Banwell: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 51°19′37″N 2°51′50″W / 51.327°N 2.864°W / 51.327; -2.864
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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Infobox UK place
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
⚫
|static_image=[[Image:Banwellcastle.jpg|alt=Stone building with slit windows and battlements. Foreground is road with grass verges.|240px]]
{{For|the surname|Banwell (surname)}}{{Infobox UK place
|static_image_caption=<small>Banwell Castle</small>
⚫
| static_image = [[File:Banwellcastle.jpg|alt=Stone building with slit windows and battlements. Foreground is road with grass verges.|240px]]
|country = England
|official_name= Banwell
| static_image_caption = Banwell Castle
| population = 2,923
| country = England
| official_name = Banwell
| population_ref = <ref name="census">{{cite web | url= http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/03837087-C27B-4891-B94C-16F0C4103DB6/0/census_BanwellParish2001.pdf | work= North Somerset Council | title= Parish of Banwell 2001 Census Parish Information Sheet | format= PDF | accessdate= 2007-10-24}}</ref>
| population = 3,251
|latitude= 51.327
| population_ref = <ref name="census">{{cite web|title=2011 Census Profile |url=http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/Environment/Planning_policy_and-research/researchandmonitoring/Documents/North%20Somerset%20Small%20area%20geography%20profiles%20tool.xls |publisher=North Somerset Council |access-date=4 January 2014 |format=Excel |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104204530/http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/Environment/Planning_policy_and-research/researchandmonitoring/Documents/North%20Somerset%20Small%20area%20geography%20profiles%20tool.xls |archive-date= 4 January 2014 }}</ref>
|longitude= -2.864
| coordinates = {{coord|51.327|-2.864|display=inline,title}}
|unitary_england= [[North Somerset]]
|lieutenancy_england=[[Somerset]]
| unitary_england = [[North Somerset]]
| lieutenancy_england = [[Somerset]]
|region= South West England
| region = South West England
|constituency_westminster= [[Weston-super-Mare (UK Parliament constituency)|Weston-super-Mare]]
| constituency_westminster = [[Weston-super-Mare (UK Parliament constituency)|Weston-super-Mare]]
|post_town= BANWELL
| post_town = BANWELL
|postcode_district = BS29
| postcode_district = BS29
|postcode_area= BS
| postcode_area = BS
|dial_code= 01934
| dial_code = 01934
|os_grid_reference=
| os_grid_reference = ST398591
}}
}}


'''Banwell''' is a village and [[civil parish]] on the [[River Banwell]] in the [[North Somerset]] district of [[Somerset]], England. Its population was 2,923 according to the 2001 census.<ref name="census" />
'''Banwell''' is a village and [[civil parish]] on the [[River Banwell]] in the [[North Somerset]] district of [[Somerset]], England. Its population was 3,251 according to the 2021 census.<ref name="census" />


