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Just outside the city...
As the city suburbs give way to bustling villages and smaller towns, there is a different attraction to the feel and pace of life.
Take a trip around Bristol are North Somerset.
North Somerset: Abbots Leigh, Pill, Gordano (Easton and Clapton), Long Ashton, Flax Bourton, Backwell, Nailsea, Portishead all offer
excellent schooling combined with the attraction of country living.
Click on a locale below for more information.
Backwell: Originally called 'Bacoile', meaning the Well back on the Hill, which is still in existence, Backwell has been voted Village of the Year in previous years. It lies about 8 miles from Bristol and is on the main A370 to Weston super mare.
This is a popular village with a population of approx 4800. The main primary school performs consistently well in league tables, as does the secondary school, which is recognised as one of the best state schools in North Somerset.
Backwell has good public transport links to Bristol, both with trains, the station is in Backwell and buses. The journey time by train to Temple Meads is 11 minutes.
Backwell Village
Banwell: Banwell lies about six miles east of Weston super Mare and has a population of about 2900.
There is a popular theory that Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland was born in Banwell.
Blagdon: Located on the northern edge of the Mendip Hills on the A368, with a population of about 1170 Blagdon is a popular village with excellent facilities and services including a Fire station, Village Shop and Post Office, Butcher's and a beauty Salon, The Mead and Children's Play area, tennis courts and football and rugby pitches provide excellent recreational opportunities for families and children. In the East End is Blagdon Primary School and Blagdon Police Station. There are currently four pubs in the village.
There are bus links to Bristol, Bath, Wells and Weston super Mare.
Clevedon: The popular seaside resort of Clevedon has a population of 23 000. Located on the Bristol Channel Coastline, Clevedon has grown in popularity with commuters who enjoy its excellent road links to Bristol. Once a popular Victorian seaside resort, Clevedon retains many fine examples of architecture from that era.
Clevedon facts and figures:
Located on junction 20 of the M5 motorway
- 10 miles from Bristol
- Nearest mainline railway station - Yatton just 4 miles away.
- Bristol airport approx 15 miles away
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Congresbury: locally pronounced "Congsbry", is a village on the A370, between Junction 21 of the M5 and Bristol International Airport. The Yeo river trickles through the village which is said to be named after the local St. Congar, who is reputed to have performed three miracles in the area.
The nearest railway station is in the nearby Yatton and there is an infant and a junior school for primary education.
Link: www.congresbury-somerset.org
Gordano: (Easton, Clapton, Walton and Weston)
Easton in Gordano: lies to the most eastern part of the Gordano valley and lies on the south bank of the Avon, opposite Shirehampton and adjacent to the village of Pill. It has fantastic views over the Bristol Channel, South Wales and Royal Portbury Docks can also be seen. This is the most densely populated village in the whole valley. It has a population of about 2700. It is a sought after location due to its quiet and tranquility albeit you can hear traffic on the M5 in parts of the village.
In early records Easton in Gordano was known as Estone. It is sometimes shortened to E-I-G.
After the Second World War a housing development grew up in the lodway area and there are many residential homes there now.
It is commonly used as a place for commuting to Bristol as it has excellent transport links being close to the M5 and Bristol. It is also close to the Gordano Services on the M5.
There aren't many facilities in Easton-in-Gordano other than the church and the church hall with its scout hut behind.
The main facilities are in the village of Pill or alternatively just a few miles away in Portishead.
The village is on a bus route to Portishead and Bristol city centre.
www.easton-in-gordano.org.uk
Take a look at life in Easton in Gordano and Pill.
Clapton in Gordano
This is situated on the southern side of the Gordano valley and is immediately adjacent to the M5 motorway. Clapton Moor is found near to the village, this consists of 40 hectares of grassland which is owned and managed by the Avon Wildlife Trust.
Walton in Gordano
Found at the south-western end of the Gordano valley, about a mile from Clevedon. On the hill to the south-west between Walton and Clevedon is Clevedon Castle, a hunting lodge, and on the hill to the north-east is Walton Common, a nature reserve managed by the Avon Wildlife Trust.
