Worle History Society
Worle History Society

Under Construction

 

 

Over the years as Worle has expanded it is very hard to see where it ends and its neighbours join so this is why we have added this section. Please keep coming back to take a look as we will be adding more soon. 

 

 

 

 

Woodspring Priory

 

Woodspring Priory was founded around 1210 and belonged to the Victorine order of Augustinian Canons. 

The founder of the Priory was William de Courtenay who inherited from his grand-father Reginald Fitz-Urse, who was one of the assassins of St Thomas Becket. 

After the Dissolution of the Monasteries the Priory continued life as a farmhouse. Fragments of the monastry can be found in St Martin's Church. 

The Landmark Trust acquired the Priory in 1969 and they carried out greatly needed repairs. 

 

 

The photograph below shows one of the misericords in the chancel seats in St. Martin's Church that came from the priory.

 

 

 

 

St Thomas Head 

 

 

During the First World War practice trenches were dug on St Thomas's Head but it wasn't until 1941 that the area came into serious military use. It was in this year that it was designated as a weapons-testing base having been purchased by the Department of Miscellaneous Weapons Development (DMWD) as part of the new HMS Birnbeck facility. By 1943 it was a busy facility used for testing a seaborne version of Barnes Wallis's 'bouncing bomb' and various exploding devices designed to thwart torpedo attacks - amongst other things.

On Sunday evenings the army trucks would head down Ebdon Road on there way to the Militry Base. 

 

Kewstoke and Sand Bay

 

 

Known for its rich history from the Iron Age Hill Fort, Sand Point and Monks Steps. It is known for its dramatic windswept beach and spartina grass. 

Part of the beach was raised in 1980 to help prevent flooding

During the war poles were placed on the beach to stop enemy landing and removed in 1950.

The Pill Box plans were aproved on the 25th June 1940 and were made to look like beech huts or ice cream booths, they are still there now. 

 

Fields in Norton and Collum were used as a dummy airfeild. 

After the war Italian Prisoniesr of War helped to buid the sea wall from the Comordore (Southsands) to Crooks Lane (there are two dates inscribed on the path), they travelled daily in a lorry from Wraxall.

 

Pontins - The pre-war holiday camp was bought by Fred Pontin in 1947 - making it his second site (his first being Brean) and was managed by his brother Len.

During the 1950s an outdoor swimming pool was built (it was later covered and is now an indoor pool). It also had its own riding stables. 

Over 300 brick chalets were built spreeding over 17 acres. 

In 1996 Prince Charles visited for a few hours and played drums while Jools Holland played piano!! 

It was taken over in 1999.

 

Monks Steps - Also known as Kew Steps 

 

 

 

 

Collum Farm Kewstoke

Milton 

Baytree Road.  Milton

 

 

 

Milton Road

 

 

 

Fore Street  - Now known as Baytree Road 

 

 

 

Milton

 

Milton Lodge was built in 1863 for Frederick John William Lambart 8th Earl of Cavan and sold off in 1970 for development.

 

The Windsor Castle Pub (also known as The Masons Arms due to the quarry) and The Merchant Arms. In 1884 George Sprake bacame landlord for 13 years he later become Miltons Postmaster. He was also involved with building in Milton, Sprakes Terrace was named after him. 

 

Butts Quarry - Henry Butt took over the Quarry in the mid 1880s lime was produced here until it closed in 1970. The quarry kilms were demolished in 1973 and is now Ashbury Drive. Henry was Westons first Mayor, he also secured the land for the Italian Gardens. Henry Butt also built Worlebury Golf Cource. 

 

St Peters Church was consercrated 26th June 1965, its church tower was taken down in 1991. 

 

Milton Baptist Church buit in 1999 after the collapse of the former church in 1997. 

 

 

St Georges

 

St Georges

 

Its very hard to see where St Georges ends and Worle starts. It used to come under Banwell Parish but now its in its own Parish. 

Before Worle Parkway was built Worle Station was at St Georges (Worle and Puxton Station). It has a platform and waiting room. 

 

After the war St Georges purchased a building that was used in the war in Banwell - This was still being used as a village hall for about 40 years. St Georges now has a Comunity Centre. 

 

 

The Baptist Chruch was named Puxton Baptist Chapel and it was a sister Chapel to the one in town. It closed in the 1970s and is now a house. It is now the otherside of the Motoryway as St Georges got cut in half. 

 

St Georges is home to Davan Caravns, they orginally built caravns founded in 1936. The cravans were built in shed at the bottom of a garden, they also ran there own caravn park at St Georges, before re-locating to their present site. They stopped manufacturing their own caravans in 1976.

 

Worlebury

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