Thornbury is a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...

in the

South Gloucestershire South Gloucestershire is a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, South West England. Towns in the area include Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Thornbury, Filton, Patchway and Bradley Stoke, the latter three forming ...

unitary authority area of England, about 12 miles (19 km) north of

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Glouces ...

. It had a population of 12,063 at the 2011 Census. The population has risen to 14,496 in the 2021 Census. Thornbury is a

Britain in Bloom Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

award-winning town, with its own competition: Thornbury in Bloom. The earliest documentary evidence of a village at "Thornbyrig" dates from the end of the 9th century. Domesday Book noted a manor of "Turneberie" belonging to William the Conqueror's consort, Matilda of Flanders, with 104 residents.

History

There is evidence of human activity in the Thornbury area in the

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several pa ...

and

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

s, but evidence of the Roman presence is confined to the Thornbury hoard of 11,460

Roman coins Roman currency for most of Roman history consisted of gold, silver, bronze, orichalcum and copper coinage. From its introduction to the Republic, during the third century BC, well into Imperial times, Roman currency saw many changes in form, denom ...

dating from 260–348 CE, found in 2004 during the digging of a fishpond. The earliest documentary evidence of a village at "Thornbyrig" dates from the end of the 9th century.

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

noted a manor of "Turneberie" belonging to

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 10 ...

's consort,

Matilda of Flanders Matilda of Flanders (french: link=no, Mathilde; nl, Machteld) ( 1031 – 2 November 1083) was Queen of England and Duchess of Normandy by marriage to William the Conqueror, and regent of Normandy during his absences from the duchy. She was t ...

, with 104 residents. St Mary's Church, begun in the 12th century with later additions, is the oldest surviving building. The

town charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally the granting of a charter ...

was granted in 1252 by Richard de Clare, Earl of Gloucester and lord of the manor of Thornbury. (The charter's 750th anniversary in 2002 was celebrated with a "750" flowerbed planted in Grovesend Road.) The town grew around the site of its cattle market. Thornbury lost its status as a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

in 19th-century local-government reforms, but in 1974 the parish council exercised its new right to designate itself a town council. The

ancient parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority. ...

covered an area extending to the

River Severn , name_etymology = , image = SevernFromCastleCB.JPG , image_size = 288 , image_caption = The river seen from Shrewsbury Castle , map = RiverSevernMap.jpg , map_size = 288 , map_c ...

, including the detached area of

Rangeworthy Rangeworthy is a semi-rural farming village in South Gloucestershire, England, nearby communities include Falfield and Charfield. The village population taken at the 2011 census was 675. The village lies between Iron Acton and Bagstone, alon ...

until 1866, when this became a separate civil parish. In 1894 the western part of Thornbury was detached to form the civil parish of Oldbury-on-Severn and the eastern part to create that of

Falfield Falfield is a village, located near the northern border of the South Gloucestershire district of Gloucestershire, England on the southern edge of the Berkeley Vale, to the east of the River Severn and just falling into the boundary of the Co ...

. Thornbury Township, Pennsylvania, founded in 1687, was named after Thornbury, Gloucestershire, by George Pearce, whose wife Ann came from there. In 1765 Dr John Fewster of Thornbury presented a paper to the Medical Society of London entitled "Cow Pox and its Ability to Prevent Smallpox". Fewster influenced his friend and colleague

Edward Jenner Edward Jenner, (17 May 1749 – 26 January 1823) was a British physician and scientist who pioneered the concept of vaccines, and created the smallpox vaccine, the world's first vaccine. The terms ''vaccine'' and ''vaccination'' are derived f ...

, pioneer of

vaccination Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulat ...

. Thornbury was once the terminus of a

Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It ama ...

(later LMS) branch line from

Yate Yate is a town and civil parish in South Gloucestershire, England. It lies just to the southwest of the Cotswold Hills and is northeast of Bristol city centre and from the centre of Bath, with regular rail services to Bristol and Gloucester. ...

on the Bristol to

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east o ...

main line, with intermediate stations at

Iron Acton Iron Acton is a village, civil parish and former manor in South Gloucestershire, England. The village is about west of Yate and about northeast of the centre of Bristol. The B4058 road used to pass through the village but now by-passes it ju ...

