- Pucklechurch
Pucklechurch is a
village inSouth Gloucestershire ,England ,United Kingdom .Location
Pucklechurch is located near the
Bristol Ring Road (A4174). It is at the top of anescarpment , with fine views towards theCotswolds , about four miles east. The village can be clearly seen from theM4 motorway , about a mile to the north.Pucklechurch is within the parliamentary constituency
Northavon , currently held by theLiberal Democrats Steve Webb MP. TheNorthavon constituency will be abolished at the nextGeneral Election as part of boundary review changes and replaced byThornbury and Yate .Population & Amenities
Its population is approximately 3,000 and contains a
church , aprimary 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 smallpost office .Although there is employment at theprison [ [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 toBristol 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 KingEdmund I of England was murdered by exiled robber Liofa on May 26, 946AD. In 950 King Eadred gave 25hide (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 toSt. Mary 'schurch , which was inGlastonbury Abbey 's grounds [ [http://www.britannia.com/history/arthur/abbey3.html Glastonbury Abbey at Brittania History] ] . It notes:Parkfield Colliery operated near Pucklechurch from1851 to1936 .During
World War II there was abarrage 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 aRoyal 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]
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