Coalpit Heath
Encyclopedia
Coalpit Heath is a small village in the parish of Westerleigh
, South Gloucestershire
, England
, south of Yate
and east of Frampton Cotterell
in South Gloucestershire
.
s of Coalpit Heath with Frampton Cotterell have become vague. The village contains three Pubs, one post office
, a 27-hole golf course
(The Kendleshire) and numerous local stores. The village also includes a parish
church (St. Saviour's), and a local primary school, (The Manor CofE VC Primary school).
It was founded as a coal
mining
settlement. One pit was on Frog Lane at ST 685 815 (to the north east of the village). Other mines operated between Mays Hill
and Nibley to the north and at Ram Hill
and Henfield
to the south. These were served by a railway line, closed some decades ago and no longer visible on the ground. In 1949 the coal ran out, and since then it has become a sought after place to live, with fields and easy accommodation. The South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group (SGMRG) has done a lot of research into the history of mining in the area.
Frampton Cotterell
lies along the northwest border, but the rest of the village is surrounded by the rolling Cotswold countryside, stocked full of wildlife
and country pursuits.
St. Saviour's Church lies within the village. It was designed by William Butterfield
in 1844 and was his first Anglican Church. The history is documented here.
Amenities used and supported by the village include Bitterwell Lake at Henfield
and Coalpit Heath Cricket Club at Ram Hill
.
, later adapted for film as Babe
.
The South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group have written two books (more to be published soon) on Coalpit Heath and the surrounding area. Details of these can be found on their website: (SGMRG Publications). Currently available are: 'Frog Lane' £12 ISBN: 978-1-899-88933-4 and 'Kingswood Coal' £6 ISBN: 978-0-955-34642-2.
Westerleigh
Westerleigh is a village and parish in South Gloucestershire, England near the edge of the Cotswold hills. The village is located between Yate and Bristol, nearby villages include Nibley, Wapley, Iron Acton, Coalpit Heath and Codrington.-Background:...
, South Gloucestershire
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...
, south of Yate
Yate
Yate is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, at the southwest extremity of the Cotswold Hills, 12 miles northeast of the city of Bristol. At the 2001 census the population was 21,789. The town of Chipping Sodbury is continuous with Yate to the east...
and east of Frampton Cotterell
Frampton Cotterell
Frampton Cotterell is a village and parish, in South Gloucestershire, south west England on the River Frome. The village is continuous with Winterbourne to the south-west and Coalpit Heath to the east. The parish borders Iron Acton to the north and Westerleigh to the south-east, the large town of...
in South Gloucestershire
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...
.
Background
Due to the expansion of Coalpit Heath and the neighbouring villages in the late 20th century, the borderBorder
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
s of Coalpit Heath with Frampton Cotterell have become vague. The village contains three Pubs, one post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, a 27-hole golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
(The Kendleshire) and numerous local stores. The village also includes a parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
church (St. Saviour's), and a local primary school, (The Manor CofE VC Primary school).
It was founded as a coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
settlement. One pit was on Frog Lane at ST 685 815 (to the north east of the village). Other mines operated between Mays Hill
Mayshill
Mayshill or Mays Hill is a hamlet located in the Parish of Westerleigh, South Gloucestershire, England. It is located just off the A432 between Coalpit Heath and Nibley. A small road runs from the hamlet to Frampton End Road, connecting Frampton Cotterell and Iron Acton. Yate and Westerleigh are...
and Nibley to the north and at Ram Hill
Ram Hill
Ram Hill is a hamlet in South Gloucestershire, England. It is located between Coalpit Heath and Westerleigh and adjoins the hamlet of Henfield immediately to the south...
and Henfield
Henfield, Gloucestershire
Henfield is a hamlet in South Gloucestershire, England between Coalpit Heath and Westerleigh, adjoining the hamlet of Ram Hill immediately to the north.-Background:...
to the south. These were served by a railway line, closed some decades ago and no longer visible on the ground. In 1949 the coal ran out, and since then it has become a sought after place to live, with fields and easy accommodation. The South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group (SGMRG) has done a lot of research into the history of mining in the area.
Frampton Cotterell
Frampton Cotterell
Frampton Cotterell is a village and parish, in South Gloucestershire, south west England on the River Frome. The village is continuous with Winterbourne to the south-west and Coalpit Heath to the east. The parish borders Iron Acton to the north and Westerleigh to the south-east, the large town of...
lies along the northwest border, but the rest of the village is surrounded by the rolling Cotswold countryside, stocked full of wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
and country pursuits.
St. Saviour's Church lies within the village. It was designed by William Butterfield
William Butterfield
William Butterfield was a Gothic Revival architect and associated with the Oxford Movement . He is noted for his use of polychromy-Biography:...
in 1844 and was his first Anglican Church. The history is documented here.
Amenities used and supported by the village include Bitterwell Lake at Henfield
Henfield, Gloucestershire
Henfield is a hamlet in South Gloucestershire, England between Coalpit Heath and Westerleigh, adjoining the hamlet of Ram Hill immediately to the north.-Background:...
and Coalpit Heath Cricket Club at Ram Hill
Ram Hill
Ram Hill is a hamlet in South Gloucestershire, England. It is located between Coalpit Heath and Westerleigh and adjoins the hamlet of Henfield immediately to the south...
.
Coalpit Heath in literature
A number of sources, including Frank Barrett's book Where Was Wonderland? A Traveller's Guide to the Settings of Classic Children's Books, cite Coalpit Heath as the setting for the Dick King Smith children's book The Sheep-PigThe Sheep-Pig
The Sheep-Pig is a novel by British author Dick King-Smith. It was first published in 1983, retitled Babe The Gallant Pig in the U.S., and adapted for the screen as the 1995 film Babe. The book is set in rural England, where Dick King-Smith spent twenty years as a farmer. The book won the Guardian...
, later adapted for film as Babe
Babe (film)
Babe is a 1995 Australian-American film directed by Chris Noonan. It is an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig, also known as Babe: The Gallant Pig in the United States, by Dick King-Smith and tells the story of a pig who wants to be a sheepdog...
.
The South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group have written two books (more to be published soon) on Coalpit Heath and the surrounding area. Details of these can be found on their website: (SGMRG Publications). Currently available are: 'Frog Lane' £12 ISBN: 978-1-899-88933-4 and 'Kingswood Coal' £6 ISBN: 978-0-955-34642-2.
Location grid
External links
- St Saviour's Church, Coalpit Heath
- The Manor C of E Primary School, Coalpit Heath
- The South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group
- Review of Frank Barrett's "Where Was Wonderland? A Traveller's Guide to the Settings of Classic Children's book, which, within the text of the review, identifies Coalpit Heath as the location of the Sheep-Pig
- A site detailing the locations of popular books, which also identifies Coalpit Heath as the Sheep-Pig's location
- interview with Paul Hawkins for God is in the TV magazine in which he talks about a song being set in Coalpit Heath