Weston in Gordano
Situated in the middle of the Gordano valley, on the road between Clevedon and Portishead, lies Weston in Gardano. It is the largest village in the valley, boasting both a public house and a garage. There are two nearby nature reserves, both owned and managed by the Avon Wildlife Trust. Weston Big Wood is 38 hectares of ancient woodland, and Weston Moor is 59 hectares of wet grassland.
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Flax Bourton: Lies only two miles from Nailsea and Backwell Station. Between Flax Bourton and Long Ashton lies Farliegh Green , where the old work house has been redeveloped into offices and the grounds surrounding into residential.
It has a primary school, one pub named The Dew Drop Inn (previously The Jubilee Inn), a church dating back to Norman times and is the home of Backwell Flax Bourton Cricket Club.
Kenn, Somerset: Kenn lies on the B3133 near Clevedon in the North Somerset Levels on the edge of the Mendips, an area of outstanding natural beauty.
Langford: The University's School of Veterinary Science is located just outside the village of Langford , North Somerset . Surrounded by beautiful countryside, the hamlet of Langford lies 15 miles south west of Bristol . There is a part of the village known as Upper Langford, but for the most part it is known locally as Langford.
Langford is in many ways an ideal location. From the seaside environment of Weston-super-Mare to the Mendip Hills, an area of outstanding beauty, the are offers a wide range of social, sporting and leisure activities including:
- Bristol Airport
- Churchill Ski Slope
- Churchill Sports Centre
- Isle of Wedmore Golf Club
- Locking Castle Golf Club
- Webbington Country Club
- Mendip Hills for climbing, caving, pot holing and walking
Langford also lies within in the popular Churchill Community School and Sixth Form Centre secondary catchment area. In commuting terms, there is a station just 4-miles away at Yatton which is very popular with commuters and a network of main roads and the M5 motorway within easy reach.
Leigh Woods: This is found to the west side of Bristol and the north of Ashton Court Estate. It was previously woodland prior to the opening of the Suspension Bridge in 1864. The bridge offered an easier route into fashionable Clifton and upmarket residential development flourished, with many varying styles being found there today.
Only five minutes from Clifton, the area is extremely popular.
Long Ashton:: Long Ashton lies less than a mile from Bristol, on the edge of the Ashton Court estate. Combined with Leigh Woods, the population of Long Ashton is 4,800. The area lies in the Backwell, Gordano and Pill catchment areas, which boast excellent reputations and subsequently the area is very popular with families.
To the westerly side of Long Ashton, there has been large residential development. This is on the site of the National Friut and Cider Institute, this was known as the Long Ashton Research Centre. Among the products that we probably wouldn't have without their efforts are today's high quality Somerset cider, and the children's blackcurrant drink, Ribena. The site closed in 2003 and ago and in recent years national builders have built a considerable amount of new homes on this area.
Nailsea: A thriving and historic North Somerset town with a population of around 18,000. Part of Nailsea's charm is that whilst it has everything a modern family wants and needs, it still retains a true village atmosphere.
In its attractive and well maintained centre, The Crown Glass Centre, local retailers offer excellent personal service through a range of independent and national shops. This, allied to increasingly rare free car parking spaces and a good choice of restaurants, cafes and pubs, makes Nailsea a lovely place to live and work.
- Nailsea's history: In the 18th and 19th century Nailsea was a substantial producer of glass and gave its name to a particular type of coloured glass which has become highly sought after by collectors around the world.
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Pill: Imortalised in Adge Cutler and the Wurzels famous song "Pill, Pill (I luv 'e still)", the history of Pill is closely entwined with that of the Port of Bristol. Pill was traditionally the home of the Pilot boats for the Bristol Channel where Pilots would guide boats up the dangerous river to the Port.
Pill was also home to the ferry which ran across the Avon to Shirehampton. Whilst the ferry last ran in 1973, its slipway can still be seen, by the popular Lamplighters pub.
Today Pill is a popular and much loved commuter village with a strong sense of community. Local shops provide for day to day needs along with several take aways and an number of well established pubs. A new dedddevelopment at Ham Green and the excellent St. Katherine's school, with approximately 1000 students aged 11-18, has increased the village's appeal.
Portishead: The 'port at the head of the river' is the origin of the name of this growing community of around 20,000 people, located on the Bristol Channel just 9 miles west of Bristol. Current developments include a marine village and marina which will help make this the largest town on North Somerset.
