saltford

The village lies on the A4 road and on the River Avon, to which the Saltford and Kelston locks provide access. The low-lying area is prone to flooding.

File:SaltfordAvon2.jpg]]

There are four public houses in the village: The Bird in Hand,[http://www.birdinhandsaltford.co.uk/ The Bird In Hand, Saltford] The Jolly Sailor, The Crown and The Riverside.[http://www.theriverside-saltford.com/ The Riverside, Saltford] Saltford possesses a number of listed buildings.

In 1948 the residents started a community fund that was used to build a village hall. Saltford Hall was completed in 1961, after residents had given their time free to digging the foundations and building the main hall itself. Since its completion, it has been run by a voluntary charity, the Saltford Community Association.[http://www.saltfordhall.co.uk/ Saltford Community Association] Its fund-raising committee not only raises the money to maintain and improve the Hall, it also supports local charities. The hall provides for local community events and services such as blood donation evenings, citizens advice, community support and entertainment. It has recently introduced a week-long village festival.

The parish of Saltford was part of the Keynsham Hundred.{{Cite web |title=Somerset Hundreds |url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SOM/Miscellaneous/ |publisher=GENUKI |accessdate=15 October 2011}}

Saltford Parish Council, like all parish councils of England, has responsibility for local issues. The parish falls within the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset, which was created in 1996 under the Local Government Act 1992. Fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the Avon Fire and Rescue Service, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the Great Western Ambulance Service.

Saltford elects two councillors to the unitary authority, Bath and North East Somerset Council.

Bath and North East Somerset's area covers some of the ceremonial county of Somerset, but is administered separately from the non-metropolitan county, whose headquarters are in Bath. Between 1 April 1974 and 1 April 1996, it was the Wansdyke district and the City of Bath of the county of Avon.{{Cite web |url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1995/Uksi_19950493_en_1.htm |title=The Avon (Structural Change) Order 1995 |access-date=9 December 2007 |work=HMSO |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080130105206/http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1995/Uksi_19950493_en_1.htm |archive-date=30 January 2008 }} Before 1974 the parish was part of Keynsham Urban District.{{Cite web |title=Keynsham UD |url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10153116 |work=A vision of Britain Through Time |publisher=University of Portsmouth |accessdate=4 January 2014}}

The parish is represented in the House of Commons as part of North East Somerset and Hanham.{{Cite web |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/cgi-bin/calcwork.pl?seat=Somerset%20North%20East |title=Somerset North East: New Boundaries Calculation |access-date=19 September 2007 |work=Electoral Calculus: General Election Prediction |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214160228/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/cgi-bin/calcwork.pl?seat=Somerset%20North%20East |archive-date=14 February 2009}} It elects one member of parliament (MP) by the first past the post system; the sitting MP is Dan Norris (Labour).{{Cite web | title=Dan Norris – West of England Metro Mayor | url=https://votedan.uk/ | access-date=2025-01-24 | website=votedan.uk}}

St Mary's Church, Saltford, a Norman church dating back to the 12th century, is a Grade II listed building.{{NHLE |num=1384670 |desc=Church of St Mary |accessdate=20 November 2006}} The tower dates from Saxon times, although it has been extensively repaired and the top 10 feet were added later. The church used to include an external porch, but this was demolished in the 19th century and the stone used to build the vestry; the line of the porch can still be viewed on the ground, by the layout of the drainage. In the 19th century, there were internal changes to the church. For instance, an organ gallery was built in the early part of the century.{{cite web |title=Official St Mary's, Saltford Website |url=http://www.stmaryssaltford.org.uk/ |accessdate=3 February 2010}}

Saltford Manor House, which lies west of the church, dates from around 1160, and was found through a survey by Country Life magazine to be the oldest continuously occupied house in England.{{Cite news |title=Oldest occupied house named |publisher=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/3186765.stm |date=28 August 2003 |accessdate=23 May 2010}}{{NHLE |num=1384672 |desc=Saltford Manor House |accessdate=20 November 2006}} Architectural historian John Goodall believes the house has details, particularly in the ornate windows, which date it securely to before 1150, and probably to around 1148, the completion date of Hereford Cathedral, with which it has some similarities.{{Cite news |title=Britain's longest-inhabited dwelling |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/aug/28/arts.artsnews1 |accessdate=3 February 2010 |work=The Guardian |location=London |first=Maev |last=Kennedy |date=28 August 2003}} The façade of the house dates from the 17th century.Nikolaus Pevsner: North Somerset and Bristol, p. 254.

