Bradley Stoke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bradley Stoke |
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 Willow Brook Centre, the town centre |
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 Bradley Stoke
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| Population | 20,690 (2021 Census) |
| OS grid reference | ST621813 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BRISTOL |
| Postcode district | BS32 |
| Dialling code | 0117 and 01454 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Avon |
| Ambulance | Great Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament |
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Bradley Stoke is a town in South Gloucestershire, England. It is about 6 miles (10 km) north of Bristol city centre. This town is the most northern part of the wider Bristol area.
People started planning Bradley Stoke in the 1970s. Building began in 1987. It was the biggest new town in Europe built with private money. Its name comes from two local streams: the Bradley Brook and Stoke Brook.
Bradley Stoke is part of the "North Fringe of Bristol." This area has lots of homes and jobs. It grew a lot in the late 1900s and early 2000s. The town is next to Patchway on the west and Stoke Gifford on the south. But unlike those places, Bradley Stoke has fewer big companies. It is mostly a place where people live, with 40% of homes being detached houses. The M5 and M4 motorways are on its north and east sides. Beyond them is the Avon Green Belt, which is protected green land.
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History of Bradley Stoke
The land where Bradley Stoke now stands was once farmland. It was north of the village of Stoke Gifford near Bristol. This land was split between several local areas. These included Stoke Gifford, Almondsbury, Patchway, and Winterbourne.
The area had many farms, like Bailey's Court and Watch Elm Farm. Some of the land was used for animals to graze. There were also several woods. Sherbourne's Brake, Webb's Wood, and the large Savage's Wood are still here today. Fiddlers Wood, which gave its name to Fiddlers Wood Lane, was mostly removed when the M4 motorway was built.
Bailey's Court Farmhouse is the only original building left. It was used as offices by the town's builders. Later, it became the Bailey's Court Inn. Watch Elm Farm was named after a huge elm tree. This tree was so big it was legendary, but it blew down in the mid-1700s. The Stoke Brook flows through the middle of Bradley Stoke.
When the town was being built, it faced some challenges. This was because of a national economic slowdown. At the time, Bradley Stoke was known as one of Europe's biggest private housing projects. It was hard for it to grow into a proper town at first. Other new towns had special government help. But Bradley Stoke relied mainly on private money.
Many different house builders worked on the project. There was not much input from other businesses. The economic slowdown meant the new town got a reputation. People said it was just a housing estate with not enough facilities. There was no real town centre, except for a Tesco supermarket. High interest rates in the early 1990s caused property values to drop. Many new homes became worth less than what people owed on them. This led to the town being called 'Sadly Broke' by some. But property values and building started to get better.
Since 1987, people living in the area wanted their own Town Council. They wanted it to help manage community life. In 1991, the idea of forming a Town Council was approved. On April 1, 1992, the newly elected Town Council officially took charge.
How Bradley Stoke is Governed
Bradley Stoke has its own local Town Council. It is also part of the South Gloucestershire unitary authority. This means South Gloucestershire Council handles many local services. The town is also part of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) region.
On the South Gloucestershire Council, Bradley Stoke has seven Councillors. These are elected from three areas called electoral wards. These wards are Bradley Stoke North, Bradley Stoke South, and Stoke Gifford (Stoke Brook).
Bradley Stoke is part of the Filton and Bradley Stoke area for national elections. This is the area that elects a Member of Parliament (MP) to the UK Parliament.
Historically, this area was part of Gloucestershire County. From 1974 to 1996, Bradley Stoke was part of the Northavon district. This was within the Avon county.
Town Council Details
The Bradley Stoke Town Council has 15 Councillors. They are elected from five different wards. The Town Council is led by the Town Mayor. A Deputy Mayor helps them. There are four main committees. These committees handle things like money, planning, leisure, and staff.
Town Facilities
Many of the town's facilities were supposed to be paid for by house builders. This money came from housing sales through special planning agreements. When house building slowed down in the late 1980s, facilities were completed much later. For example, the road connecting the north and south parts of town was delayed. The doctor's surgery was also finished late.