== History ==
==History==


[[Banwell Camp]], west of the village, is a univallate [[hillfort]] which have yielded flint implements from the [[Palaeolithic]], [[Neolithic]] and [[Bronze Age]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=194460&resourceID=2 | title=Banwell Camp | work=Pastscape | publisher=[[English Heritage]] | accessdate=29 January 2011}}</ref> It was also occupied in the [[Iron Age]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/publications/archaeological-aerial-survey-northern-mendip-hills-nmp/Northern_Mendip_Hills_AONB_NMP_Report_web.pdf | page=32 | title=Archaeological Aerial Survey in the Northern Mendip Hills: A Highlight Report for the National Mapping Programme | publisher=[[English Heritage]] | accessdate=29 January 2011}}</ref> In the late 1950s it was excavated by J.W. Hunt of the Banwell Society of Archaeology.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fortifiedengland.com/Home/Categories/ViewItem/tabid/61/Default.aspx?IID=1331 | title=Banwell Camp | publisher=Fortified England | accessdate=29 January 2011}}</ref> It is surrounded by a {{convert|4|m|ft}} high bank and ditch.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/research/landscapes-and-areas/protected-landscapes/mendip-hills/ | title=Mendip Hills | publisher=[[English Heritage]] | accessdate=29 January 2011}}</ref>
[[Banwell Camp]], east of the village, is a [[univallate hillfort]] which has yielded flint implements from the [[Palaeolithic]], [[Neolithic]] and [[Bronze Age]].<ref>{{PastScape | mnumber=194460| mname=Banwell Camp | access-date=29 January 2011}}</ref> It was also occupied in the [[Iron Age]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/publications/archaeological-aerial-survey-northern-mendip-hills-nmp/Northern_Mendip_Hills_AONB_NMP_Report_web.pdf | page=32 | title=Archaeological Aerial Survey in the Northern Mendip Hills: A Highlight Report for the National Mapping Programme | publisher=[[English Heritage]] | access-date=29 January 2011}}</ref> In the late 1950s it was excavated by J.W. Hunt of the Banwell Society of Archaeology.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fortifiedengland.com/Home/Categories/ViewItem/tabid/61/Default.aspx?IID=1331 |title=Banwell Camp |publisher=Fortified England |access-date=29 January 2011 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711021322/http://www.fortifiedengland.com/Home/Categories/ViewItem/tabid/61/Default.aspx?IID=1331 |archive-date=11 July 2011 |df=dmy }}</ref> It is surrounded by a {{convert|4|m|ft}} high bank and ditch.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/research/landscapes-and-areas/protected-landscapes/mendip-hills/ | title=Mendip Hills | publisher=[[English Heritage]] | access-date=29 January 2011}}</ref>


The remains of a [[Romano-British]] villa were discovered in 1968. It included a courtyard, wall and bath house close to the [[River Banwell]]. Artefacts from the site suggest it fell into disuse in the 4th century.<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Romano-British villa, Banwell |num=1013434 |access-date=21 August 2014 }}</ref> [[Earthworks (archaeology)|Earthworks]] from farm buildings, {{convert|420|m}} south of Gout House Farm, occupied from the 11th to 14th centuries where archaeological remains suggest the site was first occupied in the [[Romano-British]] period. The raised area which was occupied by the Bower House was surrounded by a water filled ditch, part of which has since been incorporated into a [[rhyne]].<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Deserted medieval farmstead 420m south of Gout House Farm |num=1011133 |access-date=7 December 2014 }}</ref>
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[[Banwell Castle]] is a [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] castle built in 1847 by John Dyer Sympson, a [[solicitor]] from London. Originally built as his home, it is now a hotel and restaurant and is a Grade II* [[listed building]].<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=350213 | work= Images of England | title= Banwell Castle detailed record | accessdate= 2007-10-24}}</ref>

The parish was part of the [[Winterstoke]] [[Hundred (county subdivision)|Hundred]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Somerset Hundreds|url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SOM/Miscellaneous/|publisher=GENUKI|access-date=9 September 2011}}</ref>

[[File:Cottage Banwell Hill.jpg|thumb|left|Bishop's Cottage, Banwell Hill, c.1840]]
Banwell Abbey was built as a bishops residence in the 14th and 15th century on the site of a monastic foundation. It was renovated in 1870 by [[Hans Price]], and is now a Grade II* [[listed building]].<ref>{{NHLE |num=1135732 |desc=Banwell Abbey and The Cloisters |access-date=19 March 2011}}</ref> Nearby is a small building presented to the village by Miss Elizabeth Fazakerly, who lived at The Abbey in 1887 to house a small [[Fire apparatus|fire-engine]]. It served as the fire station until the 1960s and now houses a small museum of memorabilia related to the [[fire station]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Warren|first=Derrick|title=Curious Somerset|year=2005|publisher=Sutton Publishing|location=Stroud|isbn=978-0-7509-4057-3|pages=12–13}}</ref>

