Kemble, Gloucestershire

Kemble is a small village in the civil parish of Kemble and Ewen. It is in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. It used to be part of Wiltshire but is now about 4 miles (6.4 km) from the town of Cirencester.

One special thing about Kemble is that it is closest to Thames Head, the start of the River Thames. In 2020, about 940 people lived in the village. In 2011, the whole parish, including both Kemble and Ewen, had about 1,036 people.

Governance

Kemble is part of an electoral ward called Kemble, which belongs to the Cotswold District Council. This ward stretches from Somerford Keynes in the south-east to Rodmarton in the north-west.

Church and history

Kemble had an old cemetery from the 7th century. Today, the village church has a door from Norman times and a tower built in 1250. The tower got a tall, pointy top in 1450. In 1872, the church was restored, and parts from a smaller church in Ewen were brought here to make a new side area.

Kemble Church is part of a group called the Thameshead benefice. This group includes churches from Kemble, Ewen, Poole Keynes, Somerford Keynes, Shorncote, Coates, Rodmarton, Sapperton, Tarlton, and Frampton Mansell. They have worked together since 2001.

Air facilities

Cotswold Airport, once called Kemble Airport, is near the village. From 1966 to 1983, it was home to the RAF Red Arrows aerobatic team. After they left for RAF Scampton, the US Air Force used the site for maintenance.

Today, the airfield serves light industry, flying clubs, and private plane owners. It hosts two air shows each year and is a place where old airplanes are stored or taken apart. A company called Delta Jets works on and flies historic jet planes. The Bristol Aero collection had a museum there until May 31, 2012.

Aston Down airfield, about 3 miles away, was once an RAF base. Now, it is used for gliding by the Cotswold Gliding Club.

Amenities

Kemble has a railway station on the Golden Valley Line. Trains go east to Swindon and London Paddington, and west to Gloucester and Cheltenham Spa.

The village has a primary school. There is also a pub called The Tavern near the station, and a shop that is also a post office.

Possible new town

In May 2024, the local government in Gloucestershire talked about building a new town near Kemble and Cirencester. They wanted to build 23,000 homes. But another group disagreed with the plan. By January 2025, no building had started.