| Weston in Gordano | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Weston in Gordano Location withinSomerset | |
| Population | 301 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | ST450742 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BRISTOL |
| Postcode district | BS20 |
| Dialling code | 01275 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Avon |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°27′50″N2°47′28″W / 51.4640°N 2.7911°W /51.4640; -2.7911 | |
Weston in Gordano is a village andcivil parish in theNorth Somerset district, in the ceremonial county ofSomerset, England. It is situated in the middle of theGordano valley on the north side, and in theUnitary Authority ofNorth Somerset, on the road betweenClevedon andPortishead. In 2011 the parish had a population of 301.[1]
It is the largest village in the valley, with apublic house, the 18th century White Hart,[2] and a garage.
The parish of Weston was part of thePortburyhundred.[3]
Theparish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, andneighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, such as thevillage hall orcommunity centre,playing fields andplaygrounds, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also of interest to the council.
The parish falls within theunitary authority area ofNorth Somerset which became a unitary authority in 1996, as established by theLocal Government Act 1992. It provides a single tier oflocal government with responsibility for almost all local government functions within its area includinglocal planning andbuilding control, local roads,council housing,environmental health, markets and fairs,refuse collection,recycling,cemeteries,crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism. It is also responsible foreducation,social services,libraries, main roads, public transport,Trading Standards,waste disposal and strategic planning, although fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through theAvon Fire and Rescue Service,Avon and Somerset Constabulary and theSouth Western Ambulance Service.
North Somerset's area covers part of theceremonial county ofSomerset but it is administered independently of thenon-metropolitan county. Between 1 April 1974 and 1 April 1996, it was the Woodspringdistrict of the county ofAvon[4] which was renamed North Somerset in 1996. Before 1974 that the parish was part of theLong Ashton Rural District.[5]
The parish is represented in theHouse of Commons of theParliament of the United Kingdom as part of theNorth Somerset constituency. It elects oneMember of Parliament (MP) by thefirst past the post system of election, currentlyLiam Fox of theConservative Party. It was also part of theSouth West England constituency of theEuropean Parliament prior toBritain leaving the European Union in January 2020, which elected sevenMEPs using thed'Hondt method ofparty-list proportional representation.
There are two nearbynature reserves, both owned and managed by theAvon Wildlife Trust.Weston Big Wood is 38 hectares ofancient woodland, andWeston Moor is 59 hectares of wet grassland. Weston Big Wood falls within a widerbiological Site of Special Scientific Interest. The wood itself dates at least fromIron Age times, with some evidence that there has been woodland here since trees began to recolonise after thelast ice age some 10,000 years ago. Some of its internal features e.g. old stones, ditches and banks are thought to be medieval boundaries, dating from theMiddle Ages and used to divide the wood into sectors.[6] Adjacent to the wood on its southern side is a largequarry. The woodland sits on a ridge ofCarboniferous Limestone, and its slopes are covered withsmall-leaved lime trees;oak andhazel are more common on flatter hilltop areas. Rarewhitebeams are also dotted throughout the wood.[7] The rare plantpurple gromwell is found at the site.[7][8] Other flowers include;wood anemones,violets andbluebells. The presence of other plants such asherb paris andyellow archangel together with the purple gromwell, show that this wood is ancient.[6] There is a widecoppiced open area inside the wood, created as a butterfly feature as part of the reserve management work, called "The Ride".Butterflies such as theorange tip,speckled wood andpurple hairstreak can be seen in the area in summer. The birds commonly seen, includewoodpecker,nuthatch, andtawny owl.Bats also roost in the trees, and the presence of manysetts indicates a largebadger population. Middle Hill Common is an area of grassland and wild flower meadow,[9] which supportsinvertebrates andbutterflies.[10]
Weston-in-Gordano SSSI is ageological Site of Special Scientific Interest andGeological Conservation Review site because temporary exposures here have shownPleistocene sediments, including interglacialfluvial sands and marine gravels and cold-stage fluvial gravels. Richmolluscan faunas have been reported from the section. The presence of freshwater and marine interglacial deposits gives it great potential importance for the understanding of theQuaternary sequence of the Vale of Gordano andAvonmouth lowlands.[11]
The parishChurch of SS Peter & Paul has a tower and porch which were built around 1300, while the rest of the building is from the 15th century. It has been designated as a Grade Ilisted building.[12]
Media related toWeston in Gordano at Wikimedia Commons