Cheltenham

:This article is about the town of Cheltenham in England. For other places called Cheltenham see Cheltenham (disambiguation)

Outline

Horse racing

Internationally, Cheltenham is probably best known for its horse racing. Cheltenham Racecourse, located on the outskirts of the town in the suburb of Prestbury, is the home of National Hunt, or jumps, racing in the UK. Meetings are hosted during the winter months (when the ground is soft enough for the horses to safely negotiate the fences) from November to April. The highlight of the season is the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which is normally held in the middle of March, during the Cheltenham Festival. This happy co-incidence (with St Patrick's Day) ensures that the town swells with an influx of Irish horseracing devotees. It also plays host to Greenbelt once a year — a Christian arts and music festival.

Related Topics:
Horse racing - Cheltenham Racecourse - Prestbury - National Hunt - UK - November - April - Cheltenham Gold Cup - March - Cheltenham Festival - St Patrick's Day - Irish - Greenbelt - Christian

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Festivals

Cheltenham holds music, jazz, folk, literary and science festivals every year.

Related Topics:
Jazz - Folk - Literary

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See Cheltenham Festivals for further details.

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• Cheltenham Festival of Literature

Sport

The local football team is Cheltenham Town F.C., who have recently enjoyed success in the football league.

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There are several amateur rugby clubs: Cheltenham RFC, Cheltenham North, Old Patesians etc.

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Local Employers

Cheltenham has a number of light industries, including food processing, aerospace, electronics and tourism. The British government's electronic surveillance operation GCHQ, renowned for its 'doughnut-shape' building, is located in Cheltenham.

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Railway

Cheltenham Spa railway station is located on the main Bristol-Birmingham line, giving connections to Gloucester, Bristol, Swindon, London Paddington, Plymouth and the South West, Birmingham, Derby, the North West, the North East and Scotland.

Related Topics:
Cheltenham Spa railway station - Bristol-Birmingham line - Gloucester - Bristol - Swindon - London Paddington - Plymouth - Birmingham - Derby

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Twinning arrangements

The town is twinned with Annecy, France; Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.; Göttingen, Germany; Sochi, Russia and Weihai, China. The town also has 'Friendship' status with Stampersgat, the Netherlands and Kisumu, Kenya.

Related Topics:
Annecy - France - Cheltenham, Pennsylvania - U.S.A. - Göttingen - Germany - Sochi - Russia - Weihai - China - Stampersgat - Netherlands - Kisumu - Kenya

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