Winterbourne, Gloucestershire

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Winterbourne
Winterbourne shown within Gloucestershire
OS grid reference	ST6580
Parish	Winterbourne
Unitary authority	South Gloucestershire
Ceremonial county	Gloucestershire
Region	South West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BRISTOL
Postcode district	BS36
Dialling code	01454
Police	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Avon
Ambulance	Great Western
European Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	Filton and Bradley Stoke
List of places: UK • England • Gloucestershire

Coordinates: 51°29′52″N 2°31′10″W / 51.4979, -2.5194

Winterbourne is a large village in South Gloucestershire, England, on the outskirts of the city of Bristol. It had a population of just over 9000 in the 2001 census. It sits as the centre of the Civil Parish of Winterbourne which encompasses the neighbouring communities of Winterbourne Down, Hambrook and Frenchay. To the east is the village of Frampton Cotterell and to the west lies the new town of Bradley Stoke.

J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, lived in Winterbourne and attended St Michael's Primary School until she was nine years old.^[1] Potter's surname originated from some of her friends in the village. ^[2]

1 The village
2 Schools
3 References
4 External links

[edit] The village

St Michael's Church

Much of Winterbourne is located on a hill. The village is partially surrounded by woodlands and fields, most with public access, but urban development has greatly reduced these areas. The River Frome snakes its way through a scenic valley between Winterbourne and Frampton Cotterell to the east. The Bradley Brook flows between Winterbourne, Bradley Stoke and Stoke Gifford to the west. Since the 1960s the M4 motorway has bypassed the village to the south and west.

Looking towards the Winterbourne Viaduct and Frome Valley from Cloisters.

The village pond, home to ducks and swans. Shelter for the ducks is provided on the islands.

Winterbourne Viaduct carries the railway over the River Frome. Beneath the viaduct is the abandoned Huckford Quarry, now a public nature reserve popular with dog walkers. Winterbourne also has a large duck pond which overlooks part of the Frome Valley and is a popular spot for fishing and feeding the ducks and swans.

At Winterbourne's south-eastern slope is the village of Winterbourne Down, host of the Parish's annual May Day carnival. This village is subject to minor flooding from the River Frome during the winter months.

The Parish Church is St Michael's, a building believed to date from the 12th Century and which celebrated its 800th anniversary in 1998. Set away from the bustle of Winterbourne, St Michael's sits amidst green fields and attractive cottages with its spire clearly visible from the village. At the altar a stone depiction of the Last Supper, based on the painting by Leonardo da Vinci, greets the congregation.

Winterbourne Court Farm Barn is close to St Michael's. This is a grade II* listed 14th century tithe barn – an outstanding and unique example of its type.

Winterbourne has a number of pubs. These include The George and Dragon (now closed)(the upstairs of which served as the original location of St Michael's Primary School), The Wheatsheaf (also a hotel), The Swan and The Mason's Arms. More recently, The Wheatsheaf and The Swan have expanded their service to include restaurants.

Due to Winterbourne's size, people are divided on whether it should be classed as a village or town. The village has three social centres: St Michael's Rooms, Fromeside Community Centre and Greenfield, all of which are host to clubs, functions and other public events.

Winterbourne has branches of the Co-op and Tesco Express, a chemist, optician, a handful of dental practices and a library. NatWest has a branch in the village. The typical aspects of an English village remain, however; a bakery, butchers' and Post Office. Horses and cows are found grazing in the fields surrounding the village, notably the 'Cloisters' area, which offers a picturesque view of the Frome Valley and viaduct.

In late 2004, the local secondary school, The Ridings High School, opened a large all-weather pitch in the heart of Winterbourne as part of its 'Sports Village' scheme. The school also owns the local swimming pool and gym.

The main street, looking in the direction of Yate.

As well as being the centre of an extensive Civil Parish, Winterbourne contains the hamlet of Watley's End, nestled on the border between Winterbourne and Frampton Cotterell. Nowadays, it is regarded as an area of Winterbourne, but a few decades ago (and still by a number of older residents) it was considered to be a separate village. People with a sense of identity in Watley's End refer to the busy, uphill part of the village as 'Winterbourne Hill'. Salem, the local Methodist church, is in Watley's End.

[edit] Schools

Winterbourne has four schools: Elm Park and St Michael's are the local primary schools, with most students going on to attend the local secondary school: The Ridings High School. Silverhill is an independent preparatory school for children aged 2 to 11 years.