Westbury on Trym
Encyclopedia
Westbury-on-Trym is a suburb
and council ward
in the north of the City of Bristol
, near the suburbs of Stoke Bishop
, Westbury Park
, Henleaze
, Southmead
and Henbury
, in the southwest of England
. Westbury-on-Trym has a village atmosphere. The place is partly named after the River Trym
that flows through it.
granted land at Westbury to his minister, Aethelmund. Later there was a monastery
at Westbury, probably initially a secular one, with married clergy. This changed towards the end of the 10th century when Oswald of Worcester
, in whose diocese
the monastery lay, sent a party of 12 monks to follow more stringent rules at the Westbury monastery.
The architect
Ednoth constructed a new church and other buildings.
The monastery became a college
with a dean
and canon
s at the end of the 13th century. It was rebuilt in the mid-15th century to resemble a miniature castle
with turrets and a gatehouse. The Royalist
Prince Rupert of the Rhine
used it as his quarters during the English Civil War
. When he left, in 1643, he ordered it to be set on fire so that the Parliamentarians
could not make use of it. In the 20th century some of the college buildings were restored. Westbury College Gatehouse
passed into the hands of the National Trust
and the grounds were adapted for housing elderly
people.
The current Church of the Holy Trinity
dates from 1194 (although there has been a place of worship on the site since 717), with an early 13th century nave and aisles, and 15th century chancel, chapels and tower. It is a grade I listed building.
The ancient parish of Westbury-on-Trym was a large one. It included Stoke Bishop
, Redland
, a large exclave comprising Shirehampton
and Avonmouth
, and several smaller exclaves in the parish of Henbury
. When the civil parish was created in 1866, Shirehampton was separated to form its own civil parish, and in 1894 Redland also became a separate civil parish. In 1904 the civil parish was abolished and absorbed into Bristol. Redland remained in the ecclesiastical parish of Westbury until 1942.
Schools within the area include Elmlea Infant School, Elmlea Junior School and Westbury-on-Trym Church of England Academy. Independent schools include the prestigious girls' schools Badminton
, which has taught pupils such as Indira Gandhi
, Princess Haya of Jordan and the daughter of the Sultan of Brunei
; Red Maids'
, the oldest surviving girls' school in England; and the Oasis School, formerly St Ursula's School, Bristol's only independent Roman Catholic school.
A new doctors' surgery has been constructed for Westbury near to the Holy Trinity Church and the Westbury Hill Car Park. This replaces the previous surgery which was housed in a building on Falcondale Road.
Canford Cemetery opened in 1903, acquiring a crematorium
in 1957.
, which runs from the city centre to Cribbs Causeway
; Westbury is served by bus routes 1, 20, 21, 517, 518, 584, 585, 624, N8 and a bus service (X14) also connects Westbury-on-Trym with Chepstow
and Newport
, South Wales. The nearest railway station is at Sea Mills
.
was dean of Westbury College from 1469 to 1474.
Bishop John Carpenter
(1399–1476) was an English Bishop
, Provost
and University Chancellor
who was baptised and buried in St Peter's Church, now called Holy Trinity Church, Westbury on Trym
. The Westbury Harriers club have adapted Bishop John Carpenter's arms to use as their "crest."
John Wedgwood, the horticulturist and eldest son of potter
Josiah Wedgwood
, lived at the old Cote House on the edge of Durdham Down
from 1797 to 1806. The house, which had Gothic turrets and battlements, was demolished in 1925 to make way for retirement accommodation.
The poet Robert Southey
, who later in his life became one of the Lake poets
and the Poet Laureate
, lived in the village for a year in 1798–99, during which he wrote his Eclogues and much other poetry. His social circle at the time included the Wedgwoods of Cote House and chemist
Humphrey Davy, who was also living in Bristol then. Southey took part in Davy's experiments with laughing gas
.
Amelia Edwards
the traveller, novelist and Egyptologist lived in Eastfield, at the eastern end of the village, from c. 1864 to 1892.
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
and council ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
in the north of the City 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...