Totterdown: Home of the very popular and highly acclaimed Glasnost restaurant. Once the poor relation to the north of the river, Totterdown is proving to be a popular area for young professionals. With the redevelopment of the Temple Meads area encompassing Temple Quay and the new arena, Totterdown seems to be drawing more and more Cliftonites from the Village!
Wraxall: Close to Nailsea and well placed for communters, 'a nook of land frequented by Buzzards', this is thought to be behind the meaning of the Wraxall village name.
The main tourist attraction in the village is the nearby Tyntesfield Estate, which was bought by the National Trust several years ago. Noah's Ark is the other popular attraction boasting a large collection of animals and play areas for children.
Weston-super-Mare: Has a population of approximately 71,758 and lies about 18 miles south west of Bristol. It is a popular seaside resort with open views across the Bristol channel. Well known for its Weston owes its growth and prosperity to the boom in popularity of the seaside holiday in the Victorian era. The first hotel opened in 1808.
Weston has a shopping centre, helicopter museum, a sea-life centre (currently called the SeaQuarium) and miniature railway. Knightstone Island is now under development as a luxury housing complex with many of the existing buildings being retained due to their listed status.
Annual events include the Weston Wheels modified car event, T4 on the beach music event and international HeliDays usually staged at the Beach Gardens over a long weekend around the end of July, where helicopters from around the world are displayed, in association with the Helicopter Museum.
Residential areas include Worle, Oldmixon and the Bourneville estate, which exhibit many fine examples of post war and late 20th century architecture.
Well-known former residents of the town include author and politician Jeffrey Archer, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, actor John Cleese, actress Mandy Miller, author Roald Dahl, journalist Jill Dando, and actor Rupert Graves. The writer Bill Bryson recounted his visit to Weston in Notes from a Small Island. In the Little Britain television series, the character Vicky Pollard claims to have seen the pop group the Blazin' Squad in Weston-Super-Mare.
The upper part of the beach is sandy but, as the sea retreats a long way, the tide exposes Weston's famous mud flats. The tidal range in this part of the Severn Estuary is one of the largest in the world and the beach / mud flats are on a gentle slope.
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Winscombe: On the edge of the Mendip hilles, the village lies close to Axbridge and Cheddar yet still commutable to Bristol. There are two primary schools and secondary education is provided at nearby Churchill School, which does well in league tables.
Wrington: Lies in the valley of the Congresbury Yeo.
Yatton: The village generally consists of newer housing as the village expanded considerably post WW2. Yatton benefits from easy access to Weston super Mare & Bristol and offers its residents a shopping precinct with a bank, supermarket and several other local shops. It has both infant and junior schools, two parks ('Hangstones' and 'Rock Road') and a number of pubs.
Yatton feeds into the very popular Backwell and Nailsea secondary schools and has active football and rugby clubs. Development to the south and east of the village has made the villages of Yatton, Claverham and Cleeve almost continuous as far as the A370. Cadbury House Country Club has been developed and is now a high quality 60-room hotel and state of the art leisure centre.
Somerset: The county of Somerset lies just outside Bristol, with almost two thirds of the district being rural. The majority of the residents, some 193,000 people live in the towns of Weston super Mare, Portishead, Clevedon
and Nailsea.
The county is very popular with tourists, with nearly 5 million visiting each year. With 27 miles of coastline and areas of outstanding natural beauty it is easy to see why.
Bristol International Airport lies with the county and is fast offering easy access to both national, international and even flights to New York.
The majority of residents commute to Bath and Bristol for work, the region has excellent transport links to both. This factor, combined with the secondary schools consistently outperforming Bristol year upon year, is making North Somerset an increasingly popular choice for families and professionals alike.
It has been suggested that the name Somerset originally meant 'the land of the Summer pastures' and referred to the fine grazing lands of the marshy levels.
Somersetonline.org.uk
Your guide to find Town and Village Community Web Sites in Somerset, England, UK.
Somersetonly.co.uk
Less than three hours from London, Somerset is the perfect destination if you are looking for a relaxing break with its unspoilt countryside and its accessibility making it attractive for businesses and visitors alike.
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