- Backwell
infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 51.4131
longitude= -2.7398
official_name= Backwell
civil_parish=
population = 5,455
unitary_england=North Somerset
lieutenancy_england=Somerset
region= South West England
constituency_westminster= Woodspring to become North Somerset at next general election
post_town= Bristol
postcode_district= BS48
postcode_area= BS
dial_code= 01275
os_grid_reference= ST485685Backwell is a
suburban village inNorth Somerset ,England with a population of 5,455.cite web | url= http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.n-somerset.gov.uk%2FNR%2Frdonlyres%2FC2C7E998-8B49-4475-8B36-CAA79D572E05%2F0%2Fprofile_BackwellWardProfile.pdf&ei=rg19R8HPL42ewgGVmeXLBw&usg=AFQjCNGQtGCaDQ9cdqgdbNmXt2-Eu80GBg&sig2=qiJ0hwRIYH0LrILNuq3ocw | format= PDF | title= Backwell Ward Profile | publisher= North Somerset Council | accessdate= 2008-01-03] It is 7 miles (11 km) south west ofBristol , on the A370 toWeston-super-Mare . It includes the hamlets of Backwell Common, Backwell Green and Farleigh.The village has a long history, appearing in the
Domesday Book in 1086 with the name 'Bacoile' meaning 'The Well back on the Hill'. The Well is still in existence.Nearby are
Nailsea ,Flax Bourton ,Yatton , Brockley andBarrow Gurney .Education
The largest
junior school in Backwell isBackwell Church of England Junior School , which provides education to 240 children aged between 7 and 11. The school is highly praised by OfSTED and performs consistently well in theleague table s [http://www.dfes.gov.uk/cgi-bin/performancetables/dfepx1_05.pl?School=8023075&Mode=Z&Type=] . In addition there isWest Leigh Infant School which covers reception andKey Stage 1 .A private primary school, Fairfield PNEU, is also located in the village, which also boasts high results.
The
secondary school ,Backwell School , consistently features high in theleague table s [http://www.dfes.gov.uk/cgi-bin/performancetables/dfe1x1_02.pl?Code=&Mode=Z&School=8024129] for GCSE results, and is recognised as one of the best state schools in North Somerset. Pupils travel to the school from surrounding areas, such as Bristol and Yatton, bypublic transport orschool coach . The school has 1641 pupils. The school used to be a Secondary Modern until the abolition of theTripartite System . Alumni includeRichard Ottaway ,member of Parliament for Croydon South, Grant Marshall aka.Daddy G of the pop groupMassive Attack , authorJoel McIver , designer Ella Doran, and the cricket Test Match umpireMervyn Kitchen .Transport
Many residents of Backwell commute daily to Bristol by car via the A370, and
public transport — theFirst Group operates the localbus es. Backwell is close to theM5 motorway .Nailsea and Backwell railway station is managed byFirst Great Western . Over the decades its name has alternated between its current name and simply 'Nailsea', even though it is in Backwell. The station is only staffed during rush hour. The journey time toBristol Temple Meads is 11 minutes;London Paddington takes two hours without changes. The direct service to London makes the village popular with commuters willing to spend four hours a day travelling by train. The car park at the station is full by 7:00 on weekdays. In recent years the number of services direct to London have been reduced.Bristol International Airport atLulsgate is 3 miles (5 km) away by road. The airport serves both domestic and international routes, and is one ofeasyJet 's hub airports.References
External links
*
* [http://www.backwell.n-somerset.sch.uk Backwell Church of England Junior School]
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