Earthcott is a hamlet

Hamlet (place)

A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...

 in South Gloucestershire

South Gloucestershire

South Gloucestershire is a unitary district in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, in South West England.-History:The district was created in 1996, when the county of Avon was abolished, by the merger of former area of the districts of Kingswood and Northavon...

, England, between Latteridge

Latteridge

Latteridge is a hamlet in South Gloucestershire, England, on the B4059 road north of Iron Acton, and south of Rudgeway and Earthcott. The hamlet is divided by the busy B4059, there is a large village green, a railway crossing, a large duck pond and a ruined church....

 and Rudgeway

Rudgeway

Rudgeway is a village in South Gloucestershire in south west England, located between Alveston and Almondsbury on the A38 trunk road. It lies east of Earthcott, Latteridge, Iron Acton and Yate on the B4059 road....

 on the B4059 road between the A38 road

A38 road

The A38, part of which is also known as the Devon Expressway, is a major A-class trunk road in England.The road runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. It is long, making it one of the longest A-roads in England. It was formerly known as the Leeds — Exeter Trunk Road,...

 and Yate

Yate

Yate is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, at the southwest extremity of the Cotswold Hills, 12 miles northeast of the city of Bristol. At the 2001 census the population was 21,789. The town of Chipping Sodbury is continuous with Yate to the east...

. It has a letter box

Letter box

A letter box, letterbox, letter plate, letter hole, mail slot, or mailbox is a receptacle for receiving incoming mail at a private residence or business...

 and a small village green

Village green

A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...

, but no other services. Its main industry is farming.

The place-name 'Earthcott' is first attested in the Domesday Book

Domesday Book

Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...

 of 1086, where it appears as 'Herdicote'. It derives from the Old English 'eorthe-cot' meaning 'earth hut' ('cot' as in the modern English words 'dovecote' and 'cottage').

Traditions of Earthcott include a village bonfire night

Bonfire Night

Bonfire Night may refer to:* Bonfire Night, several traditions of bonfire celebrations* Guy Fawkes Night, in Great Britain and some Commonwealth nations * St John's Eve, in Ireland and Scandinavia...

, and Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...

 carol singing

Christmas carol

A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...

, normally done on the back of a tractor-trailer, with regular stops for mince pie

Mince pie

A mince pie, also known as minced pie, is a small British sweet pie traditionally served during the Christmas season. Its ingredients are traceable to the 13th century, when returning European crusaders brought with them Middle Eastern recipes containing meats, fruits and spices.The early mince...

s and hot toddy

Hot toddy

A hot toddy is a mixed drink, usually including alcohol, that is served hot. Hot toddies are traditionally drunk before going to bed, or in wet or cold weather...

.

Earthcott should not be confused with the nearby hamlet of Gaunt's Earthcott

Gaunt's Earthcott

thumb|200px|Village sign in March 2006Gaunts Earthcott is a hamlet in South Gloucestershire, England, consisting of a ruined chapel, a few houses and two farms. Green Farm and Court Farm. The village is located approximately from Rudgeway and the A38 road and about the same distance from Frampton...

.