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Chew Valley

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                                 Chew Valley


                              Image:dot4gb.svg

                Location of the Chew Valley in Great Britain.

   Location
   Country: England
   Statistics
   Population: approximately 5,000 (2001)
   Area: approx. 475  km² / 182  sq mi
   Location
   Latitude: 51° 20' 4.92 N
   Longitude: 2° 37' 4.92 W
   Administration
   Districts of South West England: Bath and North East Somerset, Mendip
   and North Somerset
   United Kingdom constituencies: Wansdyke

   The Chew Valley is an area in North Somerset, England, named after the
   River Chew, which rises at Chewton Mendip, and joins the River Avon at
   Keynsham. Technically, the area of the valley is bounded by the water
   catchment area of the Chew and its tributaries; however, the name Chew
   Valley is often used less formally to cover other nearby areas, for
   example, Blagdon Lake and its environs, which by a stricter definition
   are part of the Yeo Valley. The valley is an area of rich arable and
   dairy farmland, interspersed with a number of villages.

   The landscape consists of the valley of the River Chew and is generally
   low-lying and undulating. It is bounded by higher ground ranging from
   Dundry Down to the north, the Lulsgate Plateau to the west, the Mendip
   Hills to the south and the Hinton Blewett, Marksbury and Newton Saint
   Loe plateau areas to the east. The valley's boundary generally follows
   the top of scarp slopes except at the southwestern and southeastern
   boundaries where flat upper areas of the Chew Valley grade gently into
   the Yeo Valley and eastern Mendip Hills respectively. The River Chew
   was dammed in the 1950s to create Chew Valley Lake, which provides
   drinking water for the nearby city of Bristol and surrounding areas.
   The lake is a prominent landscape feature of the valley, a focus for
   recreation, and is internationally recognised for its nature
   conservation interest, because of the bird species, plants and insects.

   The area falls into the domains of several councils including: Bath and
   North East Somerset, North Somerset and Mendip. Some of the area falls
   within the Mendip Hills AONB. Most of the undeveloped area is within
   the Bristol/ Bath Green Belt. Many of the villages date back to the
   time of the Domesday Book and there is evidence of human occupation
   since the Stone Age. There are hundreds of listed buildings with many
   of the churches being Grade I listed.

Etymology

   The river Chew between Stanton Drew and Pensford
   Enlarge
   The river Chew between Stanton Drew and Pensford

   There is no clear origin for the name "Chew", found scarcely anywhere
   else; however, there have been several explanations of the etymology,
   including "winding water", the 'ew' being a variant of the French eau,
   meaning water. The word chewer is a western dialect for a narrow
   passage, and chare is Old English for turning. Many believe that the
   name Chew began in Normandy as Cheux, and came to England with the
   Norman Conquest during the eleventh century. However, some people agree
   with Ekwall's interpretation that it is derived from the Welsh cyw
   meaning "the young of an animal, or chicken", so that afon Cyw would
   have been "the river of the chickens". Other possible explanations
   suggest it comes from the Old English word ceo, `fish gill', used in
   the transferred sense of a ravine, in a similar way to Old Norse gil,
   or possibly a derogatory nickname from Middle English chowe `chough',
   Old English ceo, a bird closely related to the crow and the jackdaw,
   notorious for its chattering and thieving.

Government and politics

   The chew valley area in a satellite image
   Enlarge
   The chew valley area in a satellite image

   Many of the villages in the valley have their own parish councils which
   have some responsibility for local issues. They also elect councillors
   to district councils e.g. Mendip and Somerset County Council or unitary
   authorities e.g. Bath and North East Somerset or North Somerset, which
   have wider responsibilities for services such as education, refuse,
   tourism etc.

   Each of the villages is also part of a constituency, either Wansdyke
   (which will become North East Somerset) or Woodspring (which is to
   become North Somerset), each of which elects one MP to the Westminster
   Parliament. The area is also part of the South West England (European
   Parliament constituency) which elects seven members to the European
   Parliament. Avon and Somerset Constabulary provides police services to
   the area.

