Blagdon

This article is about the village in North Somerset, England. For other places of the same name, see Blagdon (disambiguation).

Blagdon
Blagdon with the lake in the foreground
Blagdon  Blagdon shown within Somerset
Population	1,172
OS grid reference	ST500589
Unitary authority	North Somerset
Ceremonial county	Somerset
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BRISTOL
Postcode district	BS40
Dialling code	01761
Police	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Avon
Ambulance	Great Western
EU Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	Weston-super-Mare
List of places: UK • England • Somerset

Blagdon is a village and civil parish in the ceremonial county of Somerset, within the unitary authority of North Somerset, in England. It is located in the Mendip Hills, a recognised Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. According to the 2001 census it has a population of 1,172. The village is about 12 miles (19 km) east of Weston-super-Mare.

History

According to Robinson it was called Blachedon in the 1086 Domesday Book and the name comes from the Old English bloec and dun meaning 'the black or bleak down'.

Romans, Saxons and Normans

There was a Roman presence in Blagdon from about 49 AD until the end of the Roman occupation of Britain. Several Roman coins and bits of Roman pottery have been found in the village. There were lead and silver workings in Charterhouse, about a mile and a half to the south, up the hill, so it is likely that the wealthier supervisors had their houses away from the toxic smoke in the village.

Wade and Wade in their 1929 book Somerset suggest traces of Roman mines (such as tools and pigs of lead) have been found at Blagdon.

In the Domesday Book, Blagdon is recorded as being held by Serlo de Burci in 1086. Also mentioned in the Domesday Book is that the land in Blagdon was over 2,000 acres (8 km²), including 200 acres (0.8 km²) of woodland.

After this period Blagdon passed to Serlo's grandson, Robert fitz Martin. In 1154, Robert gave St Andrews Church and other land from around the East End of the village to the monks of Stanley in Wiltshire. It was common for wealthy landowners to donate land to monasteries to prove their wealth. It is unlikely the monks spent much time in the village; they probably just rented out the land and took the income from it until the dissolution of the monasteries, at which point ownership of these lands would revert back to the village. The senior branch of the FitzMartin's would retain ownership of lands in Blagdon till the 1340s after which it passed to their heir, James, Baron Audley.

The parish was part of the Hundred of Winterstoke.

Medieval times

Little is known about Blagdon's history past this point into Medieval times. There are several houses in the village dating from medieval times and earlier. The houses facing on to Bell Square (in the north corner of the West End) date from the fourteenth century.

The shape of some of the existing fields suggest they are of medieval origin.

Blagdon in the twentieth century

In 1901 the Wrington Vale Light Railway reached Blagdon. It closed to passengers just 31 years later in 1932. Part of the line remained for freight only, but this closed in 1962.

Governance

The parish 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, and neighbourhood 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 the village hall or community centre, playing fields and playgrounds, 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.

Blagdon and Churchill Ward is represented by one councillor on the unitary authority of North Somerset which was created in 1996, as established by the Local Government Act 1992. It provides a single tier of local government with responsibility for almost all local government functions within its area including local planning and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection, recycling, cemeteries, crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism. It is also responsible for education, 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 the Avon Fire and Rescue Service, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the Great Western Ambulance Service.

North Somerset's area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare. Between April 1, 1974 and April 1, 1996, it was the Woodspring district of the county of Avon. Before 1974 that the parish was part of the Axbridge Rural District.

The parish is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom as part of the Weston-super-Mare constituency. It is also part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.

Geography

Church tower with the lake behind

The village is located on the northern edge of the Mendip Hills on the A368, overlooking Blagdon Lake. The headquarters of the dairy company Yeo Valley Organic is located in the village.

When describing Blagdon the names of the three former separate settlements that merged together to form Blagdon are usually used: West End, East End, and Street End.

The West End has much of the facilities and services of Blagdon, including its Fire station, Village Shop and Post Office, Butcher, Body & Soul Beauty Salon, Doll's House Shop (Cobblers Collectables), Haircuts shop, clothes shop and coffee parlour, The Mead and Children's Play area, tennis courts and football and rugby union pitches. In the East End there is Blagdon Primary School and Blagdon Police Station.

As of March 2010, Blagdon has three pubs open for business: the Seymour Arms. the New Inn, and the Queen Adelaide. (The former Live and Let Live is boarded up and was due to be turned into social housing although this is now suspended due to recent austerity measures). Additionally, the Village Club has a bar and is a social centre. The New Inn is a Grade II listed building. The New Inn at Images of England

Demographics

According to the 2001 Census, the Blagdon and Churchill Ward had 1,423 residents, living in 594 households, with an average age of 41.9 years. Of these 75% of residents describing their health as 'good', 19% of 16-74 year olds had no qualifications; and the area had an unemployment rate of 1.2% of all economically active people aged 16–74. In the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004, it was ranked at 24,228 out of 32,482 wards in England, where 1 was the most deprived LSOA and 32,482 the least deprived.

Transport

Blagdon is served by several bus services going to Bristol, Bath, Wells and Weston-super-Mare. A Blagdon Minibus is available for groups to use at a small charge. The A368 to Bath goes through Blagdon. The nearest railway station is Yatton.

Religious sites

St Andrews Church

St Andrew's Church (Church of England) has a 116-foot tower with pinnacles and a cusped lozenge pattern parapet, with a stair turret spirelet in the north-east corner. The tower was built in 1907–09 by Lord Winterstoke (of the Wills tobacco family) The tower contains a bell dating from 1716 and made by Edward Bilbie of the Bilbie family. It is a Grade II* listed building The lychgate to the east of the church is also a Grade II listed building in its own right. Above the door are four primitive Norman carvings which survived three rebuildings.

There are also Methodist and Baptist chapels.

Culture

Blagdon has many clubs and organisations including:

• The local History Group
• W.I
• Luncheon Club
• Rainbows ~ www.blagdonrainbows.co.uk, Brownies and Guides
• Scouts
• Tennis, football, cricket and rugby clubs

Famous residents

Augustus Montague Toplady

• John Langhorne (1735–79)
• Augustus Montague Toplady (1740–78)

Listed buildings

There are several Grade II listed buildings:

• Aldwick Court at Images of England
• Lodge to south-west of Woodlands at Images of England
• Stables and Archway at Aldwick Court at Images of England
• Woodlands at Images of England
• Bay Trees at Images of England
• Hannah More House at Images of England
• The Old Rectory and Wing Cottage at Images of England
• Fir Tree Farmhouse and attached outbuildings at Images of England
• Blagdon Court and Court Cottage at Images of England
• Blagdon House at Images of England
• Court Farmhouse at Images of England
• Walnut Tree House at Images of England
• Coombe Lodge at Images of England
• Gate Lodge and Gates south of Coombe Lodge at Images of England
• Gauge House at Images of England
• Masonic Lodge at Images of England
• Mill House at Images of England

Bibliography

• Blagdon Village Website
• Blagdon Village Plan Document

External links

• Blagdon at the Open Directory Project
• Blagdon Primary School
• Map of Blagdon circa 1900