'Belluton' is a village in
Somerset,
England. It is in the district of
Bath and North East Somerset and is located due south of the city of
Bristol and due west of the city of
Bath. The eastern end of the village is defined by the
A37 road.
In some documents it is alternatively called "Belton", which signifies, according to some antiquaries, "Baal town," or "the Town of the Sun".
[1] According to Robinson it was called ''Belgetona'' in the 1086
Domesday Book, and the name comes from the
Old English ''belgae'' and ''tun''. The
Belgv being a violent race who settled in what is now
Wiltshire.
[2]
It is close to the route of the ancient
Wansdyke.
Government and politics
Belluton, along with
Publow and Pensford, has a
Parish council that has some responsibility for local issues, and is part of the Publow and Whitchurch Ward which is represented by one councillor on the
Bath and North East Somerset Unitary Authority which has wider responsibilities for services such as education, refuse, tourism etc.
The village is a part of the
Wansdyke constituency, which will become
North East Somerset at the next general election and part of the
South West England constituency of the European Parliament.
Demographics
According to the 2001 Census the Publow and Whitchurch Ward (which includes
Pensford and
Publow), had 1,087 residents, living in 429 households, with an average age of 40.8 years. Of these 73% of residents describing their health as 'good', 24% of 16-74 year olds had no qualifications; and the area had an unemployment rate of 2.3% of all economically active people aged 16-74. In the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004, it was ranked at 26,408 out of 32,482 wards in England, where 1 was the most deprived LSOA and 32,482 the least deprived.
[3]
Buildings
John Lockes Cottage
John Locke lived in Belluton during his childhood. His father was a small landowner and attorney at the local village of
Pensford. John Locke's Cottage is now a Grade II
listed building.
[4]
Other Grade II listed buildings:
Other grade II listed buildings include Belluton House, from the early 19th century
[5] and The Grange from the 18th century.
[6]
References
1. From The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) Transcribed by Colin Hinson © 2003
2. Somerset Place Names, , Stephen, Robinson, The Dovecote Press Ltd, 1992,
3. Neighbourhood Statistics LSOA Bath and North East Somerset 020D Publow and Whitchurch
4. John Lockes Cottage
5. Belluton House
6. The Grange
Bibliography
★
Chew Magna and the Chew Valley in old photographs, Durham, I. & M., , , Redcliffe Press, 1991, ISBN 1-872971-61-X
★
The Natural History of the Chew Valley, Janes, Rowland (ed), , , , 1987, ISBN 0-9545125-2-9