Filton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Filton
St Peter's Church, Filton
Filton
Population	10,607 (parish, 2011 Census)
OS grid reference	ST603792
Civil parish	Filton
Unitary authority	South Gloucestershire
Ceremonial county	Gloucestershire
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BRISTOL
Postcode district	BS7, BS34
Dialling code	0117, 01454
Police	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Avon
Ambulance	Great Western
EU Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	Filton and Bradley Stoke
Website	Filton Town Council
List of places UK England Gloucestershire 51°30′36″N 2°34′26″W / 51.510°N 2.574°W / 51.510; -2.574

Filton is a town and civil parish located in South Gloucestershire, England. It is about 6 kilometers (4 miles) north of the big city of Bristol. Filton is part of the larger Bristol urban area, along with nearby towns like Patchway and Bradley Stoke. It has grown as a place for people who work in Bristol to live.

Filton has many open spaces, including sports fields and a golf course. It was also home to the famous Filton Airport, which closed in 2012.

Getting Around Filton: Roads, Trains, and Areas

Filton is easy to reach by car. You can get there from Junction 1 of the M32 motorway or Junction 16 of the M5 motorway. The town also has good train connections. Filton Abbey Wood serves the southern parts of town. Bristol Parkway is for the north and east, and Patchway is in the west.

What are the Main Areas in Filton?

Filton has different areas, including East Filton, Filton Park, and Northville.

East Filton: Business and Shopping

East Filton is mostly located in the nearby area of Stoke Gifford. It is home to important offices for the Ministry of Defence (MOD). This is where the Defence Procurement Agency works. You can also find a shopping park in East Filton.

Filton Park: A Quiet Neighborhood

Filton Park is a suburb of Bristol that sits right on the city's edge. It is between the A38 road and Southmead Road. Most of the houses in Filton Park were built in the 1930s and are privately owned. Older houses from before World War I are quite large with big gardens. There are large playing fields and a golf course nearby. Filton Park has a primary school and is a popular place to live because it is close to major employers like BAE Systems.

Education and Shopping in Filton

Filton has several schools and colleges. These include South Gloucestershire and Stroud College and Abbeywood Community School. There are also many primary schools. The University of the West of England is very close by in Frenchay.

For shopping, Filton has two main areas: the Shield Centre and Abbey Wood Retail Park. You can also find other shops around town. There is a small forest area called Splatt's Abbey Wood to the east of Filton.

Filton's Amazing Industry: Aerospace and More

The Aircraft Assembly Hall (AAH) at Filton Airfield. Famous planes like the Bristol Brabazon, Bristol Britannia, and Concorde were built here.

Filton is famous for its long history with the aerospace industry. This began with the Bristol Aeroplane Company. Today, many big aerospace companies are in Filton, including BAE Systems, Airbus, GKN, Rolls-Royce, and MBDA. These companies are all located near the former Filton Aerodrome.

The Home of Concorde

One of the most exciting things built in Filton was the Concorde supersonic airliner. These amazing planes were built here in the 1960s and 1970s. On November 26, 2003, Concorde 216 (G-BOAF) made its very last flight, returning to Filton. It is now the main attraction at the Aerospace Bristol museum, which opened in 2017. This museum also shows off other planes, helicopters, and engineering projects made in Filton and Bristol.

Other Important Employers in Filton

Besides aerospace, Filton has other large employers. The MOD has a big office here. Companies like Viridor, Hewlett-Packard, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and the Royal Mail also have facilities in Filton. The regional blood processing center for NHS Blood and Transplant is also located here.

Bristol Cars: Luxury Vehicles

From 1946 to 2011, Bristol Cars made special, hand-built luxury cars in Filton. They sold cars directly to customers and had a showroom in London. They were known as the last luxury car builder fully owned by a British company.

Who Lives in Filton? Population Facts

In 2011, the population of Filton parish was 10,607 people. The larger Filton area, which includes nearby places like Almondsbury and Bradley Stoke, had a population of 59,495 in 2011.

Filton is a town with people from many different backgrounds. The number of white British residents is similar to the national average for the UK.

