Long Ashton - History

History

Prehistoric and Roman artefacts have been found in the area, at the site of the Gatcombe Roman Settlement, but the village originated in Saxon times. The Domesday Book records it as Estune (the place by the ash tree) and, afterwards, it was granted to Bishop Geoffrey of Constances. The village was normally just called Ashton up to the mid 19th century. It acquired the prefix "Long" from the fact that it straggles along the main road for nearly 2 miles.

The parish was part of the hundred of Hartcliffe.

The manor house dates to 1265 and, in the late 15th century shares in the estate were purchased by Richard Amerike (one of the possible sources of the name America). Previously the manor had passed through the hands of the Lyons, Choke and finally Smyth families. By 1603 the Smyths had become the principal landowners in the parish and were lords of Long Ashton for four centuries—the estate finally being sold in 1946.

The parish church of All Saints dates from about 1380, and the arms of its founder (Thomas de Lyons) are on the outside of the tower. The interior has some fine tombs, and some relatives of the poet Robert Southey are buried in the churchyard.

The other Church, Hebron Church was founded in 1934 by Ernest Dyer, who cycled to the village from Keynsham to run a Sunday School. Many of the people who have grown up in the village passed through this Sunday School.

Since the earliest recorded times, agriculture has been the major occupation of the parish, and there are still several working farms, some just outside the village. The Ashton Court estate provided occupations such as gamekeepers and foresters, and there have been several mills in the parish including a snuff-mill on the Land Yeo at Gatcombe in 1769, however the current building dates from the early 19th century. By 1846 it had been converted to grind mustard, annatto and drugs, but by 1874 was a flour mill. The internal machinery is still in place and the mill has been designated as a Grade II listed building. Kincott Mill had stood since at least the 13th century. By the early 19th century rented out for snuff grinding and in the 1830s a steam engine was installed to power a flour and corn mill. Later it was owned by an iron founder, who made edge tools and other farm implements and installed cast-iron water wheels.

Stone has been quarried for lime burning, as well as for building and road making. There was an iron foundry in the 19th century and coal mines — the Bedminster-Ashton coalfield finally closed in 1924.

The Angel Inn, near the church, is the oldest pub in the village, dating from 1495 and originally being a church-house. There are several other historic pubs in the area, very popular with visitors from Bristol—a horse-drawn bus ran from Redcliffe Street, Bristol to the Bird-in-Hand several times a week in the late 19th century.

The National Fruit and Cider Institute opened at Fenswood on the edge of the village in 1903. It became the Agricultural and Horticultural Research Station in 1912, and was known as Long Ashton Research Station until it was closed in 2003. During the Second World War it developed rose hip syrup and Ribena.

A Parochial School opened in 1818 and moved several times — the current Primary School, called Northleaze, opened in 1867 and moved to new premises in Brook Close in 2006. There have been other schools in the village, including boarding schools for "Young Gentlemen".

Long Ashton railway station was opened by the Great Western Railway in Yanley Lane, where the Bristol to Taunton Line passes below the village, on 12 July 1926 but it was closed on 6 October 1941.