and Tytherington. It lost its passenger services in June 1944 but continued as a goods route, also serving quarries at Tytherington. The site of Thornbury railway station and the line have been redeveloped into a supermarket, a housing estate, a bypass road and a long footpath. Further relics can be seen at Tytherington Quarry to the east of the town. There are plans to reopen the line to Yate via Tytherington and Iron Acton and possibly restore services to Gloucester and Bristol. Thornbury held a market in the high street and the market hall. This closed in the late 1990s and was partly replaced by a smaller one in a car park near the United Reformed Church. The older site has been redeveloped as a community centre called "Turnberrie's"; the older community centre, at the Chantry in Castle Street, remains in active use. The old market hall is now a restaurant. Thornbury's

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

combines the arms of four families important to its history: the Attwells – Howard, Clare and Stafford. John Attwells bequeathed £499.99 for the establishment of a free school that merged with the

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...

in 1879. Their arms were later adopted as the badge for the

. The other three families held the manor at Thornbury over several centuries, with the Latin

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. M ...

''Decus Sabrinae Vallis'' (Jewel of the Severn Vale).

Geography

Thornbury lies in the

Severn Valley The Severn Valley is a rural area of the West Midlands region of England, through which the River Severn runs and the Severn Valley Railway steam heritage line operates, starting at its northernmost point in Bridgnorth, Shropshire and runni ...

. It includes Morton, which is split into Upper and Lower Morton, as areas of farmland to the north-east of Thornbury. There is a large farm shop in Upper Morton, while Lower Morton has several cattle farms.

Politics

Thornbury has belonged successively to the parliamentary constituencies of Thornbury (1885–1950), Stroud and Thornbury (1950–1955), Gloucestershire South (1955–1983),

Northavon Northavon was a district in the English county of Avon from 1974 to 1996. The district was formed by the Local Government Act 1972 on 1 April 1974 as part of a reform of local authorities throughout England and Wales. Under the reorganisation, ...

(1983–2010) and Thornbury and Yate (since 2010). The current member is Luke Hall of the Conservative Party.

Thornbury Town Hall Thornbury Town Hall, is a municipal building in the High Street, Thornbury, Gloucestershire, England. The building, which is the meeting place of Thornbury Town Council, is a Grade II listed building. History The first building on the site on ...

, which is the home of Thornbury Town Council, serving as a police station and a

magistrates' court A magistrates' court is a lower court where, in several jurisdictions, all criminal proceedings start. Also some civil matters may be dealt with here, such as family proceedings. Courts * Magistrates' court (England and Wales) * Magistrate's Cou ...

before becoming a municipal building.

Amenities

Thornbury has a high street, a shopping centre (St Mary's Centre), two supermarkets and smaller shops. Its seven places of worship are St Mary's Church, Christ the King (Anglican), the Catholic Church, the

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

Church, the United Reformed Church, St Paul's Church, and the Hackett and Thornbury Baptist churches. On the outskirts at Lower Morton stands an independent

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...

church: Morton Baptist Church. The many pubs include the ''White Lion'' in the High Street, which won the Thornbury in Bloom award in 2003 and the Britain in Bloom award for Best Pub Display in 1999. Restaurants include one at

Thornbury Castle Thornbury Castle is a Tudor castle in the place of Thornbury, in Gloucestershire, England, situated next to the parish church of St Mary, founded in the Norman era. Construction was begun in 1511 as a further residence for Edward Stafford, 3rd ...

and Ronnie's of Thornbury itself. Thornbury has a radio station, which returned in July 2017 after a five-year break. Thornbury is one of a handful of UK towns to have a social group for adults with

autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

Asperger syndrome Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's, is a former neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of beha ...

. South Glos Aspies formed in 2017 and meets weekly. Thornbury market garden grows vegetables by sustainable natural methods and supplies them to the local area.

Musical and drama groups

The largest music and drama venues are the Armstrong Hall near the town centre, seating 350, and the adjacent Cossham Hall, seating 140. Performances also take place in church halls and occasionally in the leisure centre. Some local amateur groups are: *Thornbury Musical Theatre Group (TMTG), performing at the Armstrong Hall, normally with a musical in October, a pantomime in the February school half-term, and a concert-style production in June. Rehearsals are held at Tytherington Village Hall
TMTG Web Page
*North Avon Youth Theatre (NYTC) perform an annual show at the Armstrong Hall in April. *Octopus Thornbury, a drama group which produces a show in June each year, a charity show in October and a pantomime in January. rehearses and performs i
Christ the King Church Hall
*Thornbury Area Music Trust (TAMT), a charitable music trust, runs music groups for those aged 4–18. On Saturday mornings the Thornbury Area Music Centre and Junior Music Centre meet at Marlwood School. They perform regularly at other local venues. *The South Cotswold Youth Orchestra (SCYO) is for musicians of Grade 5 standard and above. It performs at least one concert per term in the area.