, near the suburbs of Stoke Bishop
Stoke Bishop
Stoke Bishop is a very affluent and medium-sized outer city suburb in the north-west of Bristol, located in between Westbury-on-Trym, Sneyd Park, and Sea Mills. Although relatively small, Stoke Bishop's population has increased due to substantial infilling on the Smelting Works sports ground and...
, Westbury Park
Westbury Park, Bristol
Westbury Park is a suburb of the city of Bristol, United Kingdom. It lies to the east of Durdham Down between the districts of Redland and Henleaze...
, Henleaze
Henleaze
Henleaze is a northern suburb of the city of Bristol in South West England.It is an almost entirely residential inter-war development, with Edwardian streets on its southern fringes. Its main neighbours are Westbury on Trym, Horfield, Bishopston and Redland...
, Southmead
Southmead
Southmead is a northern suburb and council ward of Bristol, in the southwest of England. The town of Filton , and the Bristol suburbs of Monks Park, Horfield, Henleaze and Westbury on Trym lie on its boundaries....
and Henbury
Henbury
Henbury is a suburb of Bristol, England, approximately 5 mi northwest of the city centre. It was formerly a village in Gloucestershire and is now bordered by Westbury-on-Trym to the south; Brentry to the east and the Blaise Castle estate Blaise Hamlet and Lawrence Weston to the west...
, in the southwest of 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...
. Westbury-on-Trym has a village atmosphere. The place is partly named after the River Trym
River Trym
The River Trym is a short river, some in length, which rises in Filton, South Gloucestershire, England. The upper reaches are culverted, some underground, through mostly urban landscapes, but once it emerges into the open it flows through a nature reserve and city parks before joining the tidal...
that flows through it.
History
The origins of Westbury-on-Trym predate those of Bristol itself. At the end of the 8th century, King Offa of MerciaOffa of Mercia
Offa was the King of Mercia from 757 until his death in July 796. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æthelbald after defeating the other claimant Beornred. In the early years of Offa's reign it is likely...
granted land at Westbury to his minister, Aethelmund. Later there was a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
at Westbury, probably initially a secular one, with married clergy. This changed towards the end of the 10th century when Oswald of Worcester
Oswald of Worcester
Oswald of Worcester was Archbishop of York from 972 to his death in 992. He was of Danish ancestry, but brought up by his uncle, Oda, who sent him to France to the abbey of Fleury to become a monk. After a number of years at Fleury, Oswald returned to England at the request of his uncle, who died...
, in whose diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
the monastery lay, sent a party of 12 monks to follow more stringent rules at the Westbury monastery.
The architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Ednoth constructed a new church and other buildings.
The monastery became a college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
with a dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
and canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
s at the end of the 13th century. It was rebuilt in the mid-15th century to resemble a miniature castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
with turrets and a gatehouse. The Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
Prince Rupert of the Rhine
Prince Rupert of the Rhine
Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, 1st Duke of Cumberland, 1st Earl of Holderness , commonly called Prince Rupert of the Rhine, KG, FRS was a noted soldier, admiral, scientist, sportsman, colonial governor and amateur artist during the 17th century...
used it as his quarters during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. When he left, in 1643, he ordered it to be set on fire so that the Parliamentarians
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
could not make use of it. In the 20th century some of the college buildings were restored. Westbury College Gatehouse
Westbury College Gatehouse
Westbury College Gatehouse is a 15th-century gatehouse to the 13th-century College of Priests located in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, England, and now a National Trust property. It is a grade I listed building.- History :...
passed into the hands of the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
and the grounds were adapted for housing elderly
Old age
Old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the average life span of human beings, and thus the end of the human life cycle...
people.
The current Church of the Holy Trinity
Holy Trinity Church, Westbury on Trym
- External links :* *...
dates from 1194 (although there has been a place of worship on the site since 717), with an early 13th century nave and aisles, and 15th century chancel, chapels and tower. It is a grade I listed building.
