Ubley

Ubley
Ubley
	Ubley Cross and church tower
	Ubley Location within Somerset
Population	331 (2011)
OS grid reference	ST529582
Unitary authority	Bath and North East Somerset;
Ceremonial county	Somerset;
Region	South West;
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BRISTOL
Postcode district	BS40
Dialling code	01761
Police	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Avon
Ambulance	South Western
UK Parliament	North East Somerset and Hanham;
	List of places UK England Somerset 51°19′15″N 2°40′31″W / 51.3209°N 2.6752°W

Ubley is a small village and civil parish within the Chew Valley in Bath and North East Somerset about 9 miles (14.5 km) south of Bristol. It is just south-east of Blagdon Lake, just off the A368 between Compton Martin and Blagdon.

History

There are a number of Bronze Age round barrows on or close to the lip of Mendip's northern scarp above Ubley,^[2] but contra earlier edits of this page, no Neolithic long barrows are yet known on the high ground to the south of the village.^[3]

In a charter of King Edgar, between 959 and 975 the name of the village was recorded as Hubbanlege. The text of the charter itself does not survive; all we know of it is from its appearance in an index list of purported grants to Glastonbury Abbey compiled probably in the mid-13th century.^[4] The charter is S1771 in Peter Sawyer's standard handlist of Anglo-Saxon charters up to 1066.^[5]

Ubley was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Tumbeli, which is clearly a garbled expression of the (probably) original Old English toponym. It seems fairly certain that the second element is Old English lēah, 'a woodland clearing', but with an important secondary, or even sometimes alternative meaning of 'wood pasture', which seems to have been a development from the primary meaning.^[6] ^[7] The meaning of the first element is entirely unknown, but seems most likely to represent a personal name, perhaps Ubba.^[8] There is no evidence whatsoever, of any kind whether archaeological or historical, for the frequent but completely unfounded story that Ubley is the VEB which is found cast into a number of pigs of lead from the Roman lead workings at Charterhouse on Mendip. There is no authoritative agreement on what these letters actually signify although the late Professor Todd was of the view that it probably is a place-name and is most likely to refer to the mining settlement at Charterhouse itself, although this question is now probably far beyond firm proof. Prof Todd has also produced a very useful list of Roman lead pigs identified from the Mendip mines up to the date of his publication.^[9] ^[10]

The parish was part of the hundred of Chewton.^[11]

Mining for ochre and manganese took place during the 19th century.^[12]

Governance

The parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, such as the village hall or community centre, playing fields and playgrounds, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also of interest to the council.

Ubley is part of the Chew Valley South Ward, which is represented by one councillor on the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset which was created in 1996, as established by the Local Government Act 1992. It provides a single tier of local government with responsibility for almost all local government functions within its area including local planning and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection, recycling, cemeteries, crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism. It is also responsible for education, social services, libraries, main roads, public transport, Trading Standards, waste disposal and strategic planning, although fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the Avon Fire and Rescue Service, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the Great Western Ambulance Service.

Bath and North East Somerset's area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in Bath. Between 1 April 1974 and 1 April 1996, it was the Wansdyke district and the City of Bath of the county of Avon.^[13] Before 1974 that the parish was part of the Clutton Rural District.^[14]

The parish is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom as part of North East Somerset and Hanham. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Geography

The village lies under the northern slopes of the Mendip Hills within the Chew Valley about 8 miles south of Bristol and 10 miles from Bath. It is just south-east of Blagdon Lake and between Blagdon Lake and Chew Valley Lake.

Demography

According to the 2001 Census, the Chew Valley South Ward (which includes Nempnett Thrubwell) had 1,032 residents, living in 411 households, with an average age of 42.1 years. Of these, 74% of residents described their health as 'good', 20% of 16- to 74-year-olds had no qualifications; and the area had an unemployment rate of 1.7% of all economically active people aged 16–74. In the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004, it was ranked at 22,950 out of 32,482 wards in England, where 1 was the most deprived LSOA and 32,482 the least deprived.^[15]

Landmarks

War memorial

The village war memorial is 2.5 metres high and has a three-stepped base. It commemorates the five people from the village who died in World War I.^[16]

Village hall

The modern village hall is the venue for Blagdon Rainbow Guides and Brownies on a Monday during term time as well as the monthly Ubley Publey and annual Chew Valley Beer Festival.

