Staverton Village
Staverton is a picturesque and perfectly situated small village on the outskirts of Trowbridge, bordering Bradford on Avon and Holt with approximately 1,000 residents. Its natural boundaries are the Kennet and Avon Canal at one end and the River Avon at the other. You can access Staverton via the old stone bridge over the River Avon, passing over the railway bridge dividing the village and finally leaving by the hump backed stone bridge over the canal as you leave.
Staverton village has over 1,000 years of history. The northern part of Staverton, as a civil parish, is the original part of the village where St Pauls Church, the Nestle factory by the bridge over the River Avon and the Wesleyan Chapel are located. For many centuries the River Avon provided rich pastures for farmsteads and settlements nearby which dated back to the ninth century. The southern, larger area of Staverton parish had only one school and a vicarage along the B3105. Until the end of the 19th century, it was mainly open countryside and in the 1980's major housing development on the Marina side completely changed the landscape and now houses two thirds of the population. This development enabled new facilities to be built such as a sports ground, village hall and hard court.
Situated along School Lane are three highly acclaimed schools accommodating pupils from nursery age to teens. Along the B3105 is the excellent Old Bear public house, the Riding Stables and Staverton Club. There are still large vast areas of open countryside to the East and West of Staverton. The Marina provides moorings for many canal boats with a bustling boatyard and chandlery nearby bringing many visitors to Staverton. The lagoon which is surrounded by a variety of wild flowers and reeds is accessed via the old bridge which majestically spans the entrance and was relocated when the marina and the lagoon were originally built. Both areas are regularly visited by Canada Geese, Swans, Ducks and other birds throughout the seasons. At The Slipway there is a small retail area with a Dentist, convenience store, Chinese takeaway and English restaurant and takeaway.
Researched by John Corfield and written by John Corfield and June Jones