South Gloucestershire

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A district with a unitary authority in South West England. It is geographically and historically in Gloucestershire. It covers an area of 497 sq km/192 sq mi and has a population of around 246,000.

Geography

The district borders the City and County of Bristol, the Bath and North East Somerset unitary district and the shire counties of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. The River Severn forms the north-western edge of the area, with a wide coastal plain terminated by the Severn Escarpment. East of this is the wide River Frome Valley drainage area. Further east is another escarpment running roughly north-south, passing between Yate and Chipping Sodbury and west of Pucklechurch. The Cotswolds Escarpment forms the eastern edge of South Gloucestershire. A small part of the Cotswolds and the National Trust site of Dyrham Park are also in the district. South of the motorways are suburbs of Bristol while areas north are rural areas. Some of the inner green belt has been taken away by developments like Bradley Stoke in recent years.

Towns and Villages

Bradley Stoke, Filton, Patchway, Kingswood, Thornbury, Yate, Abson, Acton Turville, Almondsbury, Alveston, Aust, Awkley, Badminton, Bagstone, Bitton, Bradley Stoke, Bridgeyate, Cadbury Heath, Catbrain, Charfield, Chipping Sodbury, Churchend, Coalpit Heath, Codrington, Cold Ashton, Cowhill, Cromhall, Dodington, Downend, Doynton, Duckhole, Dyrham, Easter Compton, Elberton, Emersons Green, Engine Common, Falfield, Frampton Cotterell, Gaunt's Earthcott, Hawkesbury, Hawkesbury Upton, Hill, Hillesley, Hallen, Hambrook, Hanham, Harry Stoke, Hinton, Horton, Ingst, Iron Acton, Itchington, Latteridge, Little Badminton, Little Sodbury, Little Stoke, Littleton-upon-Severn, Longwell Green, Marshfield, Milbury Heath, Upper and Lower Morton, Nibley, Northwick, Oldbury Naite, Oldbury-on-Severn, Old Down, Oldland Common, Old Sodbury, Olveston, Over, Pilning, Pucklechurch, Rangeworthy, Redwick, Rockhampton, Rudgeway, Severn Beach, Shepperdine, Siston, Soundwell, Staple Hill, Stoke Gifford, Tockington, Tormarton, Tortworth, Tresham, Tytherington, Upton Cheyney, Wapley, Warmley, West Littleton, Westerleigh, Whitfield, Wick, Wickwar, Winterbourne.

History

The present district was created in 1996, when the administrative county of Avon was abolished, by the merger of the districts of Kingswood and Northavon.

Industry

Aerospace industries dominate the Filton-Patchway area. A former polytechnic, The University of the West of England is nearby. A notable business park is Aztec West, which is adjacent to the M5/A38 and M4/M5 interchanges. South Gloucestershire is a major transport hub for the West of England where the M4 and M5 motorways meet.