Worle
Encyclopedia
Worle is a village in North Somerset
that is now totally absorbed by the seaside town of Weston-super-Mare
. Despite this, Worle pre-dates Weston and was mentioned in the Domesday Book
of 1086. In the book, it is said that Worle was owned by Walter of Douai
, and consisted of 750 acres (3 km²) and valued at 6.5 hides. "Walter de Dowai holds of the King, Worle. Edgar held it in the time of King Edward, and gelded for six hides and a half." The parish church of St Martin's sits on the side of Worlebury Hill
and overlooks the village.
The name was possibly formed from the Old English Wor + leah meaning 'wood or clearing frequented by grouse
', or perhaps 'moor meadow
'. The parish was part of the Winterstoke Hundred.
Worle has grown dramatically in the last 40 years. That initial development in the 1970s and 1980s included a large number of houses, a Sainsburys supermarket, a secondary school and an ecumenical church (St Marks). However in recent years a larger range of facilities and amenities have opened up, including large stores, shops, a medical centre, a train station and additional churches. Weston-super-Mare's Magistrates Court has relocated to Worle. It also has a number of active groups and societies including a Lions club
.
St Martin's Church was built in 1125 and rebuilt during the 14th and 15th centuries, with major restoration
and extension work in 1870. The Church is now ecumenical, with Methodist
as well as Church of England
ministers
. It is a Grade II* listed building.
The Weston & Somerset Mercury is the local newspaper.
. Bristol is approximately 20 miles (32.2 km) away and can be accessed by the M5 or A370 road
.
There have been four different stations serving Worle since the Bristol and Exeter Railway
opened on 14 June 1841. For most of this time, the station generally known as Puxton and Worle railway station has served, despite being situated in St Georges
. From 1 March 1884 until 2 January 1922 a more convenient Worle station was provided on the Loop Line. Puxton and Worle closed on 6 April 1964.
There was also a Worle Town station situated much closer to the High Street but only served by the Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway
from 1897 to 1940.
The present day Worle railway station
is situated midway between the two former sites and was opened on 24 September 1990. Since 2008 longer express trains have been allowed to stop at Worle's short platform with the express train opening the doors of up to 4 coaches. This has enabled passengers from Worle being able to travel to London
and all the stops in-between. Before most people had to change at either Weston-super-Mare railway station
or Bristol Temple Meads railway station
.
Worle has bus connections running every ten minutes into the centre of Weston-super-Mare and bus routes to Bristol and other locations.
and Priory Community School
, and several primary schools, including Becket Primary School, Mendip Green First School, Hillside First School, Worlebury First School, St Martin's Junior School, Milton Park Primary School, Mead Vale Primary School, Herons' Moor Primary School, Castle Batch Primary School and St Mark's Primary School.
Mendip Green First School is one of the largest primary schools in the area, with 407 children of 4 – 8 years of age (2008). Mendip Green was one of the first schools in North Somerset achieving Healthy School Status, also it has Leading aspect Award, and a hearing and language resource base. Mead Vale Primary is rated "outstanding" by OfSTED
. It was awarded Beacon status in 2002 and was designated a National Support School in 2008. The school's SAT results are frequently in the top ten percent nationally and in 2005 the school was place 42nd in England and Wales for value added
.
North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare....
that is now totally absorbed by the seaside town of Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
. Despite this, Worle pre-dates Weston and was 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. In the book, it is said that Worle was owned by Walter of Douai
Walter of Douai
Walter of Douai was a Norman knight, probably at the Battle of Hastings, and a major landowner in South West England after the Norman Conquest. He is given various names and titles in different sources including: Walter de Douai. Douai is sometimes written as Dowai...
, and consisted of 750 acres (3 km²) and valued at 6.5 hides. "Walter de Dowai holds of the King, Worle. Edgar held it in the time of King Edward, and gelded for six hides and a half." The parish church of St Martin's sits on the side of Worlebury Hill
Worlebury Hill
Worlebury Hill is the name given to an upland area lying between the flatlands of Weston-super-Mare and the Kewstoke area of North Somerset, England. Worlebury Hill's rises from sea level to its highest point of , and the western end of the hill forms a peninsula, jutting out into the Bristol...
and overlooks the village.
History
Grouse
Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes. They are sometimes considered a family Tetraonidae, though the American Ornithologists' Union and many others include grouse as a subfamily Tetraoninae in the family Phasianidae...
', or perhaps 'moor meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
'. The parish was part of the Winterstoke Hundred.
