Whitchurch, Bristol
Encyclopedia
Whitchurch is a village in north Somerset
, England
and an adjoining suburb
of south eastern Bristol
, bounded by Hartcliffe
to the west and Hengrove and Knowle
to the north. The suburb was initially developed during the 1930s.
The A37 road
, which passes through Whitchurch, links Bristol with Dorchester. Within Bristol the A37 is known as Wells
Road. It was one of the first dual carriageways to be built in Bristol.
and Hengrove.
The suburb is the only part of Bristol not to use the 0117 dialing code, Whitchurch numbers using the 01275 of north Somerset instead.
The suburb is home to the Whitchurch Sports Centre, and used to be an occasional venue for pro-boxing
bouts. It has a dilapidated Whitchurch athletics stadium. The sports centre is also earmarked for demolition, once the new sports centre and olympic sized swimming pool are finished as part of the expanded Hengrove Leisure Park redevelopment.
In October 2006 Whitchurch Sports Centre was taken over by Action Sport UK, a South African company. Some of Whitchurch Sports Centre's activities are now based at Withywood Sports Centre and Ashton Park School Sports Centre.
Facilities close by include the Hengrove Leisure Park which includes a Cineworld
Cinema, various restaurants/food retailers (Frankie & Benny's, McDonalds,KFC, a Gala Bingo hall and a popular activities park including skateboard and climbing frame type facilities.
On 2 August 2005 the beginnings of a tornado
(a funnel) floated in the skies above South Bristol. As it did not touch it cannot be classed as a tornado but nevertheless it provided an unusual yet impressive sight for the residents of Whitchurch and surrounding parts of Bristol, such as Stockwood.
in the unitary authority
of Bath and Northeast Somerset. In the 2001 census the civil parish had a population of 1,313.
The parish of Whitchurch was part of the Keynsham
Hundred,
The ecclesiastical parish includes both the civil parish in Somerset and the suburb in Bristol. The parish church is in the village in Somerset, and is dedicated to St Nicholas. St. Augustine's Church on Whitchurch Lane was opened in 1972 but closed in 2007.
was located on the land which is now home to the Hengrove Leisure Park. The airport was used before the war by internal UK scheduled flights. During the war it was the base for various types of military aircraft (which flew from there on various missions) and civilian aircraft (which were moved there to avoid their destruction at more vulnerable airports such as Croydon). Whitchurch Airport and Liverpool Airport were the only civil airports in England to remain in use during World War II
. Imperial Airways
(later BOAC) flew to Lisbon in neutral Portugal
: at one time in 1941 there were 1200 people waiting for a flight to Lisbon. There were also a large number of espionage flights to France
and elsewhere in occupied Europe. When the war finished, Bristol needed a larger airport. Farm land in Lulsgate
was purchased and Lulsgate Airport (later to be Bristol Airport
) was opened. For a short time from 1959, the old airport was used as a motor racing circuit Whitchurch Circuit
for Formula Two
and Formula Three
races.
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...
, 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...
and an adjoining suburb
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...
of south eastern 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...
, bounded by Hartcliffe
Hartcliffe
Hartcliffe is the name of both a council ward and a district of the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom which lies within that ward. The ward contains the areas of Hartcliffe and Headley Park, as well as small portions of Withywood and Bishopsworth....
to the west and Hengrove and Knowle
Knowle, Bristol
Knowle is a district and council ward in the south of Bristol. It is bordered by Filwood Park to the west, Brislington to the east, Whitchurch and Hengrove to the south and Totterdown to the north....
to the north. The suburb was initially developed during the 1930s.
The A37 road
A37 road
The A37 is a major road in southern England. It runs north from the A35 at Dorchester in Dorset into Somerset through Yeovil and Shepton Mallet before terminating at the Three Lamps junction with the A4 in central Bristol...
, which passes through Whitchurch, links Bristol with Dorchester. Within Bristol the A37 is known as Wells
Wells
Wells is a cathedral city and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. Although the population recorded in the 2001 census is 10,406, it has had city status since 1205...
Road. It was one of the first dual carriageways to be built in Bristol.
The suburb of Bristol
The northern parts of the parish of Whitchurch were transferred to Bristol in the 1930s and 1951. The suburb now lies in the council wards of Whitchurch ParkWhitchurch Park, Bristol
Whitchurch Park is a council ward of the city of Bristol in England. It includes the eastern part of Hartcliffe and the western part of Whitchurch. The ward has a population of 11,061 people.-Religion:...
and Hengrove.
