Thornbury: a quaint market town on Bristol's outskirts steeped in history
Just a thirty minute bus journey from Bristol City Centre is twee Thornbury, a quaint market town which is just what one would expect. According to Anglo-Saxon Charters, Thornbury, written as 'Thornbyrig', dates back to at least the 9th century.
The journey into Thornbury from Bristol City Centre is beautiful, as the route follows winding country lanes. Street names such as 'Forty Acre Lane' and 'Washingpool Hill' hold the spirit of the whimsical fantasy lands of A.A. Milne and the rolling hills and tumbledown cottages make one feel far from the hubbub of Bristol Central.
St Mary's Church is the oldest building in the town, dating back to the 12th century. Thornbury and District Museum is home to Thornbury's Roman coin hoard, discovered by resident Ken Allen in his back garden when digging a pond in 2004.
We are lucky to have a town steeped in history just on our doorstep. In recent times, however, local people feel that housing developments have taken over, with little time spent on developing the town's shops and amenities.
The farmers market occurs on the first and third Thursday of every month and showcases a range of locally grown and made products. However, having visited on a non-market day, the town was lacking the old-time bustle I imagine it once had.
Local mum Jenny Newland works at Hawkes House, Thornbury's popular café bar. She is originally from nearby Yate but moved to the market town four years ago.
"I like that it's quiet here but it could do with being a little more busy. There is a real community feel here," said Jenny.
"Thornbury needs a little bit of modernisation. There's all these new houses but nowhere to take kids to eat after school; I'm not saying bring a Mcdonalds to Thornbury, but Greggs closes at three and the only treat is to maybe take them to Costa for a frappe."
Alan and Kate Lewis are from Caerwent in Monmouthshire, Wales. They come to visit Thornbury often and enjoy that it is well-maintained.
"It's the cleanest town we go to. We go to Caldicot, Chepstow... but this is by far the best in terms of cleanliness," said Alan. "A lot of people would say the selection of shops isn't very good, but my wife goes to the charity shops and we go to Coffee #1."
Kate added: "The people who keep it clean are always around and they need to be commended."
Despite a number of chain stores residing in the South Gloucestershire market town, including Costa and Aldi, many of the buildings have retained their period features, creating a pretty patchwork of architecture. The old registry office is now home to a chippy, and there are also a number of independent pubs and restaurants dotted across the town.
A number of plans have been proposed to build approximately 600 homes in Thornbury. However, many local residents fear their town is expanding without a simultaneous town infrastructure upgrade.
According to the 'Thornbury Residents Against Poorly Planned Development' (TRAPPD) website, a group of like-minded residents of Thornbury "fully support the building of much-needed homes in the area" but feel that plans "don't provide for the major infrastructure improvements that a large increase in the town's population demands."
They would like to see future plans consider town improvements that benefit all residents, rather than proposing individual housing developments. South Gloucestershire Council have been approached for comment.
Scroll down to explore characterful Thornbury.