What is "aldsworth"

Aldsworth is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, about ten miles north-east of Cirencester. In 2010 its population was 236. Aldsworth is a large parish, slightly north of the River Leach, located in the South West of the United Kingdom. The Parish was once a possession of the Abbey Of Gloucester.

In the 1870s, Aldsworth was described as:

"A parish in Northleach district, Gloucester; near the river Leach, 10 miles NE of Cirencester r. station. It has a post office under Cheltenham. Acres, 3,460. Real property, £3,107. Pop., 430. Houses, 82. The property is divided among a few. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Gloucester and Bristol. Value, £66. Patron, Christ's Church, Oxford. The church stands on a hill, and commands an extensive view."

"Aldsworth ( Aldworth), was recorded in the Domesday Book as Elleorde, an old English name meaning Old Enclosure or Old Farm..."

Situated on elevated land just off the B4425, Aldsworth is an unspoilt village located 3 miles from Bibury, 6 and a half miles from Burford and 6 miles from Northleach. With an average rainfall of 750mm and a growing season estimated at 250 days a year, the land is of moderate quality for agricultural purposes. The Saxons made use of good unenclosed sheep pastures in Aldsworth, from which time the land was cultivated in an open field system until 1973. It had a population of 3143 according to the 2011 census. For hundreds of years, horse racing took place on the downs between Aldsworth and Burford. The village was home to Robert Garne, the last owner of the 'Cotswold Lion' breed of sheep which brought so much wealth and prosperity to the area.