Westfield, Somerset
Encyclopedia
Westfield is a settlement lying on the Fosse Way
between Radstock
and Midsomer Norton
in Somerset
, England. In 2011 it was raised to the status of a civil parish
.
It is 10.5 miles (16.9 km) south-west of Bath, 12 miles (19.3 km) north-east of Wells
, 9 miles (14.5 km) north-west of Frome
, and 17 miles (27.4 km) south-east of Bristol
.
Its geographical location on the A367 from Bath has resulted in it being an important base for services for the population centres of the old Somerset Coalfield
area, for which it hosts the police and fire stations, the local further education college and the annual winter carnival.
Roman road originally ran through this area, between what is now Radstock and Midsomer Norton. Westfield is not mentioned in the Domesday Book
. By the early nineteenth century Westfield still consisted mostly of rural land and coal mining works, with little residential development. It was with the building of large numbers of terraced miners' cottages along the Fosse Way in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that the area developed into a more populous area in its own right, with Westfield starting to appear on maps and being recognized as a settlement. Modern housing estates were developed on land on both sides of the Fosse Way in the 1970s.
Westfield now hosts the Midsomer Norton
carnival every November, the only unofficial carnival on the Somerset circuit. The route was moved to Westfield when traffic improvements to Midsomer Norton High Street made the original route prohibitive for the large vehicles.
In 2011, two hot-air balloonists who had been attempting to make a high-altitude ascent were killed when their balloon crashed at the Pratten's Bowls Club in Westfield.
In 1839, the Wells Way pit was the scene of a disaster in which twelve miners died when the rope snapped when they were descending into the pit. A monument recording this event can be found in the cemetery of the Church of St John the Baptist, Midsomer Norton
, with an inscription recording the popular belief that that rope was maliciously cut, although nobody was ever apprehended for the alleged act.
The seams of coal were thin, and because of the geology they were not easy to work. The Wells Way pit closed in 1920, and the Norton Hill pit in 1966. Despite modernisation in the early 1960s, the pit lapsed into unprofitability due to local geological difficulties and manpower shortages. The Norton Hill colliery at Westfield was owned by the Beauchamp family who owned many of the other collieries and related works on the Somerset Coalfield
at various times. It was known as "Beauchamp's Goldmine", as it was the most productive mine in the whole coalfield.
Westfield is the location of a former Clark's Shoes factory, and the disused Westfield Quarry lies a short distance to the west of the main built-up area of the parish.
The Westfield Trading Estate is home to many national and local businesses, including Dickies
, Jones Convenience Stores and the Midsomer Norton, Radstock & District Journal
.
, which elects a Member of Parliament
to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
. It is also part of the South West England constituency
of the European Parliament
.
Westfield was formerly part of the parish of Norton Radstock
, along with Radstock
and Midsomer Norton
until May 2011, when it became a parish in its own right. However, The name Westfield was used for a ward of the former Wansdyke District Council
, abolished in 1996. In 1988 it was described as "a distinct district on the outer edge of Norton-Radstock".
Almost all significant local government
functions are carried out by Bath and North East Somerset
, a unitary authority
, but Westfield also has its own parish council, with mostly consultative functions. The parish council is based in the Oval Office in St Peter's Business Park in Westfield.
is formed by the disused Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
line that ran between Midsomer Norton South
and Bath Green Park
stations.
This was converted in 2011 into the Five Arches Greenway cycle path that connects Radstock
with Norton Hill School
, in partnership with Sustrans
.
Most of the parish consists of residential and industrial development, but at the southern end of the parish below Westfield Trading Estate lies Waterside Valley, where a stream runs through an area of farmland, scrub and an overgrown coal tip north-west of the village of Haydon.
.
There are no secondary schools within Westfield, but it is served by Norton Hill School
and Somervale School
in Midsomer Norton
and by Writhlington School
in Radstock
.
Westfield has a further education
college
, Norton Radstock College
, which also serves Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Keynsham
and surrounding districts. The college has 1,000 full-time students and 5,000 part-time students and has expanded steadily since it opened in the 1940s to serve the Somerset coalfield
s. The college provides a range of vocational programmes.