The 18th-century Old Brass Mill, like the Manor House, is listed as Grade II*{{NHLE |num=1384676 |desc=Old Brass Mill |accessdate=20 November 2006}} and is also a Scheduled Ancient Monument.{{Cite web |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1384676&resourceID=5 |title=Brass Mill |work=Listed Buildings Online |publisher=English Heritage |accessdate=2 January 2011}} The Brass Mill was one of a series along the Avon Valley powered by water wheels.{{Cite web |title=History |publisher=About the Saltford Brass Mill |url=http://www.tcsafety.co.uk/2010_01_16_saltford_brassmill_002.htm |access-date=8 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203185239/http://www.tcsafety.co.uk/2010_01_16_saltford_brassmill_002.htm |archive-date=3 February 2011 }}

Saltford House was built in 1771.{{NHLE |desc=Saltford House and attached garden walls to north and west |num=1384656 |accessdate=2 October 2016}} In 1856 it was bought by Admiral Benedictus Marwood Kelly who died there on 26 September 1867.{{Cite journal |author= |title=Admiral Benedictus Marwood Kelly |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/23328/page/1 |journal=The London Gazette |date=29 November 1867 |at=p. 6603 |accessdate=26 December 2014}}{{Cite news |title=Blue plaque honours Admiral Benedictus Kelly |publisher=BBC News |date=2 October 2016 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-37529038 |accessdate=2 October 2016}}{{Cite web |title=Admiral Benedictus Marwood Kelly (1785–1867) |url=http://www.saltfordenvironmentgroup.org.uk/history/history010.html |publisher=Saltford Environment Group |accessdate=2 October 2016}}

The village is the location of the Avon County Rowing Club, which is available to all local age groups. The riverside complex also houses boathouses used by Bristol University and Monkton Combe School for training.{{cite web |title=New Boathouse at Saltford |url=https://duchyofcornwall.org/news/saltford-boathouses/ |website=Duchy of Cornwall}} ACRC has competed at local and national level, having success with its veteran 4 at racing events like the Henley Royal Regatta and other events like the British Rowing Championships.{{Cite web |title=Avon County Rowing Club |url=http://www.avoncountyrowingclub.org.uk/page1g.html |publisher=Avon County Rowing Club |accessdate=5 June 2011}}

Saltford Football Club is affiliated to the Somerset Football Association and a Charter Standard club.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

Saltford C of E Primary School was rated outstanding overall in the 2023 Ofsted report and outstanding for behaviour and safety of pupils.{{Cite web |website=Ofsted |title=Saltford C of E Primary School |url=http://www.saltford.bathnes.sch.uk/aboutus/ofsted/OfSTED%202013%20report.pdf |access-date=2 October 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003055355/http://www.saltford.bathnes.sch.uk/aboutus/ofsted/OfSTED%202013%20report.pdf |archive-date=2016-10-03}}

A school has existed in the village for several centuries. Originally housed in what is now St Mary's Church Hall, it is now off Claverton Road. It has its own swimming pool, large fields, a pond and a playground. The school has invested much in IT facilities and its library. It has a purpose-built before-and-after school nursery on site, run by a national business.

Saltford is about 12 miles (18 km) from junction 1 of the M32 via the Avon Ring Road A4174, which provides a fast route to the M4 and M5.

Bus services connect Saltford with Bath, Keynsham and Bristol. The Saltford Environment Group is campaigning to reopen Saltford railway station on the Bath–Bristol line, which was closed in 1970.{{Cite web |url=http://www.saltfordenvironmentgroup.org.uk/station.html |title=Saltford Station Campaign News |accessdate=8 January 2012}}

In birth order:

• Benedictus Marwood Kelly (1785–1867), a Royal Navy admiral, served in the French wars and later as a railway company director.
• Horace Batchelor (1898–1977), gambling advertiser.
• Donald Wilkins (1903–1972), a first-class cricketer for Somerset, died in Saltford.
• Racey Helps (1913–1970), children's writer and illustrator, was best known for the character Barnaby Littlemouse.

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{{Commons category|Saltford}}

• [http://www.saltford.org/ Saltford village website]

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Category:Civil parishes in Somerset

Category:Villages in Bath and North East Somerset