The new town centre is called 'Willow Brook'. An anonymous resident named it in a competition. The centre is built on the site of the original Tesco supermarket. South Gloucestershire Council approved its redevelopment in 2006.
Council Activity Centres
The Bradley Stoke Town Council runs three activity centres. These are the Bradley Stoke Jubilee Centre, Baileys Court Activity Centre, and Brook Way Activity Centre. Each centre has rooms and facilities you can hire. They also offer sports activities like bowls, football pitches, and hardball courts.
Housing in Bradley Stoke
There are over 9,000 homes in the Bradley Stoke area. About 1,600 of these homes, or nearly 18%, are social housing. This means they are available for people who need affordable places to live.
Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre and Library
The Active leisure centre is near the town centre. It has a 25-meter swimming pool and a public library. The leisure centre also has a gym, a beauty salon, and a skate park. Many local groups use the leisure centre and library for their activities.
In 2018, a small climbing centre was added. This was part of renovations that made the sports hall a bit smaller. A Soho coffee shop opened here in 2013 and was updated in 2017.
Jobs in Bradley Stoke
There are many job opportunities around Bradley Stoke. You can find them along Great Stoke Way, at Woodlands Business Park, and Almondsbury Business Park. The Aztec West development also offers many jobs. The town is close to Bristol Parkway railway station. It's also near the Ministry of Defence and the Aviva Centre.
Companies like RAC, DHL, and EE have offices in the business parks. There are also hotels, factories, and warehouses. The Willow Brook Centre has grown, bringing more jobs to local people. It has also helped boost trade in Bradley Stoke. Businesses are still interested in developing the town centre further.
Many people who live in Bradley Stoke travel for work. They might go to central Bristol or The Mall in Cribbs Causeway. Some also use the nearby motorway junctions for their jobs.
Education in Bradley Stoke
The town has seven primary schools for younger students:
- Saint Marys Catholic Primary School
- Bailey's Court Primary School
- Wheatfield Primary School
- Meadowbrook Primary School
- Holy Trinity Primary School
- Bowsland Green Primary School
- Bradley Stoke Community Primary School
Bradley Stoke also has a secondary school called Bradley Stoke Community School. It opened in September 2005 and can teach up to 1,120 students. A centre for students aged 16 and over was finished in 2010. An extension for the primary school was completed in 2015.
Getting Around Bradley Stoke
Bradley Stoke is served by two railway stations: Bristol Parkway railway station to the south and Patchway railway station to the west. Both are run by Great Western Railway.
Bus services are provided by First West of England and Stagecoach West. These buses connect to Aztec West, Thornbury, Cribbs Causeway, Bristol Parkway station, Bristol city centre, and the University of the West of England, Bristol. A new MetroBus service also operates in the area.
Bradley Stoke is close to major motorways. The M5 is to the north, the M4 to the east, and the M32 to the south. Main travel routes go through Aztec West and the Stoke Gifford bypass.
Community Life
The Bradley Stoke Community Festival has been held every June since 2004. It offers many activities and events for children and families. These include live music, performances, sports, and games.
A Bradley Stoke Community Carnival took place in 2014, 2015, and 2017. The carnival featured stilt walkers, a brass band, and people in costumes. There were also competitions and live music.
Wheatfest is another annual event. It is hosted by a local group called Friends of Wheatfield Primary School. This event is also mainly for young children and families. The 2019 event raised over £6,000.
The Willow Brook Centre creates a summer beach in the town centre. It has a huge sandpit, deck chairs, and decorations. It's a fun place for young children and families.
The Town Council puts on an annual fireworks display in early November. This celebrates Guy Fawkes Night. In 2018, it raised over £2,000 for local charities.
