Tormarton
Encyclopedia
Tormarton is a village in South Gloucestershire
, England
. Its name comes from Thor Maer Tun meaning The settlement with the thorn (tree) on the boundary. It is one mile North-East of junction 18 of the M4 motorway
, with the A46 road
and close to the border between Wiltshire
and South Gloucestershire
. As of 2001 there were 144 households and the population was 348. A National Trail, the Cotswold Way
passes through the village. There is a church, a hotel
, a pub and also a number of bed and breakfast
s in the village. A Highways Agency
depot with a salt dome is situated near to the village.
men were discovered near Tormarton, when a gas pipeline was being installed. Unusually two of the bodies showed combat
wounds, they are now located in Bristol City Museum. Further excavations were made in 1999 and 2000, these found remains of two other bodies. They were estimated to be 3,500 years old. They are all thought to have all died at a similar time and were then buried in a ditch. A BBC documentary, Meet The Ancestors, was made that followed the second excavation. The area is thought to have been inhabited by the Romans
as a stone coffin was found in nearby Hinton. The village was on the border of the Anglo Saxon kingdoms of Wessex
and Mercia
. The medieval village was larger than today, extensive eathworks to the north and east of the church suggest that this area may have been settled previously. Some historic buildings remain in Tormarton; St Mary Magdalene Church, Manor Farm and Tormarton Court. The Old Manor House was owned by the de la Riviere family but much of it was demolished in the English Civil War
between 1642 and 1649, some sections survived and were incorporated into todays Manor Farm. Tormarton Court was constructed in the 18th century. The village became part of the Badminton
estate owned by the Duke of Beaufort
in 1789. In 1848 the population of the parish was 620.
Baron Altrincham
, of Tormarton is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom that was created in 1945 for the politician Edward Grigg and then held by John Edward Poynder Grigg who disclaimed the title under the Peerage Act of 1963
.
The M4 motorway to the West of Tormarton opened in 1967 with the section to the East running to Stanton St Quintin
(Junction 17) opening four years later. There are plans to open a park and share facility at the motorway junction to allow commuters to park their cars and share lifts to and from Swindon, London, South Wales and Bath.
In 2008 SITA
made a planning application to build a large in-vessel composting
facility near Tormarton. Previously SITA had been proposing to site it on a brown field
site in Pucklechurch
but this was met with opposition from residents due to concerns it could pose a health risk and be a eyesore
. The proposed facility would handle 30,000 tonnes of waste a year. BBC News
reported that it was controversial with residents in Tormarton too.
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...
. Its name comes from Thor Maer Tun meaning The settlement with the thorn (tree) on the boundary. It is one mile North-East of junction 18 of the M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
, with the A46 road
A46 road
The A46 is an A road in England. It starts east of Bath, Somerset and ends in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, but it does not form a continuous route. Large portions of the old road have been lost, bypassed, or replaced by motorway development...
and close to the border between Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
and 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...
. As of 2001 there were 144 households and the population was 348. A National Trail, the Cotswold Way
Cotswold Way
The Cotswold Way is a long-distance footpath, running along the Cotswold Edge escarpment of the Cotswold Hills in England. It was officially inaugurated as a National Trail on 24 May 2007 and several new rights of way have been created.-History:...
passes through the village. There is a church, a hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
, a pub and also a number of bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
s in the village. A Highways Agency
Highways Agency
The Highways Agency is an executive agency, part of the Department for Transport in England. It has responsibility for managing the core road network in England...
depot with a salt dome is situated near to the village.
History
It is thought that humans have been active in the area of Tormarton for more than 6000 years. In 1968 the bodies of three Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
men were discovered near Tormarton, when a gas pipeline was being installed. Unusually two of the bodies showed combat
Combat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
wounds, they are now located in Bristol City Museum. Further excavations were made in 1999 and 2000, these found remains of two other bodies. They were estimated to be 3,500 years old. They are all thought to have all died at a similar time and were then buried in a ditch. A BBC documentary, Meet The Ancestors, was made that followed the second excavation. The area is thought to have been inhabited by the Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
as a stone coffin was found in nearby Hinton. The village was on the border of the Anglo Saxon kingdoms of Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
and Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
. The medieval village was larger than today, extensive eathworks to the north and east of the church suggest that this area may have been settled previously. Some historic buildings remain in Tormarton; St Mary Magdalene Church, Manor Farm and Tormarton Court. The Old Manor House was owned by the de la Riviere family but much of it was demolished in the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
between 1642 and 1649, some sections survived and were incorporated into todays Manor Farm. Tormarton Court was constructed in the 18th century. The village became part of the Badminton
Badminton, Gloucestershire
Badminton, Gloucestershire, is a village in England famous for its horse trials, which take place in early May each year in the grounds of the Duke of Beaufort's residence, Badminton House...
estate owned by the Duke of Beaufort
Duke of Beaufort
Duke of Beaufort is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created by Charles II in 1682 for Henry Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Worcester, a descendant of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, illegitimate son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset, a Lancastrian leader in the Wars of the...
in 1789. In 1848 the population of the parish was 620.
