Weston, Somerset
Encyclopedia
Weston is a suburb and electoral ward
of Bath in England
, located in the north west of the city. Originally a separate village, Weston has become part of Bath as the city has grown, first through the development of Lower Weston in Victorian times and then by the incorporation of the village itself – also called Upper Weston – into the city with the siting of much local authority housing there in the period after World War II
.
s found in the village in 1825. There are believed to have been used as ceremonial anointing
regalia.
During the 10th century Weston had been divided into two estates. One, on the slopes of Lansdown was given by Edmund I to Aethelare in 946. Weston was the birthplace of Saint Alphege
who was born around 954. The two manors are recorded in the Domesday Book
of 1086 one held by Abbot Sewold and the other by Arnulf de Hesding.
During the 12th and 13th centuries Weston had close ties with the monks of Bath Abbey
and in the late 13th century the first vicar of Weston was appointed by the church. Weston was part of the hundred of Bath Forum
, with a manorial court or Halmote being held in the Parish. The land continued to be owned by the church and leased to tenants until the dissolution of the monasteries
in 1539. The estates in Weston then reverted to the king. In 1628 it was sold to the Corporation of London
although the king continued to receive rent until 1671 when it was old to Sir Walter Long
, who was Member of Parliament
for Bath
from 1679 (the Habeas Corpus Parliament
) to 1681. Following the Battle of Lansdowne
in 1643, some of the defeated Roundheads took refuge in Weston.
The village expanded during the 19th century with many areas being drained, the church being rebuilt and new schools established. The Georgian expansion of Bath included many houses being built in Weston and in 1834 Partis College
was built. Developments continued into the Victorian era with Weston Park and Combe Park being developed.
, is on one of the roads from central Bath into Weston, and is generally considered to be in Weston. Strictly however, the hospital is in the neighbouring ward
of Newbridge
.
Weston has two primary schools, Weston All Saints C.E. V.C Primary School, and St Mary's Catholic Primary School. Lower Weston is served by Newbridge School; an earlier primary school called Weston St John's closed when the primary departments at Newbridge expanded in the 1970s.
Weston has a large amount of local amenities, including a recreation ground, and youth club [Centre 69] and large amount of shops and services including a bakery, butcher, supermarket, post office, pet shop, 2 takeaways and 2 newsagents. There is also a greengrocer and 3 hair salons.
, except for the tower which dates from the 15th century. The Lower Weston parish church is St John's, barely a mile from Bath's city centre, and now in Kingsmead ward
. There is also a Moravian church sited at the bottom of Lansdown Lane and the nearest Catholic church is St. Mary's on Julian Road.
was at Lower Weston and closed in 1953, although the platform building and the stationmaster's house still exist. The station was on the Midland Railway line
from Bath to Bristol and to the north, which itself closed in 1966.
Weston boasts some of the best transportation connections with the centre of Bath in the city. There are 4 bus services that go to Weston. Firstly the service 14, which runs at a frequency of 7–8 minutes during weekdays and is operated by First and Faresaver. Other services include the 20A/C and the 17 which run at half hour intervals.
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
of Bath in 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...
, located in the north west of the city. Originally a separate village, Weston has become part of Bath as the city has grown, first through the development of Lower Weston in Victorian times and then by the incorporation of the village itself – also called Upper Weston – into the city with the siting of much local authority housing there in the period after 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...
.
History
The earliest evidence of occupation comes from two celtic Caddy spoonCaddy spoon
A caddy spoon is a spoon used for measuring tea leaves. Traditionally made of silver, they were in common use in the 19th century, when tea was an expensive commodity.-Bibliography:...
s found in the village in 1825. There are believed to have been used as ceremonial anointing
Anointing
To anoint is to pour or smear with perfumed oil, milk, water, melted butter or other substances, a process employed ritually by many religions. People and things are anointed to symbolize the introduction of a sacramental or divine influence, a holy emanation, spirit, power or God...
regalia.
During the 10th century Weston had been divided into two estates. One, on the slopes of Lansdown was given by Edmund I to Aethelare in 946. Weston was the birthplace of Saint Alphege
Alphege
Ælfheah , officially remembered by the name Alphege within some churches, and also called Elphege, Alfege, or Godwine, was an Anglo-Saxon Bishop of Winchester, later Archbishop of Canterbury. He became an anchorite before being elected abbot of Bath Abbey...
who was born around 954. The two manors are recorded 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 one held by Abbot Sewold and the other by Arnulf de Hesding.
During the 12th and 13th centuries Weston had close ties with the monks of Bath Abbey
Bath Abbey
The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Bath, commonly known as Bath Abbey, is an Anglican parish church and a former Benedictine monastery in Bath, Somerset, England...
and in the late 13th century the first vicar of Weston was appointed by the church. Weston was part of the hundred of Bath Forum
Bath Forum (hundred)
The Hundred of Bath Forum 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...
