Chew Valley
Chew Valley | |
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Avon and Somerset | |
Fire | Avon |
Ambulance | South Western |
UK Parliament | |
The Chew Valley is an
The landscape consists of the valley of the River Chew and is generally low-lying and undulating. It is bounded by higher ground ranging from
The area falls into the domains of councils including
Etymology
There is no clear origin for the name "Chew", found scarcely anywhere else; however, there have been differing explanations of the etymology, including "winding water",[3] the 'ew' being a variant of the French eau, meaning water. The word chewer is a western dialect for a narrow passage, and chare is Old English for turning. One explanation is that the name Chew began in Normandy as Cheux, and came to England with the Norman Conquest during the eleventh century. However, others agree with Ekwall's interpretation that it is derived from the Welsh cyw meaning "the young of an animal, or chicken", so that afon Cyw would have been "the river of the chickens".[4] Other possible explanations suggest it comes from the Old English word ceo, 'fish gill'.[5]
Government and politics
The villages in the valley have their own
Each of the villages is also part of a constituency, either
History
Geology
The western end of the area (around
The oldest geological formation in the valley is the Supra-Pennant Measures of the Carboniferous period. It is a significant feature towards the north-eastern part of the area and is represented by the
Natural history
The valley has several areas designated as Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for biological interest, including Blagdon Lake,[11] Burledge Hill,[12] Chew Valley Lake,[13] Compton Martin Ochre Mine,[14] Harptree Combe[15] and two sites at Folly Farm.[16]
Flora
The small and medium-sized fields of the valley are generally bounded by hedges and occasionally by tree belts and woodland, some of which date back to the most evident period of
Fauna
Wildlife abounds in the valley, particularly the water birds around the rivers and lakes, with Chew Valley Lake considered the third most important site in Britain for wintering wildfowl. In addition to the water birds including ducks, northern shoveler, gadwall and great crested grebes,[17] a wide variety of other bird species can be seen. These range from small birds such as great tits and wrens to mistle thrush. Larger birds include great spotted woodpeckers and common buzzard.
The valley also has a wide variety of small mammals with larger species including
Human habitation
There is evidence of
. Almost all of the villages have churches dating back to the fifteenth or sixteenth century.The area around Pensford was an important coal mining area during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when it formed part of the Somerset Coalfield, although there are no working coal mines today. The line of the now disused Bristol and North Somerset Railway runs south from Bristol crossing over the River Chew on the surviving distinctive Pensford Viaduct and on to Midsomer Norton. The area suffered serious flooding during the storm of 10 July 1968, prompting localised evacuation of populated valley areas in the lower parts of the valley, around Pensford and Keynsham.[27]
Field patterns
The small fields in the western part of the area are particularly characteristic of the Chew Valley and date back to the most evident period of enclosure of earlier open fields which took place in the late
Climate
Along with the rest of
Population and demographics
Many of the large houses in the valley were built or bought by wealthy merchants from Bristol and Bath who employed local people in their households.
In the past part of the population worked in coal mining, although there are no working mines in the area now. There is still a fairly large agricultural workforce and in light industry or service industries, although many people commute to surrounding cities for work. According to the
Buildings and settlements
The villages tend to have been built at the points where it was possible to cross the rivers and streams. Chew Magna is the business centre with a range of shops, banks etc. Other villages have local shops, often combined with post offices. Most villages have
The traditional building material is white Lias Limestone, sometimes incorporating red sandstone or conglomerate, with red clay tiled roofs. Buildings, particularly the churches, date back hundreds of years, for example those at Marksbury and Compton Martin, the latter incorporating a columbarium.[43]
Listed buildings
There are hundreds of
Railway connections
Trains serve Keynsham railway station on the Great Western Main Line and Wessex Main Line with services provided by Great Western Railway and South Western Railway. Buses also connect with Bristol Temple Meads.
Transport
At the western end of the valley is the A38 and Bristol Airport, which means parts of the valley are on the flight path. The valley is also crossed by the A37 and they are joined by the A368. Most of the roads in the valley are small single track lanes with little traffic although a bottleneck often occurs within Chew Magna. The "Chew Valley Explorer" bus route 672/674 provided access to the villages in the valley. The nearest mainline railway station for most of the valley is Bristol Temple Meads.[49] Cyclists can gain access via part of the Padstow to Bristol West Country Way, National Cycle Network Route 3.
