Worle

File:Worle, St Martin (geograph 4612581).jpg in Worle]]

The name was possibly formed from the Old English Wor + leah meaning 'wood or clearing frequented by grouse', or perhaps 'moor meadow'.{{cite web | url=http://www.worle.com/history/history.html | title=History | publisher= Worle village |accessdate=13 November 2010}} The parish was part of the Winterstoke Hundred.{{cite web|title=Somerset Hundreds|url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SOM/Miscellaneous/|publisher=GENUKI|accessdate=9 September 2011}}

Worle has grown dramatically in the last 50 years. That initial development in the 1970s and 1980s included a large number of houses, a Sainsburys supermarket, a secondary school and an ecumenical church (St Marks). However, in recent years a larger range of facilities and amenities have opened up, including large stores, shops, a medical centre, a railway station and additional churches. Weston-super-Mare's Magistrates Court has relocated to Worle. It also has a number of active groups and societies including a Lions club.

St Martin's Church was built in 1125 and rebuilt during the 14th and 15th centuries, with major restoration and extension work in 1870. The Church is now ecumenical, with Methodist as well as Church of England ministers. It is a Grade II* listed building.{{Cite web|title= Church of Saint Martin|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1137549|work=historicengland.org.uk|publisher=English Heritage|accessdate=8 September 2010}}

The ancient parish of Worle became a civil parish in 1866. The civil parish was abolished on 1 April 1933, when most of the parish was absorbed into Weston super Mare. Smaller areas of the parish joined Kewstoke and Locking.[http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10446995 Vision of Britain website] In 1931 the parish had a population of 1995.{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10446995/cube/TOT_POP|title=Population statistics Worle AP/CP through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=30 March 2024}}

The Weston & Somerset Mercury is the local newspaper.

Worle is located close to junction 21 of the M5 motorway. Bristol is approximately {{convert|20|mi|km}} away and can be accessed by the M5 or A370 road.

There have been four different stations serving Worle since the Bristol and Exeter Railway opened on 14 June 1841.{{Cite book| last = MacDermot | first = ET | title = History of the Great Western Railway, Vol. 2 1863 – 1921 | publisher = Great Western Railway | year = 1931 | location = London }} For most of this time, the station generally known as Puxton and Worle railway station has served, despite being situated in St Georges. From 1 March 1884 until 2 January 1922 a more convenient Worle station was provided on the Loop Line. Puxton and Worle closed on 6 April 1964.

There was also a Worle Town station situated much closer to the High Street but only served by the Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway from 1897 to 1940.{{Cite book| last = Oakley | first = Mike | title = Somerset Railway Stations | publisher = The Dovecote Press | year = 2002 | location = Wimbourne | isbn = 1-904349-09-9}}

The present-day Worle railway station is situated midway between the two former sites and was opened on 24 September 1990.{{Cite book| title = Railways in Avon, a short history of their development and decline 1832 – 1982 | publisher = Avon County Planning Department | year = 1983 | location = Bristol | isbn = 0-86063-184-2}} Since 2008 longer express trains have been allowed to stop at Worle's short platform with the express train opening the doors of up to 4 coaches. This has enabled passengers from Worle to travel to London and all the stops in-between. Before most people had to change at either Weston-super-Mare railway station or Bristol Temple Meads railway station.

Worle has bus connections running every ten minutes into the centre of Weston-super-Mare and bus routes to Bristol and other locations, which is adjacent to the local McDonalds and Sainsburys supermarket, the buses that serve this are: X1, X5, A3, 6, 7, 9 & 611.{{Cite web |title=Network maps | First Bus |url=https://www.firstbus.co.uk/bristol-bath-and-west/routes-and-maps/network-maps}}

Worle includes two secondary schools, Worle Community School Academy and Priory Community School Academy, and several primary schools, including Becket Primary School,{{Cite web|title=Becket Primary School|url=http://www.becketprimary.ik.org/home.ikml|publisher=Becket Primary School|accessdate=8 September 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726172602/http://www.becketprimary.ik.org/home.ikml|archivedate=26 July 2011|df=dmy-all}} Mendip Green First School,{{Cite web|title=Mendip Green First School|url=http://www.mendipgreen.co.uk/|publisher=Mendip Green First School|accessdate=8 September 2010}} Worle Village Primary, St Martin's Primary, Mead Vale Primary School, Herons' Moor Academy, Castle Batch Primary School and St Mark's Primary School.

Mendip Green Primary School is one of the largest primary schools in the area, with 407 children of 4 – 8 years of age (2008).{{cite web | url=http://public.merlin.swgfl.org.uk/establishments/8022285/Document%20Library/Prospectus/Prospectus%202010%202011.pdf | title=Prospectus | publisher=Medip Green First School | accessdate=13 November 2010 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810050118/http://public.merlin.swgfl.org.uk/establishments/8022285/Document%20Library/Prospectus/Prospectus%202010%202011.pdf | archivedate=10 August 2011 | df=dmy-all }} Mendip Green was one of the first schools in North Somerset achieving Healthy School Status, also it has Leading aspect Award, and a hearing and language resource base.

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category|Worle}}

• [http://www.worlehistorysociety.net]
• {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040419222318/http://www.mary.mason.btinternet.co.uk/westonworle.htm |date=19 April 2004 |title=Weston-super-Mare and the village of Worle }}
• [http://www.worlebells.freeuk.com/index.html Website of Worle Bellringers, St Martin's Church]

Category:Villages in North Somerset

Category:Weston-super-Mare

Category:Former civil parishes in Somerset