Pucklechurch

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pucklechurch is a village in South Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom.

Contents 1 Location 2 Population & Amenities 3 History 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Location

Pucklechurch is located near the Bristol Ring Road (A4174). It is at the top of an escarpment, with fine views towards the Cotswolds, about four miles east. The village can be clearly seen from the M4 motorway, about a mile to the north.

Pucklechurch is within the parliamentary constituency Northavon, currently held by the Liberal Democrats Steve Webb MP. The Northavon constituency will be abolished at the next General Election as part of boundary review changes and replaced by Thornbury and Yate.

[edit] Population & Amenities

Its population is approximately 3000 and contains a church, a primary school, shops and a small post office. Although there is employment at the prison^[1] and on a trading estate, many of the residents commute to Bristol or Bath to work.

[edit] History

Behind Pucklechurch's Star Inn is the site of an ancient royal villa, where King Edmund I of England was murdered by exiled robber Liofa on May 26, 946AD. In 950 King Eadred gave 25 hide (unit)s of land (at Pucelancyrcan) to the Abbey of Glastonbury^[2].

The Domesday Book records these hides as belonging to St. Mary's church, which was in Glastonbury Abbey's grounds^[3]. It notes:

St Mary of Glastonbury holds Pucklechurch. There are twenty hides. In demesne are six ploughs and twenty three villans and eight bordars with eighteen ploughs. There are ten slaves and six men render 100 ingots of iron less ten and in Gloucester one burgess pays 5d and two coliberts pay 34d and there are 3 Frenchmen and two mills rendering 100d. There are sixty acres of meadow and woodland half a league long and a half broad. It was worth £20, now £30^[4].

Parkfield Colliery operated near Pucklechurch from 1851 to 1936.

During World War II there was a barrage balloon depot^[5]. There was a Royal Air Force station at Pucklechurch from 1952 to 1962, when the site was transferred to HM Prison Service. It was used as a remand centre and later became Ashfield Young Offender Institution.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The Pucklechurch community website

Coordinates: 51°29′N, 2°26′W

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