St Hugh's Roman Catholic Church on Wells Hill is housed in the former Purnell's printing works. The church acquired the building after the First World War.
St Peter's Church of England parish church was built in 1988.
Fosse Way
The Fosse Way was a Roman road in England that linked Exeter in South West England to Lincoln in Lincolnshire, via Ilchester , Bath , Cirencester and Leicester .It joined Akeman Street and Ermin Way at Cirencester, crossed Watling Street at Venonis south...
between Radstock
Radstock
Radstock is a town in Somerset, England, south west of Bath, and north west of Frome. It is within the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset and had a population of 5,275 according to the 2001 Census...
and Midsomer Norton
Midsomer Norton
Midsomer Norton is a town near the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England, south-west of Bath, north-east of Wells, north-west of Frome, and south-east of Bristol. It has a population of 10,458. Along with Radstock and Westfield it used to be part of the conurbation and large civil parish of Norton...
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. In 2011 it was raised to the status of a civil parish
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...
.
It is 10.5 miles (16.9 km) south-west of Bath, 12 miles (19.3 km) north-east of Wells
Wells
Wells is a cathedral city and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. Although the population recorded in the 2001 census is 10,406, it has had city status since 1205...
, 9 miles (14.5 km) north-west of Frome
Frome
Frome is a town and civil parish in northeast Somerset, England. Located at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, the town is built on uneven high ground, and centres around the River Frome. The town is approximately south of Bath, east of the county town, Taunton and west of London. In the 2001...
, and 17 miles (27.4 km) south-east of 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...
.
Its geographical location on the A367 from Bath has resulted in it being an important base for services for the population centres of the old Somerset Coalfield
Somerset coalfield
The Somerset Coalfield included pits in the North Somerset, England, area where coal was mined from the 15th century until 1973.It is part of a wider coalfield which covered northern Somerset and southern Gloucestershire. It stretched from Cromhall in the north to the Mendip Hills in the south, and...
area, for which it hosts the police and fire stations, the local further education college and the annual winter carnival.
History
The Fosse WayFosse Way
The Fosse Way was a Roman road in England that linked Exeter in South West England to Lincoln in Lincolnshire, via Ilchester , Bath , Cirencester and Leicester .It joined Akeman Street and Ermin Way at Cirencester, crossed Watling Street at Venonis south...
Roman road originally ran through this area, between what is now Radstock and Midsomer Norton. Westfield is not mentioned 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...
. By the early nineteenth century Westfield still consisted mostly of rural land and coal mining works, with little residential development. It was with the building of large numbers of terraced miners' cottages along the Fosse Way in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that the area developed into a more populous area in its own right, with Westfield starting to appear on maps and being recognized as a settlement. Modern housing estates were developed on land on both sides of the Fosse Way in the 1970s.
Westfield now hosts the Midsomer Norton
Midsomer Norton
Midsomer Norton is a town near the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England, south-west of Bath, north-east of Wells, north-west of Frome, and south-east of Bristol. It has a population of 10,458. Along with Radstock and Westfield it used to be part of the conurbation and large civil parish of Norton...
carnival every November, the only unofficial carnival on the Somerset circuit. The route was moved to Westfield when traffic improvements to Midsomer Norton High Street made the original route prohibitive for the large vehicles.
In 2011, two hot-air balloonists who had been attempting to make a high-altitude ascent were killed when their balloon crashed at the Pratten's Bowls Club in Westfield.
Industry
As in the neighbouring towns and villages, coal mining was an important industry, with the largest mine at Norton Hill in Westfield. In total there were three mines in Westfield, two at Norton Hill and a third at Wells Way.In 1839, the Wells Way pit was the scene of a disaster in which twelve miners died when the rope snapped when they were descending into the pit. A monument recording this event can be found in the cemetery of the Church of St John the Baptist, Midsomer Norton
Church of St John the Baptist, Midsomer Norton
The Anglican Church of St John the Baptist in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, England is a Grade II* listed building. St. John's is part of the Diocese of Bath and Wells.The exact date of the building of the church is unknown, but was probably around 1150...
