Wick St. Lawrence
Encyclopedia
Wick St. Lawrence is a civil parish
and village in Somerset
, England. It falls within the unitary authority
of North Somerset
. The population of the parish, which includes Bourton, in the 2001 census was 1,296.
Hundred.
The village lies near a small creek known as Slutspill near the River Yeo
which was inundated in the Bristol Channel floods, 1607
. The last wharf on the river was pier and spur of the old Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway
(at what is known as "Tutshill Ear") which was torn up during World War I
. For a short period after this coal was imported from south Wales on its own 33 ton vessel the Lily, until it sank in a gale in 1929.
The 15th century village cross stands on an area of grass opposite the parish church, raised up on five ascending octagonal stone platforms. The crosshead was destroyed during the time of the English Civil Wars. It is a Grade II* listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument
.
The Ebdon Bow Bridge which carries the road from the village to nearby Worle
over the River Banwell
was built in the late 18th or early 19th century.
The parish has seen a vast increase in population in recent years, due to the building of the Ebdon Grounds housing development. This is an extension of the development of the neighbouring North Worle
area, and the village itself remains separate from the new estate.
groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, such as the village hall
or community centre
, playing field
s and playground
s, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also of interest to the council.
The parish falls within the ward of Kewstoke for the unitary authority
of North Somerset
which was created in 1996, as established by the Local Government Act 1992. It provides a single tier of local government
with responsibility for almost all local government functions within their area including local planning
and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health
, market
s and fairs, refuse collection, recycling
, cemeteries, crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism
. They are also responsible for education
, social services, libraries
, main roads, public transport
, trading standards
, waste disposal and strategic planning, although fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the Avon Fire and Rescue Service
, Avon and Somerset Constabulary
and the Great Western Ambulance Service
.
North Somerset's area covers part of the ceremonial county
of Somerset
but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters are in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare
. Between 1 April 1974 and 1 April 1996, it was the Woodspring district of the county of Avon. Before 1974 that the parish was part of the Axbridge Rural District
.
The parish is represented in the House of Commons
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
as part of the Weston-super-Mare
county constituency. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP)
by the first past the post system of election. It is also part of the South West England constituency
of the European Parliament
which elects seven MEPs using the d'Hondt method
of party-list proportional representation
.
approximately 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) inland from Woodspring Bay on the Bristol Channel
coast and between the estuaries of the River Banwell
and the Congresbury Yeo
. The parish incorporates the two smaller hamlets of Icelton and Bourton and the Ebdon Grounds area of modern housing which is contiguous with neighbouring North Worle — itself a suburb of Weston-super-Mare.
The M5 motorway
runs along the parish's south eastern boundary.
The majority of the parish is farmland — primarily livestock rearing — and comprises low lying fields criss-crossed by hedgerows and rhyne
s or wide ditches.
To the north of the village between the mouths of the Banwell and Yeo is an area of reclaimed land known as Wick Warth. This land is a form of polder
and lies between the current sea-wall and an older parallel high grass bank which runs for 1.5 kilometre (0.93205910497471 mi) between the estuaries. A similar area of reclaimed land continues on the northern bank of the Yeo in the neighbouring parish of Kingston Seymour
. "Warth" is the local name given to such reclaimed polder land.
dates mainly from the 15th century. It is built largely of pink or grey Lias
limestone combined with other local limestones and sandstones. These were used during a major restoration
in 1864-1865 by Foster and Wood of Bristol, made necessary after the church was struck by lightning in 1791. This caused cracks to open in the tower which was then reinforced with iron bands. However over the next 60 years the church began to fall apart, prompting the restoration.
The window of the church are in the Perpendicular
style, while the modest tower has a peal of six bells; the oldest of which were cast in 1655. The intricately carved stone pulpit came from Woodspring Priory
in 1536 following the Dissolution of the Monasteries
. The Priory had been bought by a Bristol Merchant, William Carr, and his son and heir John Carr (who subsequently became Lord to the Manors of both Congresbury
and Wick St Lawrence) arranged the pulpit's relocation.
It has been designated as a Grade II* listed building.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
and village in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England. It falls within the unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
of North Somerset
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....
. The population of the parish, which includes Bourton, in the 2001 census was 1,296.