History

Geology

   Topographical map of the Chew Valley
   Enlarge
   Topographical map of the Chew Valley

   The western end of the area of the area (around Nempnett Thrubwell)
   consists of the Harptree Beds which incorporate silicified clay, shale
   and Lias Limestone. Clifton Down Limestone, which includes Calcite and
   Dolomitic Mudstones of the Carboniferous period, is found in the
   adjoining central band and Dolomitic Conglomerate of the Triassic
   period. There are two main soil types, both generally well-drained. The
   mudstones around the lakes give rise to fertile silty clay soils that
   are a dull dusky red colour because of their high iron content. The
   clay content means that where unimproved they easily become waterlogged
   when wet, and hard with cracks and fissures during dry periods. The
   main geological outcrops around the lake are Mudstone, largely
   consisting of red Siltstone resulting in the underlying characteristic
   of the gently rolling valley landscape. There are also bands of
   Sandstone of the Triassic period, that contribute to the undulating
   character of the area. There are also more recent alluvial deposits
   beside the course of the River Chew. The transition between the gently
   sloping landscape of the Upper Chew and Yeo Valleys and the open
   landscape of the Mendip Hills plateau is a scarp slope of 75 to 235
   metres (250–770  ft). The predominant formation is Dolomitic
   Conglomerate of the Triassic period. It formed as a result of desert
   erosion and weathering of the scarp slopes. It takes the form of rock
   fragments mainly derived from older Carboniferous Limestone cemented
   together by lime and sand which hardened to sometimes give the
   appearance of concrete. The northern boundary is formed by the sides of
   the Dundry Plateau where the most significant geological formation is
   the Inferior Oolite of the Jurassic period found on the higher ground
   around Maes Knoll. This overlays the Lower Lias Clay found on the
   adjoining slopes. The clays make a poor foundation and landslips are
   characteristic on the slopes. This area was once connected to the
   Cotswolds. The intervening land has subsequently been eroded leaving
   this outlier with many of the characteristics of the Cotswold Plateau.
   The unusual geological features have been recognised with several sites
   including; Barns Batch Spinney, Hartcliff Rocks Quarry and Dundry Main
   Road South Quarry being recognised as Sites of Special Scientific
   Interest (SSSI) for their geological interest.

   The oldest geological formation in the valley is the Supra- Pennant
   Measures of the Carboniferous period. It is a significant feature
   towards the north-eastern part of the area and is represented by the
   Pensford Syncline coal basin. It is a complex formation containing coal
   seams and is made up of clay and shales. The landscape is typically
   undulating and includes outcrops of sandstone. Most of the area around
   Stanton Drew have neutral to acid red loamy soils with slowly permeable
   subsoils. Soils to the eastern part of the area are slowly permeable
   clayey and fine silty soils. They are found on Carboniferous clay and
   shales typical of the Supra-Pennant Measures. They are frequently
   waterlogged where the topography dictates. They tend towards being acid
   and are brown to grey brown in colour. In the south and south east of
   the area there are coal measures which are sufficiently near the
   surface for coal mining to have taken place around Clutton and High
   Littleton. In the eastern area of the valley as the River Chew flows
   through Publow, Woollard and Compton Dando before joining the River
   Avon at Keynsham there are alluvial deposits of clay soils.

Natural history

   View of Chew Valley Lake showing Herriot's Bridge
   Enlarge
   View of Chew Valley Lake showing Herriot's Bridge

   The valley has several areas designated as Site of Special Scientific
   Interest (SSSI) for biological interest including; Blagdon Lake,
   Burledge Hill, Chew Valley Lake, Compton Martin Ochre Mine, Harptree
   Combe and two sites at Folly Farm.

Flora

   The small and medium-sized fields of the valley are generally bounded
   by hedges and occasionally by tree belts and woodland, some of which
   date back to the most evident period of enclosure of earlier open
   fields which took place in the late medieval period. Hedgerows support
   the nationally rare bithynian vetch (Vicia bithynica). Mature oak
   (Quercus) and ash (Fraxinus excelsior) trees are characteristic of the
   area with occasional groups of scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and
   Chestnuts (Castanea sativa). Many elm (Ulmus) trees have been lost in
   this area, and dead/dying elms are also evident in the surrounding
   landscape.

