Matson, Gloucester

Matson is a suburb of Gloucester, in the county of Gloucestershire, England. In 1931 the parish had a population of 40.^[1]

MAN 18.220 ALX300 22378 on a Stagecoach West service 1 to Gloucester City at the Matson terminus with sheep grazing nearby

Matson
The Musket
Matson Location within Gloucestershire
District	Gloucester
Shire county	Gloucestershire
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
List of places UK England Gloucestershire 51°50′N 2°13′W

History

Unlike neighbouring villages, such as Brookthorpe and Upton St Leonards, Matson is not mentioned in the Domesday Book. It appears to have been a part of Kings Barton at the time of the survey. The origins of the name are unclear but early versions recorded include Matesknolle, Mattesdune and Matesden^[2] and it is likely that the names refer to Robinswood Hill,^[2] a large hill which lay entirely within the ancient parish of Matson and on the flanks of which the village lies.

It has been suggested that iron ore was mined from Robinswood Hill in Saxon times^[2] although there is little evidence for this. A spring called the Red Well rising just above Matson is ferruginous in nature.

Matson House, a large manorial house, was the headquarters of King Charles during the Siege of Gloucester.^[3] It subsequently became the property of Major General William Selwyn in 1679.^[4] It is now (2017) the Selwyn Care Home.

On 1 April 1935 the parish was abolished and became part of Gloucester, Brookthorpe and Upton St. Leonards.^[5]

The housing estate, which occupies the majority of Matson, was built between the 1950s and 1970s. Many housed dock and factory workers, many of whom worked at the Gloucester Docks.

1950s to present

Today, Matson is best known for the council estate that was built in the village after the Second World War. Parmjit Dhanda, former MP for Gloucester (2001-2010), lived in Matson with his family. Matson contains a ski slope, a pub, a shopping parade, doctor's surgery, Neighbourhood Project and several churches.

Matson police station was closed in 1994.^[6] In 2009 plans were revealed for the construction of a new motorway service station.^[7] Following the planning process and a judicial review^[8] Gloucester services was built near Matson with the northbound services opening on 7 May 2014^[9] and the southbound services due to open in May 2015.^[9]

Matson is bordered primarily by Robinswood Hill, a large hill that rises to 283 metres above sea level. Much of Matson is built on the sides of the hill, which features the Gloucester Ski Centre.

Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge named his "expensive" curry sauce after the sauce that he used to buy from his local chipshop on the Matson estate.^[10]

References

1. "Population statistics Matson CP/AP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
2. The History of the County of Gloucester. Rudge, Thomas. page 171. 1803
3. 16th Century Gloucester
4. N.M. Herbert, ed. (1988). "Matson". A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 4: The City of Gloucester. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
5. "Gloucester Registration District". UKBMD. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
6. "Design and Access Statement 19 Underhill Road, Matson, Gloucester, GL4 6HB" (PDF). Gloucester Council. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
7. New service station plan for M5
8. Challenge to M5 motorway service area thrown out by High Court Archived 2013-12-12 at the Wayback Machine
9. Take a look around the new M5 motorway Gloucester Services Archived 2014-05-05 at the Wayback Machine
10. Brown, Mark (9 October 2019). "Chef Tom Kerridge says £32.50 fish and chips 'easily justifiable'". London. Retrieved 9 October 2019.