Lower Almondsbury was designated as a conservation area on 30th July 1975.
A copy of the full statutory conservation area leaflet and maps - the result of a public consultation process, can now be downloaded in Adobe Acrobat pdf.
Setting
The village of Almondsbury is situated 7 miles north of Bristol, near the M4/M5 Almondsbury Interchange, the first four-level motorway crossing in Britain. Almondsbury lies within the Bristol and Bath greenbelt. The village falls into two distinct parts divided by the A38, with modern ribbon development to the east and the old nucleus of Lower Almondsbury clustering beneath the steep and wooden Almondsbury Hill. Spectacular views across the Severn Estuary are afforded on the descent from new to old Almondsbury.
History
Almondsbury was originally, as its name implies, the 'bury' or camp of Alomond, a Saxon chieftain. The steep limestone scarp would have provided an excellent defensive site and signs of entrenchment can still be seen. Almondsbury Hill is a vantage point affording superb views across the Severn Valley to the Welsh hills beyond.
Mediaeval Almondsbury lay on the main route between Bristol and Gloucester and a market was established in 1285. For centuries, Almondsbury was a close-knit agricultural community under the patronage of its great manor houses of Knole Park, Over Court and Gaunts Earthcott. The Manor of Almondsbury belonged to St Augustine's Abbey in Bristol until the dissolution and was granted to Sir Arthur d'Arcy in 1553. It was sold to Thomas Chester in 1569 and his heir, William Chester built Knole Park as a family seat. The original manor house was a court farm (grade II-listed) in Almondsbury village, but Chester chose the splendid hilltop position half a mile to the south with a magnificent view over the Bristol Channel for construction. A 15th century octagonal tower on this site was retained and incorporated into the house. Unfortunately, all that remains of the original house is the tower, reduced in size and incorporated into a modern dwelling.
Over Court, an Elizabethan manor house 2 miles south-west of Almondsbury, built around the same time as Knole park on the site of a 14th century house has also sadly been demolished again to be replaced by new housing development.
The Church of St Mary (grade I-listed) is said to have been consecrated by four bishops in 1148. In the mid-13th century there was considerable rebuilding when the chancel, crossing and transept were reconstructed. The church was heavily restored in the 19th century and the most notable features are its Norman north porch and font and its elegant, distinctive diagonally-patterned lead spire, one of only three in the country.
Character
The village of Lower Almondsbury nestles below the steep, wooded Almondsbury Hill, which shelters and largely obscures the village from above. This landscape feature provides an attractive backcloth to the village and contributes significantly to Almondsbury's character. The woodland is protected by a tree preservation order. The top of this hill provides a superb vantage point with views across the Severn where both bridges are clearly visible.
If one enters the village via Sundays Hill or Hollow Road, the steep wooden descent is attractive and enclosed, gradually opening up by Almondsbury Forge. St Mary's church dominates the village from its position at the foot of the escarpment and its splendid spire rises up revealing its position from the ridge. The small but picturesque village green with pump in the foreground of the church provides a typical village scene, enhanced by cottages of local stone nearby. Almondsbury village is rich in variety and style with stone walls lining the narrow roads, which are especially attractive in the spring and summer, being covered in overhanging vegetation and blooms.