West Littleton is a village and former

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...

, now in the parish of

Tormarton Tormarton is a village in South Gloucestershire, England. Its name may come from ''Thor Maer Tun'' meaning ''The settlement with the thorn (tree) on the boundary''. Another source suggests the name derives from the church tower (Tor) on the bord ...

, in the

South Gloucestershire South Gloucestershire is a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, South West England. Towns in the area include Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Thornbury, Filton, Patchway and Bradley Stoke, the latter three forming part ...

district, in the ceremonial county of

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

, England. It is located between the M4 and the A420. The closest amenities are in Marshfield and the historic city of

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

is a short distance to the south. The stately home,

Dyrham Park Dyrham Park () is a baroque English country house in an ancient deer park near the village of Dyrham in South Gloucestershire, England. The house, attached orangery, stable block, and accompanying parish church are Grade I listed buildings, wh ...

, is located a few hundred metres from the village. In 1931 the parish had a population of 65. West Littleton shot to international attention as being the hideout retreat for

Hugh Grant Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is an English actor. He established himself early in his career as both a charming, and vulnerable romantic lead and has since transitioned into a dramatic character actor. Among his numerous a ...

at the time of his alleged affair with a Los Angeles prostitute. The world's press descended upon this charming little village and camped outside Grant's house. The village boasts approximately 25 houses and has a population of around 50 inhabitants. There is a working farm, a

red telephone box The red telephone box, a telephone kiosk for a public telephone designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, is a familiar sight on the streets of the United Kingdom, Malta, Bermuda and Gibraltar. Despite a reduction in their numbers in recent years, ...

and a church. The

Beaufort Hunt The Duke of Beaufort's Hunt, also called the Beaufort and Beaufort Hunt, is one of the oldest and largest of the fox hunting packs in England.(Sohelmay) History Hunting with hounds in the area dates back to 1640, primarily deer but also foxes ...

regularly uses the

village green A village green is a commons, common open area within a village or other settlement. Historically, a village green was common pasture, grassland with a pond for watering cattle and other stock, often at the edge of a rural settlement, used for ...

as a starting point for their hunts though this has been somewhat curtailed due to the recent legislation banning fox hunting. West Littleton is considered a gem of a village with a farming background. Some houses in the village date back to the 15th century with some possibly even back to the 14th. On 1 April 1935 the parish was abolished and merged with Tormarton.

References

External links

Villages in South Gloucestershire District Former civil parishes in Gloucestershire {{Gloucestershire-geo-stub