Yate
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  Map sources for Yate at grid reference ST7182
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Yate is a town at the southern end of the escarpment of the Cotswold Hills, 12 miles (19 km) northeast of the city of Bristol, England. At the 2001 census its population was 21,789. The much smaller town of Chipping Sodbury (population 5,066) is continuous with Yate to the east. The majority of the development from a village into a new town was in the 1960s as an overspill/commuter town for Bristol
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[edit] Administration
Yate was in Gloucestershire until 1974 when it became part of the newly-formed county of Avon. In 1996 the Avon authority was abolished and the area became part of the unitary authority of South Gloucestershire.
[edit] Location
The town is surrounded by countryside while within easy reach of the city of Bristol by car, bus or train. Yate railway station was closed by Beeching in January 1965, but was reopened in May 1989; the Brunel-built engine shed is preserved nearby. The Welsh border at Chepstow is 17 miles (27 km) away, 25 minutes drive from Yate.
[edit] History
The first mention of Yate is the existence of a religious house about AD 770; Yate is also mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name is derived from the Saxon word Giete or Gete meaning "a gateway into a forest area".
During the Saxon period and well into medieval times most of this part of south Gloucestershire was covered with forest but through the centuries the land was cleared for farming.
The town's parish church, St Mary's was started in Norman times but was altered during the 15th century and was extensively restored in 1970. St Mary's Primary School, situated outside the churchyard walls, was built on the site of a former poor house.
It was the opening of the railway station in 1844 that established Yate, with Station Road becoming the central thoroughfare. It was around this road that the cattle and produce markets were held and where businesses were established. In the 1960s Yate was designated as a development area and the building boom began. The creation of a 'new town' included a large retail shopping area, sports and leisure development together with numerous public buildings.
When a new secondary school was to be constructed in the late 1970s, it was suppose to be 'Brinsham Green School' (after 'Brinsham Lane' at nearby Yate Rocks), but due to a spelling error it was called 'Brimsham Green School'.
The town experienced further expansion in the 1990s-2000s with the construction of housing at North Yate. The housing estate carried on with the corrupted name of 'Brimsham'. To locals the area is known as 'Brimsham Park'.
[edit] Industry
Prior to WW2, Yate had an aircraft manufacturing industry (Parnall). During WW2, Parnalls specialized in making gun turrets. A number of people were killed in raids by the Luftwaffe on the factory in February and March of 1941.
Yate has three natural products associated with it - limestone to the east, celestine or spar near the centre of the town, and coal to the west. The need for limestone increased with the growth of roads while the demand for coal grew with the diminishing supply of timber. Celestine was first dug in the late 1880s and was initially used for the refining of sugar beet. At one time Yate’s celestine accounted for over 70 per cent of the worlds production. In more recent times this mineral has been used in the electronics industries. The mining company, Bristol Mineral and Land Co, closed in 1994.
Trading estates ring the town.
[edit] Shops
Construction of a pedestrianised shopping centre of around 100 shops (thought to be one of the first, in the UK, to be constructed in a small town) began in the early to mid 1960s. The shopping centre was opened by Coronation Street's Elsie Tanner (Patricia Phoenix). An extension to West Walk was constructed in the early 90s, containing Kwik Save (now McDonalds, The Entertainer and Subway), Argos and other shops.
Centre shops include Burtons (clothes retailer), Woolworths, Tesco, Boots (Chemist), Halfords Metro, Iceland (supermarket), Argos, Superdrug and The Entertainer. Eating places in the Centre are McDonalds, Burger King, Subway and Boswells.
During the 80s and into the mid 90s, Yate Shopping Centre hosted Yate's Annual festival. On opening day a celebrity launched the Festival by releasing balloons and stayed to sign autographs. Celebrities have included - Grotbags (from Rod Hull and Emu's enemey), Timmy Mallet, Keith Chegwin, Ross Kemp (EastEnders' Grant Mitchell), Ken Morely (Coronatiion Street's Reg Holdsworth), David Neilson (Coronation Street's Roy Cropper), Beverly Callard (Coronation Street's Liz McDonald), Bob Carolgees and Spit the Dog, and the Milky Bar Kid. The festival also brought along a number of news presenters from HTV West including Bruce Hockin, Richard Wyatt and Peter Rowell.
In December 2006 the owners of the shopping centre (Dominion Corporate Trustees) announced plans to enlarge and modernise it. In Phase 1 the main change will be an enlargement of the existing Tesco supermarket, using up part of the centre's car park. To compensate for the loss, the store will be on "stilts" with parking beneath.
Also located near the shopping centre are Lidi, Morrisons and B & Q. There are two Tesco Express stores in Yate: one on Station Road (half way between the shopping centre and Yate Railway Station) and one in Brimsham Park).
Morrisons (formerly Safeway) and B & Q were built in the mid to late 80s (along with two small housing estates), on the site of the old Newmans Factory (which was demolished in the mid 80s).
[edit] Amenities
The town has a skatepark at Peghill. The Common (open space) on Westerleigh Road is a popular spot for dog walking, nature watching, kite flying and for visits of circuses and fairs.
The Common has a stretch of disused dual carriageway (locally called "The Road to Nowhere") which has been used for filming in TV programmes such as Casualty, when filming on a real road was not feasible.
[edit] Famous Inhabitants
- The author of the Harry Potter series of books, J. K. Rowling, was born in Yate, at Chipping Sodbury Hospital, and lived in early childhood at the nearby village of Winterbourne.
- Graffiti artist Banksy originates from Yate.[1]
[edit] Suburbs of Yate
- Goose Green
- Abbotswood
- Rodford
- Stover
- North Yate
- Brimsham Park
[edit] External links
- The Yate and Chipping Sodbury Guide A Guide to Yate and Chipping Sodbury.
- Yate Rotary Club's Beer Festival Website South Cotswolds Annual Beer Festival June 2006
- History The History of Yate
- Chipping Sodbury Cricket Club nr Yate
- Sodbury Players Local amateur dramatics group in the Yate and Chipping Sodbury Area
- Whats on in Yate Events in Yate
- Local Focus Events in Chipping Sodbury, Yate and Dodington
- Yate Town Council Local services in Yate
[edit] References
- ^ On the trail of artist Banksy BBC News. Retrieved 12 February 2007
[edit] Gallery
 St. Mary's church tower |
 The lych gate. Inside this gate are the two war memorials |
 WW2 memorial |
 WW1 memorial |
 The Parnall memorial in the churchyard |
 Tombs in the churchyard, seen from the church tower |
 St. Mary's Church of England school in Church road |
 A very small part of Yate. The shopping centre is top right |
 The fire station (red doors), the ambulance station is to its right. In the foreground is middle to high income housing |
 A display of spring daffodils on Rodford Way |
 The lake in Kingsgate Park |
 The shopping precinct has over one hundred shops |
 The White Lion pub at the shopping centre |
 Stanshawes Court Hotel, an 1871 Victorian mansion in Kingsgate Park |
