Pensford
| Pensford | |
|---|---|
 Aerial photo of Pensford with the Pensford Viaduct in the foreground |
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 Pensford
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| Pensford shown within Somerset | |
| Population | approx. 1,000 |
| OS grid reference | ST619637 |
| Civil parish | |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Bristol |
| Postcode district | BS39 |
| Dialling code | 01761 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Avon |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | |
Pensford is the largest village in the civil parish of Publow with Pensford in Somerset, England. It lies in the Chew Valley, approximately 7 miles (11 km) south of Bristol and 8 miles (13 km) west of Bath. It is on the A37 road from Bristol to Shepton Mallet.
Pensford was identified as being of special architectural and historic interest and was designated as a Conservation Area in May 1988.
The name Pensford is believed to mean 'The animal pens by the ford' from the Old English pens and ford.
The parish of Pensford was part of the Keynsham Hundred,
During the 14th to 16th centuries Pensford was a cloth centre based on local wool.
On 24 June 1685 rebel forces camped at Pensford during the Monmouth Rebellion.
During the 19th and 20th centuries the main industry was coal mining, with Pensford and the surrounding area forming a major part of the Somerset coalfield. Pensford colliery opened in 1909 and closed in 1955.
The River Chew suffered a major flood in 1968 with serious damage to towns and villages along its route. The flood swept away the bridge over the A37 and damaged the railway viaduct so badly that it never reopened. On 10–11 July, a storm brought heavy rainfall to the valley, with 175 millimetres (7 in) falling in 18 hours on Chew Stoke, double the area's average rainfall for the whole of July.
In 2014 the Chew Valley Brewery a microbrewery was opened by local residents Dom Lowe and Matt Stalker, after training at Masters Brewery in Wellington. First sales of their Pagan bitter were at the Stoke Inn in Chew Stoke, and are now available at several pubs in the Chew Valley.
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Wikipedia