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Bradford on Avon (sometimes Bradford-on-Avon) is a town in west Wiltshire, England with a population of about 9,326, increasing to 9,402 at the 2011 census. The town's canal, historic buildings, shops, pubs and restaurants make it popular with tourists.

The history of the town can be traced back to Roman origins. It has several buildings dating to the 17th century, when the town grew due to the thriving English woollen textile industry.

Location
The town lies partly on the Avon Valley, and partly on the hill that marks the Vale's western edge, eight miles southeast of Bath, in the hilly countryside between the Mendip Hills, Salisbury Plain and the Cotswold Hills. The local area around Bath provides the Jurassic limestone (Bath Stone) from which the older buildings are constructed. The River Avon (the Bristol Avon) runs through the town.

History
The earliest evidence of habitation is fragments of Roman settlements above the town. In particular, archaeological digs have revealed the remains of a large Roman villa with a well-preserved mosaic on the playing fields of St Laurence School. The centre of the town grew up around the ford across the river Avon, hence the origin of the town's name ("Broad-Ford"). This was supplemented in Norman times by the stone bridge that still stands today. The Norman side is upstream, and has pointed arches; the newer side has curved arches. The Town Bridge and Chapel is a grade I listed building. It was originally a packhorse bridge, but widened in the 17th century by rebuilding the western side. On 2 July 1643 the town was the site of a skirmish in the English Civil War, between Royalists who seized control of the bridge on their way to the Battle of Lansdowne.

On the bridge stands a small building which was originally a chapel but later used as a town lockup. The weather vane on top takes the form of a gudgeon (an early Christian symbol), hence the local saying "under the fish and over the water".

Widbrook Grange is a Georgian manor house on the edge of the town. It was originally built as a model farm on Earl Manvers estate; it is now run as a hotel.

The river provided the power for the wool mills that gave the town its wealth. The town has 17th century buildings dating from the most successful period of the local textile industry. The best examples of weaver's cottages are on Newtown, Middle Rank and Tory Terraces. Daniel Defoe visited Bradford on Avon in the early 18th century and commented : "They told me at Bradford on Avon that it was no extra-ordinary thing to have clothiers in that county worth £10,000 to £40,000 per man" (equivalent to £1.3M to £5.3M in 2007 ).

With improving mechanisation in Textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution the wool weaving industry moved from cottages to purpose built woollen mills adjacent to the river Avon where they used water and steam to power the looms. Around 30 such mills were built in Bradford on Avon alone and prospered further until the English woollen industry shifted its centre of power to Yorkshire in the late 19th century. The last local mill closed in 1905. Many have since stood empty and some became derelict. A notable feature of Bradford on Avon is the huge grade II* listed tithe barn, known as the Saxon Tithe Barn, 180 feet long and 30 feet wide, which was constructed in the 14th century and is now part of Barton Farm Country Park. The barn would have been used for collecting taxes, in the form of goods, to fund the church.

Several notable buildings in and around the town centre have been designated for renovation and redevelopment by 2012.

In 1998 the Wiltshire Music Centre was opened in Bradford on Avon, on the grounds of St Laurence School. In 2000, the Millie millennium sculpture was unveiled.

On 8 October 2003, Bradford on Avon was granted Fairtrade Town status.

Governance
The town has 2 electoral wards (north and south). At the 2011 census their total area and population agreed with that shown above.

Churches
Notable is the Saxon church (dedicated to St. Laurence), which may have been founded by St. Aldhelm around 705, and could have been a temporary burial site for King Edward the Martyr. It was re-discovered by Canon William Frampton in 1856, having been used for secular purposes (apparently becoming a house, a school and part of a factory). In his research Canon Frampton, who had an interest in archaeology, found reference to the church in the writings of William of Malmesbury. It is suggested that some of the building, containing the blind arcades at a higher level, may belong to a later period while a leaflet available at the church, February 2012, seems to prefer the period 950-1050 for the whole building. The elaborate ornamentation of the exterior consists of pilaster-strips, a broad frieze of two plain string-courses between which is a blind arcade of round-headed arches whose short vertical pilasters have trapezoidal capitals and bases, while on the eastern gable and the corners adjacent there is a series of mouldings as vertical triple semi-cylinders. Inside the church, high in the wall above a small chancel arch, are the carved figures of two flying angels, the right-hand figure reportedly "intended to be clothed in transparent drapery ... the legs from the knee downward are depicted as showing through the transparent robe" which is referred to as a "quaint fancy".

In addition to the Saxon church, the town has four Church of England churches, one Church of England chapel, two Baptist chapels, a United Church (Methodist and United Reformed Church), a free nonconformist church, a community church, a Quaker (Society of Friends) meeting house and a Roman Catholic church.

The original parish church has a dedication to the Holy Trinity, and is located near the town centre by the river. It is Norman in origin, and it is possible that the chancel was built over the remains of an older church. Several chapels were added on the north side, and the wall in between was later opened up and the chapels now form the north aisle. A squint, or hagioscope, near the altar is claimed to be England's longest. The tower and spire was built around 1480, replacing an older one, and the south wall was largely rebuilt in the 19th century. The church has a ring of eight bells, with the tenor (heaviest bell) weighing 29-2-26 (1.5 tons) and is tuned to Dflat.

