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Blagdon is a village and civil parish in the North Somerset unitary authority in England. According to the 2001 census it has a population of 1,172. The village is about 12 miles east of Weston-super-Mare. In England a civil parish (usually just parish) is the lowest unit of local government, lower than districts or counties. ...
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England, historically part of the county of Somerset but now administered independently. ...
A unitary authority is a type of local authority, which has a single-tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area. ...
Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the British Isles Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st UK...
Weston-super-Mare is an English seaside resort town in North Somerset, population 65,000 (1991 estimate). ...
The Current Village
Geography When descrbing Blagdon usually the names of the three former seperate settlements that merged together to form Blagdon are used: West End, East End, and Street End.
The village is located on the northern edge of the Mendip Hills on the A 368 road, overlooking Blagdon Lake The Mendip Hills as seen from Crook Peak. ...
Blagdon Lake was created by the Bristol Waterworks Company (as it was known then), when it dammed the river Yeo, starting construction in 1891 and completing this in 1899. ...
Facilities The West End has much of the facilities and services of Blagdon, inculding it's Fire Station, Village Shop & Post Office, Butcher's, Body & Soul Beauty Salon, Doll's House Shop, The Mead & Children's Play area, tennis courts and football & rugby pitches. In the East End there is Blagdon Primary School & Blagdon Police Station.
Pubs Blagdon has four Pubs currently, the Seymour Arms & Queen Adelaide (West End) and the New Inn & the Live and Let Live (East End). Addionally the Village Club has a bar and is a social center.
Churches St Andrew's Church (C of E), Methodist Church and Baptist Chapel.
Doctors The closest doctors are in the nearby villages of Wrington and Churchill
Other Facilities Blagdon has frequent vistits from the mobile library, and a mobile fishmonger serves Blagdon.
Transport
Public Buses Blagdon is served by several bus services going to Bristol, Bath, Wells and Weston-Super-Mare. Bristol is a unitary authority with city and ceremonial county status in South West England. ...
Bath is a city in South West England most famous for its baths fed by three hot springs. ...
The west front of Wells Cathedral Wells is a small city and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset. ...
Minibus A Blagdon Minibus is available for groups to use at a small charge.
Roads The A368 to Bath goes through Blagdon.
Rail The nearest railway station is Yatton. St Marys Church, Yatton. ...
Social Blagdon has many clubs and organisations including: - The local History Group
- W.I
- Luncheon Club
- J-Team (for Children)
- Scouts & Guides
- Tennis, Football, Cricket & Rugby clubs
History The name "Blagdon" is probably from the Saxon 'Blac' & 'Down' meaning 'cold' or 'bleak'.
Romans, Saxons & Normans There was a Roman presence in Blagdon from about A.D. 49 until the end of the Roman occupation of Britan. Several Roman coins and bits of Roman pottery have been found in the village. There were lead and silver workings in Charterhouse, about a mile and a half to the south, up the hill, so it is likely that the wealthier supervisors had their houses away from the toxic smoke in the village.
In the Domesday Book, Blagdon is recorded as being held by Serlo de Burci in 1086. Also mentioned in the Domesday Book is that the land in Blagdon was over 2,000 acres, including 200 acres of woodland.
After this period Blagdon passed to William Martin, the son in law of Serlo de Burci. In 1154, the son of William Martin, Robert FitzMartin, gave St Andrews Church and other land from around the East End of the village to the monks of Stanley in Wiltshire. It was common for wealthy landowners to donate land to monastries to prove their wealth. It is unlikely the monks spent much time in the village, they probably just rented out the land and took the income from it until the dissoulution of the monastries, at which point ownership of these lands would revert back to the village.
Medieval Times Little is known about Blagdon's history past this point into Medieval times. There are several houses in the village dating from medieval times and earlier. The houses facing on to Bell Square (in the North corner of the West End) date from the 14th century.
Blagdon in the 20th century In 1901 the Wrington Vale Light Railway reached Blagdon. It closed to passengers just 31 years later in 1932. Part of the line remained for freight only, but this closed in 1962. The Wrington Vale Light Railway was a Railway serving serving villages in the Yeo Valley, North Somerset. ...
Blagdon in the 21st Century The biggest event so far in the 21st century is the arrival of Broadband to the village in late November 2004.
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