"Beard's Stone" in Cave's Wood dates from 1842. It marks the reburial site of an ancient human skeleton found in a cave near Bishop's Cottage. William Beard, an amateur archaeologist who had found the bones, had them reinterred and marked the site with the stone with a poetic inscription.<ref>{{cite book|last=Warren|first=Derrick|title=Curious Somerset|year=2005|publisher=Sutton Publishing|location=Stroud|isbn=978-0-7509-4057-3|pages=10–11}}</ref>

⚫
[[Banwell Castle]] is a [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] castle built in 1847 by John Dyer Sympson, a [[solicitor]] from London. Originally built as his home, it is now a hotel and restaurant and is a Grade II* [[listed building]].<ref>{{NHLE |num=1283203 |desc=Banwell Castle detailed record |access-date=24 October 2007}}</ref>

Of the two historical [[village pump]]s standing in the village, one of them was erected to commemorate [[Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.villagepumps.org.uk/banwell.htm|title=Banwell pumps}}</ref>


==Governance==
==Governance==


The [[Parish councils of England|parish council]] has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council’s operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and [[Neighbourhood Watch (UK)|neighbourhood watch]] groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, such as the [[village hall]] or [[community centre]], [[playing field]]s and [[playground]]s, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also of interest to the council.
The [[Parish councils of England|parish council]] has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and [[Neighbourhood Watch (UK)|neighbourhood watch]] groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, such as the [[village hall]] or [[community centre]], [[playing field]]s and [[playground]]s, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also of interest to the council.


The parish falls within the [[unitary authority]] of [[North Somerset]] which was created in 1996, as established by the [[Local Government Act 1992]]. It provides a single tier of [[local government in the United Kingdom|local government]] with responsibility for almost all local government functions within their area including [[planning permission|local planning]] and [[Building regulations in the United Kingdom|building control]], local roads, [[council housing]], [[environmental health]], [[market]]s and fairs, [[refuse collection]], [[recycling]], [[cemeteries]], [[crematoria]], leisure services, parks, and [[tourism]]. They are also responsible for [[Local Education Authority|education]], [[social services]], [[library|libraries]], main roads, [[public transport]], [[Trading Standards|trading standards]], [[waste disposal]] and strategic planning, although fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the [[Avon Fire and Rescue Service]], [[Avon and Somerset Constabulary]] and the [[Great Western Ambulance Service]].
The parish falls within the [[unitary authority]] of [[North Somerset]] which was created in 1996, as established by the [[Local Government Act 1992]]. It provides a single tier of [[local government in the United Kingdom|local government]] with responsibility for almost all local government functions within its area including [[planning permission|local planning]] and [[Building regulations in the United Kingdom|building control]], local roads, [[council housing]], [[environmental health]], [[Market (place)|market]]s and fairs, [[refuse collection]], [[recycling]], [[cemeteries]], [[crematoria]], leisure services, parks, and [[tourism]]. It is also responsible for [[Local Education Authority|education]], [[social services]], [[library|libraries]], main roads, [[public transport]], [[Trading Standards|trading standards]], [[waste disposal]] and strategic planning, although fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the [[Avon Fire and Rescue Service]], [[Avon and Somerset Constabulary]] and the [[South Western Ambulance Service]].


North Somerset's area covers part of the [[Ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial county]] of [[Somerset]] but it is administered independently of the [[non-metropolitan county]]. Its administrative headquarters are in the town hall in [[Weston-super-Mare]]. Between 1 April 1974 and 1 April 1996, it was the [[Woodspring]] [[Districts of England|district]] of the [[county of Avon]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1995/Uksi_19950493_en_1.htm |title=The Avon (Structural Change) Order 1995 |accessdate=2007-12-09 |format= |work=HMSO }}</ref> Before 1974 that the parish was part of the [[Axbridge Rural District]].<ref>[http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10025515&c_id=10001043 A Vision of Britain Through Time : Axbridge Rural District]</ref>
North Somerset's area covers part of the [[Ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial county]] of [[Somerset]] but it is administered independently of the [[non-metropolitan county]]. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in [[Weston-super-Mare]]. Between 1 April 1974 and 1 April 1996, it was the [[Woodspring]] [[Districts of England|district]] of the [[county of Avon]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1995/Uksi_19950493_en_1.htm |title=The Avon (Structural Change) Order 1995 |access-date=9 December 2007 |work=HMSO |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080130105206/http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1995/Uksi_19950493_en_1.htm |archive-date=30 January 2008 }}</ref> Before 1974 the parish was part of the [[Axbridge Rural District]].<ref name=axbridgerd>{{cite web|title=Axbridge RD|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10025515|work=A vision of Britain Through Time|publisher=University of Portsmouth|access-date=4 January 2014}}</ref>


