Bradford on Avon
Bradford on Avon shown within Wiltshire
Population	9,326
OS grid reference	ST823605
District	West Wiltshire
Shire county	Wiltshire
Region	South West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Bradford on Avon
Postcode district	BA15
Dialling code	01225
Police	Wiltshire
Fire	Wiltshire
Ambulance	Great Western
European Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	Westbury
List of places: UK • England • Wiltshire

Coordinates: 51°20′49″N 2°15′04″W / 51.346908, -2.251064

Bradford on Avon (sometimes Bradford-on-Avon) is a town in west Wiltshire, England with a population of about 9,326. Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government The District Council West Wiltshire District Council has forty-four members all elected together for a four-year term of office Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The, also known as the Bath postcode area, is a group of postal districts around Bath, Bradford on Avon, Bruton, Castle Cary, The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Wiltshire Police is the Home Office police force responsible for policing Wiltshire and Swindon in south-west England. The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and The Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is the county-wide statutory emergency fire and rescue service for the Ceremonial county of Wiltshire The Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust (GWAS is UK National Health Service (NHS trust providing emergency and non emergency South West England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Westbury is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a list of cities towns and villages in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire, England A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A town is a type of settlement ranging from a few to several thousand (occasionally hundreds of thousands inhabitants although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland ^[1] It is the smallest of the five towns in West Wiltshire. The District Council West Wiltshire District Council has forty-four members all elected together for a four-year term of office The town's canal, historic buildings, shops, pubs and restaurants make it popular with tourists.

The history of the town can be traced back to Roman origins. It has several buildings dating to the 17th century, when the town grew due to the thriving wool textile industry.

Location

The town lies partly on the Vale of Pewsey and partly on the hill that marks the Vale's western edge, eight miles southeast of Bath, in the hilly countryside between the Mendip Hills, Salisbury Plain and the Cotswold Hills. The Vale of Pewsey is an area in the Kennet district of Wiltshire, England to the west of Devizes, centred on the town of Pewsey. Bath is a city in Somerset in the south west of England It is situated west of London and south-east of Bristol. The Mendip Hills (commonly called The Mendips) are a range of Limestone hills situated to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset Salisbury Plain is a Chalk Plateau in central southern England covering. See also Cotswold The Cotswolds is a range of Hills in west-central England, sometimes called the "Heart of England" The local area around Bath provides the Jurassic limestone (Bath Stone) from which the older buildings are constructed. The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Ma (million years ago to  Ma that is from the end of the Triassic to the beginning Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Bath Stone is an Oolitic Limestone comprising granular fragments of Calcium carbonate. The River Avon (the Bristol Avon) runs through the town. The River Avon is a River in the south west of England. Because of a number of other River Avons in England this river is often also known as the Lower Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London

Bradford-on-Avon railway station lies on what is now the Bath—Weymouth railway line. Bradford-on-Avon railway station is a railway station on the Wessex Main Line between Avoncliff and Trowbridge, serving the town of Bradford on The Heart of Wessex Line, also known as the Bristol to Weymouth line, is a United Kingdom railway line that runs from Bristol to Westbury It opened in the mid-19th century and was built by the original (pre-grouping) Great Western Railway. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West Northwards the line runs past Avoncliff and Freshford stations, and joins the Great Western main line east of Bath. Avoncliff is a village in Wiltshire. It is the point at which the Kennet and Avon canal crosses the river and railway line via the Avoncliff Aqueduct There is another village called Freshford in Ireland. Freshford is a village in the Avon valley south east of Bath Trains run to Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff. Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest Railway station in Bristol, England Cardiff Central railway station (Caerdydd Canolog is a major British railway station on Central Square in Cardiff, Wales. Southwards, the line is joined by the minor Melksham branch from Chippenham shortly before Trowbridge. Melksham is a medium-sized English town lying on the River Avon. Chippenham is a Market town in Wiltshire, England, located at, some 21 km (13 miles east of Bath and 163 km (96 miles west of London Trowbridge is the County town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county approximately 12 miles (19 km southeast At Westbury the line crosses the main London to Plymouth line. Westbury is a Town and Civil parish (population 11135 in the 2001 census in the west of the English county of Wiltshire, most famous for the London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Plymouth ( is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England about south west of London. From Westbury, trains run to Southampton, Portsmouth or Weymouth, and occasionally to Frome or Castle Cary. Southampton ( IPA /ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən/ is the largest city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England History See also History of Portsmouth There have been settlements in the area since before Roman times mostly being offshoots of Portchester, which Weymouth (ˈweɪməθ is a town in Dorset, England situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey on the English Channel coast Frome ( (ˈfruːm is a medium-sized Town and Civil parish in Somerset, England, near the Mendip Hills. Castle Cary is a Market town in south Somerset, England, north west of Wincanton and eight miles south of Shepton

Running parallel to the railway through the town is the Kennet and Avon Canal and Bradford Lock. The Kennet and Avon Canal is a Canal in southern England The name may refer to either the route of the original Kennet and Avon Canal Company, which linked the Bradford Lock ( is situated at Bradford on Avon on the Kennet and Avon Canal, England. The use of this canal declined as the railways grew but it was restored to full working order during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The canal provides a link through to the Avon at Bath in the West, and the Thames at Reading in the East. The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between

History

The Town Bridge over the river Avon. The small domed building on the right is the lockup, where the town's troublemakers were put for the night.

