Coalpit Heath

Coalpit Heath is a small village in the civil parish of Westerleigh and Coalpit Heath, in South Gloucestershire, England, south of Yate. Frampton Cotterell lies along the northwest border.

Bitterwell Lake at Henfield

Coalpit Heath Cricket Club at Ram Hill

Coalpit Heath
The South Wales Main Line viaduct at Coalpit Heath
St Saviours Church, Coalpit Heath
Coalpit Heath Location within Gloucestershire
Population	1,886 (2011 census)[1]
OS grid reference	ST675806
Civil parish	Westerleigh and Coalpit Heath
Unitary authority	South Gloucestershire
Ceremonial county	Gloucestershire
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Bristol
Postcode district	BS36
Dialling code	01454
Police	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Avon
Ambulance	South Western
UK Parliament	Thornbury and Yate
List of places UK England Gloucestershire 51.526°N 2.47°W / 51.526; -2.47

The village contains three pubs, a post office, and a primary school.^[2] St Saviour's parish church was designed by William Butterfield in 1844 and was his first Anglican Church.^[3] Other amenities include Bitterwell Lake at Henfield, Coalpit Heath Cricket Club at Ram Hill, and a 27-hole golf course (The Kendleshire).^[4]

History

The village was founded as a coal mining settlement. One pit was on Frog Lane at ST 685 815 (to the north east of the village). Other mines operated between Mayshill and Nibley to the north and at Ram Hill and Henfield to the south.^[5] These were served by a railway line, closed some decades ago^[when?] and no longer visible on the ground.^{[citation needed]} In 1949 the coal ran out.^{[citation needed]} When the Kendleshire golf course was built, the remains of many bell pits were found.^{[citation needed]}

In literature

A number of sources, including Frank Barrett's book Where Was Wonderland? A Traveller's Guide to the Settings of Classic Children's Books, cite Coalpit Heath as the setting for the Dick King Smith children's book The Sheep-Pig, later adapted for film as Babe.^[6]

The South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group have written two books on Coalpit Heath and the surrounding area, including Frog Lane^[7] and Kingswood Coal.^[8]