History
The parish of Wick St Lawrence was part of the Winterstoke Hundred, while Bourton was in PortburyPortbury (hundred)
The Hundred of Portbury 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...
Hundred.
The village lies near a small creek known as Slutspill near the River Yeo
Congresbury Yeo
The River Yeo is a river which flows through North Somerset, England.- River course :...
which was inundated in the Bristol Channel floods, 1607
Bristol Channel floods, 1607
The Bristol Channel floods, which occurred on 30 January 1607 , resulted in the drowning of a large number of people and the destruction of a large amount of farmland and livestock...
. The last wharf on the river was pier and spur of the old 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:...
(at what is known as "Tutshill Ear") which was torn up during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. For a short period after this coal was imported from south Wales on its own 33 ton vessel the Lily, until it sank in a gale in 1929.
The 15th century village cross stands on an area of grass opposite the parish church, raised up on five ascending octagonal stone platforms. The crosshead was destroyed during the time of the English Civil Wars. It is a Grade II* listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
.
The Ebdon Bow Bridge which carries the road from the village to nearby Worle
Worle
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 and valued at 6.5...
over the River Banwell
River Banwell
The River Banwell is a small river in Somerset, England.It begins life as a series of springs near the Church of St Andrew in Banwell where they once filled a large pool below the church...
was built in the late 18th or early 19th century.
The parish has seen a vast increase in population in recent years, due to the building of the Ebdon Grounds housing development. This is an extension of the development of the neighbouring North Worle
Worle
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 and valued at 6.5...
area, and the village itself remains separate from the new estate.
Governance
The parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council’s operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watchNeighbourhood Watch (UK)
The Neighbourhood Watch scheme in the United Kingdom is a partnership where people come together to make their communities safer. It involves the Police, Community Safety departments of local authorities, other voluntary organisations and, above all, individuals and families who want to make their...
groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, such as the village hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
or community centre
Community centre
Community centres or community centers or jumping recreation centers are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole community or for a specialised group within...
, playing field
Playing field
A playing field is a field used for playing sports or games. They are generally outdoors, but many large structures exist to enclose playing fields from bad weather. Generally, playing fields are wide expanses of grass, dirt or sand without many obstructions...
s and playground
Playground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
s, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also of interest to the council.
The parish falls within the ward of Kewstoke for the unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
of North Somerset
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....
which was created in 1996, as established by the Local Government Act 1992. It provides a single tier of local government
Local government in the United Kingdom
The pattern of local government in England is complex, with the distribution of functions varying according to the local arrangements. Legislation concerning local government in England is decided by the Parliament and Government of the United Kingdom, because England does not have a devolved...
with responsibility for almost all local government functions within their area including local planning
Planning permission
Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...
and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health
Environmental health
Environmental health is the branch of public health that is concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment that may affect human health...
, market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
s and fairs, refuse collection, recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
, cemeteries, crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. They are also responsible for education
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
, social services, libraries
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, main roads, public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
, trading standards
Trading Standards
Trading Standards is the name given to local authority departments in the UK formerly known as Weights and Measures. These departments investigate commercial organisations that carry out trade in unethical ways or outside the scope of the law.-History:...
, waste disposal and strategic planning, although fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the Avon Fire and Rescue Service
Avon Fire and Rescue Service
Avon Fire & Rescue Service is the fire and rescue service covering the unitary authorities of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire in South West England.-History:...
, Avon and Somerset Constabulary
Avon and Somerset Constabulary
Avon & Somerset Constabulary is the territorial police force in England responsible for policing the non-metropolitan county of Somerset, the city & county of Bristol and the unitary authorities of South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset; before 1996 these districts...
and the Great Western Ambulance Service
Great Western Ambulance Service
The Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust is a UK National Health Service trust providing emergency and non emergency patient transport services to Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire in the South West England region...
.
North Somerset's area covers part of the ceremonial county
Ceremonial counties of England
The ceremonial counties are areas of England to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as counties and areas for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and Lieutenancies Act 1997...
of Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters are in the town hall in 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...
. Between 1 April 1974 and 1 April 1996, it was the Woodspring district of the county of Avon. Before 1974 that the parish was part of the Axbridge Rural District
Axbridge Rural District
Axbridge was a rural district in Somerset, England, from 1894 to 1974. It was named after the town of Axbridge.It was created in 1894 under the Local Government Act 1894 as a successor to the Axbridge rural sanitary district....