Baron Altrincham
Baron Altrincham
Baron Altrincham, of Tormarton in the County of Gloucester, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 1 August 1945 for the politician Edward Grigg. His son, the second Baron, was a politician, journalist, historian and writer. Soon after the passage of the Peerage Act...
, of Tormarton is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom that was created in 1945 for the politician Edward Grigg and then held by John Edward Poynder Grigg who disclaimed the title under the Peerage Act of 1963
Peerage Act 1963
The Peerage Act 1963 is the Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that permitted peeresses in their own right and all Scottish hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords, and which allows newly inherited hereditary peerages to be "disclaimed".-Background:The Act resulted largely from the...
.
The M4 motorway to the West of Tormarton opened in 1967 with the section to the East running to Stanton St Quintin
Stanton St Quintin
- External links :...
(Junction 17) opening four years later. There are plans to open a park and share facility at the motorway junction to allow commuters to park their cars and share lifts to and from Swindon, London, South Wales and Bath.
In 2008 SITA
Sita (waste management)
SITA is the main brand representing Suez Environnement's waste subsidiaries in Europe, North America, the Asia Pacific zone and Australia....
made a planning application to build a large in-vessel composting
In-vessel composting
In-vessel composting is an industrial form of composting biodegradable waste that occurs in enclosed reactors. These generally consist of metal tanks or concrete bunkers in which air flow and temperature can be controlled, using the principles of a "bioreactor"...
facility near Tormarton. Previously SITA had been proposing to site it on a brown field
Brown Field
Brown Field Municipal Airport is located in the Otay Mesa neighborhood of San Diego, California, southeast of Downtown San Diego and named in honor of Commander Melville S. Brown, USN, who was killed in an airplane crash in 1936. Its primary runway is long....
site in Pucklechurch
Pucklechurch
Pucklechurch is a village in South Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom.- Location :Pucklechurch is a historic village with an incredibly rich past, from the Bronze Age with its tumulus on Shortwood Hill, up to the siting of a barrage balloon depot in World War II...
but this was met with opposition from residents due to concerns it could pose a health risk and be a eyesore
Eyesore
An eyesore is an unpleasant view. Its technical usage is as an alternative perspective to the notion of landmark. Common examples include dilapidated buildings, graffiti, litter, polluted areas and excessive commercial signage such as billboards. Some eyesores may be a matter of opinion such as...
. The proposed facility would handle 30,000 tonnes of waste a year. BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
reported that it was controversial with residents in Tormarton too.
Notable residents
- James DysonJames DysonSir James Dyson is a British industrial designer and founder of the Dyson company.He is best known as the inventor of the Dual Cyclone bagless vacuum cleaner, which works on the principle of cyclonic separation. His net worth in 2011 was said to be £1.45 billion.-Early life:Dyson was born in...
's estate, Dodington ParkDodington ParkDodington Park is a country house and estate in Dodington, Gloucestershire, England.The Codrington family acquired the estate in the late 16th century, when there was a large gables Elizabethan house and adjoining church...
is near Tormarton. - John Mackay
- Robert Payne
- William St Loe, Captain of the GuardCaptain of the GuardThe Captain of the Guard is the commanding position of a military security force. The position of Captain of the Guard is not or no longer associated with the rank of Captain. The Guard is commonly associated with bodyguard duty for royalty or head of state, but the Guard can refer to the military...
to Queen Elizabeth IElizabeth I of EnglandElizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, Chief Butler of EnglandChief Butler of EnglandThe Chief Butler of England is an office of Grand Sergeanty associated with the feudal Manor of Kenninghall in Norfolk. The office requires service to be provided to the Monarch at the Coronation, in this case the service of Pincera Regis, or Chief Butler at the Coronation banquet.The manor of...
and the third husband of Bess of HardwickBess of HardwickElizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury (c. 1521 – 13 February 1608, known as Bess of Hardwick, was the daughter of John Hardwick, of Derbyshire and Elizabeth Leeke, daughter of Thomas Leeke and Margaret Fox...
owned land in Tormarton.