Kewstoke

Kewstoke
Kewstoke
	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Avon
Ambulance	South Western
UK Parliament	Weston-super-Mare;
	List of places UK England Somerset 51°22′04″N 2°57′37″W / 51.3677°N 2.9604°W

Kewstoke is a civil parish and village in Somerset, England, within the unitary authority of North Somerset, located next to the strip of coast called Sand Bay. Its population in the 2011 census was 1,690.^[1]

History

The parish was part of the

Hundred.^[2]

Governance

The

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

county of Avon.^[3] Prior to 1974 the parish was part of the Axbridge Rural District.^[4]

An

2011 census was 3,380.^[5]

The parish is represented in the

county constituency. It was also part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament prior to Britain leaving the European Union

in January 2020.

Geography

Being in places only 6 metres above sea level, the settlements of Kewstoke and

sea defence

of combined dune system (sand was imported from the estuary to form this) and concrete walls are now in place along much of Beach Road. Whilst the sea defences have proved very effective for the last two decades, concerns about the long-term stability of the dunes, in particular, remain.

In the Severn Estuary Shoreline Management Plan, 2000, commissioned by the Severn Estuary Coastal Group and carried out by Gifford Associated Consultants, the importance of sea defence maintenance was highlighted. The report stated that leaving the defences unmaintained would increase the risk of a severe flood to the low-lying residential area of Kewstoke and an extensive area of agricultural land that are currently defended. The authors went on to discuss the importance in the shorter and longer term of ensuring that the current defence line is kept and said that monitoring and research of the coastal processes on the foreshore is recommended. The Sand Bay Management Committee is keeping a close eye on the conditions of both the salt marsh and the sand dunes.

Landmarks

Monk's Steps (also known as St Kew's Steps) are an ancient set of stone steps leading from St Paul's church up through the woods on Monk's Hill. Although the origins of the steps are unknown, the presence of man in the adjacent woodland on Worlebury Hill can be traced back to the Iron Age.

Sport

There is a local football team, Kewstoke JFC.

The local primary school is Kewstoke Primary school, for children aged 4–11; it also has a preschool within the school for children aged 3-4. There used to be a pre-school at the village hall but it stopped because of a lack of children.

Religious sites

The local parish church,

Dissolution of the Monasteries

.

Near the village, at the base of a

Sand Point), is Woodspring Priory, which is Grade I listed.^[8] The priory was founded in 1210 by William de Courtenay, grandson of Reginald Fitz Urse (one of the knights who murdered Thomas Becket

), perhaps to atone for the past action of his grandfather.

References

^ ^a ^b "2011 Census Profile". North Somerset Council. Archived from the original (Excel) on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
^ "Somerset Hundreds". GENUKI. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
^ "The Avon (Structural Change) Order 1995". HMSO. Archived from the original on 30 January 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2007.
^ "Axbridge RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
^ "Ward population 2011". Retrieved 9 March 2015.
^ "Severn Estuary Shoreline Management Plan — Non Technical Summary" (PDF). Severn Estuary Coastal Group. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 May 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2008.
^ "Parish Church of St. Paul". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2007.
^ "Priory Church (formerly listed as Woodspring Priory) (former Church of The Holy Trinity, St Mary and Thomas a Becket)". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2007.

External links

Kewstoke village website The information about Woodspring Priory is taken from this page.
[1] 2000 Shoreline Management Plan
[2] Summary of the Draft Catchment Flood Management Plan for North and Mid Somerset
[3] Environment Agency flood map for Kewstoke
[4] Up-to-date information from Avon and Somerset Police on the Kewstoke Beat
Somerset Council have made the 1902 Ordnance Survey map of the village available here [5]

[popn-1] "2011 Census Profile". North Somerset Council. Archived from the original (Excel) on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2014.

[2] "Somerset Hundreds". GENUKI. Retrieved 9 September 2011.

[3] "The Avon (Structural Change) Order 1995". HMSO. Archived from the original on 30 January 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2007.

[axbridgerd-4] "Axbridge RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.

[5] "Ward population 2011". Retrieved 9 March 2015.

[6] "Severn Estuary Shoreline Management Plan — Non Technical Summary" (PDF). Severn Estuary Coastal Group. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 May 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2008.

[7] "Parish Church of St. Paul". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2007.

[8] "Priory Church (formerly listed as Woodspring Priory) (former Church of The Holy Trinity, St Mary and Thomas a Becket)". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2007.

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