Employment

One of the biggest firms on the industrial estate in the south of the town is

Essilor Essilor International is a French-based international ophthalmic optics company that designs, manufactures and markets lenses to correct or protect eyesight. Its headquarters is in Charenton-le-Pont (near Paris), France. It is the world's larg ...

, which produces spectacle lenses.

Major roads and streets

*The B4061 loops off the A38 at

Alveston Alveston is a village, civil parish and former royal manor in South Gloucestershire, England, inhabited in 2014 by about 3,000 people. The village lies south of Thornbury and north of Bristol. Alveston is twinned with Courville sur E ...

, passes through the centre of the town and rejoins the A38 at Whitfield, so forming the main routes into the town from the north and south. *Gillingstool and Grovesend Road form an easterly link from the centre to the A38. *The High Street is on the edge of the town to the west. *The Plain is at the north end of the High Street, notable for the pump in the middle of the road. *Castle Street heads north from the Plain to

and St Mary's Church; it passes several older buildings including The Chantry, which is now used by the community association (TDCA). *Midland Way and Morton Way are modern additions forming a roughly semi-circular eastern boundary to the town. They allow HGVs headed for the industrial estate to avoid the centre.

Tourist sights

A tourist information centre operates on weekdays from the Town Hall in the High Street.

Thornbury castle

One of town's notable features is its

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

, a Tudor structure begun in 1511 as a home for

Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham (3 February 1478 – 17 May 1521) was an English nobleman. He was the son of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, and Katherine Woodville, and nephew of Elizabeth Woodville and King Edward IV. Thu ...

. The two intricate redbrick chimneys, built in 1514, resemble those found at

Hampton Court Palace Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chie ...

. Cardinal

Wolsey Thomas Wolsey ( – 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and Catholic bishop. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the controlling figure ...

had the Duke

beheaded Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the au ...

for treason in 1521, after which the castle was confiscated by King

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

, who himself stayed there for ten days in 1535 with

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and of her execution by beheading for treason and other charges made her a key f ...

. Thornbury Castle fell into disrepair after the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I (" Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of r ...

, but was renovated in 1824 by the Howard Family. It now serves as a 27-room hotel and restaurant.

Parish church

Construction of the Anglican Church of

Saint Mary the Virgin Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

started in 1340, with major additions in 1500, 1848 and 1988. It remains in use for regular worship,

baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...

confirmation In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an affirmation of belief. It involves laying on ...

s, marriages, funerals and remembrance services. It also hosts the local primary school (St Mary's CEVA Primary) for their seasonal celebrations, such as Harvest, Christmas and Easter. The church is the resting place, according to his will, of the entrails of Jasper Tudor, uncle and mentor to the young Henry Tudor, later

Henry VII of England Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Henry's mother, Margaret Beauf ...

. The rest of his remains were buried in Keynsham Abbey,

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lor ...

, which did not survive the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Jasper's great-nephew

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

. The church is a Grade I

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

Town pump

The town pump on a small island at the bottom of the High Street shows a hand pointing "To Gloucester". The original pump was removed in 1924 as a road hazard by the council. The new one built in 1984 was temporarily painted gold to celebrate the

Golden Jubilee A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations. Bangladesh In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali ''"সু� ...

in 2002. It is usually adorned with flowers and birthday greetings.

Walks and scenery

A footpath called Streamside Walk starts at Gillingstool Primary School, passes over several roads and bridges, continues past Thornbury Hospital and Manorbrook Primary School, and on to the north of Thornbury, where the stream leaves the town. Another stream runs through the north-east of Thornbury and emerges at an old mill. Although the station building has been demolished, the old railway line serves as a footpath. It was laid out in the 1990s to support new housing and industrial developments, previously having been grassed over and neglected. Starting from the industrial estates it follows the route of the streets of Streamleaze and Avon Way, ending near a

roundabout A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford Eng ...

at the top of Avon Way. Created by Thornbury and District Heritage Trust as a Millennium project, the "heritage trail" encompasses the town's historic buildings. There are 40 way-markers indicating the route, which starts outside the town hall.

