| Almondsbury | |
|---|---|
 Part of Almondsbury from The Tump. The spire is Saint Mary the Virgin church. | |
  Almondsbury Location withinGloucestershire | |
| Population | 4,705 (2011 census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | ST604843 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BRISTOL |
| Postcode district | BS32 |
| Dialling code | 01454 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Avon |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
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Almondsbury (English:/ˈɑːməndzbərɪ/) is a large village andcivil parish inSouth Gloucestershire, England. It is situated on theA38 road in theAvon Green Belt 7 miles (11 km) north ofBristol city centre. It is adjacent to junction 16 of theM5 motorway andAlmondsbury Interchange, where theM4 and M5 cross. It is part of theBristol Built-up Area.
The civil parish also includes the villages ofHortham,Gaunt's Earthcott,Over,Easter Compton,Compton Greenfield,Hallen andBerwick.
The village is split by a steep hill, part of the escarpment overlooking theSevern floodplain. At the bottom of the hill is Lower Almondsbury where a pub and hotel, The Bowl Inn, is situated.South Wales, theForest of Dean, the River Severn andboth Severn Bridges are visible from the higher parts of the village, which consists mainly of ribbon development along the A38 and has more of an urban characteristic.[citation needed]
Almondsbury is in the South Gloucestershireunitary authority area. Almondsbury is part of the Severn Valeelectoral ward,[2] which elects two of the 61 members of South Gloucestershire Council.[3]
Historically, Almondsbury was inThornbury Rural District from 1895 to 1974, and then theNorthavon district of thecounty of Avon from 1974 to 1996, when South Gloucestershire was created.[4]
For elections to theUK Parliament, Almondsbury is in theThornbury and Yate constituency,[5] which as of 2024[update] is represented byClaire Young of theLiberal Democrats. Historically, it was in theThornbury constituency from 1885, moving toStroud and Thornbury at the 1950 election,South Gloucestershire in 1955,Northavon in 1983, andFilton and Bradley Stoke in 2010.
The place-name 'Almondsbury' is first attested in theDomesday Book of 1086, where it appears asAlmodesberie. The name means 'Æthelmod's or Ealhmund's burgh or fortified place'.[6]
The local church, dedicated to SaintMary the Virgin, was built in 1140 AD. The lead-covered spire was added to the original tower some time before 1619.
In 1817, a woman purporting to bePrincess Caraboo was found in the town, in what was to become one of the more elaborate deceptions of the period.[7]
The Bowl Inn pub takes its name from the bowl shape of the land surrounding the estuary. Parts of this whitewashed-stone inn were originally the three cottages erected in 1146 to house the monks building the adjacent church of St Mary the Virgin. The present building became a licensed inn in 1550.[8]
Another pub, The Swan Inn, is located on the A38 in the upper part of the village, almost opposite an open space known as Almondsbury Tump.
In March 2009 a community shop was opened in the village by the not-for-profit Almondsbury Community Services Association, situated opposite the Old School Hall at 14 Church Road. The community shop is staffed entirely by unpaid volunteers. The aim of the project goes beyond avillage shop, being a service for the village, to support local suppliers wherever possible, and to be another focal point where people in the village can meet. A proportion of the surplus generated by the shop is returned to community projects and organisations in the village. In 2018, the village community purchased the premises from the church through a Community Share issue. The chairman of the shop committee is John Mclevy.
The village also has an ambulance station, a motorwaypolice station, agarden centre, and a restaurant/pub. A helicopter base is present next to theAlmondsbury Interchange as a new home forNational Police Air Service Filton and theGreat Western Air Ambulance.[9]
Education is provided by AlmondsburyChurch of England Primary School. This is a state maintained school. The most recent Ofsted report has been rated outstanding. For secondary education, Almondsbury is served byThe Castle School andMarlwood School.
Almondsbury is home tonon-League football clubAlmondsbury F.C. who play at Almondsbury Sports & Social Complex on Gloucester Road.[10] Almondsbury Cricket Club and Almondsbury Tennis club are also based at the same site.Gloucestershire FA are also based in Almondsbury at Oakland Park.[11] North Bristol RFC play next door.[12]
Almondsbury is home to St Nick'sGaelic Athletic Association club.[13]
The civil parish of Almondsbury is much larger than the village. It includes the villages of Hortham, Gaunt's Earthcott, Over, Easter Compton, Compton Greenfield,Catbrain and Hallen. It also includesCribbs Causeway and the site of the village ofCharlton, now the western end ofFilton Airfield.
When it was originally created in 1866 the civil parish also includedPatchway, but not Easter Compton, Compton Greenfield, Hallen, Cribbs Causeway or Charlton, all of which were transferred from the parish ofHenbury in 1935. The parish of Patchway was separated from Almondsbury in 1953.[16]
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