The Monarch's Way long distance footpath crosses the valley.[50]
Schools
Sport and leisure facilities
The local villages have football pitches and children's play areas. Gymnasium facilities, squash courts, badminton etc., and outdoor all-weather pitches are available at the Chew Valley Leisure Centre between Chew Magna and Chew Stoke.
A
Each October the Chew Valley Arts trail takes place in venues around the valley during which over 50 local artists display their works in such media as painting, printmaking, sculpture, decorative glass, pottery, photography, jewellery and sugar craft.[61] The valley and lakes have been an inspiration to artists and there is a small art gallery at Chew Valley Lake.[62] Live music and comedy events take place in local pubs and village halls, with the village of Pensford holding a music festival every year.
References
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- ^ a b "Chew Valley North" (PDF). Bath and North East Somerset. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
- ^ "History of the River Chew". River Chew Web Site. Archived from the original on 22 August 2006. Retrieved 3 July 2006.
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- ^ "Chew". Internet Surname Database. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
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- ^ "Blagdon Lake" (PDF). English Nature's SSSI Information. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
- ^ "Burledge Sidelands and Meadows" (PDF). Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2006. Retrieved 9 May 2006.
- ^ "Chew Valley Lake" (PDF). English Nature's SSSI Information. Natural England. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
- ^ "Compton Martin Ochre Mine" (PDF). Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2006. Retrieved 9 May 2006.
- ^ "Harptree Combe SSSI background data (Avon)" (PDF). Natural England. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
- ^ "Folly Farm SSSI sheet" (PDF). Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
- ^ "Chew Valley Lake Birding". Chew Valley Lake Birding. Archived from the original on 30 December 2005. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
- ^ "Compton Martin Ochre Mine" (PDF). English Nature. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2006. Retrieved 9 May 2006.
- Somerset County Council. Archived(PDF) from the original on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-9548832-0-1.
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- ^ "Maes Knoll". Wansdyke Project 21. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
- ^ "Detectorists find huge Chew Valley Norman coin hoard". BBC News. 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
- ^ Richley, Rob (June 2008). The Chew Valley floods of 1968. Exeter: Environment Agency.
- ^ a b c d "South West England: climate". Met Office. Archived from the original on 25 February 2006. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
- ^ Historic England. "Sutton Court (1129576)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
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- ^ "Smith's other debt". Geoscientist 17.7 July 2007. The Geological Society. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2008.
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- ^ Wright, Oliver (6 January 2013). "Jacob Rees-Mogg: 'I'm suspicious of politicians who try to be men of the people'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 20 November 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
- ^ "Biography". Acker's Music Agency. Archived from the original on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
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- ^ McCann, John; McDermott, Mark; Pexton, Frank (1999). "A columbarium at Compton Martin church". Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society Proceedings. 143. Archived from the original on 1 May 2007. Retrieved 18 June 2007.
- ^ Historic England. "Church of St. Andrew (1129613)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 May 2006.
- ^ Historic England. "Church of St. Bartholomew (1129654)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
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- ^ "Changes to Chew Valley Explorer". Evening Post. This is Bristol. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- ^ Landranger Map 182: Weston-super-Mare. Published in 2005 by the Ordnance Survey
- ^ "Chew Valley School". Chew Valley School. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
- ^ "Ofsted Report on Chew Valley School". Ofsted. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
- ^ "Chew Valley Leisure Centre". Chew Valley Leisure Centre. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
- ^ "CRoW & Coastal Access Maps". Natural England. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
- ^ "Chew Magna Cricket Club". Archived from the original on 26 April 2006. Retrieved 12 May 2006.
- ^ "Blagdon Cricket Club". Archived from the original on 7 May 2006. Retrieved 12 May 2006.
- ^ "Chew Valley F.C." Pithcero. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
- ^ "Chew Valley Rugby Club". Pitchero. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
- ^ "Bishop Sutton Tennis Club". Bishop Sutton Tennis Club. Archived from the original on 30 June 2006. Retrieved 12 May 2006.
- ^ "Chew Valley Sailing Club". Chew Valley Sailing Club. Archived from the original on 24 April 2006. Retrieved 12 May 2006.
- ^ "Chew Valley Arts Trail". Chew Valley Arts Trail. Archived from the original on 3 June 2010. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
- ^ "Chew Valley Lake Art Studio". Roger Jones. Archived from the original on 2 January 2006. Retrieved 20 August 2011.