Grade II listed buildings

Transport

Ubley lies on the A368 between Compton Martin and Blagdon, although the village centre is north of the main road and served only by minor roads.

Education

In the village is a primary school

Religious sites

Gray stone building with square tower surmounted by a spire on the left. Surrounded by trees and green fields. — Ubley church

The village has a small medieval church, the Church of St Bartholomew, in its present form originating from the 13th century with later additions. However, the site itself is almost certainly far older, and there is every possibility that there would have been a church extant, although perhaps of timber, well before the Norman Conquest. This suggestion is reinforced by the survival of a Norman font, evidence that there was previously a church of at least that date on the site. The church has no fixed pews. Features include a Jacobean pulpit and a chained copy of the 'Paraphrases of Erasmus' dated 1552.^[17] The church is a Grade I listed building^[18]

References

^ "Ubley Parish". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
^ Mullin, D., 2011. "Barrows and Bronzes: The Bronze Age of Mendip". In Lewis, Jodie (ed), The Archaeology of Mendip: 500,000 Years of Continuity and Change. pp. 119-137. Heritage Books (an imprint of Oxbow Books, Oxford). ISBN 9781905223282
^ Lewis, Jodie, 2011. "On Top of the World: Mesolithic and Neolithic Use of the Mendip Hills". In Lewis, Jodie (ed), The Archaeology of Mendip: 500,000 Years of Continuity and Change. pp. 93-117, and esp at p. 97, Fig. 4.2. Heritage Books (an imprint of Oxbow Books, Oxford). ISBN 9781905223282.
^ Abrams, Lesley (1996). Anglo-Saxon Glastonbury: Church and Endowment. Boydell. p. 235. ISBN 0851153690.
^ Sawyer, Peter (1968). Anglo-Saxon Charters: An Annotated List and Bibliography. Royal Historical Society.
^ Gelling, Margaret; Cole, Ann (2000). The Landscape of Place-Names. Shaun Tyas. pp. 237–242. ISBN 1900289253.
^ Lennon, Ben (2009). "Lēah names in the Anglo-Saxon charters of Wiltshire". Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine. 102: 174–187.
^ Mills, David (2011). A Dictionary of British Place Names (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 473. ISBN 9780199609086.
^ Todd, Malcolm (2007). Roman Mining in Somerset: Excavations at Charterhouse on Mendip 1993-1995. The Mint Press. pp. 71, and 83-84. ISBN 9781903356517.
^ Note, however, that Prof. Todd's account does not, by definition, include the discovery of another Roman lead ingot since 2007, which was found by a metal detectorist just under 1km to the south-east of the church at Westbury-sub-Mendip in 2016, and which is dated to the mid to late 160s CE. It is unlikely in the extreme that this ingot originated from anywhere other than the Charterhouse mines. Lane, Barry (2017). "A Lead Pig from Westbury". Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society 160, 153-155. ISSN 0081-2056.
^ Thorn, Frank; Thorn, Caroline (1980). Domesday Book: Somerset. Phillimore. ISBN 0850333679.
^ Gough, J.W. (1967). The mines of Mendip. Newton Abbot, Devon: David & Charles. https://www.amazon.co.uk/o/ASIN/B0000CNKWB.
^ "The Avon (Structural Change) Order 1995". HMSO. Archived from the original on 30 January 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2007.
^ "Clutton RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
^ "Neighbourhood Statistics LSOA Bath and North East Somerset 021B Chew Valley South". Office for National Statistics 2001 Census. Retrieved 25 April 2006.
^ "Ubley Cross WWI Ref: 7500". United Kingdom National Inventory of Ward Memorials. Retrieved 19 May 2006.
^ Foyle, Andrew (2011). The Buildings of England - Somerset: North and Bristol (2nd ed.). Yale University Press. p. 630. ISBN 9780300126587.
^ Historic England. "Church of St. Bartholomew (1129654)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 14 July 2009.