, with a manorial court or Halmote being held in the Parish. The land continued to be owned by the church and leased to tenants until the dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in 1539. The estates in Weston then reverted to the king. In 1628 it was sold to the Corporation of London
Corporation of London
The City of London Corporation is the municipal governing body of the City of London. It exercises control only over the City , and not over Greater London...
although the king continued to receive rent until 1671 when it was old to Sir Walter Long
Sir Walter Long, 2nd Baronet
Sir Walter Long, 2nd Baronet was born in Wiltshire, the son of Sir Walter Long, 1st Baronet of Whaddon and his wife Mary Cox....
, who was Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Bath
Bath (UK Parliament constituency)
Bath is a constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, previously of the House of Commons of England. It is an ancient constituency which has been constantly represented in Parliament since boroughs were first summoned to send members in the 13th century...
from 1679 (the Habeas Corpus Parliament
Habeas Corpus Parliament
The Habeas Corpus Parliament, also known as the First Exclusion Parliament, was a short-lived English Parliament which assembled on 6 March 1679 during the reign of Charles II of England, the third parliament of the King's reign. It is named after the Habeas Corpus Act, which it enacted in May,...
) to 1681. Following the Battle of Lansdowne
Battle of Lansdowne
The English Civil War battle of Lansdowne was fought on 5 July 1643, near Bath, southwest England. Although the Royalists under Lord Hopton forced the Parliamentarians under Sir William Waller to retreat from their hilltop position, they suffered so many casualties themselves and were left so...
in 1643, some of the defeated Roundheads took refuge in Weston.
The village expanded during the 19th century with many areas being drained, the church being rebuilt and new schools established. The Georgian expansion of Bath included many houses being built in Weston and in 1834 Partis College
Partis College, Bath
Partis College on Newbridge Hill, Bath, Somerset, England, was built as large block of almshouses between 1825 and 1827. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building....
was built. Developments continued into the Victorian era with Weston Park and Combe Park being developed.
Services
Bath's main hospital, the Royal United HospitalRoyal United Hospital
The Royal United Hospital is a major acute hospital, located in the Weston suburb of Bath, England, which lies approximately miles west of the Bath city centre. The hospital currently has 565 beds and occupies a site...
, is on one of the roads from central Bath into Weston, and is generally considered to be in Weston. Strictly however, the hospital is in the neighbouring ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
of Newbridge
Newbridge, Bath
Newbridge is a largely residential electoral ward within Bath, England. Informally, Newbridge refers to the area of Bath that roughly corresponds to the ward boundaries....
.
Weston has two primary schools, Weston All Saints C.E. V.C Primary School, and St Mary's Catholic Primary School. Lower Weston is served by Newbridge School; an earlier primary school called Weston St John's closed when the primary departments at Newbridge expanded in the 1970s.
Weston has a large amount of local amenities, including a recreation ground, and youth club [Centre 69] and large amount of shops and services including a bakery, butcher, supermarket, post office, pet shop, 2 takeaways and 2 newsagents. There is also a greengrocer and 3 hair salons.
Religious sites
The village parish church is All Saints, originally founded no later than 1156. The current church dates from 1832 and was designed by the local architect John Pinch the youngerJohn Pinch the younger
John Pinch the younger was an architect, working mainly in the city of Bath, England, and surveyor to the Pulteney and Darlington estate...
, except for the tower which dates from the 15th century. The Lower Weston parish church is St John's, barely a mile from Bath's city centre, and now in Kingsmead ward
Kingsmead, Bath
Kingsmead is a largely residential electoral ward within Bath, England.Kingsmead is rarely used as the name of an area of Bath, and is primarily used just for electoral purposes within the Bath and North East Somerset unitary authority, electing two councillors. Kingsmead stretches about westward...
. There is also a Moravian church sited at the bottom of Lansdown Lane and the nearest Catholic church is St. Mary's on Julian Road.
Transport
The Weston (Bath) railway stationWeston (Bath) railway station
Weston was a small railway station in Bath, England, about a mile west of Bath Green Park railway station on the Midland Railway line.It was opened in 1869 when the Midland Railway's Bath branch was opened...
was at Lower Weston and closed in 1953, although the platform building and the stationmaster's house still exist. The station was on the Midland Railway line
Mangotsfield and Bath Branch Line
The Mangotsfield and Bath Branch Line opened in 1869 to connect Bath to the Midland Railway network at Mangotsfield, on the former Bristol and Gloucester Railway....
from Bath to Bristol and to the north, which itself closed in 1966.
Weston boasts some of the best transportation connections with the centre of Bath in the city. There are 4 bus services that go to Weston. Firstly the service 14, which runs at a frequency of 7–8 minutes during weekdays and is operated by First and Faresaver. Other services include the 20A/C and the 17 which run at half hour intervals.