Pucklechurch

Pucklechurch is a village in South Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom.

Location

Pucklechurch is located near the Bristol Ring Road (A4174). It is at the top of an escarpment, with fine views towards the Cotswolds, about four miles east. The village can be clearly seen from the M4 motorway, about a mile to the north.

Pucklechurch is within the parliamentary constituency Northavon, currently held by the Liberal Democrats Steve Webb MP. The Northavon constituency will be abolished at the next General Election as part of boundary review changes and replaced by Thornbury and Yate.

Population & Amenities

Its population is approximately 3,000 and contains a church, a primary school, shops including a small bakery, a small hairdressers, a local convenience store and a newsagents used by both locals as well as passing trade, and a small post office.Although there is employment at the prison [ [http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/prisoninformation/locateaprison/prison.asp?id=232,15,2,15,232,0 HMP & YOI Ashfield] ] and on a trading estate, many of the residents commute to Bristol or Bath to work, with some also travelling slightly further afield to Swindon and Cardiff.

Pucklechurch is often associated with the prison it hosts and this has tainted many people's opinion of the village. The prison is in a secluded location on the outskirts of the village, and is near a small business park which means that it is hardly noticeable to the casual passer-by.

History

Behind Pucklechurch's Star Inn is the site of an ancient royal villa, where King Edmund I of England was murdered by exiled robber Liofa on May 26, 946AD. In 950 King Eadred gave 25 hide (unit)s of land (at Pucelancyrcan) to the Abbey of Glastonbury [ [http://hosted.southglos.gov.uk/Puckleweb/ Puckleweb] ] .

The Domesday Book records these hides as belonging to St. Mary's church, which was in Glastonbury Abbey's grounds [ [http://www.britannia.com/history/arthur/abbey3.html Glastonbury Abbey at Brittania History] ] . It notes:

Parkfield Colliery operated near Pucklechurch from 1851 to 1936.

During World War II there was a barrage balloon depot [ [http://fishponds.org.uk/puckle.html/ A short history of No.11 Balloon Centre at Pucklechurch, 1939 to 1945, and RAF Station Pucklechurch, 1945 to 1959] ] . There was a Royal Air Force station at Pucklechurch from 1952 to 1962, when the site was transferred to HM Prison Service. It was used as a remand centre and later became Ashfield Young Offender Institution.

References

External links

* [http://www.pucklechurch.org/ The Pucklechurch community website]