Fauna

   Wildlife abounds in the valley, particularly the water birds around the
   rivers and lakes, with Chew Valley Lake considered the third most
   important site in Britain for wintering wildfowl. In addition to the
   water birds including ducks, shoveler (Anas clypeata), gadwall (Anas
   strepera) and great crested grebes (Podiceps cristatus) a wide variety
   of other bird species can be seen. These range from small birds such as
   tits (Paridae) and wrens (Troglodytidae) to Mistle Thrush (Turdidae).
   Larger birds include Woodpeckers (Picidae) and Common Buzzard (Buteo
   buteo).

   The valley also has a wide variety of small mammals with larger species
   including; Eurasian Badger (Meles meles) and Deer (Cervidae). The
   valley is also home to fifteen of the sixteen bats found in England
   including a roost, at Compton Martin Ochre Mine, for Greater Horseshoe
   Bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum). A rare and endangered species, the
   greater horseshoe bat is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside
   Act 1981 and is listed in Annex II of the 1992 European Community
   Habitats Directive.

Human habitation

   A prehistoric stone circle at Stanton Drew
   Enlarge
   A prehistoric stone circle at Stanton Drew
   Railway viaduct at Pensford (disused)
   Enlarge
   Railway viaduct at Pensford (disused)

   Archaeological excavations carried out before the flooding of Chew
   Valley Lake found evidence of people belonging to the consecutive
   periods known as Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic (Old,
   Middle and New Stone Age), Bronze Age and Iron Age, comprising
   implements such as stone knives, flint blades and the head of a mace,
   along with buildings and graves. Other evidence of occupation from
   prehistoric times is provided by the henge monument at Stanton Drew,
   long barrow at Chewton Mendip, and tumulus at Nempnett Thrubwell. Maes
   Knoll fort (close to Norton Malreward) in the northern reaches of the
   valley, on Dundry Down, also formed the starting point for Wansdyke.

   There is evidence of Roman remains in particular a villa and burial
   pits. Some of the artifacts from the valley were sent to the British
   Museum. Other Roman artifacts from the lake are also on display at the
   Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery. There are several historic parks
   and mansion houses, including Stanton Drew, Hunstrete, Stowey House
   Chew Court, Chew Magna Manor House and Sutton Court. Almost all of the
   villages have churches dating back to the fifteenth or sixteenth
   Century.

   The area around Pensford was an important coal mining area during the
   nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with much of the coal being
   carried on the Somerset Coal Canal, although there are no working coal
   mines today. The line of the now disused North Somerset Railway runs
   south from Bristol crossing over the River Chew on the surviving
   distinctive viaduct at Pensford and on to Midsomer Norton. The area
   suffered serious flooding during the storm of 10 July 1968, prompting
   localised evacuation of populated valley areas in the lower parts of
   the valley, around Pensford and Keynsham.

Field patterns

   The small fields in the western part of the area are particularly
   characteristic of the Chew Valley and date back to the most evident
   period of enclosure of earlier open fields which took place in the late
   medieval period. Fields of this category are generally small in size,
   regular in outline and often the boundaries preserve the outlines of
   the earlier strip field system. Regional variations in field size and
   pattern do occur. For example there is evidence of medieval clearance
   of woodland on the slopes around Nempnett Thrubwell, south of Bishop
   Sutton and west and south of Chelwood.
   The Chew Valley as seen from East Harptree
   Enlarge
   The Chew Valley as seen from East Harptree