The village falls in the 'Banwell and Winscombe' [[Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom|electoral ward]]. This ward starts at its most northerly point in [[St. Georges, North Somerset|St. Georges]] visits ''Banwell'' and [[Winscombe]] before ending at [[Loxton, Somerset|Loxton]] at its most southerly point. The total population of the ward taken from the [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]] was 11,036.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukcensusdata.com/banwell-and-winscombe-e05008602#sthash.92KP8pWy.dpbs|title=Banwell and Winscombe ward 2011|access-date= 9 March 2015}}</ref>
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The parish is represented in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] as part of the [[Weston-super-Mare (UK Parliament constituency)|Weston-super-Mare]] constituency. It elects one [[Member of Parliament|Member of Parliament (MP)]] by the [[first past the post]] system of election. It is also part of the [[South West England (European Parliament constituency)|South West England constituency]] of the [[European Parliament]] which elects seven [[Members of the European Parliament|MEPs]] using the [[d'Hondt method]] of [[party-list proportional representation]].

⚫
The parish is represented in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] as part of the [[Weston-super-Mare (UK Parliament constituency)|Weston-super-Mare]] constituency. It elects one [[Member of Parliament|Member of Parliament (MP)]] by the [[first past the post]] system of election. It was also part of the [[South West England (European Parliament constituency)|South West England constituency]] of the [[European Parliament]], prior to [[Brexit|Britain leaving the European Union]] in January 2020, which elected seven [[Members of the European Parliament|MEPs]] using the [[d'Hondt method]] of [[party-list proportional representation]].


==Geography==
==Geography==


Banwell is located {{convert|5|mi|km|1|lk=on}} east of [[Weston-super-Mare]] on the [[A371 road]] and is where the western end of the [[A368 road]] begins. The village is at the west end of the northern side of the [[Mendip hills]].
Banwell is located {{convert|5|mi|km|1}} east of [[Weston-super-Mare]] on the [[A371 road]] and is where the western end of the [[A368 road]] begins. The village is at the west end of the northern side of the [[Mendip hills]].