The ancient parish of Westbury-on-Trym was a large one. It included Stoke Bishop
Stoke Bishop
Stoke Bishop is a very affluent and medium-sized outer city suburb in the north-west of Bristol, located in between Westbury-on-Trym, Sneyd Park, and Sea Mills. Although relatively small, Stoke Bishop's population has increased due to substantial infilling on the Smelting Works sports ground and...
, Redland
Redland, Bristol
Redland is an affluent suburb in Bristol, England. The suburb is situated between Clifton, Cotham, Bishopston and Westbury Park. The boundaries of the district are not precisely defined, but are generally taken to be Whiteladies Road in the west, the Severn Beach railway line in the south and...
, a large exclave comprising Shirehampton
Shirehampton
Shirehampton, near Avonmouth, at the north-western edge of the city of Bristol, England, is a district of Bristol which originated as a separate village. It retains something of its village feel, having a short identifiable High Street with the parish church situated among shops, and is still...
and Avonmouth
Avonmouth
Avonmouth is a port and suburb of Bristol, England, located on the Severn Estuary, at the mouth of the River Avon.The council ward of Avonmouth also includes Shirehampton and the western end of Lawrence Weston.- Geography :...
, and several smaller exclaves in the parish of Henbury
Henbury
Henbury is a suburb of Bristol, England, approximately 5 mi northwest of the city centre. It was formerly a village in Gloucestershire and is now bordered by Westbury-on-Trym to the south; Brentry to the east and the Blaise Castle estate Blaise Hamlet and Lawrence Weston to the west...
. When the civil parish was created in 1866, Shirehampton was separated to form its own civil parish, and in 1894 Redland also became a separate civil parish. In 1904 the civil parish was abolished and absorbed into Bristol. Redland remained in the ecclesiastical parish of Westbury until 1942.
Amenities
Westbury-on-Trym High Street has three Indian, one Thai and one Italian restaurant in the High Street. The latter, Casamia, is the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Bristol (as of 2010). There is also the Villager Restaurant (Modern English) at the end of College Road, eight pubs and several cafés. The village centre is well-served for shoppers, containing banks and independent stores including book shops, craft stores, hardware shops, florists, and a number of charity shops. Two free car parks are available and a medium-sized supermarket, built on the site of the previous Carlton cinema, above which there is a ladies only gym. During 2001, a large Sainsbury's was proposed, but the opposition to the plan was so strong from local villagers that the supermarket construction was eventually scrapped.Schools within the area include Elmlea Infant School, Elmlea Junior School and Westbury-on-Trym Church of England Academy. Independent schools include the prestigious girls' schools Badminton
Badminton School
Miriam Badock established a school for girls in 1858 at Badminton House in Clifton. By 1898 it had become known as Miss Bartlett's School for Young Ladies....
, which has taught pupils such as Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
, Princess Haya of Jordan and the daughter of the Sultan of Brunei
Hassanal Bolkiah
General Haji Sir Hassan al-Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah GCB GCMG is the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the 29th Sultan of Brunei and the first Prime Minister of Brunei Darussalam...
; Red Maids'
Red Maids' School
The Red Maids' School is an independent school for girls in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol. The school is a member of the Girls' Schools Association and a MyDaughter school.-History:...
, the oldest surviving girls' school in England; and the Oasis School, formerly St Ursula's School, Bristol's only independent Roman Catholic school.
A new doctors' surgery has been constructed for Westbury near to the Holy Trinity Church and the Westbury Hill Car Park. This replaces the previous surgery which was housed in a building on Falcondale Road.
Canford Cemetery opened in 1903, acquiring a crematorium
Crematory
A crematory is a machine in which cremation takes place. Crematories are usually found in funeral homes, cemeteries, or in stand-alone facilities. A facility which houses the actual cremator units is referred to as a crematorium.-History:Prior to the Industrial Revolution, any cremation which took...
in 1957.
Transport
Transport routes include the A4018A4018 road
The A4018 is an A-road from Bristol to a junction with the M5 motorway at Cribbs Causeway. It is one of the three principal roads which link Bristol city centre to the motorway network .-History:...