Since 2016, the Willow Brook Centre has hosted the "Stars of the Stokes Awards." These awards recognize local heroes in the community. Special guest celebrities attend. Awards are given for categories like champion carer, parent in a million, and young person of the year.
Each year, the town is decorated with lights for Christmas. The Willow Brook Centre provides a Christmas tree and decorations. One house in Elm Close decorates their home with 30,000 lights. They do this to raise money for St Peters Hospice. In 2018, they raised over £3,000.
War Memorial and Remembrance Service
A War Memorial was built in 2014 by the 1st Bradley Stoke Scout group and the Willow Brook Centre. It is in the main town square. This memorial honors "all members of our Armed Forces (and civilians who support them) who have died or suffered due to conflict." It is a simple grey granite pillar. It has a poppy design at the top and an inscription in the middle. The inscription says: 'At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them'.
The memorial was created because Bradley Stoke is a new town. It did not have a traditional war memorial. The goal was to create a place for future Remembrance ceremonies. Young people from the town were specially involved. On August 2, 2014, the memorial was officially dedicated.
Since then, an annual Remembrance parade and ceremony is held at the Willowbrook Centre. Many local youth groups attend, along with the Town Mayor and other community leaders.
Woodland Areas
The Woodland area of Bradley Stoke is called Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve. It covers about 44 hectares (109 acres). This area includes bluebell woods, grassy fields, brooks, and ponds. It also has the man-made Three Brooks Lake. The lake is home to many common waterfowl like swans.
There are also other paths and walks through small wooded areas. These connect different parts of Bradley Stoke. You can find wild fruits like blackberries, apples, plums, and cherries in the woodland. A community orchard grows in the middle of the woodland.
Local art and conservation groups have worked together on projects in the woodland. The Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group works to improve the area. In 2019, they received a grant to make the walkways more accessible.
Sports in Bradley Stoke
The Bradley Stoke Bowls Club opened in 2010. It is located at the Baileys Court Activity Centre.
Bradley Stoke Cricket Club started in 1990. They were the first users of the pavilion at Baileys Court Road. The club joined the Bristol and District Cricket Association in 1991. They played their first game in 1992. In 2019, they won the Tony Hitch T/20 Trophy. In 2021, they were promoted to the West of England Premier League.
The town's local football teams are Bradley Stoke Town FC and Bradley Stoke Youth FC.
There is a modern concrete skate park at the Bradley Stoke Active Leisure Centre. The Bradley Stoke Town Council owns and supervises it.
The town also hosts a 10 km running event. Locals compete to run a course across the town.
Tennis
Tennis lessons, games, and events are held at the Jubilee Centre on Savages Wood Road.
Martial Arts
Many Martial arts and fitness clubs offer classes in the town. They teach styles like Judo, Taekwondo, Kung-fu, and kickboxing.
Media and News
Printed News
Bradley Stoke has local news publications like Bradley Stoke Matters and The Bradley Stoke Journal.
Bradley Stoke Matters is a free community magazine and website. It started in 2005 and covers local news and events. The magazine is delivered to every home in Bradley Stoke four times a year.
The Bradley Stoke Journal is a free online community news website since 2007. It also covers local news and events. From 2013, a free magazine was delivered monthly. The printed magazine stopped in May 2022, but the website and social media continue.
Radio
Bradley Stoke Radio is the local community radio station. You can listen to it online and on 103.4 MHz FM. They often broadcast live from local community events. You can hear them at the Willow Brook Shopping Centre and local festivals. They feature live singers and commentary from the events.
Bradley Stoke also receives other radio stations. These include BBC Radio Bristol on 94.9 MHz FM, Heart West on 96.3 MHz FM, and Greatest Hits Radio Bristol & The South West on 107.2 MHz FM.
Television
Bradley Stoke is covered by the local television channel Bristol TV. This channel was formerly known as Made in Bristol TV.
The main regional television services are BBC West and ITV West Country.
Twin Town
Bradley Stoke is twinned with Champs-sur-Marne in France. This town is located near Paris.
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