The village is located between the [[M5 motorway]] and the [[A38 road|A38]], and is used by traffic travelling from the motorway to [[Bristol International Airport]]. This traffic, together with other users of the A371 and A368, often causes the narrow streets of Banwell to become jammed.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.bypassbanwell.co.uk/textpages/theproblem.htm | title= The problem | work= Bypass Banwell campaign website | accessdate= 2007-10-24}}</ref>
The village is located between the [[M5 motorway]] and the [[A38 road|A38]], and is used by a significant volume of commuter traffic.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Facts and figures {{!}} North Somerset Council |url=https://n-somerset.gov.uk/business/regeneration-development/housing-infrastructure-fund/banwell-bypass/facts-figures |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=n-somerset.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref> This traffic, together with other users of the A371 and A368, often causes the narrow streets of Banwell to become jammed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bypassbanwell.co.uk/textpages/theproblem.htm |title=The problem |work=Bypass Banwell campaign website |access-date=24 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071207063624/http://www.bypassbanwell.co.uk/textpages/theproblem.htm |archive-date=7 December 2007 |url-status = dead}}</ref>
There has been a campaign to bypass Banwell for many years but other villages in the area have objected as increasing the traffic capacity on the roads would create problem on their roads. The Greater Bristol Strategic Transport Study in 2006 recommended that a road be built from Junction 21 of the M5 directly to Bristol International Airport, bypassing Banwell and all the other local villages, thus alleviating their concerns.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/content/twm/flatfiles/features/Features2006/aspx/06-06-30Road.aspx | title= On the right road at last? | work= The Weston Mercury | date= 30 June 2006 | accessdate= 2007-10-24}}</ref>
There has been a campaign to bypass Banwell for many years, but other villages in the area have objected as increasing the traffic capacity on the roads would create problem on their roads. The Greater Bristol Strategic Transport Study in 2006 recommended that a road be built from Junction 21 of the M5 directly to Bristol Airport, bypassing Banwell and all the other local villages, thus alleviating their concerns.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/content/twm/flatfiles/features/Features2006/aspx/06-06-30Road.aspx |title=On the right road at last? |work=The Weston Mercury |date=30 June 2006 |access-date=24 October 2007 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061008165624/http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/content/twm/flatfiles/features/Features2006/aspx/06-06-30Road.aspx |archive-date=8 October 2006 |df=dmy }}</ref>
However, this would not benefit local traffic passing through Banwell to and from Weston-super-Mare, [[Wells]] and [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] so some traffic problems would still exist.
However, this would not benefit local traffic passing through Banwell to and from Weston-super-Mare, [[Wells, Somerset|Wells]] and [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]], so some traffic problems would still exist.


[[Banwell Caves]] are a {{convert|1.7|ha|acre|1}} [[geological and biological Site of Special Scientific Interest]] at the western end of Banwell Hill.
[[Banwell Caves]] is a {{convert|1.7|ha|acre|1}} [[geological and biological Site of Special Scientific Interest]] at the western end of Banwell Hill.


===Climate===
===Climate===


Along with the rest of [[South West England]], Banwell has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country.<ref name="weather">{{cite web | title=South West England: climate | work=Met Office |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/sw/ | accessdate=14 March 2010}}</ref> The annual mean temperature is approximately {{convert|10|°C|°F|1|lk=on}}. [[Temperateness|Seasonal temperature variation]] is less extreme than most of the United Kingdom because of the adjacent sea temperatures. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately {{convert|21|°C|°F|1}}. In winter mean minimum temperatures of {{convert|1|°C|°F|1}} or {{convert|2|°C|°F|1}} are common.<ref name="weather"/> In the summer the [[Azores]] high pressure affects the south-west of England, however [[convective]] cloud sometimes forms inland, reducing the number of hours of sunshine. Annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600&nbsp;hours.<ref name="weather"/> In December 1998 there were 20 days without sun recorded at Yeovilton. Most the rainfall in the south-west is caused by [[Low-pressure area|Atlantic depressions]] or by [[convection]]. Most of the rainfall in autumn and winter is caused by the Atlantic depressions, which is when they are most active. In summer, a large proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. Average rainfall is around {{convert|700|mm|abbr=on}}. About 8–15 days of snowfall is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west.<ref name="weather"/>
Along with the rest of [[South West England]], Banwell has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country.<ref name="weather">{{cite web|title=South West England: climate |work=Met Office |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/sw/ |access-date=14 March 2010 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605003222/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/sw/ |archive-date= 5 June 2011 }}</ref> The annual mean temperature is approximately {{convert|10|°C|°F|1|lk=on}}. [[Temperateness|Seasonal temperature variation]] is less extreme than most of the United Kingdom because of the adjacent sea temperatures. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately {{convert|21|°C|°F|1}}. In winter mean minimum temperatures of {{convert|1|°C|°F|1}} or {{convert|2|°C|°F|1}} are common.<ref name="weather"/> In the summer the [[Azores]] high pressure affects the south-west of England. However, [[convective]] cloud sometimes forms inland, reducing the number of hours of sunshine. Annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600&nbsp;hours.<ref name="weather"/> In December 1998 there were 20 days without sun recorded at Yeovilton. Most of the rainfall in the south-west is caused by [[Low-pressure area|Atlantic depressions]] or by [[convection]]. Most of the rainfall in autumn and winter is caused by the Atlantic depressions, which is when they are most active. In summer, a large proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. Average rainfall is around {{convert|700|mm|abbr=on}}. About 8–15 days of snowfall is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west.<ref name="weather"/>