Climate

   Along with the rest of South West England, the Chew Valley has a
   temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of
   England. The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 ° C (50 °
   F)and shows a seasonal and a diurnal variation, but due to the
   modifying effect of the sea the range is less than in most other parts
   of the UK. January is the coldest month with mean minimum temperatures
   between 1 and 2 °C (34–36 °F). July and August are the warmest months
   in the region with mean daily maxima around 21 °C (70 °F). In general
   December is the dullest month and June the sunniest. The south-west of
   England has a favoured location with respect to the Azores high
   pressure when it extends its influence north-eastwards towards the UK,
   particularly in summer. Convective cloud often forms inland, especially
   near hills, and acts to reduce sunshine amounts. The average annual
   sunshine totals around 1600 hours. Rainfall tends to be associated with
   Atlantic depressions or with convection. The Atlantic depressions are
   more vigorous in autumn and winter and most of the rain which falls in
   those seasons in the south-west is from this source. In summer,
   convection caused by solar surface heating sometimes forms shower
   clouds and a large proportion of rainfall falls from showers and
   thunderstorms at this time of year. Average rainfall is around 800-900
   millimetres (31–35  in). About 8-15 days of snowfall is typical.
   November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, with June to
   August having the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is
   from the south west.

Population and demographics

   Many of the large houses in the valley have been built or bought by
   wealthy merchants from Bristol and Bath with many of the local people
   working for their households. Bess of Hardwick (1527–1606) is known to
   have lived in Sutton Court, Stowey for a few years in the sixteenth
   century, after the death of her first husband Sir William Cavendish,
   when she married Sir William St. Loe (or Sentloe or St. Lowe), captain
   of the guard to Queen Elizabeth, Chief Butler of England, and owner of
   several manors within the valley and surrounding areas. Around this
   period a close neighbour was Sir John Popham (1533–1607) who was judge
   and the Speaker of Parliament. In the seventeenth century John Locke
   (1632–1704) an eminent philosopher lived in Belluton and his house is
   still known as John Locke's cottage. In the eighteenth century the poet
   John Langhorne (1735–1779) became the curate at Blagdon around the time
   that Augustus Montague Toplady (1740–1778) was the priest, and William
   Smith moved to the valley to make a valuation survey of an estate. He
   stayed there for the next eight years, working first for Webb and later
   for the Somersetshire Coal Canal Company.

   During the nineteenth century aristocrat George Lyttelton, 4th Baron
   Lyttelton (1817–1876) was a resident. His seat was at Chew Magna, where
   John Sanger, the circus proprietor, was born in 1816. William
   Rees-Mogg, former editor of The Times, took the title Baron Rees-Mogg,
   of Hinton Blewitt, but no longer lives in the village. Jazz clarinetist
   Acker Bilk lives in Pensford. Richard Brock the natural history film
   producer, Liam Fox a conservative politician and Dr Phil Hammond a GP
   and comedian also live in the valley. Robert Hunter of the Grateful
   Dead lived in Pensford from 1979-1981.

   In the past many of the population worked in coal mining, although
   there are no working mines in the area now. There is still a fairly
   large agricultural workforce and some in light industry or service
   industries, although many people commute to surrounding cities for
   work. According to the 2001 Census the valley has a population of
   approximately 5000, largely living in one of the dozen or so villages
   and in some isolated farms and hamlets. The average age of the
   population is 42 years, with unemployment rates of 1-4% of all
   economically active people aged 16-74, however these figures are
   approximations because the ward areas covered and described in the
   census statistics do not relate exactly to the area of the valley. In
   the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004 all of the areas within the
   valley were considered to be in the most affluent third in England.

Buildings and settlements

   St Margaret's Church at Hinton Blewitt
   Enlarge
   St Margaret's Church at Hinton Blewitt

   Many of the villages are at the points where it was possible to cross
   the rivers and streams. Chew Magna is the business centre with a range
   of shops, banks etc. Many other villages have local shops, often
   combined with post offices. Most villages have pubs and village halls
   which provide the majority of the social activity.

   The traditional building material is white Lias Limestone; sometimes
   incorporating red sandstone or conglomerate, with red clay tiled roofs.
   Buildings, particularly the churches, date back many hundreds of years,
   for example those at Marksbury and Compton Martin; the latter
   incorporating a columbarium.