Worle has grown dramatically in the last 40 years. That initial development in the 1970s and 1980s included a large number of houses, a Sainsburys supermarket, a secondary school and an ecumenical church (St Marks). However in recent years a larger range of facilities and amenities have opened up, including large stores, shops, a medical centre, a train station and additional churches. Weston-super-Mare's Magistrates Court has relocated to Worle. It also has a number of active groups and societies including a Lions club
Lions Clubs International
Lions Clubs International is a secular service organization with over 44,500 clubs and more than 1,368,683 members in 191 countries around the world founded by Melvin Jones Headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, United States, the organization aims to meet the needs of communities on a local and...
.
St Martin's Church was built in 1125 and rebuilt during the 14th and 15th centuries, with major restoration
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
and extension work in 1870. The Church is now ecumenical, with Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
as well as 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...
ministers
Minister of religion
In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community...
. It is a Grade II* listed building.
The Weston & Somerset Mercury is the local newspaper.
Transport
Worle is located close to junction 21 of the M5 motorwayM5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
. Bristol is approximately 20 miles (32.2 km) away and can be accessed by the M5 or A370 road
A370 road
The A370 is a primary road in England running from Bristol to Weston-super-Mare and on to East Brent in Somerset. A more direct route from Bristol to East Brent is the A38.-Route:...
.
There have been four different stations serving Worle since the Bristol and Exeter Railway
Bristol and Exeter Railway
The Bristol & Exeter Railway was a railway company formed to connect Bristol and Exeter.The company's head office was situated outside their Bristol station...
opened on 14 June 1841. For most of this time, the station generally known as Puxton and Worle railway station has served, despite being situated in St Georges
St. Georges, North Somerset
St. Georges is a civil parish and village in the unitary authority of North Somerset, England. Its population in the 2001 census was 1,214.The parish is a modern creation, the area having previously been part of the parish of Banwell....
. From 1 March 1884 until 2 January 1922 a more convenient Worle station was provided on the Loop Line. Puxton and Worle closed on 6 April 1964.
There was also a Worle Town station situated much closer to the High Street but only served by the Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway
Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway
The Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Light Railway was conceived and built initially as a tramway to link the three small North Somerset coastal towns of Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon and Portishead in the 1880s.-Overview:...
from 1897 to 1940.
The present day Worle railway station
Worle railway station
Worle railway station serves Worle in North Somerset, England. The station is south east of Bristol Temple Meads on the Bristol to Taunton Line.It is close to the junction of the M5 motorway and A370 road...
is situated midway between the two former sites and was opened on 24 September 1990. Since 2008 longer express trains have been allowed to stop at Worle's short platform with the express train opening the doors of up to 4 coaches. This has enabled passengers from Worle being able to travel to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and all the stops in-between. Before most people had to change at either Weston-super-Mare railway station
Weston-super-Mare railway station
Weston-super-Mare railway station serves the town of Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset, England. It is situated on a loop off the main Bristol to Taunton Line....
or Bristol Temple Meads railway station
Bristol Temple Meads railway station
Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It is an important transport hub for public transport in Bristol, with bus services to various parts of the city and surrounding districts, and a ferry service to the city centre in addition to the...
.
Worle has bus connections running every ten minutes into the centre of Weston-super-Mare and bus routes to Bristol and other locations.
Education
Worle includes two secondary schools, Worle Community SchoolWorle Community School
Worle Community School is a community school and specialist Arts College in Worle, a suburb of Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset, England. There are currently 1,490 students aged 11 to 16 in the school.-History:...
and Priory Community School
Priory Community School
Priory Community School, often shortened to PCSA, is a school in Worle, a suburb of Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset, England.The school is an Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.-Admissions:There are 1,210 students on roll....
, and several primary schools, including Becket Primary School, Mendip Green First School, Hillside First School, Worlebury First School, St Martin's Junior School, Milton Park Primary School, Mead Vale Primary School, Herons' Moor Primary School, Castle Batch Primary School and St Mark's Primary School.
Mendip Green First School is one of the largest primary schools in the area, with 407 children of 4 – 8 years of age (2008). Mendip Green was one of the first schools in North Somerset achieving Healthy School Status, also it has Leading aspect Award, and a hearing and language resource base. Mead Vale Primary is rated "outstanding" by OfSTED
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
. It was awarded Beacon status in 2002 and was designated a National Support School in 2008. The school's SAT results are frequently in the top ten percent nationally and in 2005 the school was place 42nd in England and Wales for value added
Value added
In economics, the difference between the sale price and the production cost of a product is the value added per unit. Summing value added per unit over all units sold is total value added. Total value added is equivalent to Revenue less Outside Purchases...
.