Walton in Gordano
| Walton in Gordano | |
| Somerset | |
|---|---|
 The village shop and main road junction | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | ST430730 |
| Location: | 51°27’16"N, 2°49’42"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 273 (2011[1]) |
| Post town: | Clevedon |
| Postcode: | BS21 |
| Dialling code: | 01275 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | North Somerset |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
North Somerset |
Walton in Gordano is a village and parish in the Portbury Hundred of Somerset. It is situated in a small valley at the side of the south-western end of the Gordano Valley, about a mile from Clevedon. The parish has a population of 273.[1]
Landmarks
On the hill to the south-west between Walton and Clevedon is Clevedon Court, a hunting lodge, dating from the early fourteenth century. It is now owned by the National Trust. It has been designated as a Grade-I listed building.[2]
The manor house dates from around 1700.[3]
Geography
On the hill to the north-east is Walton Common, a nature reserve managed by the Avon Wildlife Trust. The Common is both a Scheduled Ancient Monument and an biological Site of Special Scientific Interest.[4] It contains the Walton Common banjo enclosure, built in the Iron Age.[5] The Common is covered by a Countryside Stewardship agreement with the Countryside Agency. It remains in private ownership and the Avon Wildlife Trust has a 10-year lease to manage it as a nature reserve.
Wildflowers found on the common include thyme, marjoram, rock-rose, St John's wort, autumn gentian and violets. Butterflies are particularly notable including common blue, brown argus, grizzled and dingy skipper, green and purple hairstreak], and dark green fritillary. Other insects such as grasshoppers, glow-worms and moths are abundant. Birds identified at the site include; blackcap, whitethroat, buzzard, kestrel and sparrowhawk.[6]
Religious sites
The Church of SS Peter & Paul has been designated as a Grade-I listed building.[7] The tower and porch were built around 1300, while the rest of the building is from the 15th century,[7] with the work being funded by Sir Richard Percival who died in 1483 and whose tomb is in the north isle of the nave.[8]
The parish church is dedicated to St Paul. It was built in 1839 on the site of a previous church.[9]
Notable people
Geoff Barrow from the influential and critically acclaimed trip-hop group Portishead was born in Walton in Gordano and lived there until he was 11 when he moved to nearby Portishead.[10]
References
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Walton in Gordano) |
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "2011 Census Profile" (Excel). North Somerset Council. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140104204530/http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/Environment/Planning_policy_and-research/researchandmonitoring/Documents/North%20Somerset%20Small%20area%20geography%20profiles%20tool.xls. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ↑ "Clevedon Court". Images of England. Archived from the original on 25 July 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090725040709/http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/Default.aspx?id=33130. Retrieved 16 March 2008.
- ↑ "The Manor House and attached garden wall". Images of England. English Heritage. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/Default.aspx?id=33789. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
- ↑ English Nature citation sheet for the site . Retrieved 16 July 2006.
- ↑ "Monument No. 195425", Historic England, http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=195425, retrieved 2016-08-21
- ↑ "Walton Common". Reserves. Avon Wildlife Trust. http://www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves/walton_common.htm. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Church of St. Peter and St. Paul". Images of England. English Heritage. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/Default.aspx?id=33798. Retrieved 13 February 2009.
- ↑ Robinson, W.J. (1916). West Country Churches. IV. Bristol Times and Mirror Ltd. pp. 86–89.
- ↑ "Church of St. Paul". Images of England. English Heritage. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/Default.aspx?id=33788. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
- ↑ Simpson, Dave (11 April 2008). "He takes it very seriously and thinks the world's going to end at any minute. In a musical sense he's very dark". The Guardian (London). https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/apr/11/popandrock.portishead1.