Oldland Common
Encyclopedia
Oldland Common is a village in South Gloucestershire
, England
, on the outskirts of Bristol
. It is in the civil parish
of Bitton
, approximately 8 miles between the centres of cities Bristol
and Bath. It is a mainly residential area with a few small shops for the local community.
Oldland Common is the birthplace of the famous astronomer Sir Bernard Lovell
, and is home to the Sir Bernard Lovell secondary school, a designated language college opened by Lovell himself in 1972, once attended by England cricketer Marcus Trescothick
. Other schools in the village are St. Anne's Church of England Primary School (built in 1837 & initially called Oldland National School), Redfield Edge Primary School and Cherry Gardens Primary School.
The village lies on the Avon Valley Railway
and is served by Oldland Common railway station
. It has a population of just under 7,000 (according to the 2001 Census).
Oldland Common was first mentioned in the Domesday Book
of 1086. As was common in the surrounding area, the village was involved in the coal mining
industry and had its own pit on Cowhorn Hill during the 1800s.
The village is well served by three public house
s: 'The Crown and Horseshoe', 'The Cherry Tree' and 'The Dolphin'. The largest church in the village is St. Anne's Church of England
church. St. Anne's grounds contain a separate social area, the Orchard Rooms. Other local churches include the Oldland Methodist Church (shown in photograph above) and the small but lively United Reformed Church.
Oldland is also home to Oldland Abbotonians F.C.
and Bath & District League, Crown & Horseshoe F.C.
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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, on the outskirts of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. It is in the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Bitton
Bitton
Bitton is a village and civil parish in South Gloucestershire, England, in the Greater Bristol area on the River Boyd.It is in the far south of the South Gloucestershire district, near the border with Bath and North East Somerset...
, approximately 8 miles between the centres of cities Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and Bath. It is a mainly residential area with a few small shops for the local community.
Bernard Lovell
Sir Alfred Charles Bernard Lovell OBE, FRS is an English physicist and radio astronomer. He was the first Director of Jodrell Bank Observatory, from 1945 to 1980.-Early Life:...
, and is home to the Sir Bernard Lovell secondary school, a designated language college opened by Lovell himself in 1972, once attended by England cricketer Marcus Trescothick
Marcus Trescothick
Marcus Edward Trescothick MBE is an English cricketer. He plays first-class cricket for Somerset County Cricket Club, and represented England in 76 Test matches and 123 One Day Internationals. A left-handed opening batsman, he made his first-class debut for Somerset in 1993 and quickly established...
. Other schools in the village are St. Anne's Church of England Primary School (built in 1837 & initially called Oldland National School), Redfield Edge Primary School and Cherry Gardens Primary School.
The village lies on the Avon Valley Railway
Avon Valley Railway
The Avon Valley Railway is a three-mile-long heritage railway based at Bitton station in South Gloucestershire, England, not far from Bristol and is run by a local group: The Avon Valley Railway Company Ltd. The railway follows the Avon Valley south-east from Oldland Common, through Bitton and...
and is served by Oldland Common railway station
Oldland Common railway station
Oldland Common is a railway station on the Avon Valley Railway. The station is near to the site of a previous station which was on the-then LMS Bath branch from Mangotsfield.-Earlier station:...
. It has a population of just under 7,000 (according to the 2001 Census).
Oldland Common was first mentioned 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. As was common in the surrounding area, the village was involved in the coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
industry and had its own pit on Cowhorn Hill during the 1800s.
The village is well served by three 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: 'The Crown and Horseshoe', 'The Cherry Tree' and 'The Dolphin'. The largest church in the village is St. Anne's Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
church. St. Anne's grounds contain a separate social area, the Orchard Rooms. Other local churches include the Oldland Methodist Church (shown in photograph above) and the small but lively United Reformed Church.
Oldland is also home to Oldland Abbotonians F.C.
Oldland Abbotonians F.C.
Oldland Abbotonians F.C. is a football club based in Oldland Common, near Bristol, England. In the 2006-07 season, they finished third in the Somerset County League, which is a level 11 league of the English football league system. For the 2011-12 season, they are members of the Western Football...
and Bath & District League, Crown & Horseshoe F.C.