Filton

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Map sources for Filton at grid reference ST6078

Filton is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, on the northern outskirts of the city of Bristol, about 4.5 miles from the city centre. Filton lies in Bristol postcode areas BS7 and BS34. The town centres upon Filton Church, which dates back to the 12th century and is a grade II listed building.^[1] Further north are the towns of Patchway and Bradley Stoke.

Districts within the town include Filton Park and Northville, adjacent to the city boundary. East Filton, which has grown up east of the Bristol-South Wales railway line, contains the huge offices of the Ministry of Defence Defence Procurement Agency, plus a shopping park.

From the motorway system, Filton can be reached by leaving the M32 motorway at junction 1, or at junction 16 of the M5 motorway. The town has a small railway station, Filton Abbey Wood, not far from Parkway.

Filton is twinned with St Vallier-sur-Rhône, France and Witzenhausen, Germany. The local football (soccer) team is named "St Vallier FC" after its French twin.

Filton is notable as a centre of the aerospace industry, with BAE Systems, Airbus, Rolls-Royce and MBDA having factories located around Filton Aerodrome, a connection that dates back to the early days of the Bristol Aeroplane Company. On 26 November 2003, Concorde 216 (G-BOAF) made the final ever Concorde flight, returning to Filton to be kept there permanently as the centrepiece of a projected air museum. This museum will include the existing Bristol Aero Collection which is kept in a hangar at Kemble Airfield, forty miles from Filton. This collection includes a Bristol Britannia aircraft.

Other companies and organizations such as the MOD, Viridor, Hewlett Packard and Royal Mail have a presence in Filton.

Filton has a range of educational facilities, including Filton College, Filton High School and several primary schools. The University of the West of England is at nearby Frenchay.

Filton has two main shopping areas - the Shield Centre and Abbey Wood Retail Park, as well as other shops. To the east of the town there is a small area of woodland known as Splatt's Abbey Wood. Filton Golf Club has an 18 hole course.

The name of the town comes from the Old English felethe, meaning hay, and tūn, meaning farm. The name dates back to at least 1187.

BAE Systems aircraft hangars at their Filton factory. The Bristol Brabazon, Bristol Britannia and Concorde were constructed here.

Part of the Ministry of Defence Defence Procurement Agency) building at Abbey Wood, Filton. The site employs over 4000 people, managing procurement contracts for the Navy, the Army and the Air Force

Filton College

The parish church of Saint Peter, Filton

[edit] History

At the dawn of the 20th century, Filton was a small village, still detached from the city of Bristol to the south. Farming was the principal occupation. However, there was a large factory-like laundry in the village, opposite Filton House, owned by Samuel Shield.

The Bristol to South Wales railway line passed through the village. There was a small station near the site of the current Abbey Wood Station. A much larger railway station, known as Filton Junction, opened in 1910, after the rail route from Bristol to London was finished.

In 1907 the northern terminus for Bristol Tramways was moved out from Horfield to Filton. Tram production in the tramway sheds commenced in 1908.

Between the wars Filton expanded rapidly, to become a suburb of Bristol. Terraced and semi-detached housing in small estates on both sides of the A38 trunk road was built. Eventually, Filton became part of the Bristol conurbation, although it remained outside the city boundary.

The A38 trunk road was widened from Filton Church down to (and along) Gypsy Patch Lane.

During the 1930s, two infant/primary schools and one secondary school were built in Filton to accommodate the growing number of school-age children in the area. Many of these children were evacuated when WWII started in 1939, but returned later, during the Phoney War.

Filton High School, originally a grammar school, but now a comprehensive, started to take pupils in 1960.

During the mid 1970s the A38 trunk road was upgraded to a dual carriageway. Station Road, a country lane in the early part of the 20th century, was also widened to become a dual carriageway and form part of the Avon Ring Road.

Sandwiched between roads, factories, railway lines and the aerodrome, Filton expanded little after WWII. However, from the late 1970s a trading estate slowly developed in what is now known as East Filton. Later, the Ministry of Defence set up a large office complex, known as Abbey Wood.

[edit] Aviation

The manufacture of aeroplanes started in the Bristol Tramway sheds in 1910, when Sir George White, the owner of Bristol Tramways, established the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company. A small 'flying ground' was set up opposite Fairlawn Avenue in 1911.

