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Lechlade

Civil parishes in GloucestershireCotswold DistrictLechlade-on-ThamesPopulated places on the River ThamesTowns in Gloucestershire
High Street, Lechlade (geograph 6225703)
High Street, Lechlade (geograph 6225703)

Lechlade () is a town at the southern edge of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England, 55 miles (89 km) south of Birmingham and 68 miles (109 km) west of London. It is the highest point at which the River Thames is navigable, although there is a right of navigation that continues south-west into Cricklade, in the neighbouring county of Wiltshire. The town is named after the River Leach that joins the Thames near the Trout Inn and St. John's Bridge. The low-lying land is alluvium, Oxford Clay and river gravels and the town is surrounded by lakes created from disused gravel extraction sites, forming parts of the Cotswold Water Park; several have now been designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest and nature reserves. Human occupation dates from the neolithic, Iron Age and Roman periods and it developed as a trading centre served by river, canal, roads and railway, although the station closed in 1962. The Anglican Church of St Lawrence is a Grade I listed building dating from the 15th century. The development of the nearby RAF Fairford and RAF Brize Norton after World War II contributed to the expansion of the town.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Lechlade (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Lechlade
Gassons Way, Cotswold District Lechlade

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Wikipedia: LechladeContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 51.699 ° E -1.692 °
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Address

Gassons Way

Gassons Way
GL7 3FQ Cotswold District, Lechlade
England, United Kingdom
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High Street, Lechlade (geograph 6225703)
High Street, Lechlade (geograph 6225703)
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Nearby Places

Halfpenny Bridge
Halfpenny Bridge

Halfpenny Bridge is a bridge across the River Thames, at Lechlade, Gloucestershire, England. The bridge and its toll house are a Grade II listed building. It marks the start of the navigable Thames, although if the waters are high, the Thames can continue to be travelled by small and unpowered craft as far as Cricklade, over 10 miles (16 km) South-west. The bow-backed bridge was built to a design of James Hollingworth in 1792. It carries the A361 from the south into Lechlade. It was called the Halfpenny bridge because that was the toll charged for pedestrians to cross it, until the toll was done away with in 1839. The A361 is called Thames Street at this point, and the bridge was built when Thames Street was laid out. The structure is around 20 feet (6 m) wide and the single arch is nearly 26 feet (8 m) high to its apex. On the north bank of the river, a small square toll house is attached to the bridge on the downstream side. It consists of a basement and a room at road level, with a pyramidal asbestos slate roof. Both the bridge and the toll house are grade II listed. It is thought that a local firm of builders called Ralph and Crowdy were responsible for its construction. There is a separate arch in the south causeway, through which the towpath passes, and both parapets carry a central panel with a line on it, to mark the county boundary between Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. In June 2023, a driver crashed into the eastern parapet causing substantial damage to the structure. The bridge is expected to remain closed to traffic for some months.A local micro-brewery based in Lechlade, The Halfpenny Brewery, is named after the bridge.