Frampton Cotterell

infobox UK place
country= England
latitude= 51.54
longitude= -2.48
official_name= Frampton Cotterell
population = 6,800 (2001 Census)
civil_parish= Frampton Cotterell
unitary_england= South Gloucestershire
lieutenancy_england= Gloucestershire
region= South West England
constituency_westminster= Northavon. To be replaced by Thornbury_and_Yate
post_town= BRISTOL
postcode_district= BS36
postcode_area= BS
dial_code= 01454
os_grid_reference= ST670818

Frampton Cotterell is a village in South Gloucestershire, England on the River Frome. The village is joined to Winterbourne and Coalpit Heath. Its parish also borders neighbouring villages Iron Acton and Westerleigh. The village is partly a dormitory village for Bristol. The population in the 2001 census was around 6,800 and is increasing.

History

Pre Anglo-Saxon history

Very little archeological work has taken place in the Frampton Cotterell area so knowledge of the area prior to the Anglo-Saxon arrival is limited. Local historians tend to use field names and street names to work out the distant history of the village. It is believed from place names that there were two settlements in the area in the Roman times. One centred on the group of shops at the Church Road / Frampton End Road junction, where the name "Dullage" survived until the 1940s. The second was located in rural farmland west of Cogmill in between Frampton Cotterell and Iron Acton, here several fields held the name "Chessolds" from the old English 'ceastel' meaning 'a heap of stones'."Frampton Cotterell and Coalpit Heath" by the "Frampton Cotterell Local History Society" Tempus, 2007.]

Anglo-Saxon and Medieval history

The name Frampton means 'The settlement (farmstead or village) on the Frome'. Frampton Cotterell was recorded as Frantone in the Domesday book (1086). All the other local villages (Westerleigh, Stoke Gifford and Winterbourne) also have Old English names, suggesting they were either conquered or resettled between 577 and 1066.

Early in the 11th century, Frampton may have been under the manor of Winterbourne, a later medieval record refers to 'the Lordship of Frampton and Winterbourne'. This would have included Stoke Gifford. However, at no point after 1066 were these three manors owned by the same person.Fact|date=August 2008

In 1086 Frampton was held by Walter the Crossbowman (Balistarius) and then contained 10 villagers and 11 smallholders. Indicating a total population of about 100, to this total should be added slaves and there families. In 1086 there was a church which was not there before 1066 (so under 20 years old) this church was probably on the site of St. Peter's church today. There were also 2 water mills, probably behind the church (near Mill Lane today) and at Cogmill.

By 1301 Frampton had a third watermill, probably at 'Frampton Lido' upstream from the church (where remains of a mill could be seen as late as the 1970s), a windmill, on the site of the current one at Brockeridge. and a coal pit, presumably at Coalpit Heath (although this name did not appear until around 1680)

By the 13th century the village was known as was known as Frampton Cotell [ISBN 0-19-852-758-6 Oxford Dictionary of British Place Names] . The name Cotell or Cotterell is derived from the Cotele Family, lords of Frampton Manor in the 12th and early 13th centuries. Their manor house was not at modern day Frampton Court, it was probably located behind the church on the east of Mill Lane, here the field names 'Hall Marsh' and 'Hall Marsh Mead' survived into the 19th Century.

The medieval village was long and rectangular, located on the ridge between (Lower) Stone Close and the River Frome. and between Church Road and Rectory Road. Surrounding the village would have been three big fields these fields were cultivated by peasants who held scattered strips in the many furlongs which made up the fields, every year one of the fields would be left unploughed and would be fertilised by the manure from the local animals. This system would have provided for the village.

Besides these fields there were also common wastes, Frampton Common, Adam's Land, Brockeridge, Goose Green, Woodend Green, and Tovey's Green to name a few.

This system lasted until about 1547 by which time the big fields had made way for compact farms, cultivated by independent farmers as they saw fit. This boosted the village's economy, providing dairy products, cider, pigs, and turnips.

Industrial era

During the 18th and 19th centuries, these hamlets joined together to form the modern village. Since then the modern village has joined with Winterbourne, Watley's End and Coalpit Heath, and at somepoint in the future will probably join with North Bristol. One notable Industrial Revolution landmark in the village is the Hat Factory on Park Lane.

20th and 21st centuries

Ordnance Survey maps from the middle of the 20th century show open land between the three villages of Frampton Cotterell, Coalpit Heath and Winterbourne. Hamlets at Watley's End, Frampton End and Harris Barton [Ordance survey one-inch map of Great Britain, Sheet 156 "Bristol and Stroud", Seventh series 1949, 1963 revision] , all of which are now part of Frampton Cotterell, were still separate at this time.

In the 1960s Church Road, the main throughfare, was rerouted, also a field in between Rectory Road and Church Road called 'Benson's Field' was sold for housing becoming the 'Benson's Estate'. This estate comprises Beaufort Road, Foxe Road, Winchcombe Road and Brookside Close.

In 1996, an area of farmland to the south of the village was sold in a joint contract with housing estate developers Barratt and Taywood. In the years 1996-2000 they built a large housing estate known as Park Farm, adding an extra 200 3,4 and 5 bedroomed homes to the settlement. There was fierce opposition from local residents, particularly those living on Beesmoor Road. This followed another 20th century housing development between Woodend Road and Beesmore Road. There are allegations of drug abuse in the estates bordering Coalpit Heath [http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/LocalPages/BeatPACT.aspx?bid=98 Avon and Somerset Constabulary - Frampton Cotterell beat details retrieved 22 August 2008] [http://www.framptoncott.co.uk/minutes/pc_may08.pdf Minutes of the parish council meeting May 2008, retrieved 22 August 2008]

Geography

Frampton Cotterell is seven miles north east of Bristol City centre, and two miles outside the city's ring road, and lies in the commuter belt. It is joined to the villages of Winterbourne and Coalpit Heath, forming a sizeable settlement with a collective population of around 17,500. It is linked by the A432 to Yate and Chipping Sodbury to the north and Downend to the south.

There are three takeaways in the village. A Chinese takeaway also sells fish and chips and there is an Indian takeaway on Lower Stone Close. The Golden Lion Pub on Beesmoor Road has become an Indian takeaway and also offers restaurant facilities. The village is served by one Post Office and a handful of small grocery shops.

The A432 is used by residents to travel into nearby Yate and Downend for services.

Frampton Cotterell is twinned with Kelbra, Germany.

External links

* [http://www.framptoncott.co.uk/ Frampton Cotterell Parish]
* [http://www.geocities.com/framptonrfc/ Frampton Cotterell Rugby Club]
* [http://www.francisfrith.com/archive/avon/frampton+cotterell/photos/frampton+cotterell_photos.htm Frampton Cotterell at the Francis Frith Collection]

References