The Company grew rapidly during WWI, building thousands of Bristol Fighters and other aircraft. In 1915, as the aircraft works expanded over the original 'flying ground', the Royal Flying Corps established Filton Aerodrome in fields at the bottom of Filton Hill.

Aeroengine production started north of Filton Aerodrome, with the acquisition of Cosmos Engineering in 1920. In the same year, the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company became the Bristol Aeroplane Company.

The re-armament programme from 1935 to the outbreak of WWII, saw further expansion of the Bristol Aeroplane Company. East Works on Gypsy Patch Lane and Rodney Works along Gloucester Road North were established for the production of aeroengines.

Anti-aircraft guns were set-up in a field pasture on Filton Hill, adjacent to Filton Golf Club, to defend the aircraft factories.

Prior to WWII there was a belief that German bombers had insufficient range to reach Filton, however, the invasion of France by the Nazis in 1940 changed the situation. On September 25, 1940, German aircraft, based in France, raided Filton, causing extensive damage to the aircraft factories, as well as causing a heavy loss of life when several air raid shelters were hit. Shortly afterwards, a squadron of Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft was stationed at Filton Aerodrome, to defend the area.

Aircraft produced during WWII included the Blenheim, Beaufort, Beaufighter and Brigand. Filton Aerodrome was upgraded to a concrete runway during 1941/42.

The concrete runway at Filton Aerodrome was extended westwards, in the late 1940s, to enable the huge Bristol Brabazon airliner to take-off safely. This extension required demolition of the small hamlet of Charlton. A large three bay hangar was also built to accommodate the Brabazon project. At the time, the hangar doors were the largest in the world, as was the railway level crossing leading to the main runway.

During the late 1940s and early 1950s, BAC branched out into the development and production of pre-fabricated buildings, plastics, guided weapons, luxury cars, gas turbines and ramjet motors. The Bristol Britannia (Whispering Giant) airliner and Bristol Freighter were produced.

BAC opened a technical college for apprentices and trainees at the bottom of Filton Hill in 1954. This was eventually absorbed by Filton (Technical) College in 1961.

In 1958 the aero engine interests of the Bristol Aeroplane Company and Armstrong Siddeley were amalgamated to form Bristol Siddeley Engines. Rolls-Royce purchased Bristol Siddeley Engines in 1966. On February 4, 1971 Rolls-Royce were declared bankrupt due to the burden of development of the RB211 engine for the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar jetliner. Due to the importance of Rolls-Royce engine division the Government nationalised the company. In 1973 the Rolls-Royce car division was separated as Rolls-Royce Motors. Rolls-Royce (1971) Limited (the engine division) was privatised in 1987 as Rolls-Royce plc.

The 1960s and 1970s saw the development and production of Concorde at Filton and a further extension of the Filton runway.

The aircraft interests of BAC are owned by Airbus and BAE Systems, whilst the aero engine facilities are part of Rolls-Royce. MBDA owns the guided weapons facilities. Bristol Cars are still produced at the Filton site.

Next to the A38 road, Airbus have purchased 26 acres of the former Rodney Works from BAE and plans to erect new buildings there. Office accommodation will be erected on the old 1910 BCAC site. Filton House and New Filton House, both of which are listed buildings, will be refurbished. Refurbishment of the New Filton House commenced in August 2006.

[edit] Filton Park

Filton Park is a district within the town of Filton, South Gloucestershire, which is a suburb of Bristol, England. Filton Park lies directly on the city border, sandwiched between the A38 trunk road and Southmead Road. Filton itself lies to the north and east of Filton Park. Monks Park is to the south.

Housing in Filton Park is mainly privately owned, semi-detached and 1930s built. Pre-WWI properties in the district tend to be quite large, with generous gardens. Extensive playing fields border the north-western side of Southmead Road. The golf links, on the hillside beyond, are owned by Filton Golf Club.

Filton Park is regarded as a desirable place to live since it is quiet, and close to major centres of employment such BAE Systems, and the Ministry of Defence at Abbey Wood.

[edit] References

Coordinates: 51°31′N, 2°34′W