==Religious sites==
==Religious sites==
{{main|Church of St Andrew, Banwell}}
{{main|Church of St Andrew, Banwell}}
[[Image:Banwellchurch.jpg|thumb|St Andrew's Church]]
[[File:Banwellchurch.jpg|thumb|St Andrew's Church]]


The mainly 15th-century [[parish church]] of [[St Andrew]] is a Grade I listed building.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=33352 | work= Images of England | title= Parish Church of St Andrew detailed record | accessdate= 2007-10-24}}</ref>
The mainly 15th-century [[parish church]] of [[St Andrew]] is a Grade I listed building.<ref>{{NHLE |num=1320659 |desc=Parish Church of St Andrew detailed record |access-date=24 October 2007}}</ref>
The body of the church has a [[nave]] with a [[clerestory]], north and south aisles and a rather short chancel, considering the proportions of the rest of the church. The font dates from the 12th century and there is a carved stone [[pulpit]] from the 15th century and a carved [[rood screen]] built and set up in 1552, which escaped the [[English Reformation|Reformation]]. The 100&nbsp;ft (30&nbsp;m) high tower that contains ten [[Church bell|bells]] dates from the 18th to 20th century and the clock is dated 1884. Bells dating from 1734 and 1742 were made by Thomas Bilbie, of the [[Bilbie family]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Moore |first=James |authorlink= |coauthors=Roy Rice & Ernest Hucker |title=Bilbie and the Chew Valley clock makers |year=1995 |publisher=The authors |location= |isbn=0-9526702-0-8 }}</ref>
The body of the church has a [[nave]] with a [[clerestory]], north and south aisles and a rather short chancel, considering the proportions of the rest of the church. The font dates from the 12th century and there is a carved stone [[pulpit]] from the 15th century and a carved [[rood screen]] built and set up in 1552, which escaped the [[English Reformation|Reformation]]. The 100&nbsp;ft (30&nbsp;m) high tower that contains ten [[Church bell|bells]] dates from the 18th to 20th century and the clock is dated 1884. Bells dating from 1734 and 1742 were made by Thomas Bilbie, of the [[Bilbie family]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Moore |first1=James |first2=Roy |last2=Rice |first3= Ernest |last3=Hucker |title=Bilbie and the Chew Valley clock makers |year=1995 |publisher=The authors |isbn=0-9526702-0-8 }}</ref>


==References==
==References==
Line 62: Line 76:


==External links==
==External links==
*{{dmoz|/Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/Somerset/Banwell/|Banwell}}
{{Commons category|Banwell}}
*{{Curlie|/Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/Somerset/Banwell/|Banwell}}
*[http://www.banwellparishcouncil.co.uk/ Banwell Parish Council]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080513065027/http://www.banwellparishcouncil.co.uk/ Banwell Parish Council]
*[http://www.banwell.info/ Banwell Village Online Community]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071012222155/http://www.banwell.info/ Banwell Village Online Community]
*{{OpenDomesday|ST3959|banwell|Banwell}}



{{Mendip Hills}}
{{Mendip Hills}}


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[[Category:Villages in Somerset]]
[[Category:North Somerset]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Somerset]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Somerset]]
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[[Category:Villages in North Somerset]]

[[nl:Banwell]]

Latest revision as of 22:49, 1 May 2024

For the surname, see Banwell (surname).
Banwell
Stone building with slit windows and battlements. Foreground is road with grass verges.
Banwell Castle
Banwell is located in Somerset
Banwell
Banwell
Location within Somerset
Population3,251 [1]
OS grid referenceST398591
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBANWELL
Postcode districtBS29
Dialling code01934
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireAvon
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Somerset
51°19′37″N 2°51′50″W / 51.327°N 2.864°W / 51.327; -2.864

