Goatacre
Coordinates: 51°29′29″N 1°58′22″W / 51.491353°N 1.9728962°W
| Goatacre | |
 Goatacre
Goatacre shown within Wiltshire |
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| OS grid reference | SU0197876934 |
|---|---|
| Unitary authority | Wiltshire |
| Ceremonial county | Wiltshire |
| Region | South West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Postcode district | SN11 9 |
| Police | Wiltshire |
| Fire | Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | Great Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| List of places: UK • England • Wiltshire | |
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2007) |
Goatacre is a village in the southwestern English county of Wiltshire situated 8 km (5.0 mi) north of Calne and 1 km south of Lyneham on the A3102 road. It is in the parish of Hilmarton and the closest major town is Swindon, some 19 km (12 mi) to the northeast. The adjacent hamlet, west of the main road, called New Zealand is considered part of Goatacre.
Goatacre is known for its village cricket team which won the Cricketer National Village Knockout competition in 1988 and 1990.[1]
As well as a famous cricket club there is also a village hall that plays host to both private and community events, as well as a small members bar. There are also facilities for playing football including a pitch and changing facilities shared with the cricket club. A variety of public footpaths offer pleasant walks in all seasons and there is also a post box and phone box situated by the main road. A bus service runs between Chippenham and Swindon by way of Goatacre on a regular basis.
[edit] Etymology
Although it is popularly thought that the name of the village was given by Quakers, it was recorded as far back as 1242 as Godacre, in 1348 as Gatacre and in 1408 as Gotagre. The name is derived from the Old English word gat-aecre meaning, literally, goat-acre. (Source: 'Wiltshire Place Names' by Richard Tomkins, published 1983 by Redbrick Publishing.)
Evidence of the Quaker settlement can be seen in the name of the road called 'Quakers Lane" and the disused Quaker burial ground in Lower Goatacre[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ "The Village Knockout". CricInfo News. http://content-www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/72657.html. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
[edit] External links
Media related to Goatacre at Wikimedia Commons
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