Pill, North Somerset
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  Map sources for Pill, North Somerset at grid reference ST525755
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Pill is a village in North Somerset. It is situated on the southern bank of the Avon. Pill now includes Ham Green and is adjacent to the village of Easton-in-Gordano. Opposite Pill is the Bristol suburb of Shirehampton.
Pill literally means creek or inlet off of river or channel or a small harbour, often tidal and occasionally used as a dock.
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[edit] History
Pill or Crockerne Pill (as it was previously named) was traditionally the residence of pilots who would guide boats up the Avon Gorge, between the Bristol Channel and the Port of Bristol. The port moved in the twentieth century to Avonmouth and the Royal Portbury Dock. Once home to some 21 public houses, Pill was known as being a rough place to the extent that the founder of the Methodist Church, John Wesley, was loathe to set foot in it[citation needed].
The 1860's saw the building of the railway line between Bristol (Temple Meads) and Portishead. Opened to passengers in 1863, passing right through the village of Pill. A large number of properties having to be demolished to allow its necessary straight and level passage. It brought new life to the area, not to mention new blood as many of the navvies working the line met and married local girls and stayed on after the line was complete to raise their families. They brought new names, some of which are still with us today, over 100 years on. The railway consumed not only dwellings and other buildings but many acres of farm land during its construction.
The ferry from Pill to Shirehampton closed because of loss of trade. Thanks to the motorway bridge, one could now walk over the Avon. Few did of course, but some rode their bicycles and many more turned to their cars. So a transport link to and from the parish of Easton-in-Gordano, one that had survived since Medieval times, was closed and the river mud has swallowed up most of the now unattended slipways.
[edit] Current
Today the parish has five churches: St Georges, Easton-in-Gordano; Christ Church, Pill; The Salvation Army, Pill Baptist Church and Pill Methodist Church.
Pill has several shops in the centre for day-to-day needs, including a newsagents and small supermarket. There is also a shop for local charity CHEER and a small garden centre. Pill is home to several take-away restaurants. It can no longer boast 21 pubs and currently has 5, since the Railway has recently shut down. The Anchor, The King's Head, The Star, The Duke and the Pill Memorial Club are the remaining five, although this excludes the nearby pubs in Easton-in-Gordano.
The village and its now-gone ferry are commemorated in the Adge Cutler and The Wurzels song Pill Pill.
It is commonly used as a place for commuting to Bristol as it has excellent transport links being close to the M5 and Bristol.
Pill also marks the start of the National Cycle Route 33 (the Wessex Cycleway) which starts at Pill and takes in Clevedon, Weston-super-Mare, Bridgwater, Chard and Seaton.
[edit] Schools
- St. Katherine's school, located in Ham Green with approximately 1000 students aged 11-18.
- Crockerne Primary School, which is located in the village and caters for Nursery to Year 6 pupils. The school also has one of North Somerset's first children's centres which was officially opened on the 1st July 2006, as well as a small, indoor, heated swimming pool and an active PTA.
