Pill, North Somerset
Encyclopedia
Pill is a village in North Somerset
. It is situated on the southern bank of the Avon
. Pill now includes Ham Green and is adjacent to the village of Easton-in-Gordano. Opposite Pill is the Bristol
suburb of Shirehampton
.
"Pill", in Anglo-Saxon
, means a "creek" or "inlet" off a river or channel or a small harbour, often tidal and occasionally used as a dock.
The town was traditionally the residence of pilots, who would guide boats up the Avon Gorge
, between the Bristol Channel
and the Port of Bristol
. The port moved in the 20th century to Avonmouth
and the Royal Portbury Dock
. Pill was once home to 21 public houses and was known as being a rough place, to the extent that the founder of the Methodist Church
, John Wesley
, says in an entry in his journals for 3 October 1755:
The 1860s saw the building of the railway line between Bristol (Temple Meads) and Portishead
. Opened to passengers in 1863, passing right through the village of Pill. A large number of properties had to be demolished to allow its necessary straight and level passage. It brought new life to the area, not to mention new blood as many of the navvies working the line met and married local girls and stayed on after the line was complete to raise their families. They brought new names, some of which are still with us today, over 100 years on. The railway consumed not only dwellings and other buildings but many acres of farm land during its construction.
The small rowed ferry from Pill to Shirehampton
closed because of loss of trade once the Avonmouth Bridge
opened in 1974 enabling pedestrians to walk over the Avon
. Few did of course, but some rode their bicycles and many more turned to their cars. So a transport link to and from the parish of Easton-in-Gordano, one that had survived since Medieval times, was closed and the river mud has swallowed up most of the now unattended slipways.
In 1971 the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
stationed an inshore lifeboat
at Pill. It was withdrawn in 1974.
, Pill Baptist Church and Pill Methodist Church.
Pill has several shops in the centre for day-to-day needs, including a NISA, pharmacy, Post Office and hair salon. There is a shop for local charity, CHEER, and a small flower–hardware shop, 'Practically Everything'. There is a co-op at the top of the village near where the railway station used to be. Pill is home to several take-away restaurants. It can no longer boast 21 pubs and currently has five: The Kings Head, The Anchor, The Star, The Duke and the Pill Memorial Club, although this excludes the nearby pubs in Easton in Gordano
.
The village and its vanished ferry are commemorated in the Adge Cutler and The Wurzels
song "Pill Pill".
It is commonly used as a place for commuting
to Bristol
as it has excellent transport links, being close to the M5 and Bristol.
Pill marks the start of the National Cycle Network
33 (the Wessex Cycleway) which also takes in Clevedon
, Weston-super-Mare
, Bridgwater
, Chard
and Seaton
.
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....
. It is situated on the southern bank of the Avon
River Avon, Bristol
The River Avon is an English river in the south west of the country. To distinguish it from a number of other River Avons in Britain, this river is often also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon...
. Pill now includes Ham Green and is adjacent to the village of Easton-in-Gordano. Opposite Pill is the Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
suburb of Shirehampton
Shirehampton
Shirehampton, near Avonmouth, at the north-western edge of the city of Bristol, England, is a district of Bristol which originated as a separate village. It retains something of its village feel, having a short identifiable High Street with the parish church situated among shops, and is still...
.
"Pill", in Anglo-Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
, means a "creek" or "inlet" off a river or channel or a small harbour, often tidal and occasionally used as a dock.
History
The original name Crockerne Pill means literally 'pottery wharf' and arose from the fact that an industrial-scale pottery thrived nearby. The actual kiln was excavated about 50 years ago and is located in the fields above Chapel Pill. The pottery was made in the period from 1100 AD to 1250 AD and was exported from Pill by boat. The so-called 'Ham Green' pottery has been found and identified in archaeological digs from the Algarve in Portugal to Iceland. It is an important archaeological 'dating tool' because the period of manufacture is so precise. Bristol City Museum has a good selection of pottery artefacts from the site and other locations showing the unique decoration and form of Ham Green pottery.The town was traditionally the residence of pilots, who would guide boats up the Avon Gorge
Avon Gorge
The Avon Gorge is a 1.5-mile long gorge on the River Avon in Bristol, England. The gorge runs south to north through a limestone ridge west of Bristol city centre, and about 3 miles from the mouth of the river at Avonmouth. The gorge forms the boundary between the unitary authorities of...
, between 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...
and the Port of Bristol
Port of Bristol
The Port of Bristol comprises the commercial, and former commercial, docks situated in and near the city of Bristol in England. The Port of Bristol Authority was the commercial title of the Bristol City, Avonmouth, Portishead and Royal Portbury Docks when they were operated by Bristol City Council,...