The earliest evidence of habitation is fragments of Roman settlements above the town. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial In particular, archaeological digs have revealed the remains of a large Roman villa with a well-preserved mosaic on the playing fields of St Laurence School. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos A Roman villa is a Villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. Art History Mosaics of the 4th century BC are found in the Macedonian palace-city of Aegae, and they enriched the floors of Hellenistic St Laurence School is a state secondary Comprehensive school in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, UK. The centre of the town grew up around the ford across the river Avon, hence the origin of the town's name ("Broad-Ford"). This was supplemented in Norman times by the stone bridge that still stands today. For other buildings in Normandy see Architecture of Normandy. A bridge is a Structure built to span a Gorge, Valley, Road, railroad track, River, Body of water The Norman side is upstream, and has pointed arches; the newer side has curved arches. The Town Bridge and Chapel is a grade I listed building. A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance It was originally a pack horse bridge, but widened in l7th century by rebuilding the western side. ^[2]

On the bridge stands a small building which was originally a chapel but later used as a town lockup. A chapel is a holy place or area of Worship for Christians, which may be attached to an institution such as a large church, a College, a The weather vane on top takes the form of a gudgeon (an early Christian symbol), hence the saying "under the fish but over the water".

The river provided the power for the wool mills that gave the town its wealth. The town has seventeenth century buildings dating from the most successful period of the textile industry. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn.

Tithe Barn

A notable feature of Bradford on Avon is the huge grade II* listed tithe barn,^[3] The barn would have been used for collecting taxes, in the form of goods, to fund the church.

Several notable buildings in and around the town centre have been designated for renovation and redevelopment/regeneration by 2012.

In 1997 the Wiltshire Music Centre was opened in Bradford on Avon, on the grounds of St Laurence School. St Laurence School is a state secondary Comprehensive school in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, UK.

On October 8, 2003, Bradford on Avon was granted Fairtrade Town status. Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Fairtrade Town is a marketing tool in which this status is awarded by a recognized Fairtrade certification body (i

Churches

St Laurence's Church

Notable is the Saxon church (dedicated to St. St Laurence's Church Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, is one of relatively few Saxon churches left standing in England that does not exhibit later Laurence), which may have been founded by St. Aldhelm around 700, and could have been a temporary burial site for King Edward the Martyr. Saint Aldhelm (c 639 - 25 May 709) Abbot of Malmesbury Abbey, Bishop of Sherborne, Latin poet and Anglo-Saxon literature Events By Place North America The Mount Edziza volcanic complex erupts in northern British Columbia, Canada. Edward the Martyr or Eadweard II (c 962&ndash 18 March 978) was King of England from 975 until he was murdered in 978 It was re-discovered by Canon Jones in the 19th century, having been used for secular purposes. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar

In addition to the Saxon church, the town has four Church of England churches, one Church of England chapel, two Baptist chapels, a United Reformed Church (Methodist and United Reformed), a free nonconformist church, a non-denominational charismatic Christian Fellowship, a Quaker (Society of Friends) meeting house and a Catholic church. For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican An unrelated American church of similar name is the United Reformed Churches in North America. Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete".

The original parish church has a dedication to the Holy Trinity, and is located near the town centre by the river. It is Norman in origin, and it is possible that the chancel was built over the remains of an older church. Several chapels were added on the north side, and the wall in between was later opened up and the chapels now form the north aisle. The tower and spire was built around 1480, replacing an older one, and the south wall was largely rebuilt in the 19th century. Towers are tall human-made Structures that are always taller than they are wide usually by a significant Margin. A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building particularly a church Tower. ^[4] The church has a ring of eight bells, with the tenor (heaviest bell) weighing 30cwt (1. A church bell is a bell which is rung in a (especially Christian) church either to signify the Hour or the time for worshippers to go to The tenor is the highest male voice within the Modal register, just above the Baritone voice 5 tons).

The other Anglican church has dedication of Christ Church, and is entirely a Victorian construction. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs The Anglican Christ Church is located in the northern Hillside Terraces neighborhood Conservation District of Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire. The term Victorian architecture can refer to one of a number of Architectural styles predominantly employed during the Victorian era. ^[5] The Catholic church, dedicated to St. Thomas More, occupies the building that used to be the town hall. Located near the historic Town Bridge and opposite the Swan Hotel (AD Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 – 6 July 1535 from 1935 Saint Thomas More, was an English Lawyer, author and statesman who in his lifetime gained ^[6]

Economy

Bradford is the headquarters of the Alex Moulton bicycle company. Dr Alexander Eric ("Alex" Moulton CBE (born 9 April 1920) is an English Engineer and Inventor, specialising It has several other small scale manufacturing enterprises. In the past Bradford was the headquarters of Avon Rubber, a manufacturer of rubber products for the automotive and other industries. Avon Rubber plc is a world-leading manufacturer of high technology Rubber -based products for a number of Manufacturing sectors

The town's main business is shopping, tourism and day to day servicing of a population largely made up of families, commuters and the retired.

