Norton Radstock
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Norton Radstock | ||
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| Statistics | ||
| Population: | 21,325 | |
| Ordnance Survey | ||
| OS grid reference: | ST692550 | |
| Administration | ||
| District: | Bath and North East Somerset | |
| Region: | South West England | |
| Constituent country: | England | |
| Sovereign state: | United Kingdom | |
| Other | ||
| Ceremonial county: | Somerset | |
| Historic county: | Somerset | |
| Services | ||
| Police force: | Avon and Somerset | |
| Fire and rescue: | Avon | |
| Ambulance: | South Western | |
| Post office and telephone | ||
| Post town: | RADSTOCK | |
| Postal district: | BA3 | |
| Dialling code: | 01761 | |
| Politics | ||
| UK Parliament: | Wansdyke | |
| European Parliament: | South West England | |
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Norton Radstock is a small conurbation and large civil parish in Bath and North East Somerset, England, 8 miles southwest of Bath, and the same distance north west of Frome It has a population of 21,325 according to the 2001 census. The term Norton Radstock is not recognised by local residents, neither does it appear on any road map. It consists of the twin towns of Midsomer Norton and Radstock. Midsomer Norton lies on the River Somer, while the Wellow Brook and the Fosseway Roman road run through Radstock. The town is north of the Mendip Hills. The parish includes the smaller settlements of Clandown and Haydon.
The parish was created in 1974 as a successor to the Norton-Radstock urban district that had been created in 1933 by the merger of Midsomer Norton and Radstock urban districts, along with part of Frome Rural District. [1]. Under the Local Government Act 1972 it became a successor parish to the urban district.
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[edit] Midsomer Norton
Midsomer Norton was originally called Midsummer Norton due to its inaccessibility caused by frequent flooding during the other seasons. Sometime in the early 20th Century the name was changed to Midsomer Norton to reflect its location on the River Somer. The oldest building in Midsomer Norton is the Catholic Church of the Holy Ghost, which is a 15th century tithe barn converted by the famous architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. It is a grade II* listed building.[1] The Anglican church of St John the Baptist has a 17th century west tower, but the rest was rebuilt in Gothic style by John Pinch the younger in 1830-1831 and was extended in the 20th century with new chancel and lady chapel. It is also a grade II* listed building.[2] The churchyard includes a memorial to the 12 miners killed in 1839 when their rope was severed.
[edit] Radstock
William Waldergrave was made Baron Radstock in 1800. The title became extinct on the death of the fifth Baron in 1953.
Radstock is home to the Radstock museum, housed in its former market hall. It is also home to an important ecological site Radstock Railway Sidings and an important geological site Writhlington SSSI.
Radstock is home to Writhlington School, famous for its Orchid collection and its links with Brazil, Costa Rica and Guatemala. The school houses the biggest collection of Orchids outside Kew Gardens. The school also attained the best Media Arts results in the country in the 2006 A-level examinations. In addition to this, it was named the most enterprising school in England and recieved the award on the 16th of November, 2006.[2]
Radstock Methodist church opened in 1902. It was damaged by a fire in 2004 but reopened in 2005. The Parish Church of St Nicholas dates from the 15th century and is grade II listed.[3]
[edit] Coal mining and railway
In 1763 coal was discovered in Radstock and mining began in the area as part of the Somerset coalfield.[4]
The Waldergrave family had been Lords of the Manor of Radstock since the English Civil War. In 1896 the pits were owned by the Trustee of Frances, late Countess of Waldegrave.[5]
Radstock was the terminus for the southern branch of the Somerset Coal Canal, which was turned into a tramway. It then became a central point for railway development with large coal depots, wah houses, workshops and a gas works. As part of the development of the Wiltshire, Somerset and Weymouth Railway an 8 mile line from Radstock to Frome was built to carry the coal. In the 1870s the broad-guage line was converetd to standard guage and comnnected to the Bristol and North Somerset Line connecting it to the Great Western Railway. The Radstock Railway Land comprises an area of approximately 8.8 hectares of land which has been subject to planning and development applications.[6]
Since the mines closed in the early 1970s, the towns have become commuter towns with residents working in Bristol or Bath. Some manufacturing industry still exists in the area, namely printing, binding and packaging.
Radstock North Station, was on the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway, which closed in 1974.
[edit] References
- ^ Church of the Holy Ghost. Images of England. Retrieved on 2006-12-10.
- ^ Church of St John the Baptist. Images of England. Retrieved on 2006-12-10.
- ^ Church of St Nicholas. Images of England. Retrieved on 2006-12-10.
- ^ Clew, Kenneth R. (1970). The Somersetshire Coal Canal and Railways. Newton Abbot: David and Charles. ISBN 0715347926.
- ^ Peak District Mines Historical Society Ltd. Retrieved on 2006-11-12.
- ^ Radstock Railway Land Redevelopment. Bath and North East Somerset Council. Retrieved on 2006-12-10.
