Nailsea & District Local History Society
Members Newsletter

Published by the Society for its members

email: <editor@ndlhs.org.uk>

CONGRATULATIONS to Peter Wright who was presented with the Nailsea Town Council Community Award for 2008 at the recent Annual Town Meeting. This is reserved for “long and exceptional service to the Community” and takes the form of a framed illuminated certificate.

Peter moved to Nailsea in 1976 when Sun Life Assurance re-located in Bristol. Almost immediately he became a founder member of the Golden Valley School Association when the school opened in that year, and organised its first fund-raising event - an inter-schools soccer tournament. As his sons progressed to secondary education, he became a member of Nailsea School PTA Committee and was again actively involved in major fund-raising events for several years.

He obtained qualifications and refereed junior football in Nailsea for 12 years, having previously “run the line”. For many years he has been a civilian instructor with the Nailsea Squadron of the Air Training Corps, and still continues with this voluntary work two evenings a week.

In 1995 he was actively involved in setting-up the Nailsea Civic Society, among other things to counter undesirable housing development in the Youngwood Lane / Morgans Hill area, and to make Environmental Awards for outstanding new buildings.

Soon after arriving in Nailsea he joined the Society and became its Secretary, and has been an officer ever since - over 30 years. As Editor & Publisher for much of that time, he has been a tireless worker with very many local history books to his credit, several written by himself, especially about the war years. He has edited over 40 issues of “Pennant” which is widely circulated and acclaimed.

As a person Peter is most generous with his time when someone needs help, not least with Family History enquiries from people outside the area and as far afield as Australia and New Zealand!

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Tony Targett writes:-

On-going projects involve geophysical surveys and investigations at Whelps Place - the protected English Heritage field behind Wraxall House, thought to be the site of a medieval manor house and associated buildings; and a site adjacent to Tickenham Church, possibly further ecclesiastical buildings.

At neither site do we have any firm conclusion, although the Whelps Place survey suggests a large building with maybe another water mill with race, leat and ponds. With the owner’s permission we aim to field-search the nearby fields [after harvesting] and hope to glean further evidence. To date we have found Roman and medieval pottery nearby, whilst one of our members has found Roman coins and large lumps of lead further down the valley.

In the meantime we continue with an extensive survey of all the stone walls in the Nailsea Parish, together with significant trees. The local stone [Pennant Sandstone or Nailsea Flats] is widely seen, especially at West End where clinker from the glasshouse furnaces is used as an ornamental topping. The later walls appear to be mostly imported limestone [from Backwell or Wraxall?].

We are also attempting to document the older houses in Nailsea via their date stones, eg. Old Farmhouse [1665], Noahs Ark [1666], Nile Cottage [1798], Ebenezer Methodist Chapel [1856] and many more. Does your house have a history? How old is it? Was it connected to the coal mining industry or the Glass Works? Do you have the deeds? Is there local history hidden in your home or perhaps your garden. We would love to know. Give us a call and help build the story of Nailsea past, and come and join us.

Ps. We have just finished another section of “geo-phys” in a field near Tickenham Church. It reveals some angular stone images at the very edge of our survey, possibly suggesting a building. The survey is now being widened. NEAT Team members are Phil Barclay, Tony Targett, Dave Sowdon, Rod Lees, Betty Brooks, Eileen Lewis, Dave Hodgson, Mike Wells, Mike Lord, Terry Smith and several others over a two year period.

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The Society has a large collection of photographs built up over the past thirty years, a large proportion of which were taken by David Cains. We now want to store these as digital images both for security and ease of access. They are stored in A4 envelopes under subject headings. Have you a computer and a scanner and are prepared to transfer these images onto disk? We need 4-6 members who can work at their own pace, scanning the contents of one or more envelopes at a time.

If you are able to help, please contact:
Peter Wright - +REDACTED+ or Trevor Bowen - +REDACTED+

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The following walks are offered where they do not coincide with our own meetings. Meet at 6.45pm for a 7pm start. Charge £2 per person.

Monday June 9th
A WALK AROUND FISHPONDS. Leader John Bartlett.
Meet at the car park in Beechwood Road between the Health Centre and Social Centre - a chance to find where the fishponds were and to see the old prison and workhouse.

Monday August 11th
PENSFORD. Leader Colin Budge.
Meet at the Pensford Memorial Hall. Directions:- Coming from Bristol on the A37, turn left immediately after the bridge, into High Street. Bear left at the domed lock-up towards Publow, and the Hall is about 200 yards up on the left - with good parking. A wander around the Village best known for its association with Acker Bilk, but with a long history of industry not only with coal mines, but also with various mills along the River Chew.

NO NEED TO PRE-BOOK BUT PLEASE TELEPHONE MIKE HOOPER ON +REDACTED+ IF YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES.

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Outing to the Museum of Welsh Life, St.Fagans, Cardiff.

Coach leaves Nailsea School at 9.00am.
Arrive back Nailsea about 6.00pm.
Cost per person £7.50 [no entry charge]

Sited in 100 acres of parkland, St. Fagans is one of Europe’s foremost open-air museums and Wales’ most popular heritage attraction. With over 40 buildings to explore, along with indoor galleries and the 16th century Manor, every aspect of how Welsh people lived, worked and played is on show.

APPLICATION FORMS FROM - Mike Phillis - +REDACTED+
Open to members and non-members.

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At the home of our President Mrs Norma Knight. +REDACTED+

From 7.00pm onwards [note earlier time]

Please bring something towards the Bring & Share Finger Buffet. Wine, fruit juices and soft drinks will be provided.

If you have portable garden chairs, please bring these along if possible, in anticipation of sitting out in Norma’s enchanting garden.

ALL MEMBERS AND PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS WILL BE MOST WELCOME

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