Sports and leisure

Mundy Playing Fields, donated by Mrs Violet Mundy in 1937, include a children's play area and sports ground. Nearby are Thornbury Golf Club, Thornbury Leisure Centre, Thornbury Lawn Tennis Club and a skate park. South Thornbury has a children's play area. There are green spaces around the town. Thornbury community garden was set up near Gillingstool School, but it has closed due to housing development. A replacement community garden is envisaged next to the new Community Centre. Thornbury RFC plays in the South West 1 League. Though a Thornbury club, its ground lies in

Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. The population of Rockhampton in June 2021 was 79,967, Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. making it the fourth-largest city in the state outside of t ...

on the outskirts. Thornbury Town FC is Thornbury's main football club. The exact formation date is uncertain, but football was being played in the town in 1896 and there was a Thornbury Town Club in 1898. The youth section, providing for children from six years old and up, was formed in 1990 as a separate club (Thornbury Falcons). In 2010 the two clubs merged as a new Thornbury Town FC. The First Team plays in the Gloucestershire County League, which is tier 11 in the English

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

league. Home games are played at the Mundy Playing Fields, with their youth teams playing in various locations around Thornbury. In 2016, an area of land adjacent to the Mundy Playing Fields, known as Poulterbrook, was converted into two purpose-built youth football pitches, as well as allotments for the local community. Real Thornbury FC plays in the Bristol Premier Combination Premier One, i.e. tier 13 in the English

league. It was set up in 2007 and became an FA-affiliated team in 2009 in the Bristol and District League. the club plays at Oaklands Park in Almondsbury, which has hosted several clubs, including Winterbourne United and Almondsbury Town, both of which have since dissolved.

Other attractions

These include Filnore Woods, Armstrong and Cossham Halls and Thornbury Museum. A heritage trail offers information signs about places of interest, starting from the town hall (once the

police station A police station (sometimes called a "station house" or just "house") is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, a ...

and

) and now home to the Town Council. The MacLaine Memorial Fountain recalls Lieutenant Hector MacLaine, a local man who helped to protect the British in India from the

Russians , native_name_lang = ru , image = , caption = , population = , popplace = 118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 '' Winkler Prins'' estimate) , region1 = , pop1 ...

and

Afghans Afghans ( ps, افغانان, translit=afghanan; Persian/ prs, افغان ها, translit=afghānhā; Persian: افغانستانی, romanized: ''Afghanistani'') or Afghan people are nationals or citizens of Afghanistan, or people with ancestry ...

in 1880.

Twinned

Thornbury is twinned with

Bockenem Bockenem (; Eastphalian: ''Bokeln'') is a town in the district of Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, Germany that was founded in 1154. It is located on the German Timber-Frame Road. Surrounding villages *Jerze *Königsdahlum *Bornum *Mahlum *Schlewec ...

in Germany.

Education

The Castle School is Thornbury's secondary school. The former Thornbury Grammar School buildings in Gloucester Road are now its sixth-form centre. Thornbury Grammar School moved to new buildings in neighbouring

in 1972, when it received its first

comprehensive school A comprehensive school typically describes a secondary school for pupils aged approximately 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is re ...

intake and was renamed

Marlwood School Marlwood School (founded 1606) is a state-funded secondary school currently part of the CSET academy chain. Located at Alveston, South Gloucestershire, it is situated on the B3561 on the outskirts of the south-west of the village. Marlwood Schoo ...

. Gillingstool Primary School dates from 1862 and is known for its school bell. The school was rebuilt in a project that began in spring 2009. Its Victorian buildings are being retained, as is its mission as a special school. St Mary's

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...

Primary School, founded in 1839, recently marked its 175th anniversary with events that included a Victorian Week, where children dressed up in period dress, and planted celebratory daffodils. Other schools include Crossways Infant and

Junior school A Junior school is a type of school which provides primary education to children, often in the age range from 8 and 13, following attendance at Infant school which covers the age range 5–7. (As both Infant and Junior schools are giving Primary ...

s, Christ the King

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

Primary School, Manorbrook Primary School, New Siblands Special School and the Sheiling School (an independent special school, part of the Camphill Movement). John Attwells's Free School existed in the 19th century. A plaque about it can be seen on a shop in St Mary's Shopping Centre.

Transport

The T1 Bristol–Thornbury bus route offers regular services to Bristol.

In popular culture

The shop front of Wildings (formerly Worthington's) clothing shop was used in the ''

Two Ronnies ''The Two Ronnies'' is a British television comedy sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. It was created by Bill Cotton and aired on BBC1 from April 1971 to December 1987. The usual format included sketches, solo sections, seria ...

'' serial sketch, "The Worm That Turned". The nearby

nuclear power station A nuclear power plant (NPP) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor. As is typical of thermal power stations, heat is used to generate steam that drives a steam turbine connected to a generator that produces ele ...

at Oldbury-on-Severn, Tytherington quarry and Stokefield Close were all used as locations for the 1976 four-part ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...

