Limpley Stoke
Encyclopedia
Limpley Stoke is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire
, in the Avon
Valley, between Bath and Freshford
. The village is below the A36 road
.
The civil parish, which had a population of 637 in 2001, also includes the hamlet of Waterhouse, and the outskirts of the Somerset
village of Midford
. The 18th century country house at Waterhouse used to be a residential home for the elderly. It is a Grade II listed building.
at Limpley Stoke. The previous owners of the mill had originally been timber
merchant
s, but had later diversified into the production of rubber goods. By 1890 the business had transferred to premises in Melksham
in Wiltshire and later became Avon Rubber
.
The village has two public house
s, one of which, The Hop Pole, which dates from the 17th century, was used in the filming of The Remains of the Day
with Anthony Hopkins
.
, is closed and is now privately owned. It was the junction station for the former branch line to Camerton, Somerset
, on which The Titfield Thunderbolt
was filmed.
The disused Somerset Coal Canal
joined the Kennet and Avon Canal
at the Dundas Aqueduct
in the village. The final section was restored during the 1980s, and is used for moorings.
of Saint Mary
dates from the 10th century and is a grade II* listed building. It was originally dedicated to the Wiltshire saint Edith of Wilton
, but in the 16th century, after some five hundred years, the church was rededicated to St Mary.
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, in the Avon
River Avon, Bristol
The River Avon is an English river in the south west of the country. To distinguish it from a number of other River Avons in Britain, this river is often also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon...
Valley, between Bath and Freshford
Freshford
Freshford is a village and civil parish in the Avon valley south-east of Bath, in the county of Somerset, England. The parish has a population of 530...
. The village is below the A36 road
A36 road
The A36 is a trunk road and primary route in England that links the port city of Southampton to the city of Bath. At Bath, the A36 connects with the A4 road to Bristol, thus enabling a road link between the major ports of Southampton and Bristol. Originally, the A36 continued onto Avonmouth, but...
.
The civil parish, which had a population of 637 in 2001, also includes the hamlet of Waterhouse, and the outskirts of the Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
village of Midford
Midford
Midford is a village approximately miles south south east of Bath, Somerset, England within the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
. The 18th century country house at Waterhouse used to be a residential home for the elderly. It is a Grade II listed building.
History
In 1885 Messrs E G Browne and J C Margetson acquired a cloth mill, known as Avon Mill, on the banks of the River AvonRiver Avon, Bristol
The River Avon is an English river in the south west of the country. To distinguish it from a number of other River Avons in Britain, this river is often also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon...
at Limpley Stoke. The previous owners of the mill had originally been timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
s, but had later diversified into the production of rubber goods. By 1890 the business had transferred to premises in Melksham
Melksham
Melksham is a medium-sized English town, lying on the River Avon. It lies in the county of Wiltshire.It is situated southeast of the city of Bath, south of Chippenham, west of Devizes and north of Warminster on the A350 national route. The 2001 UK census cited Melksham as having 20,000...
in Wiltshire and later became Avon Rubber
Avon Rubber
Avon Rubber p.l.c. is a manufacturer of high technology rubber-based products for a number of manufacturing sectors. It is a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index...
.
The village has two public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s, one of which, The Hop Pole, which dates from the 17th century, was used in the filming of The Remains of the Day
The Remains of the Day (film)
The Remains of the Day is a 1993 Merchant Ivory film adapted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala from the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. It was directed by James Ivory and produced by Ismail Merchant, Mike Nichols and John Calley. It starred Anthony Hopkins as Stevens and Emma Thompson as Miss Kenton with James Fox,...
with Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
.
Transport
Limpley Stoke railway station, on the Wessex Main LineWessex Main Line
The Wessex Main Line is the railway line from Bristol Temple Meads to Southampton. Diverging from this route is the Heart of Wessex Line from Westbury to Weymouth.- Places served :The places served are listed below.*Bristol*Keynsham*Oldfield Park*Bath...
, is closed and is now privately owned. It was the junction station for the former branch line to Camerton, Somerset
Camerton, Somerset
Camerton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, south west of Bath, lying on the Cam Brook. The parish has a population of 660.-History:...
, on which The Titfield Thunderbolt
The Titfield Thunderbolt
The Titfield Thunderbolt is a 1953 British comedy film about a group of villagers trying to prevent British Railways from closing the fictional Titfield branch line. The film was written by T.E.B...
was filmed.
The disused Somerset Coal Canal
Somerset Coal Canal
The Somerset Coal Canal was a narrow canal in England, built around 1800 from basins at Paulton and Timsbury via Camerton, an aqueduct at Dunkerton, Combe Hay, Midford and Monkton Combe to Limpley Stoke where it joined the Kennet and Avon Canal...
joined the Kennet and Avon Canal
Kennet and Avon Canal
The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of , made up of two lengths of navigable river linked by a canal. The name is commonly used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than solely to the central canal section...
at the Dundas Aqueduct
Dundas Aqueduct
Dundas Aqueduct carries the Kennet and Avon Canal over the River Avon and the Wessex Main Line railway from Bath to Westbury, near Limpley Stoke in Wiltshire, England....
in the village. The final section was restored during the 1980s, and is used for moorings.
Parish church
The Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Saint Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
dates from the 10th century and is a grade II* listed building. It was originally dedicated to the Wiltshire saint Edith of Wilton
Edith of Wilton
Saint Edith of Wilton was an English nun, a daughter of the 10th century King Edgar of England, born at Kemsing, Kent, in 961...
, but in the 16th century, after some five hundred years, the church was rededicated to St Mary.
See also
- Neighbouring civil parishes (clockwise from north):
- Monkton CombeMonkton CombeMonkton Combe is a village and civil parish in north Somerset, England, south of Bath. The parish, which includes the hamlet of Tucking Mill, has a population of 356.-History:Monkton Combe was part of the hundred of Bath Forum.According to Rev...
–small Somerset village - WinsleyWinsleyWinsley is a village and civil parish west of Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire.-Geography:Winsley is distinctly split into the Old Winsley Village and the Tyning Estate. Some public services can be found in the centre of either of these areas. The B3108 road once passed through the old village but a...
–small Wiltshire village - FreshfordFreshfordFreshford is a village and civil parish in the Avon valley south-east of Bath, in the county of Somerset, England. The parish has a population of 530...
–Somerset village - SouthstokeSouthstokeSouthstoke is a small village and civil parish in north east Somerset, England. In 2004 the parish council requested that the name be formally changed to South Stoke, as "this is historically the more established spelling and better reflects the origin and meaning of the Parish name."It is south...
–small Somerset village
- Monkton Combe
External links
- www.limpleystoke.org–news and information on the village and village life
- Limpley Stoke Web–collection of maps, photographs and other sources for local history and genealogy
- Limpley Stoke at Wiltshire Community History from Wiltshire County CouncilWiltshire County CouncilWiltshire County Council was the county council of Wiltshire in the South West of England, an elected local Government body responsible for most local government services in the county....