Newton Saint Loe

infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 51.3814
longitude= -2.4260
official_name= Newton Saint Loe
population= approx. 500
unitary_england= Bath and North East Somerset
lieutenancy_england= Somerset
region= South West England
constituency_westminster= Wansdyke to be North East Somerset from next general election.
post_town= Bath
postcode_district = BA
postcode_area= BA
dial_code= 01225
os_grid_reference= ST703648

Newton Saint Loe (gbmapping|ST703648), is a small Somerset village located between Bath & Bristol in the South West of England. The majority of the village is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall.Newton Saint Loe takes its name from the first "owner" of the mansion estate "St Loe" of which was given to him as a gift by William the Conqueror. St Loe was born and bred in France.

There is a history of coal mining in the area as part of the Somerset coalfield but all mines have now closed. There was formally a forge at the top of Smith Hill that leads up into the village. The village school closed in the early 1970's. The Queen actually visited the school on April 17th 1956 when she came to the village following her official opening of the Chew Valley Reservoir. Local schoolboy David Yeo was presented to her on that occasion.

Roman Villa

There is evidence of a 3rd century Roman Villa on a site between Newton Saint Loe and Bath on the south side of the River Avon. It was discovered in 1837 during the cutting of the Bristol-Bath railway line when excavations were carried out and drawings of the site made before much of it was lostin the railway construction. Two mosaics were removed, one of which known as the Orpheus Mosaic is now in the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. A further investigation was carried out in 1968 before the widening of the A4 however it is still the case that little is known about the villa. [cite web | title=The Story of Newton St Loe villa | work=Roman Bristol | url=http://romanbristol.tripod.com/avon/NewtonStLoe.html | accessdate=2007-01-05]

Newton Park

*see Newton Park for more detailThe Newton Park mansion, which was built in 1762-5 by Stiff Leadbetter for Joseph Langton, is a Grade I listed building [cite web | title=Newton Park | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=32583 | accessdate=2006-11-19] and its estate which is currently home to Bath Spa University. The mansion was used as a Red Cross hospital to house Australian and New Zealand troops in World War I. [cite web|url=http://www.cliftonrfchistory.co.uk/references/bush/bishops%20knoll.htm|title=History|publisher=Clifton RFC|accessdate=2008-08-06] The grounds include a castle keep (which was actually a part of a fortified mansion, [cite web | title=Castle Keep in the Grounds of Newton Park | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=32584 | accessdate=2006-11-19] and a 15th century gatehouse, [cite web | title=Gatehouse, 35 m. to west of the Castle Keep | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=32585 | accessdate=2006-11-19] which are both Grade I listed.

Church

The local Church of the Holy Trinity dates back from the 11th century. An interesting feature is its clock, which only has a single hand. It is noted in the Domesday book (where the village was recorded as "Newtonne"), and is a Grade II* listed building. [cite web | title=Church of the Holy Trinity | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=32548 | accessdate=2006-11-19]

References

See also

* Newton Saint Loe SSSI