The new development at the Fortey House site in Northleach requires a new street name, but the developer has not put forward any names. Therefore the local planning authority has asked the local community for feedback and to put forward some suggestions.
We previously sent out a message to our community email list inviting people to put forward their suggestions for a road name with a local connection. We now invite you to vote on the suggestions, and we will put forward the most popular to Cotswold District Council.
Before you vote, please take a quick look at the reasons these names have been suggested:
| Name | Local connection |
| Bradley Close | James Bradley was educated at Northleach Grammar School and became Astronomer Royal. He was born in 1690 in Sherborne. He was the first to provide proof of the Earth’s rotation around the sun. |
| Bicknell Close | William Bicknell, a wool merchant, who died in 1500, and built the south chapel of the church. (Other roads nearby are named after wool merchants such as John Fortey and William Midwinter.) |
| Harris Close | William Harris was a musician who conducted at the 1937 and 1953 coronations as well as writing a great deal of church music. What most people don’t know is that he also wrote a piece for Northleach, called “Northleach Church Bells” based on the current chimes. It is delightful. |
| Parker Place | Cotteswold House in the north-west corner of the Market Place was occupied in the late 16th century by Thomas Parker, a wool merchant who inherited the house from his uncle, the Bishop of Gloucester, in 1570. |
| Spinners Close | A simple name to reflect Northleach’s heritage as a wool town. |
| Wellman Way | Recognising the contributions of several generations of the Wellman family to the Northleach community. |
| Woodland Rise | Site owner Bromfords is using the working title of “Woodlands” for the development, and it is surrounded by the Fortey Road woodland. |
What about Fortey Folly
We also received the suggestion of Fortey Towers! This suggestion didn’t make it to the shortlist because it is similar to an existing road name, i.e. Fortey Road which could get confusing for the postie. They’re building 22 new homes, so I think the street needs a distinctive name of it own.
Maybe a wee bit further along from the original site but what about something with Cricketers in the name?