History
Norton Malreward is listed as Nortone in the Domesday Book of 1086 meaning 'The north enclosure' from the Old English norp and tun. Malreward is a corruption of Malregard who was a tenant of the Bishop of Coutances in 1238. During the reign of Edward I the manor was held by John Le Sore of Backwell. Later lords of the manor included Hawisia de Burton, John de Burton, Robert Grayndor, Robert Basset and Sir William Basset. In 1701 the manor was sold to Richard Holder and sold again in 1718 to Francis Freeman and Samuel Prigg.
Just north of and overlooking the village is Maes Knoll Tump, a tumulus 390 feet by 84, and 45 feet in height, the start of the Wansdyke. The remains of this Iron Age hillfort lie at the eastern end of the Dundry Down ridge. The hillfort consists of a fairly large flat open area, roughly triangular in shape, that was fortified by ramparts and shaping of the steep-sided hilltop around the northern, eastern and southwestern sides of the hill (the flat area in World War II was dotted with stone cairns to deter the landing of enemy gliders to invade Bristol; a detachment of the Dundry Home Guard had a draughty corrugated-iron look-out shed on the top of the tumulus). Maes Knoll provides a splendid view over the lands it would have once commanded. From here, there are clear views north to Bristol, east to Bath and the Cotswold Hills, and south over Stanton Drew stone circles to Chew Valley Lake and the Mendip Hills.
The parish was part of the hundred of Chew.
Ammonites and fossil nautili are abundant in this neighbourhood.
The village lies on the route of the Monarch's Way long-distance footpath.
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