, with an inscription recording the popular belief that that rope was maliciously cut, although nobody was ever apprehended for the alleged act.
The seams of coal were thin, and because of the geology they were not easy to work. The Wells Way pit closed in 1920, and the Norton Hill pit in 1966. Despite modernisation in the early 1960s, the pit lapsed into unprofitability due to local geological difficulties and manpower shortages. The Norton Hill colliery at Westfield was owned by the Beauchamp family who owned many of the other collieries and related works on the Somerset Coalfield
Somerset coalfield
The Somerset Coalfield included pits in the North Somerset, England, area where coal was mined from the 15th century until 1973.It is part of a wider coalfield which covered northern Somerset and southern Gloucestershire. It stretched from Cromhall in the north to the Mendip Hills in the south, and...
at various times. It was known as "Beauchamp's Goldmine", as it was the most productive mine in the whole coalfield.
Westfield is the location of a former Clark's Shoes factory, and the disused Westfield Quarry lies a short distance to the west of the main built-up area of the parish.
The Westfield Trading Estate is home to many national and local businesses, including Dickies
Dickies
Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company, more commonly referred to as the brand Dickies, is an American company headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas that manufactures and sells work-related clothing and other accessories, including back packs, steel-toe boots, and belts. Its major competitors are...
, Jones Convenience Stores and the Midsomer Norton, Radstock & District Journal
Midsomer Norton, Radstock & District Journal
The Midsomer Norton, Radstock and District Journal is a free weekly newspaper circulated in the towns of Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Westfield, and surrounding villages in Somerset.-Ownership:...
.
Governance
Westfield forms part of the North East Somerset constituencyNorth East Somerset (UK Parliament constituency)
North East Somerset is a county constituency created by the Boundary Commission for England as the successor seat to the Wansdyke Parliamentary Seat. It came into being at the 2010 general election.- Boundaries :...
, which elects a 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,...
to the House of Commons 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...
. 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...
.
Westfield was formerly part of the parish of Norton Radstock
Norton Radstock
Norton Radstock used to be a small conurbation and large civil parish in Bath and North East Somerset, England, south west of Bath, and the same distance north west of Frome. It had a population of 21,325 according to the 2001 census. The term Norton Radstock is not recognised by local residents,...
, along with Radstock
Radstock
Radstock is a town in Somerset, England, south west of Bath, and north west of Frome. It is within the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset and had a population of 5,275 according to the 2001 Census...
and Midsomer Norton
Midsomer Norton
Midsomer Norton is a town near the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England, south-west of Bath, north-east of Wells, north-west of Frome, and south-east of Bristol. It has a population of 10,458. Along with Radstock and Westfield it used to be part of the conurbation and large civil parish of Norton...
until May 2011, when it became a parish in its own right. However, The name Westfield was used for a ward of the former Wansdyke District Council
Wansdyke (district)
Wansdyke was a non-metropolitan district within the County of Avon, in the west of England from 1974 to 1996.The district was formed by the Local Government Act 1972 on 1 April 1974 as part of a reform of local authorities throughout England and Wales...
, abolished in 1996. In 1988 it was described as "a distinct district on the outer edge of Norton-Radstock".
Almost all significant local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
functions are carried out by Bath and North East Somerset
Bath and North East Somerset
Bath and North East Somerset is a unitary authority that was created on 1 April 1996 following the abolition of the County of Avon. It is part of the Ceremonial county of Somerset...
, a 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...
, but Westfield also has its own parish council, with mostly consultative functions. The parish council is based in the Oval Office in St Peter's Business Park in Westfield.
Geography
The northern parish boundary with Midsomer NortonMidsomer Norton
Midsomer Norton is a town near the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England, south-west of Bath, north-east of Wells, north-west of Frome, and south-east of Bristol. It has a population of 10,458. Along with Radstock and Westfield it used to be part of the conurbation and large civil parish of Norton...
is formed by the disused Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
The Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway – almost always referred to as "the S&D" – was an English railway line connecting Bath in north east Somerset and Bournemouth now in south east Dorset but then in Hampshire...
line that ran between Midsomer Norton South
Midsomer Norton railway station
Midsomer Norton railway station was a station on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway between and Shepton Mallet. It served the town of Midsomer Norton. The station was immortalised in 1964 in the song "Slow Train" by Flanders and Swann...
and Bath Green Park
Bath Green Park railway station
Green Park railway station is a former railway station in Bath, Somerset, England. For some of its life, it was known as Bath Queen Square.-Architecture and opening:...
stations.