.
The parish is represented in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
as part of the Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare (UK Parliament constituency)
Weston-super-Mare is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
county constituency. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP)
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,...
by the first past the post system of election. It is also part of the South West England constituency
South West England (European Parliament constituency)
South West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation, reduced from 7 in 2004.-Boundaries:...
of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
which elects seven MEPs using the d'Hondt method
D'Hondt method
The d'Hondt method is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. The method described is named after Belgian mathematician Victor D'Hondt who described it in 1878...
of party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation systems are a family of voting systems emphasizing proportional representation in elections in which multiple candidates are elected...
.
Geography
The village lies near the north west extremity of the North Somerset LevelsNorth Somerset Levels
The North Somerset Levels is a coastal plain, an expanse of low-lying flat ground, which occupies an area between Weston-super-Mare and Bristol in North Somerset, England...
approximately 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) inland from Woodspring Bay on the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
coast and between the estuaries of the River Banwell
River Banwell
The River Banwell is a small river in Somerset, England.It begins life as a series of springs near the Church of St Andrew in Banwell where they once filled a large pool below the church...
and the Congresbury Yeo
Congresbury Yeo
The River Yeo is a river which flows through North Somerset, England.- River course :...
. The parish incorporates the two smaller hamlets of Icelton and Bourton and the Ebdon Grounds area of modern housing which is contiguous with neighbouring North Worle — itself a suburb of Weston-super-Mare.
The M5 motorway
M5 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...
runs along the parish's south eastern boundary.
The majority of the parish is farmland — primarily livestock rearing — and comprises low lying fields criss-crossed by hedgerows and rhyne
Rhyne
A rhyne , rhine/rhyne , or reen is a drainage ditch, or canal, used to turn areas of wetland at around sea level into useful pasture....
s or wide ditches.
To the north of the village between the mouths of the Banwell and Yeo is an area of reclaimed land known as Wick Warth. This land is a form of polder
Polder
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices...
and lies between the current sea-wall and an older parallel high grass bank which runs for 1.5 kilometre (0.93205910497471 mi) between the estuaries. A similar area of reclaimed land continues on the northern bank of the Yeo in the neighbouring parish of Kingston Seymour
Kingston Seymour
Kingston Seymour is a small village and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is situated within the unitary authority of North Somerset, between Clevedon and Weston-super-Mare on the North Somerset Levels. The parish has a population of 338...
. "Warth" is the local name given to such reclaimed polder land.
Religious sites
The parish Church of Saint LawrenceSaint Lawrence
Lawrence of Rome was one of the seven deacons of ancient Rome who were martyred during the persecution of Valerian in 258.- Holy Chalice :...
dates mainly from the 15th century. It is built largely of pink or grey Lias
Lias Group
The Lias Group or Lias is a lithostratigraphic unit found in a large area of western Europe, including the British Isles, the North Sea, the low countries and the north of Germany...
limestone combined with other local limestones and sandstones. These were used during a 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...
in 1864-1865 by Foster and Wood of Bristol, made necessary after the church was struck by lightning in 1791. This caused cracks to open in the tower which was then reinforced with iron bands. However over the next 60 years the church began to fall apart, prompting the restoration.
The window of the church are in the Perpendicular
Perpendicular
In geometry, two lines or planes are considered perpendicular to each other if they form congruent adjacent angles . The term may be used as a noun or adjective...
style, while the modest tower has a peal of six bells; the oldest of which were cast in 1655. The intricately carved stone pulpit came from Woodspring Priory
Woodspring Priory
Woodspring Priory is a former Augustinian priory beside the Severn Estuary about north-east of Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset. It was founded in the early thirteenth century, and dedicated to Thomas Becket . After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the priory was converted into a farmhouse...
in 1536 following 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...
. The Priory had been bought by a Bristol Merchant, William Carr, and his son and heir John Carr (who subsequently became Lord to the Manors of both Congresbury
Congresbury
Congresbury is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is situated in the Unitary authority of North Somerset, and in 2001 had a population of 3,400. It lies on the A370, roughly equidistant between Junction 21 of the M5 and Bristol Airport, approximately south of Bristol city centre,...
and Wick St Lawrence) arranged the pulpit's relocation.
It has been designated as a Grade II* listed building.