External links

"Area 4 – Mendip Slopes" (PDF). BANES Environmental Services. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
Map of Ubley circa 1900

[popn-1] "Ubley Parish". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 31 December 2013.

[2] Mullin, D., 2011. "Barrows and Bronzes: The Bronze Age of Mendip". In Lewis, Jodie (ed), The Archaeology of Mendip: 500,000 Years of Continuity and Change. pp. 119-137. Heritage Books (an imprint of Oxbow Books, Oxford). ISBN 9781905223282

[3] Lewis, Jodie, 2011. "On Top of the World: Mesolithic and Neolithic Use of the Mendip Hills". In Lewis, Jodie (ed), The Archaeology of Mendip: 500,000 Years of Continuity and Change. pp. 93-117, and esp at p. 97, Fig. 4.2. Heritage Books (an imprint of Oxbow Books, Oxford). ISBN 9781905223282.

[havinden-4] Abrams, Lesley (1996). Anglo-Saxon Glastonbury: Church and Endowment. Boydell. p. 235. ISBN 0851153690.

[5] Sawyer, Peter (1968). Anglo-Saxon Charters: An Annotated List and Bibliography. Royal Historical Society.

[6] Gelling, Margaret; Cole, Ann (2000). The Landscape of Place-Names. Shaun Tyas. pp. 237–242. ISBN 1900289253.

[7] Lennon, Ben (2009). "Lēah names in the Anglo-Saxon charters of Wiltshire". Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine. 102: 174–187.

[8] Mills, David (2011). A Dictionary of British Place Names (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 473. ISBN 9780199609086.

[9] Todd, Malcolm (2007). Roman Mining in Somerset: Excavations at Charterhouse on Mendip 1993-1995. The Mint Press. pp. 71, and 83-84. ISBN 9781903356517.

[10] Note, however, that Prof. Todd's account does not, by definition, include the discovery of another Roman lead ingot since 2007, which was found by a metal detectorist just under 1km to the south-east of the church at Westbury-sub-Mendip in 2016, and which is dated to the mid to late 160s CE. It is unlikely in the extreme that this ingot originated from anywhere other than the Charterhouse mines. Lane, Barry (2017). "A Lead Pig from Westbury". Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society 160, 153-155. ISSN 0081-2056.

[11] Thorn, Frank; Thorn, Caroline (1980). Domesday Book: Somerset. Phillimore. ISBN 0850333679.

[12] Gough, J.W. (1967). The mines of Mendip. Newton Abbot, Devon: David & Charles. https://www.amazon.co.uk/o/ASIN/B0000CNKWB.

[13] "The Avon (Structural Change) Order 1995". HMSO. Archived from the original on 30 January 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2007.

[cluttonrd-14] "Clutton RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.

[15] "Neighbourhood Statistics LSOA Bath and North East Somerset 021B Chew Valley South". Office for National Statistics 2001 Census. Retrieved 25 April 2006.

[16] "Ubley Cross WWI Ref: 7500". United Kingdom National Inventory of Ward Memorials. Retrieved 19 May 2006.

[17] Foyle, Andrew (2011). The Buildings of England - Somerset: North and Bristol (2nd ed.). Yale University Press. p. 630. ISBN 9780300126587.

[18] Historic England. "Church of St. Bartholomew (1129654)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 14 July 2009.

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v t e Chew Valley
Towns and villages:	Belluton Bishop Sutton Blagdon Burnett Cameley Camerton Chelwood Chew Magna Chew Stoke Chewton Keynsham Chewton Mendip Clutton Compton Dando Compton Martin East Harptree High Littleton Hinton Blewett Hunstrete Keynsham Litton Marksbury Nempnett Thrubwell Norton Malreward Pensford Publow Queen Charlton Regil Stanton Drew Stanton Prior Stowey Temple Cloud Timsbury Ubley West Harptree Winford Woollard
Reservoirs:	Blagdon Lake Chew Magna Reservoir Chew Valley Lake Litton Reservoirs
Rivers:	River Chew River Yeo
SSSIs:	Barns Batch Spinney Blagdon Lake Burledge Hill Chew Valley Lake Compton Martin Ochre Mine Dundry Main Road South Quarry Emborough Quarries Folly Farm Harptree Combe Hartcliff Rocks Quarry Lamb Leer Lulsgate Quarry Plaster's Green Meadows Wurt Pit and Devil's Punchbowl
Open Access Land	Burledge Hill Knowle Hill Round Hill (Folly Farm)
Councils:	Bath and North East Somerset Mendip North Somerset
Surrounding areas:	Dundry Down Lulsgate Plateau Mendip Hills Yeo Valley