'' serial ''

The Hand of Fear ''The Hand of Fear'' is the second serial of the 14th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 2 to 23 October 1976. The serial was the last regular appe ...

''. The Castle School, Thornbury was used for an episode of '' Casualty'' broadcast on 2 May 2009.

Notable people

In order of birth: *

Beverley Robinson Beverley Robinson (11 January 1721 – 9 April 1792), was a Virginia-born soldier who became a wealthy colonist of the Province of New York and is best known as a Loyalist during the American Revolutionary War. Robinson married Susanna Philipse ...

(1723–1792), American loyalist, died in Thornbury. * William Holwell (1726–1798), classicist and lexicographer, was presented to the vicarage by

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniq ...

in January 1762. * John Rolph (1793–1870), Canadian politician, was born in Thornbury. *

George Rolph George Rolph (April 7, 1794 – July 25, 1875) was a lawyer and political figure in Upper Canada. He worked in the Hamilton and Ancaster area as a Clerk of the Peace and clerk of the district court. He represented Halton County in the Parl ...

(1794–1875), Canadian politician, was born in Thornbury. *

Handel Cossham Handel Cossham (31 March 1824 – 23 April 1890) was a British colliery owner, lay preacher and Liberal politician who was active in local government and sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1890. Early life Cossham was born in High Street ...

(1824–1890), politician, was born in Thornbury. *

E. M. Grace Edward Mills Grace (28 November 1841 – 20 May 1911) was an English first-class cricketer in the second half of the 19th century who was an all-rounder, batting right-handed and bowling slow right arm underarm. He played for Gloucestershire Co ...

(1841–1911), international and county cricketer, later played for Thornbury Cricket Club; father of the below. * Norman Grace (1894–1975), first-class cricketer and Royal Navy officer; son of the above. * W. N. Hodgson (1893–1916), war poet, was born in Thornbury. * Florence Margaret Spencer Palmer (1900–1987), composer *

R. W. G. Dennis Richard William George Dennis, PhD (13 July 1910 – 7 June 2003), was an English mycologist and plant pathologist. Background and education Dennis was born in Thornbury, Gloucestershire, the son of a schoolmaster. He was educated at Thornb ...

(1910–2003), mycologist and plant pathologist, was born in Thornbury and attended the grammar school. *

Tony Britton Anthony Edward Lowry Britton (9 June 1924 – 22 December 2019) was an English actor. He appeared in a variety of films (including ''The Day of the Jackal'') and television sitcoms (including '' Don't Wait Up'' and '' Robin's Nest'' He is the ...

(1924–2019), actor, attended the grammar school. * Sarah Singleton (born 1966), novelist and children's writer, was born in Thornbury. * John Robins (born 1982), comedian, grew up in Thornbury. * Emily Webley-Smith (born 1984), tennis player, was born in Thornbury. * Matthew Kane (actor) (born 1991), actor, lived and grew up in Thornbury. *

Mako Vunipola Mako Vunipola (born 14 January 1991) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a loosehead prop for English club Saracens and the England national team. Born in New Zealand to Tongan parents, he qualified for England through residency ...

(born 1991), rugby player, lived in Thornbury and attended The Castle School. * Billy Vunipola (born 1992), rugby player, lived here and attended The Castle School.

Gallery

File:Thornbury.castle.from.church.arp.750pix.jpg, The castle from the top of St Mary's Church tower File:Thornbury.twochimneys.arp.750pix.jpg, The castle roof. The two brick chimneys were built in 1514 File:Thornbury.chimney.detail.arp.750pix.jpg, Brick sculpturing on the two chimneys File:Thornbury.church.interior.arp.750pix.jpg, The interior of St Mary's Church (the parish church) File:Thornbury.tower.detail.arp.750pix.jpg, Intricate stonework at the top of St Mary's Church tower File:Thornbury.southglos.offices.arp.750pix.jpg, South Gloucestershire Council offices File:Thornbury.high.street.pumparea.arp.750pix.jpg, Castle Street and the pump File:Thornbury.stmarys.shops.arp.750pix.jpg, St Mary's Shopping Centre (Needs updating)

References

External links

Thornbury Town Council
*
Thornbury Parish Church
*https://ukga.org/england/Gloucestershire/towns/Thornbury.html {{authority control Market towns in Gloucestershire Towns in Gloucestershire South Gloucestershire District Civil parishes in Gloucestershire