Listed buildings

   Sutton Court at Stowey
   Enlarge
   Sutton Court at Stowey

   There are hundreds of listed buildings in the valley. Listing refers to
   a building or other structure officially designated as being of special
   architectural, historical or cultural significance. The authority for
   listing is granted by the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation
   Areas) Act 1990 and is presently administered by English Heritage, an
   agency of the Department for Culture, Media & Sport. Grade I covers
   buildings of exceptional interest, Grade II* particularly important
   buildings of special interest and Grade II buildings of special
   interest. Listed buildings in the valley number five churches dating
   back to the fourteenth century or even earlier, with grade I status;
   Church of St Andrew at Chew Magna, Church of St. Bartholomew at Ubley,
   Church of St James at Cameley, Church of St. Margaret at Hinton Blewitt
   and Church of St Michael the Archangel at Compton Martin.

Transport

   13th Century bridge at Stanton Drew
   Enlarge
   13th Century bridge at Stanton Drew

   At the western end of the valley is the A38 and Bristol International
   Airport, which means parts of the valley are on the flight path. The
   valley is also crossed by the A37 and they are joined by the A368. Most
   of the roads in the valley are small single track lanes with little
   traffic although a bottleneck often occurs within Chew Magna. The "Chew
   Valley Explorer" bus route 672/674 provides access to many of the
   villages in the valley. Cyclists can gain access via part of the
   Padstow to Bristol West Country Way, National Cycle Network Route 3.

Schools

   Chew Valley School is the main secondary school (11-18 years) for the
   valley. It is situated between Chew Magna and Chew Stoke. The latest
   (2005) Ofsted Inspection Report describes this specialist Performing
   Arts College as a mixed comprehensive school with 1158 pupils on roll.
   The school is popular and oversubscribed with 196 students in the sixth
   form. The school has been successful in gaining a number of national
   and regional awards. There are state primary schools (4-11 years) in
   most of the local villages. Sacred Heart Catholic Preparatory School in
   Chew Magna is fee paying.

Sport and leisure facilities

   Many of the local villages have football pitches and children's play
   areas. Gymnasium facilities, squash courts, badminton etc., and outdoor
   all-weather pitches are available at the Chew Valley Leisure Centre
   between Chew Magna and Chew Stoke. There are a range of clubs and
   societies for young and old, including Scout groups, gardening society,
   and the Women's institute. There are several areas in the valley which
   the Countryside Agency has designated as access land; Burledge Hill
   (south of Bishop Sutton)( grid reference ST589590), Castle Earthworks
   (between Stowey and Bishop Sutton)( grid reference ST597592), Knowle
   Hill (Newtown south of Chew Magna)( grid reference ST583613), Round
   Hill (Folly Farm)( grid reference ST605608) and Shortwood Common
   (Litton) ( grid reference ST595553)

   A Bowls club is in Chew Stoke, cricket pitches and teams in Chew Magna
   and Blagdon. There are several football teams in the valley including
   Chew Valley Football Club and Bishop Sutton F.C.. The rugby club is
   based next to the leisure centre. The Bishop Sutton Tennis club is the
   largest in the valley, there is also a tennis club at East Harptree.
   Both Chew Valley Lake and Blagdon Lake provide extensive fishing under
   permit from Bristol Water. The River Chew and most of its tributaries
   also have fishing but this is generally under licences to local angling
   clubs. Chew Valley Sailing Club is situated on Chew Valley Lake and
   provides dinghy sailing at all levels and hosts national and
   international competitions. There are no swimming pools in the valley,
   and swimming is not allowed in the lakes, however these are available
   locally in Bristol, Bath, Cheddar and Midsomer Norton.

   Each year the Chew Valley Arts trail takes place in October during
   which over 50 local artists display their work in 20 or so venues
   around the valley such as; painting, printmaking, sculpture, decorative
   glass, pottery, photography, jewellery and sugar craft. The valley and
   lakes have been an inspiration to many artists and there is a small art
   gallery at Chew Valley Lake. Live music and comedy events take place in
   many of the local pubs and village halls, with the village of Pensford
   holding a music festival every year.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chew_Valley"
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