How Filton is Governed

Part of the Defence Equipment and Support building at Abbey Wood, Filton. This site employs many people who manage contracts for the Navy, Army, and Air Force.

Filton has its own local government called Filton Town Council. This council has thirteen members who help make decisions for the town.

Filton's Place in Local Government History

Filton used to be part of Gloucestershire until 1974. Then, it became part of a new county called Avon. When Avon was dissolved in 1996, Filton became part of the South Gloucestershire council area. It also rejoined the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire.

Who Represents Filton in Parliament?

Filton is represented in the UK Parliament by Claire Hazelgrove. She is a member of the Labour party and represents the Filton and Bradley Stoke area.

The local area of Filton also elects two members to the South Gloucestershire Council.

A Look Back: Filton's History

The campus of South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

The name Filton comes from old English words meaning "hay farm" or "hay field." The name has been used since at least 1187.

Early Days: From Village to Town

At the start of the 1900s, Filton was a small village, separate from Bristol. Most people worked in farming. There was also a large laundry owned by Samuel Shield. The railway line between Bristol and South Wales ran through the village.

In 1910, a bigger railway station called Filton Junction opened. This happened after a new train route from Bristol to London was completed. Also, in 1907, the tram lines from Bristol were extended to Filton. Trams were even built in sheds in Filton starting in 1908.

The Rise of Aviation

The manufacture of airplanes began in the old tram sheds in Filton in 1910. Aero-engine production started in 1920. This marked the beginning of Filton's strong connection to the aerospace industry.

Between World War I and World War II, Filton grew very quickly and became a suburb of Bristol. New houses were built, especially in the Filton Park area. By the 1930s, more development happened on the eastern side of the A38 road. Even though it grew, Filton remained outside the main city boundary of Bristol.

During the 1920s and 1930s, new schools were built to teach the growing number of children. Many children were sent away when World War II started in 1939, but they returned later. Filton High School, which later became Abbeywood Community School, opened in 1960.

Post-War Changes and Growth

In the late 1940s, the main runway at Filton Aerodrome was made much longer for the Bristol Brabazon airplane project. This meant that Charlton village had to be taken down. In the early 1960s, a new bypass road was built, which later became part of the M5 motorway.

In the 1950s, the Bristol Aeroplane Company opened a special college to train its apprentices. Later, this college merged with others to become the South Gloucestershire and Stroud College.

After World War II, Filton didn't expand much more because it was surrounded by roads, factories, and the airport. However, in the late 1970s, a trading estate slowly grew on the eastern side of the railway line, now known as East Filton. The A38 road was also made into a dual carriageway. The Ministry of Defence also built a large office complex called MoD Abbey Wood in this area.

Filton's Twin Towns

Filton is "twinned" with two towns in other countries. This means they have special friendly relationships.

• St Vallier-sur-Rhône, France
• Witzenhausen, Germany

Sports and Activities in Filton

Filton offers many sports and activities for young people and adults.

• The Bristol Academy of Sport is based at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College. The Bristol City W.F.C. women's football team plays at the Stoke Gifford Stadium there.
• Filton Cycling Speedway Club started in 2006. They use a special cycle track in Elm Park, which is considered one of the best in the country.
• St Vallier FC is a youth football team named after Filton's French twin town.
• Filton Golf Club has an 18-hole golf course.
• There is also a table tennis club in Filton.

Filton's Weather: A Mild Climate

Filton has a mild, wet climate, typical of places near the sea. Summers are usually comfortable and mostly dry. Winters are colder and often wet.

The temperature is usually between 0°C (32°F) and 23.1°C (73.6°F). However, between 2005 and 2022, temperatures have ranged from as low as -6.7°C (19.9°F) to as high as 35.5°C (95.9°F).

Images for kids

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  St Peter's Church, Filton

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  Aircraft Assembly Hall (AAH) on Filton Airfield. The Bristol Brabazon, Bristol Britannia and Concorde aircraft were constructed here.

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  Part of the Defence Equipment and Support building at Abbey Wood, Filton. The site employs over 13,000 people, managing procurement contracts for the Navy, the Army and the Air Force.

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  South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

See also

In Spanish: Filton para niños