Radstock

infobox UK place
country= England
latitude= 51.2927
longitude= -2.4477
official_name= Radstock
population=
civil_parish= Norton Radstock
unitary_england= Bath and North East Somerset
lieutenancy_england= Somerset
region= South West England
constituency_westminster= Wansdyke
post_town= RADSTOCK
postcode_district= BA3
postcode_area= BA
dial_code= 01761
os_grid_reference= ST688549

Radstock is a town in Bath and North East Somerset, England, convert|8|mi|km|0 south west of Bath, and the same distance north west of Frome. It is part of the conurbation and civil parish of Norton Radstock.

Churches

Radstock contains four Christian Churches ,united by the setup of 'Churches together in Radstock'. There are frequent interfaith Unity services in the Town. Radstock is also home to a Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall.Radstock Methodist church opened in 1902. It was damaged by a fire in 2004 but reopened in 2005.The Parish Church of St Nicholas dates from the 15th century and is grade II listed. [cite web | title=Church of St Nicholas | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=31982 | accessdate=2006-12-10] Radstock Baptist Church, situated on Wells Hill, was founded in 1844.

St Hugh's Catholic Church

Radstock was one of the missions established in 1913 through the enthusiasm of the Downside community (the other one was Norton St Philip). A temporary building of thin wooden beams and asbestos blocks was erected in 1913 and dedicated to St Hugh, the patron saint of Dom Hugh Mackey, the first priest to serve it and one of the members of the 'pressure group'. Its altar rails and benches came from Prior Park. Dom Mackey was succeeded in 1918 by Dom Ambrose Agius, who acquired a disused printing works, formerly a barn, and converted it into the present church, which opened in 1929. It was rebuilt after a serious fire in 1991. It has a statue of the patron on its facade.

The early days of the Radstock mission are vividly recalled in Dom Agius' typescript autobiography at Downside. His battle with the prejudice and bigotry that he encountered in the earlier days is described in detail: he was a happy warrior who relished a tussle. From his Downside schooldays he had been a notable athlete, and he deliberately set out to use his sporting interests to gain the confidence of the village. He turned out for the football team and organised several other sports, including the Fosseway Ladies hockey players. In 1955 Mass was celebrated on two weekdays (albeit with a small attendance) and on Sundays Mass attendance had grown from twenty-five in 1914 to about sixty.

From an artical by Mr J Chapman [Diocese of Clifton - 1850-2000, John Anthony Harding, Clifton Catholic Diocesan Trustees, pub. 1999]

Coal mining

In 1763 coal was discovered in Radstock and mining began in the area as part of the Somerset coalfield. [cite book |last=Clew |first=Kenneth R. |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=The Somersetshire Coal Canal and Railways |year=1970 |publisher=David and Charles |location=Newton Abbot |id=ISBN 0715347926 ]

The Waldegrave family had been Lords of the Manor of Radstock since the English Civil War. In 1896 the pits were owned by the Trustee of Frances, late Countess of Waldegrave. [cite web | title=Peak District Mines Historical Society Ltd | url=http://www.tidza.demon.co.uk/pages/1896-68.htm | accessdate=2006-11-12]

Transport

Radstock was the terminus for the southern branch of the Somerset Coal Canal, which was turned into a tramway. It then became a central point for railway development with large coal depots, warehouses, workshops and a gas works. As part of the development of the Wiltshire, Somerset and Weymouth Railway an convert|8|mi|km|0 line from Radstock to Frome was built to carry the coal. In the 1870s the broad-gauge line was converted to standard gauge and connected to the Bristol and North Somerset Line connecting it to the Great Western Railway at Bristol; the GWR also took over the Wilts Somerset and Weymouth Railway in 1876. The Bristol and North Somerset line closed to passenger traffic in 1959. The Radstock Railway Land comprises an area of approximately convert|8.8|ha|acre|1 of land which has been subject to planning and development applications.cite web | title= Radstock Railway Land Redevelopment | work=Bath and North East Somerset Council | url=http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/BathNES/environmentandplanning/planningservices/Radstock+Railway+Land+Redevelopment.htm | accessdate=2006-12-10] The line is now the route of National Cycle Route 24, otherwise known as the Colliers Way.

Radstock had a second station on the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway extension to Bath, which closed to passengers in 1966. The two stations were adjacent to each other in the centre of the town, and both had level crossings across the busy A367 road that caused long tailbacks at busy periods. The S&D line also carried substantial coal traffic and a spur from the Great Western line on to the S&D and on up to Writhlington colliery remained open for a few years after the railway's closure to passenger traffic, until the mine shut in 1973.

Industry

Since the mines closed in the early 1970s, the towns have become commuter towns with residents working in Bristol or Bath. Some manufacturing industry still exists in the area, namely printing, binding and packaging.

Places of interest

Radstock is home to the Radstock Museum, housed in its former market hall. It is also home to an important ecological site Radstock Railway Sidings and an important geological site Writhlington SSSI.

Radstock is home to Writhlington School, famous for its Orchid collection and its links with Brazil, Costa Rica and Guatemala. The school houses the biggest collection of Orchids outside Kew Gardens. The school also attained the best Media Arts results in the country in the 2006 A-level examinations. In addition to this, it was named the most enterprising school in England and received the award on the 16 November 2006. [http://www.writhlington.bathnes.sch.uk/]

References

External links

* [http://www.somerset3d.co.uk/logos%20&%20pictures/town%20&%20village%20pages/radstock.htm Photos of Radstock in 3d (Anaglyphs)]

in reading there is also a school called radstock primary school !