The suburb is the only part of Bristol not to use the 0117 dialing code, Whitchurch numbers using the 01275 of north Somerset instead.
The suburb is home to the Whitchurch Sports Centre, and used to be an occasional venue for pro-boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
bouts. It has a dilapidated Whitchurch athletics stadium. The sports centre is also earmarked for demolition, once the new sports centre and olympic sized swimming pool are finished as part of the expanded Hengrove Leisure Park redevelopment.
In October 2006 Whitchurch Sports Centre was taken over by Action Sport UK, a South African company. Some of Whitchurch Sports Centre's activities are now based at Withywood Sports Centre and Ashton Park School Sports Centre.
Facilities close by include the Hengrove Leisure Park which includes a Cineworld
Cineworld
Cineworld Group plc is a cinema chain operating in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Jersey. The chain consists of 78 cinemas; 76 of which are located in the UK and one each in Ireland and Jersey. It is the second-largest cinema operator in the UK with 801 screens, and the owner of...
Cinema, various restaurants/food retailers (Frankie & Benny's, McDonalds,KFC, a Gala Bingo hall and a popular activities park including skateboard and climbing frame type facilities.
On 2 August 2005 the beginnings of a tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
(a funnel) floated in the skies above South Bristol. As it did not touch it cannot be classed as a tornado but nevertheless it provided an unusual yet impressive sight for the residents of Whitchurch and surrounding parts of Bristol, such as Stockwood.
The village
The village of Whitchurch is a civil parishCivil 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...
in the unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
of Bath and Northeast Somerset. In the 2001 census the civil parish had a population of 1,313.
The parish of Whitchurch was part of the Keynsham
Keynsham (hundred)
The Hundred of Keynsham is one of the 40 historical Hundreds in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, dating from before the Norman conquest during the Anglo-Saxon era although exact dates are unknown. Each hundred had a 'fyrd', which acted as the local defence force and a court which was...
Hundred,
Church
Pubs
Whitchurch boasts the following pubs:- Shield and Dagger — East Dundry Road
- The Yeoman — Wells Road
- Maes Knoll — Bristol Road (a Toby Carvery)
- The Court Farm Tavern (Formerly the Baccy Jar)
- The Cartwheel — Oatlands Avenue
Airport
Whitchurch AirportBristol (Whitchurch) Airport
Bristol Airport, also known as Whitchurch Airport, was a municipal airport in Bristol, England, three miles south of the city centre, from 1930 to 1957. It was the main airport for Bristol and area...
was located on the land which is now home to the Hengrove Leisure Park. The airport was used before the war by internal UK scheduled flights. During the war it was the base for various types of military aircraft (which flew from there on various missions) and civilian aircraft (which were moved there to avoid their destruction at more vulnerable airports such as Croydon). Whitchurch Airport and Liverpool Airport were the only civil airports in England to remain in use during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company, operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to South Africa, India and the Far East...
(later BOAC) flew to Lisbon in neutral Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
: at one time in 1941 there were 1200 people waiting for a flight to Lisbon. There were also a large number of espionage flights to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and elsewhere in occupied Europe. When the war finished, Bristol needed a larger airport. Farm land in Lulsgate
Lulsgate Plateau
Lulsgate Plateau is the name given to the Carboniferous limestone hills which form a northern outlier of the Mendip Hills, southwest of Bristol, England, approximately above sea level, which has been occupied since prehistoric times....
was purchased and Lulsgate Airport (later to be Bristol Airport
Bristol Airport
Bristol Airport may refer to:* Bristol Airport, serving Bristol, England, United Kingdom ** Bristol Airport , a docu-soap based on events at Bristol Airport...
) was opened. For a short time from 1959, the old airport was used as a motor racing circuit Whitchurch Circuit
Whitchurch Circuit
Whitchurch Circuit was first used as an airfield by Bristol & Wessex Aeroplane Club. During World War 2 the airfield, Whitchurch Airport was used by the Army Transport Command and was the only airfield in Britain to operate civilian flights for Imperial Airways and KLM. After the war, the airfield...
for Formula Two
Formula Two
Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, is a type of open wheel formula racing. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985, but the FIA announced in 2008 that Formula Two would return for 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship...
and Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
races.