The town of Bradford-On-Avon has one main supermarket situated on the Elms Cross Industrial estate, a two minute walk from the Canal lock. Local consumers founded Bradford-on-Avon Co-operative Society in 1861, which, in the 1960s, united with other consumer co-operatives in the district to merge with a national business. Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A consumers' cooperative is a Cooperative business owned by its customers for their mutual benefit. Though consumer co-operation since left, Bristol workers' co-operative Bishopston Trading Company has a Fairtrade clothing shop in Silver Street, that supports the village of K. A worker coperative is a Cooperative owned and democratically controlled by its employees Fairtrade (one word redirects here For the more general article on the fair trade movement see Fair trade (two words V. Kuppam in Tamil Nadu, India. Tamil Nadu ( Tamil:, Country of the Tamils, t̪ɐmɨɻ n̪aːɽɯ is one of the 28 states of India. ^[7][8][9]

Local government

The most significant local government functions (including schools, roads, social services, waste disposal and emergency planning) are carried out by Wiltshire County Council. Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye

The town also falls within the area of West Wiltshire District Council, which deals with leisure services, development control, and waste disposal. The District Council West Wiltshire District Council has forty-four members all elected together for a four-year term of office At the last district elections in 2007, it elected four members, all Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the

Bradford on Avon is a civil parish with an elected town council of 12, 2 Conservative and 10 Liberal Democrat. This has a mostly consultative and ceremonial role, and the chairman of the town council has the title of Mayor of Bradford. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government

See also:

• West Wiltshire Council election 2003
• West Wiltshire Council election 2007

People

The origins of the band Jesus Jones can be traced back to the town. Elections to West Wiltshire District Council were held on 1 May, 2003. Elections to West Wiltshire District Council were held on 3 May, 2007. Jesus Jones is a British rock group. The London -based group recorded and performed in the late 1980s throughout the 1990s In 1986 Mike Edwards, Simon Matthews and Alan Doughty formed the band Camouflage, which later enjoyed million-selling success as Jesus Jones in America and the UK. The indie rock band Blackbud were also formed in the town, at St Laurence Secondary School. Blackbud are an Indie-rock band from Wiltshire, now based between London and Bristol UK St Laurence School is a state secondary Comprehensive school in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, UK.

Other well-known residents or ex-residents include:

• Peter Hammill, singer and songwriter
• Henry Shrapnel, inventor of the 'shrapnel shell'
• Miles Kington, journalist
• NY Times Bestselling science-fiction/fantasy author Simon R. Green
• Rugby union players Will Carling, Phil de Glanville, and Jon Sleightholme
• Hugh Scully, television presenter
• Jonathan Newth, actor
• Rob Newman, ex-footballer and current football manager
• Andy Pearce, ex-footballer
• Stephen Volk, writer among whose many credits include the TV series Afterlife and a recent collection of short stories called Dark Corners
• Stan Hey, Author, journalist and screenwriter. For the journalist and writer see Pete Hamill. Peter Joseph Andrew Hammill (born 5 November, 1948, in Ealing, west Henry Shrapnel ( June 3, 1761 - March 13, 1842) was a British Army officer and inventor most famously of the " Shrapnel Shrapnel is the term originally applied to an anti-personnel artillery shell which carried a large number of individual bullets to the target and then ejected them forwards relying Miles Beresford Kington ( 13 May 1941 &ndash 30 January 2008) was a British Journalist, musician (a double bass player Simon Green may refer to Simon R Green, a British Science-fiction and fantasy-author Simon F Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short William David Charles Carling OBE (born 12 December 1965) is a former Rugby union player for Harlequins, and a former captain of Philip Ranulph de Glanville (born on October 1 1968 in Loughborough) is a former English Rugby union player who played at centre Jonathan Mark Sleightholme (born 5 August 1972 in Malton) is a former Rugby union footballer who played on the wing for Wakefield Hugh Scully (b 5 March 1943, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire) is a British Television presenter. Jonathan Newth (born 6 March 1939) in Devon is a British actor best known for his performances in television Robert (Rob Newman (born 13 December 1963 in Bradford on Avon) is an English football coach. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Andrew Pearce (born April 20, 1966 in Bradford on Avon, England) is a retired English football defender Stephen Volk is a British Screenwriter, whose first produced work was Ken Russell 's film Gothic in 1986. TV Credits include Agony, The Manageress, Auf Wiedersehen Pet and Dalziel and Pascoe. Novels include the locally-set Frank Brennan series. Regular columnist for The Independent.
• Lucy Schaufer, opera singer who has appeared at The Metropolitan Opera, Washington Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Hamburg Opera and English National Opera.

References

External links

• Community Website
• Bradford on Avon Tourism Association
• Bradford on Avon Town Council
• Bradford on Avon news from the Wiltshire Times.
• Historic Bradford-on-Avon photos at BBC Wiltshire