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]
Church
The parish church in neighbouring Weston in Gordano is the Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul is largely of the 15th century, though the tower and porch were built around 1300,[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 church is a Grade I listed building.[7]
The current parish church, in Walton in Gordano itself, 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 National Heritage List 1129139: Church of St Peter and St Paul
- ↑ Robinson, W.J. (1916). West Country Churches. IV. Bristol Times and Mirror Ltd. pp. 86–89.
- ↑ National Heritage List 1137137: Church of St Paul
- ↑ 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.