, which runs from the city centre to Cribbs Causeway
Cribbs Causeway
Cribbs Causeway is a road in South Gloucestershire, England, just north of Bristol, which has given its name to a large out-of-town shopping centre, including retail parks and an enclosed shopping centre known as The Mall...
; Westbury is served by bus routes 1, 20, 21, 517, 518, 584, 585, 624, N8 and a bus service (X14) also connects Westbury-on-Trym with Chepstow
Chepstow
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
and Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, South Wales. The nearest railway station is at Sea Mills
Sea Mills, Bristol
Sea Mills is a suburb of the English port city of Bristol. It is situated some 3.5 miles north-west of the city centre, towards the seaward end of the Avon Gorge. Nearby suburbs are Shirehampton, Sneyd Park, Combe Dingle and Stoke Bishop...
.
Notable residents
The wealthy Bristol merchant William CanyngeWilliam Canynge
William II Canynges was an English merchant and shipper from Bristol, one of the wealthiest private citizens of his day and an occasional royal financier. He served as Mayor of Bristol five times and as MP for Bristol thrice...
was dean of Westbury College from 1469 to 1474.
Bishop John Carpenter
John Carpenter (bishop)
John Carpenter was an English Bishop, Provost and University Chancellor.-Early life:Bishop Carpenter's father was John Carpenter the elder, born c. 1362 to Richard or Renaud Carpenter of Cambrai and his wife Christina of London. John Carpenter the bishop was also known as John Carpenter the elder....
(1399–1476) was an English Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
, Provost
Provost (religion)
A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches.-Historical Development:The word praepositus was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary...
and University Chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
who was baptised and buried in St Peter's Church, now called Holy Trinity Church, Westbury on Trym
Holy Trinity Church, Westbury on Trym
- External links :* *...
. The Westbury Harriers club have adapted Bishop John Carpenter's arms to use as their "crest."
John Wedgwood, the horticulturist and eldest son of potter
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood was an English potter, founder of the Wedgwood company, credited with the industrialization of the manufacture of pottery. A prominent abolitionist, Wedgwood is remembered for his "Am I Not A Man And A Brother?" anti-slavery medallion. He was a member of the Darwin–Wedgwood family...
, lived at the old Cote House on the edge of Durdham Down
Durdham Down
Durdham Down is an area of public open space in Bristol, England. With its neighbour Clifton Down to the southwest, it constitutes a area known as The Downs, much used for leisure including walking, jogging and team sports. Its exposed position makes it particularly suitable for kite flying...
from 1797 to 1806. The house, which had Gothic turrets and battlements, was demolished in 1925 to make way for retirement accommodation.
The poet Robert Southey
Robert Southey
Robert Southey was an English poet of the Romantic school, one of the so-called "Lake Poets", and Poet Laureate for 30 years from 1813 to his death in 1843...
, who later in his life became one of the Lake poets
Lake Poets
The Lake Poets are a group of English poets who all lived in the Lake District of England at the turn of the nineteenth century. As a group, they followed no single "school" of thought or literary practice then known, although their works were uniformly disparaged by the Edinburgh Review...
and the Poet Laureate
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
, lived in the village for a year in 1798–99, during which he wrote his Eclogues and much other poetry. His social circle at the time included the Wedgwoods of Cote House and chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
Humphrey Davy, who was also living in Bristol then. Southey took part in Davy's experiments with laughing gas
Nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or sweet air, is a chemical compound with the formula . It is an oxide of nitrogen. At room temperature, it is a colorless non-flammable gas, with a slightly sweet odor and taste. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic...
.
Amelia Edwards
Amelia Edwards
Amelia Ann Blanford Edwards was an English novelist, journalist, traveller and Egyptologist.Born in London to an Irish mother and a father who had been a British Army officer before becoming a banker, Edwards was educated at home by her mother, showing considerable promise as a writer at a young age...
the traveller, novelist and Egyptologist lived in Eastfield, at the eastern end of the village, from c. 1864 to 1892.