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Brockley is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. The parish is within the unitary authority of North Somerset, about south of Nailsea, and includes the village of Chelvey. According to the 2011 census it had a population of 277.


History

To the west of Brockley is
Taps Combe Camp Taps Combe Camp (also known as Chelvey Batch Settlement) is an Iron Age hill fort in North Somerset, England. The hill fort is situated approximately east from the village of Brockley. The hill fort is shaped a lot like a "D", and is approximat ...
,a Roman Iron Age hill fort. The hill fort is shaped a lot like a "D", and is approximately 50 metres (160 ft) by 50 metres (160 ft) wide. The parish of Brockley was part of the hundred of Chewton, while Chelvey was part of the hundred of
Hartcliffe Hartcliffe is the name of both a council ward and an Outer Suburb of the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom which lies within that ward. The ward contains the areas of Hartcliffe and Headley Park, as well as small portions of Withywood and B ...
. Brockley was the location of a 300-person Prisoner of War camp during World War II, initially housing Italian prisoners from the Western Desert campaign, and later German prisoners post the Battle of Normandy.


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
playground A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people ...
s, 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. The parish falls within the unitary authority of North 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 Building automation (BAS), also known as building management system (BMS) or building energy management system (BEMS), is the automatic centralized control of a building's HVAC, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), electrical, ligh ...
, local roads,
council housing Public housing in the United Kingdom, also known as council estates, council housing, or social housing, provided the majority of rented accommodation until 2011 when the number of households in private rental housing surpassed the number in so ...
, environmental health, markets and fairs,
refuse collection Waste collection is a part of the process of waste management. It is the transfer of solid waste from the point of use and disposal to the point of treatment or landfill. Waste collection also includes the curbside collection of recyclable m ...
, recycling,
cemeteries A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...
,
crematoria Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre i ...
, leisure services, parks, and tourism. They are also responsible for education,
social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...
, 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 Fire & Rescue Service (AF&RS) is the fire and rescue service covering the unitary authorities of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire in South West England. The headquarters of the service is co ...
, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the South Western Ambulance Service. North Somerset's area covers part of the
ceremonial county The counties and areas for the purposes of the lieutenancies, also referred to as the lieutenancy areas of England and informally known as ceremonial counties, are areas of England to which lords-lieutenant are appointed. Legally, the areas i ...
of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare. Between 1 April 1974 and 1 April 1996, it was the
Woodspring North Somerset is a unitary district in Somerset, South West England. Whilst its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in th ...
district of the county of Avon. Before 1974 that the parish was part of the
Long Ashton Rural District Long Ashton was a rural district in Somerset, England, from 1894 to 1974. It was created in 1894 under the Local Government Act 1894. In 1974 it was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 to become part of North Somerset. The parishes ...
. The parish is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom as part of the North Somerset constituency. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election, currently Liam Fox of the Conservatives. It was also part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament prior to
Britain leaving the European Union Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EA ...
in January 2020, which elected seven
MEPs A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...
using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.


Geography

Brockley Combe Brockley Combe is a wooded combe near the village of Brockley in North Somerset, England. The combe cuts into the western edge of the Lulsgate Plateau, the Carboniferous limestone hills which form a northern outlier of the Mendips, south west of ...
is a wooded combe near the village. Bristol International Airport lies at the top of the combe. A minor road runs along the length of the combe, meeting the A370 at the lower end. The village is at the western edge of the
Lulsgate Plateau Lulsgate Plateau is the name given to the Carboniferous Limestone hills which form a northern outlier of the Mendip Hills, southwest of Bristol, England, approximately above sea level, which has been occupied since prehistoric times. The major fe ...
, the Carboniferous limestone hills which form a northern outlier of the
Mendip Hills The Mendip Hills (commonly called the Mendips) is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset, England. Running from Weston-super-Mare and the Bristol Channel in the west to the Frome valley in the east, the hills ...
.


Landmarks

Brockley Hall Stables, the former stable block of
Brockley Hall Brockley is a district and an electoral ward of south London, England, in the London Borough of Lewisham south-east of Charing Cross. History The name Brockley is derived from "Broca's woodland clearing", a wood where badgers are seen (''br ...
, is designated as a
Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
(SSSI) because the roofspace hosts a large breeding colony of greater horseshoe bats during summer. They are also a grade II listed building. Brockley Hall was a country house dating from the late 18th century, which was remodelled around 1825 in a plain Greek Revival style for J.H. Smyth-Pigott. It has now been converted into four houses.
Nailsea Court Nailsea Court in Nailsea, Somerset, England, is an English manor house dating from the 15th century. Pevsner describes the house as "historically highly instructive and interesting" and it is a Grade I listed building. In 1574 the house was ow ...
near Chelvey dates from the 15th century and is a Grade I listed building.


Transport

The village is on the A370 between Bristol and Weston-super-Mare close to the
Bristol Channel The Bristol Channel ( cy, Môr Hafren, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Seve ...
. The village of Chelvey which is on the Bristol to Taunton Line with the nearest station being at Backwell. The parish is sectioned by the
Bristol and Exeter Railway The Bristol & Exeter Railway (B&ER) was an English railway company formed to connect Bristol and Exeter. It was built on the broad gauge and its engineer was Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It opened in stages between 1841 and 1844. It was allied with ...
, now part of the First Great Western area.


Religious sites

St. Nicholas' Church dates from the 12th century, and has been designated as a grade II* listed building. The church is in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.
Church of St Bridget, Chelvey St. Bridget's Church in Chelvey, Brockley, Somerset, England dates from the 12th century, and has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. The church is dedicated to the Irish saint Brigid of Kildare. The building inc ...
dates from the 12th century, and has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building.
Chelvey Court Chelvey Court in the village of Chelvey near Brockley in the English county of Somerset was a large manor house built between 1618 and 1660 for Edward and John Tynte. It is a Grade II* listed building. Establishment Edward Tynte, who was part of ...
was built around 1618 to 1660 as a manor house for Edward and John Tynte.


References


External links

{{Commons category, Brockley, Somerset, Brockley
Entry at GENUKI
Villages in North Somerset Civil parishes in Somerset World War II prisoner of war camps in England