself to pottery and set up the Snake Pottery in Cam Green. His pots, often inscribed PCB Cam Glos are now collectors items [6]
The librarian Falconer Madan was born in Cam
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "CAM". City population. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
- ^ "Cam (Parish, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "PARISH CHURCH OF ST GEORGE, Cam - 1340962 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Alan Lowndes by Jonathan Riley
- ^ "Peter Currell Brown Snake Pottery Slipware Tyg | #454294474".
External links
[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
