Pensford is a village in the civil parish of Publow and Pensford in Bath and North East Somerset, England. It lies in the Chew Valley 7 miles south of Bristol and 8 miles west of Bath. It is on the A37 road from Bristol to Shepton Mallet.

Pensford was identified as being of special architectural and historic interest and was designated a Conservation Area in May 1988.

History

The name Pensford is believed to mean 'The animal pens by the ford' from the Old English pens and ford. During the 14th to 16th Centuries Pensford was a cloth centre based on local wool. During the 19th and 20th Centuries the main industry was coal mining, with Pensford and the surrounding area forming a major part of the Somerset coalfield. The Pensford colliery opened in 1909 and closed in 1955.

The River Chew suffered a major flood in 1968 with serious damage to towns and villages along its route, including sweeping away the bridge over the A37 and damaged the railway viaduct so badly that it never reopened. On 10-11 July a storm brought heavy rainfall to the Valley, with falling in 18 hours on Chew Stoke, double the areas average rainfall for the whole of July.

Government and politics

Pensford and Publow has its own Parish council which has some responsibility for local issues, and is part of the Publow and Whitchurch Ward which is represented by one councillor on the Bath and North East Somerset Unitary Authority which has wider responsibilities for services such as education, refuse, tourism etc. The village is a part of the Wansdyke constituency, which will become North East Somerset at the next general election and part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.

Demographics

According to the 2001 Census The Publow and Whitchurch Ward (which includes Belluton and Publow), had 1,087 residents, living in 429 households, with an average age of 40.8 years. Of these 73% of residents describing their health as 'good', 24% of 16-74 year olds had no qualifications; and the area had an unemployment rate of 2.3% of all economically active people aged 16-74. In the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004, it was ranked at 26,408 out of 32,482 wards in England, where 1 was the most deprived LSOA and 32,482 the least deprived.

Buildings

St Thomas A Beckett Church

The St Thomas A Beckett Church is a Grade II* listed building and currently on the English Heritage Buildings at Risk Register, following damage in a flood in 1968. During the 1980s an attempt was made to turn it into an arts centre but this was abandoned when the extent of the repairs required to make the building safe became clear. In 2007 the church was put on the market for redevelopment, and in 2008 purchased for repair and use as a private dwelling.

The Lock-up

An octagonal eighteenth century lock up where criminals and drunks could be kept for the night. This is a Grade II listed building and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Pubs

Pensford has three pubs - The Travellers Rest, The Rising Sun, and The George And Dragon. During the 17th and 18th Centuries Pensford was an important staging post for stage coaches which stopped at the George and Dragon and Rising Sun. The George and Dragon dates from 1752. It is a Grade II listed Building.

Other Grade II listed buildings

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The village's war memorial commemorates the seven people from the village who died in each of World War I and World War II. It is a wheel cross, with a celtic-style carving.

For centuries Pensford has been an important crossing point on the River Chew. The modern road bridge was rebuilt in 1968 after flood damage, but the much older (1839-1885) bridge, by the church, survived the flood.[1]

On the western side of the village is a viaduct on the disused Bristol and North Somerset Railway, built in 1873 which was closed to trains in 1968 after the great flood of Pensford (the River Chew flooded), after which it was deemed unsafe. The last passenger train had been earlier: the 9.25 a.m. from Frome to Bristol on 31 October 1959, and after that there were only goods trains (mainly bringing coal from Radstock) and those ceased in 1964 and very occasional excursion trains. The Pensford viaduct is 995 feet (303 m) long, reaches a maximum height of 95 feet (29 m) to rail level and consists of sixteen arches. The viaduct is now a Grade II listed building.[2]

Surrounding Area

Nearby is Lord's Wood, Pensford, and the village is on the route of the Monarch's Way long distance footpath.

Famous Residents

Pensford is home to the international clarinet player, Acker Bilk. Robert Hunter of the Grateful Dead lived in the village from 1979-1981.

References

Bibliography

• Durham, I. & M. (1991). Chew Magna and the Chew Valley in old photographs. Redcliffe Press. ISBN 1-872971-61-X.
• Janes, Rowland (ed) (1987). The Natural History of the Chew Valley. ISBN 0-9545125-2-9.

External links

• Parish Web Site
• The great flood of 1968
• Chew Valley web site
• River Chew Web Site
• Photos of Pensford in 3d (Anaglyphs).
• map of Pensford circa 1900
• Pensford Conservation Area Character Appraisal