This was converted in 2011 into the Five Arches Greenway cycle path that connects Radstock
Radstock
Radstock is a town in Somerset, England, south west of Bath, and north west of Frome. It is within the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset and had a population of 5,275 according to the 2001 Census...
with Norton Hill School
Norton Hill School
Norton Hill School is a state school with academy status in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, England. It was formerly the Midsomer Norton Grammar School....
, in partnership with Sustrans
Sustrans
Sustrans is a British charity to promote sustainable transport. The charity is currently working on a number of practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport, to give people the choice of "travelling in ways that benefit their health and the environment"...
.
Most of the parish consists of residential and industrial development, but at the southern end of the parish below Westfield Trading Estate lies Waterside Valley, where a stream runs through an area of farmland, scrub and an overgrown coal tip north-west of the village of Haydon.
Education
There are two first schools in Westfield, Westfield Primary School and, for pupils with complex learning difficulties, Fosseway School. Just outside the Westfield parish boundary lies St Benedict's primary school, actually part of SomersetSomerset
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...
.
There are no secondary schools within Westfield, but it is served by Norton Hill School
Norton Hill School
Norton Hill School is a state school with academy status in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, England. It was formerly the Midsomer Norton Grammar School....
and Somervale School
Somervale School
Somervale School is situated in Midsomer Norton in Bath and North East Somerset in South West England. The school, which has academy status, is a specialist Arts College. It is one of two schools in the area, providing secondary education to local children and some pupils who live outside the...
in Midsomer Norton
Midsomer Norton
Midsomer Norton is a town near the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England, south-west of Bath, north-east of Wells, north-west of Frome, and south-east of Bristol. It has a population of 10,458. Along with Radstock and Westfield it used to be part of the conurbation and large civil parish of Norton...
and by Writhlington School
Writhlington School
Writhlington School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11–18 in Writhlington, Bath and North East Somerset, England. It has specialist status as a Business and Enterprise College and is the main secondary school in the Radstock area, providing further education to local children and some pupils...
in Radstock
Radstock
Radstock is a town in Somerset, England, south west of Bath, and north west of Frome. It is within the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset and had a population of 5,275 according to the 2001 Census...
.
Westfield has a further education
Further education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
, Norton Radstock College
Norton Radstock College
Norton Radstock College is a further education college in Westfield, Somerset serving Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Westfield, Keynsham and surrounding districts in Bath, Bristol, Wiltshire and Somerset, England....
, which also serves Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Keynsham
Keynsham
Keynsham is a town and civil parish between Bristol and Bath in Somerset, south-west England. It has a population of 15,533.It was listed in the Domesday Book as Cainesham, which is believed to mean the home of Saint Keyne....
and surrounding districts. The college has 1,000 full-time students and 5,000 part-time students and has expanded steadily since it opened in the 1940s to serve the Somerset coalfield
Somerset coalfield
The Somerset Coalfield included pits in the North Somerset, England, area where coal was mined from the 15th century until 1973.It is part of a wider coalfield which covered northern Somerset and southern Gloucestershire. It stretched from Cromhall in the north to the Mendip Hills in the south, and...
s. The college provides a range of vocational programmes.
Religious sites
The first Methodist hall in Westfield was built in 1869. It is now used as the sunday school. The present church building opened in 1898.St Hugh's Roman Catholic Church on Wells Hill is housed in the former Purnell's printing works. The church acquired the building after the First World War.
St Peter's Church of England parish church was built in 1988.
Notable buildings
Westfield House, on the Wells Road, was built around 1830 and has been designated as a Grade II listed building.External links
- Westfield Parish Council (official web site)