v t e Mendip Hills
Settlements	Ashwick Axbridge Banwell Bishop Sutton Blagdon Bleadon Burrington Charterhouse Cheddar Chewton Mendip Churchill Compton Bishop Compton Martin Cross Draycott East Harptree Easton Hinton Blewett Hutton Leigh-on-Mendip Litton Oakhill Priddy Rodney Stoke Rowberrow Sandford Shepton Mallet Shipham Ubley Webbington Wells West Harptree Westbury-sub-Mendip Winscombe Wookey Hole
Rivers and lakes	River Axe Cheddar Yeo River Chew River Yeo Lox Yeo River Blagdon Lake Cheddar Reservoir Chew Valley Lake Litton Reservoirs
Hills	Axbridge Hill Black Down Bleadon Hill Burledge Hill Crook Peak Fry's Hill Pen Hill Purn Hill Shute Shelve Hill Wavering Down
Caves and gorges	Attborough Swallet Aveline's Hole Axbridge Ochre Mine Banwell Caves Banwell Ochre Caves Burrington Combe Charterhouse Cave Cheddar Gorge Compton Martin Ochre Mine Cox's Cave Eastwater Cavern Ebbor Gorge Fairy Cave Quarry GB Cave Goatchurch Cavern Gough's Cave Hunter's Hole Lamb Leer Longwood Swallet Manor Farm Swallet Picken's Hole Pierre's Pot Priddy Caves Read's Cavern Reservoir Hole Rhino Rift Rod's Pot Shatter Cave Shute Shelve Cavern Sidcot Swallet St Cuthbert's Swallet St. Dunstan's Well Catchment Stoke Lane Slocker Swildon's Hole Thrupe Lane Swallet Tyning's Barrow Swallet Upper Flood Swallet W/L Cave Wookey Hole Caves
Quarries	Batts Combe Callow Rock Cloford Cloud Colemans Cook's Wood Doulting Stone Dulcote Emborough Fairy Cave Gurney Slade Halecombe Hobbs Holwell Moon's Hill Torr Works Viaduct Whatley Windsor Hill
SSSIs	Asham Wood Axbridge Hill and Fry's Hill Banwell Caves Banwell Ochre Caves Barns Batch Spinney Blagdon Lake Bleadon Hill Brimble Pit and Cross Swallet Basins Burledge Hill Burrington Combe Chancellor's Farm Cheddar Complex Cheddar Reservoir Cheddar Wood Chew Valley Lake Cloford Quarry Compton Martin Ochre Mine Cook's Wood Quarry Crook Peak to Shute Shelve Hill Dolebury Warren Draycott Sleights Ebbor Gorge Emborough Quarries Harptree Combe Hobbs Quarry Holwell Quarries Kingdown and Middledown Lamb Leer Priddy Caves Priddy Pools Perch Rodney Stoke St. Dunstan's Well Catchment Sandpit Hole and Bishop's Lot Shiplate Slait Viaduct Quarry Windsor Hill Quarry Wurt Pit and Devil's Punchbowl
History	Priddy Circles Cheddar Man Drove Cottage Henge Dolebury Warren Charterhouse Roman Town Fosse Way King John's Hunting Lodge, Axbridge Priddy Mineries Somerset Coalfield Somerset Coal Canal Cheddar Valley line East Somerset Railway
Transport	Mendip Rail Mendip Way Monarch's Way National Cycle Route 24 A37 road A39 road A368 road A371 road
Councils	Bath and North East Somerset North Somerset Somerset
Surrounding areas	Chew Valley Somerset Levels North Somerset Levels