Holy Apostles' Church

In the mid-19th century, Charlton Kings' St. Mary's Church could not cope with the increasing size of its congregation and a new place of worship was needed. The second church was to be build in Ryeworth or Ham, locations that emphasized village's separateness from Cheltenham.

Unfortunately, no suitable site was found and the church of Holy Apostles was erected at its current place on the junction of the roads to London and Cirencester in 1871 at the expense of Charles Cook Higgs of Langton House, the unofficial lord of the manor. He gave land for the new church, a thousand pounds towards the cost of building it, and in the end he paid all of the building costs of £7,000 himself.

The church was consecrated in 1885 - one year after the death of its benefactor Charles Cook Higgs - and the ecclesiastical parish of the Holy Apostles was formed. The church was built in the geometrical decorated style to the designs of the architect John Middleton, famous for many 19th century church alterations in Cheltenham, by Gloucester builder William Jones.

Now private apartments, the building adjacent to the church was a school, built in 1871 by John Middleton. Boys and girls between six and thirteen were educated here separately. The school closed for August so children could help with the harvest.