. The port moved in the 20th century to Avonmouth
Avonmouth
Avonmouth is a port and suburb of Bristol, England, located on the Severn Estuary, at the mouth of the River Avon.The council ward of Avonmouth also includes Shirehampton and the western end of Lawrence Weston.- Geography :...
and the Royal Portbury Dock
Royal Portbury Dock
The Royal Portbury Dock is part of the Port of Bristol, in England. It is situated near the village of Portbury on the southern side of the mouth of the Avon, where the river joins the Severn estuary — the Avonmouth Docks are on the opposite side of the Avon, within Avonmouth...
. Pill was once home to 21 public houses and was known as being a rough place, to the extent that the founder of the Methodist Church
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
, John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
, says in an entry in his journals for 3 October 1755:
Portishead, Somerset
Portishead is a coastal town on the Severn Estuary within the unitary authority of North Somerset, which falls within the ceremonial county of Somerset England. It has a population of 22,000, an increase of over 3,000 since the 2001 census, with a growth rate of 40 per cent, considerably in excess...
. Opened to passengers in 1863, passing right through the village of Pill. A large number of properties had to be demolished to allow its necessary straight and level passage. It brought new life to the area, not to mention new blood as many of the navvies working the line met and married local girls and stayed on after the line was complete to raise their families. They brought new names, some of which are still with us today, over 100 years on. The railway consumed not only dwellings and other buildings but many acres of farm land during its construction.
The small rowed ferry from Pill to Shirehampton
Shirehampton
Shirehampton, near Avonmouth, at the north-western edge of the city of Bristol, England, is a district of Bristol which originated as a separate village. It retains something of its village feel, having a short identifiable High Street with the parish church situated among shops, and is still...
closed because of loss of trade once the Avonmouth Bridge
Avonmouth Bridge
The Avonmouth Bridge is a road bridge that carries the M5 motorway over the River Avon into Somerset near Bristol, England. The main span is long, and the bridge is long, with an air draught above mean high water level of . It also contains a separate footpath and cycleway.The bridge was built...
opened in 1974 enabling pedestrians to walk over the Avon
River Avon, Bristol
The River Avon is an English river in the south west of the country. To distinguish it from a number of other River Avons in Britain, this river is often also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon...
. Few did of course, but some rode their bicycles and many more turned to their cars. So a transport link to and from the parish of Easton-in-Gordano, one that had survived since Medieval times, was closed and the river mud has swallowed up most of the now unattended slipways.
In 1971 the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
stationed an inshore lifeboat
Lifeboat (rescue)
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
at Pill. It was withdrawn in 1974.
Amenities
The parish has five churches: St George's, Easton-in-Gordano; Christ Church, Pill; The Salvation ArmyThe Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, Pill Baptist Church and Pill Methodist Church.
Pill has several shops in the centre for day-to-day needs, including a NISA, pharmacy, Post Office and hair salon. There is a shop for local charity, CHEER, and a small flower–hardware shop, 'Practically Everything'. There is a co-op at the top of the village near where the railway station used to be. Pill is home to several take-away restaurants. It can no longer boast 21 pubs and currently has five: The Kings Head, The Anchor, The Star, The Duke and the Pill Memorial Club, although this excludes the nearby pubs in Easton in Gordano
Easton in Gordano
Easton in Gordano sometimes shortened to "E-I-G" is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is within the District of North Somerset and in 2001 the population was 4,719....
.
The village and its vanished ferry are commemorated in the Adge Cutler and The Wurzels
The Wurzels
The Wurzels are a British Scrumpy and Western band...
song "Pill Pill".
It is commonly used as a place for commuting
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
as it has excellent transport links, being close to the M5 and Bristol.
Pill marks the start of the National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
33 (the Wessex Cycleway) which also takes in Clevedon
Clevedon
Clevedon is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, England...
, 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...
, Bridgwater
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
, Chard
Chard, Somerset
Chard is a town and civil parish in the Somerset county of England. It lies on the A30 road near the Devon border, south west of Yeovil. The parish has a population of approximately 12,000 and, at an elevation of , it is the southernmost and highest town in Somerset...
and Seaton
Seaton, Devon
Seaton is a seaside town in East Devon on the south coast of England. It faces onto Lyme Bay, to the west of the mouth of the River Axe with red cliffs to one side and white cliffs on the other. Axmouth and Beer are nearby...
.
Schools
- St Katherine's school, located at Ham Green within Abbots LeighAbbots LeighAbbots Leigh is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, about west of the centre of Bristol.-History:The original Middle English name was Lega and the village became Abbots Leigh in the mid 12th century when Robert Fitzharding , who acquired the village as Lord of the Manor, gave the...
parish, not actually in Pill, with approximately 1,000 students aged 11–18. - Crockerne Primary School, which is located in the village and caters for Nursery to Year 6 pupils. The school has one of North Somerset's first children's centres, officially opened on 1 July 2006, as well as a small, indoor, heated swimming pool and an active PTAParent-Teacher AssociationIn the U.S. a parent-teacher association or Parent-Teacher-Student Association is a formal organization composed of parents, teachers and staff that is intended to facilitate parental participation in a public or private school. Most public and private K-8 schools in the U.S. have a PTA, a...
.