Upton Cheyney is a village near to Bitton and Bristol in South Gloucestershire, England, in the parish of Bitton.[1] It has a population of about 140 in 60 households.[2] Upton Cheyney was designated as a conservation area on 24 October 1983.[3]
| Upton Cheyney | |
|---|---|
 Upton Cheyney United Reformed Church | |
  Upton Cheyney Location within Gloucestershire | |
| Population | 140 |
| OS grid reference | ST6969 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Avon |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
The name Upton Cheyney is thought to be derived from 'upper farmhouse'. Most of the buildings in the village were built between 1690 and 1830.[3]
Upton Cheyney United Reformed Church was established in 1834 as Upton Cheyney Chapel, building on a congregation that met in the home of William Clark, a local farmer.[4][5] Objectors who believed the parish church in Bitton was adequate had taken out a court injunction blocking the construction, which was eventually overturned by the Court of King's Bench in London.[6] In 1948, the Congregational Union of Gloucestershire and Hertfordshire became the trustees, and in 1966 a covenant was agreed with the Congregational Union of England and Wales which merged into the United Reformed Church in 1972.[7] The chapel closed on 10 September 2023.[8]
In 1849, a school was created at the back of the chapel for about forty local children. In 1894 this was replaced by a separate school with two classrooms built by the local school board, which closed in 1981.[9]
References
edit
- ^ "The Parish". Bitton Parish Council. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ "Upton Cheyney Data & Access Profile" (PDF). South Gloucestershire Council. November 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ a b "Upton Cheyney Conservation Area" (PDF). South Gloucestershire Council. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ Jones, Ignatius (1947). "16 Upton Cheyney". Bristol Congregationalism City And Country. Arrowsmith. ASIN B006YSXYBO. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ Historic England. "United Reformed Church, Wick Lane (Grade II) (1116816)". National Heritage List for England.
- ^ Clark, W T (10 September 1934). "A statement about the building of Upton Cheyney Chapel" (DOC). Upton Cheyney United Reformed Church. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ Williams, Muriel (11 September 2011). "A History of Upton Cheyney Chapel" (DOC). Upton Cheyney United Reformed Church. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ "Chapel Closure". Upton Cheyney United Reformed Church. 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ "Upton Cheyney School". Bitton Parish History Group. 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2023.