Banwell is a village and civil parish on the River Banwell in the North Somerset district of Somerset, England. Its population was 3,251 according to the 2021 census.[1]

History[edit]

Banwell Camp, east of the village, is a univallate hillfort which has yielded flint implements from the Palaeolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age.[2] It was also occupied in the Iron Age.[3] In the late 1950s it was excavated by J.W. Hunt of the Banwell Society of Archaeology.[4] It is surrounded by a 4 metres (13 ft) high bank and ditch.[5]

The remains of a Romano-British villa were discovered in 1968. It included a courtyard, wall and bath house close to the River Banwell. Artefacts from the site suggest it fell into disuse in the 4th century.[6] Earthworks from farm buildings, 420 metres (1,380 ft) south of Gout House Farm, occupied from the 11th to 14th centuries where archaeological remains suggest the site was first occupied in the Romano-British period. The raised area which was occupied by the Bower House was surrounded by a water filled ditch, part of which has since been incorporated into a rhyne.[7]

The parish was part of the Winterstoke Hundred.[8]

Bishop's Cottage, Banwell Hill, c.1840

Banwell Abbey was built as a bishops residence in the 14th and 15th century on the site of a monastic foundation. It was renovated in 1870 by Hans Price, and is now a Grade II* listed building.[9] Nearby is a small building presented to the village by Miss Elizabeth Fazakerly, who lived at The Abbey in 1887 to house a small fire-engine. It served as the fire station until the 1960s and now houses a small museum of memorabilia related to the fire station.[10]

"Beard's Stone" in Cave's Wood dates from 1842. It marks the reburial site of an ancient human skeleton found in a cave near Bishop's Cottage. William Beard, an amateur archaeologist who had found the bones, had them reinterred and marked the site with the stone with a poetic inscription.[11]

Banwell Castle is a Victorian castle built in 1847 by John Dyer Sympson, a solicitor from London. Originally built as his home, it is now a hotel and restaurant and is a Grade II* listed building.[12]

Of the two historical village pumps standing in the village, one of them was erected to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.[13]

Governance[edit]

The parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, such as the village hall or community centre, playing fields and playgrounds, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also of interest to the council.

The parish falls within the unitary authority of North Somerset which was created in 1996, as established by the Local Government Act 1992. It provides a single tier of local government with responsibility for almost all local government functions within its area including local planning and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection, recycling, cemeteries, crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism. It is also responsible for education, social services, libraries, main roads, public transport, trading standards, waste disposal and strategic planning, although fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the Avon Fire and Rescue Service, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the South Western Ambulance Service.

North Somerset's area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare. Between 1 April 1974 and 1 April 1996, it was the Woodspring district of the county of Avon.[14] Before 1974 the parish was part of the Axbridge Rural District.[15]

The village falls in the 'Banwell and Winscombe' electoral ward. This ward starts at its most northerly point in St. Georges visits Banwell and Winscombe before ending at Loxton at its most southerly point. The total population of the ward taken from the 2011 census was 11,036.[16]

The parish is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom as part of the Weston-super-Mare constituency. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It was also part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament, prior to Britain leaving the European Union in January 2020, which elected seven MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.

Geography[edit]

Banwell is located 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Weston-super-Mare on the A371 road and is where the western end of the A368 road begins. The village is at the west end of the northern side of the Mendip hills.

The village is located between the M5 motorway and the A38, and is used by a significant volume of commuter traffic.[17] This traffic, together with other users of the A371 and A368, often causes the narrow streets of Banwell to become jammed.[18] There has been a campaign to bypass Banwell for many years, but other villages in the area have objected as increasing the traffic capacity on the roads would create problem on their roads. The Greater Bristol Strategic Transport Study in 2006 recommended that a road be built from Junction 21 of the M5 directly to Bristol Airport, bypassing Banwell and all the other local villages, thus alleviating their concerns.[19] However, this would not benefit local traffic passing through Banwell to and from Weston-super-Mare, Wells and Bath, so some traffic problems would still exist.

