Stoke Gifford

Stoke Gifford is a village and parish in South Gloucestershire, England. It had around 11,000 residents at the 2001 census, increasing to 15,494 at the 2011 census and then to 19,794 in the 2021 Census.

Stoke Gifford
St Michael's Church
Stoke Gifford is located in Gloucestershire
Stoke Gifford
Stoke Gifford
Location within Gloucestershire
Population19,794 (2021 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceST621799
Civil parish
  • Stoke Gifford
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBRISTOL
Postcode districtBS34
Dialling code01454, 0117
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireAvon
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
Stoke Park, Stoke Gifford, Glos., hypothetical view from the south-east, as painted by Johannes Kip in 1707. It then belonged to John Berkeley esquire, as stated by the caption above which displays the arms of Berkeley of Stoke Gifford. Published in Britannia Illustrata 1724 edition
Stoke Park in 2011, viewed from south, as visible from the northbound carriageway of the M32 motorway which now cuts across the former parkland. Now known as "The Dower House" and split into private apartments. An engraving of Stoke Park was published in Copperplate Magazine in 1796[2]

It is served by Bristol Parkway railway station and is home to Stoke Gifford depot, on the London-South Wales railway line. As well as the Bristol offices of Aviva which took over Friends Life in 2015, Hewlett-Packard and the University of the West of England.[3] The parish includes neighbouring Little Stoke, Harry Stoke and Stoke Park. The parish borders Filton, to the south-west, Patchway to the north west, Bradley Stoke to the north and Winterbourne and Hambrook to the east.[3] To the south Stoke Gifford is served by the Bristol Ring Road, south of this a large green area known as the 'Green Lung' stretches to the inner city area of St Werburghs.

Descent of the manor

Giffard

Following the Norman Invasion of 1066, William the Conqueror gave the manor of Stoke Gifford to Osbern Giffard, one of his knights.[4] Giffard himself was a native of Longueville-le-Giffard, Normandy, now known as Longueville-sur-Scie, from which the 'Gifford' suffix derives. The 'Stoke' part of the name may come from the Stoke Brook, or may also be a reference to the Saxon word 'Stoche' meaning 'property of or dependent farmstead'. Bradley Stoke and Stoke Lodge, both 20th-century estates, were also given the name. Extensive histories of Stoke Gifford can be found online.[5] [6]

Berkeley
Arms of Berkeley of Stoke Gifford: Gules, a chevron ermine between ten crosses pattee argent. These arms may be seen in The Gaunts Chapel, Bristol and are the arms of the Barons Berkeley with the difference of a chevron ermine in place of a chevron argent

The manor remained in the Giffard family until 1337, when it was granted to Maurice de Berkeley (died 1347), 2nd son of Maurice de Berkeley, 2nd Baron Berkeley (1271–1326). Thus was founded the long and distinguished cadet branch of "Berkeley of Stoke Gifford". In 1553 a new late-Tudor manor house was built by Sir Richard Berkeley (died 1604), 7th in descent from Maurice de Berkeley (died 1347). It became known as Stoke Park, and was rebuilt in 1750 by Norborne Berkeley, 4th Baron Botetourt (died 1770), from a neo-classical design by Thomas Wright.

Governance

The area falls in the Stoke Gifford electoral ward. This ward starts in the east at Winterbourne. The total population of the ward taken at the 2011 census was 15,494.

Local amenities

The Church of England parish church of St Michael's is a Grade II* listed building.[7]

The church runs a pre-school nursery in the old vicarage, and a small coffee shop in the Old School Rooms across The Green from the church, which backs onto Parkway railway station. Also in the local area are two parks, each with children's play equipment; a pair of tennis courts and a pub, the Beaufort Arms. There is a row of shops on Ratcliffe Drive including a Tesco Express, dentist and medical centre and few more shops on one of the roads off North Road. There are several large supermarkets within walking distance and most of the local children walk or cycle to nearby St Michael's C of E Primary School & Abbeywood Community School.

Stoke Gifford Parish Council provoked national interest and condemnation in April 2016 when they resolved to charge parkrun runners a fee to use a park,[8] resulting in the closure of the event in June 2016.[9]

Stoke Gifford Cricket Club has won the Bristol & District 30 over cricket league a record three times in 2018, 2021 and 2022.[10]

Expansion in the 20th century

Like much of the nearby area, Stoke Gifford undertook rapid expansion in the 20th century. Before the 1980s Stoke Gifford was just a small village, straggling along the main street, North Road.

The Old School Rooms hosts the Explorer Scouts, Scouts, Cub Scouts, Beaver Scouts and Brownies.

St Michael's School was praised in the December 2008 report as "...a good school...the care, guidance and support for pupils is outstanding."[11]

In 2008, a new pre-school and Nursery opened adjacent to Bristol Parkway because of population increases in the surrounding areas.

Bristol Technology and Engineering Academy, a university technical college, opened in Stoke Gifford in September 2013.[12] It merged with Abbeywood Community School in September 2022.

References
  1. "Stoke Gifford". City population. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  2. by John WALKER, engraver and printseller, 16, Rosomon Street, Clerkenwell 1795–1802. Exhibited Royal Academy 1796–1800. Landscape engraver and draughtsman. He finished many of his father's plates. Published as"The Copper Plate Magazine, or Monthly Cabinet of Picturesque Prints" many drawn earlier but published 1792..1803 Engraved surface 13 x 17 cm . . .2nd state by Published 1 July 1795 by J. Walker, Rosomans Street, London
  3. "Home". Stokegifford.org.uk. Archived from the original on 28 February 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
  4. "Stoke Gifford Parish Council - A Brief History". Archived from the original on 25 December 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  5. Adrian Kerton. "Abtract Art by Adrian Kerton, paintings by Isabelle Pommier". Akk.me.uk. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
  6. Adrian Kerton (25 March 2009). "Southern Brooks Archaeology". Sbarch.org.uk. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
  7. "Church of St Michael, Stoke Gifford, South Gloucestershire". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  8. "Paula Radcliffe joins backlash as council becomes first in world to charge runners who use public park". The Telegraph. 13 April 2016. Archived from the original on 30 July 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  9. "Closure of Little Stoke parkrun | Little Stoke parkrun". www.parkrun.org.uk. Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  10. "Stoke Gifford win 30 over cricket league". www.playcricket.com. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  11. "St Michael's Church of England Primary School, Stoke Gifford Inspection 2008". Ofsted. Archived from the original on 29 August 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  12. "Bristol Technology and Engineering Academy Inspection 2015". Ofsted. Archived from the original on 29 August 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
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