Banwell Caves is a 1.7 hectares (4.2 acres) geological and biological Site of Special Scientific Interest at the western end of Banwell Hill.

Climate[edit]

Along with the rest of South West England, Banwell has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country.[20] The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50.0 °F). Seasonal temperature variation is less extreme than most of the United Kingdom because of the adjacent sea temperatures. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately 21 °C (69.8 °F). In winter mean minimum temperatures of 1 °C (33.8 °F) or 2 °C (35.6 °F) are common.[20] In the summer the Azores high pressure affects the south-west of England. However, convective cloud sometimes forms inland, reducing the number of hours of sunshine. Annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600 hours.[20] In December 1998 there were 20 days without sun recorded at Yeovilton. Most of the rainfall in the south-west is caused by Atlantic depressions or by convection. Most of the rainfall in autumn and winter is caused by the Atlantic depressions, which is when they are most active. In summer, a large proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. Average rainfall is around 700 mm (28 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west.[20]

Religious sites[edit]

Main article: Church of St Andrew, Banwell
St Andrew's Church

The mainly 15th-century parish church of St Andrew is a Grade I listed building.[21] The body of the church has a nave with a clerestory, north and south aisles and a rather short chancel, considering the proportions of the rest of the church. The font dates from the 12th century and there is a carved stone pulpit from the 15th century and a carved rood screen built and set up in 1552, which escaped the Reformation. The 100 ft (30 m) high tower that contains ten bells dates from the 18th to 20th century and the clock is dated 1884. Bells dating from 1734 and 1742 were made by Thomas Bilbie, of the Bilbie family.[22]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "2011 Census Profile". North Somerset Council. Archived from the original (Excel) on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  2. ^ Historic England. "Banwell Camp (194460)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  3. ^ "Archaeological Aerial Survey in the Northern Mendip Hills: A Highlight Report for the National Mapping Programme" (PDF). English Heritage. p. 32. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  4. ^ "Banwell Camp". Fortified England. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  5. ^ "Mendip Hills". English Heritage. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  6. ^ Historic England. "Romano-British villa, Banwell (1013434)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  7. ^ Historic England. "Deserted medieval farmstead 420m south of Gout House Farm (1011133)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  8. ^ "Somerset Hundreds". GENUKI. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  9. ^ Historic England. "Banwell Abbey and The Cloisters (1135732)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  10. ^ Warren, Derrick (2005). Curious Somerset. Stroud: Sutton Publishing. pp. 12–13. ISBN 978-0-7509-4057-3.
  11. ^ Warren, Derrick (2005). Curious Somerset. Stroud: Sutton Publishing. pp. 10–11. ISBN 978-0-7509-4057-3.
  12. ^ Historic England. "Banwell Castle detailed record (1283203)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 October 2007.
  13. ^ "Banwell pumps".
  14. ^ "The Avon (Structural Change) Order 1995". HMSO. Archived from the original on 30 January 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2007.
  15. ^ "Axbridge RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  16. ^ "Banwell and Winscombe ward 2011". Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  17. ^ "Facts and figures | North Somerset Council". n-somerset.gov.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  18. ^ "The problem". Bypass Banwell campaign website. Archived from the original on 7 December 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2007.
  19. ^ "On the right road at last?". The Weston Mercury. 30 June 2006. Archived from the original on 8 October 2006. Retrieved 24 October 2007.
  20. ^ a b c d "South West England: climate". Met Office. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  21. ^ Historic England. "Parish Church of St Andrew detailed record (1320659)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 October 2007.
  22. ^ Moore, James; Rice, Roy; Hucker, Ernest (1995). Bilbie and the Chew Valley clock makers. The authors. ISBN 0-9526702-0-8.

External links[edit]

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