The other Anglican church has dedication of Christ Church, and is entirely a Victorian construction. The Catholic church, dedicated to St. Thomas More, occupies the building that used to be the town hall. There is also a Buddhist Monastery in the town, under the auspices of the Aukana Trust; it comprises a monastic building each for men and for women, and a meditation hall. There are also workshops, gardens and a library, and the elegant buildings look down upon the town from a hill. The monastery practises the Theravadin tradition of Buddhism, and offers opportunities for both full-time residential and part-time practise and study.

Economy
Bradford on Avon has been the headquarters of Avon Rubber, a large manufacturer of rubber products for the automotive and other industries. Today, it is the headquarters of the Alex Moulton bicycle company. It has several other small scale manufacturing enterprises.

The town's main business is retail shopping, tourism and day to day servicing of a population largely made up of families, commuters and the retired.

The town has one mid-sized supermarket, Sainsbury's, situated on the Elms Cross Industrial estate, a two minute walk from the Canal lock, and five convenience stores. Local consumers founded Bradford-on-Avon Co-operative Society in 1861, which, in the 1960s, united with other consumer co-operatives in the district to merge with a national business. Though consumer co-operation since left, Bristol workers' co-operative Bishopston Trading Company has a Fairtrade clothing shop in Silver Street, that supports the village of K.V. Kuppam in Tamil Nadu, India. A mini outdoor shopping centre of independent shops, Weavers Walk, which described itself as an "ethical trading centre", is in the town centre.

Transport
Bradford-on-Avon lies on the A363 Trowbridge to Bath road, which runs through the town from south to north, and crossed over by the B3109 linking Bradford-on-Avon with Melksham and Frome. All other road routes are minor, affording access to local settlements.
 * Road
 * Rail

Bradford-on-Avon railway station lies on what is now the Bristol—Weymouth railway line. It opened in the mid-19th century and was built by the original (pre-grouping) Great Western Railway. Northwards the line runs past Avoncliff and Freshford stations, and joins the Great Western main line east of Bath. Trains run to Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff. Southwards, the line is joined by the minor Melksham branch from Chippenham shortly before Trowbridge. At Westbury the line crosses the main London to Plymouth line. From Westbury, trains run to Southampton, Portsmouth or Weymouth, and occasionally to Frome or Castle Cary. Running parallel to the railway through the town is the Kennet and Avon Canal and Bradford Lock. The use of this canal declined as the railways grew but it was restored to full working order during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The canal provides a link through to the Avon at Bath in the west, and the Thames at Reading in the east.
 * Waterways

Local government
The most significant local government functions (including schools, roads, social services, emergency planning, leisure services, development control, and waste disposal) are carried out by Wiltshire Council.

Bradford on Avon is a civil parish with an elected town council of 12, 2 Conservative and 10 Liberal Democrats. This has a mostly consultative and ceremonial role, and the chairman of the town council has the title of Mayor of Bradford.

Since 2010 Bradford on Avon has been part of the Chippenham parliamentary constituency.

See also:
 * West Wiltshire Council election, 1999
 * West Wiltshire Council election, 2003
 * West Wiltshire Council election, 2007
 * Wiltshire Council election, 2005
 * Wiltshire Council election, 2009

Education
The town has one secondary school, St Laurence School, a specialist Arts College.

Sport and leisure
Bradford on Avon has a Non-League football club Bradford Town F.C. who play at Bradford on Avon Sports and Social Club on Trowbridge Road. There is also Bradford on Avon Rowing Club based in Pound Lane near to the Tithe Barn. The club caters for rowing and canoeing.

Notable people

 * John Methuen and his son Sir Paul Methuen, successively Ambassadors to Portugal
 * Peter Hammill, singer-songwriter
 * Henry Shrapnel, inventor of the 'shrapnel shell'
 * Miles Kington, journalist
 * Sharron Davies, Swimmer and TV presenter
 * Alex Moulton, engineer and inventor
 * Simon R. Green, science-fiction/fantasy author
 * Rugby union players Will Carling, Phil de Glanville, and Jon Sleightholme
 * Hugh Scully, television presenter
 * Jonathan Newth, actor
 * Rob Newman, ex-footballer and current football manager
 * Paul Emsley, artist
 * Andy Pearce, ex-footballer
 * Stephen Volk, TV scriptwriter, TV series Afterlife, Dark Corners
 * Simon Tisdall, journalist
 * Samuel Meredith, first British Chief Constable in 1839
 * Pop groups Jesus Jones and Blackbud were both formed in the town
 * Fitzroy Simpson former professional footballer
 * Ed McKeever Olympic canoeing champion
 * Emily Hilda Young English Novelist

位置
町の一部分は、エイヴォン渓谷やヴェールの西縁に区分される丘陵地にまたがっている. バースの南東８マイルに位置し、メンディップ丘陵とソールズベリー平野、コッツウォルド丘陵に囲まれた丘陵性の郊外に位置する. 地元の地区からはジュラ紀の石灰石（バスストーン）が産出され、古い建造物の建材となっている. エイヴォン川（ブリストル）が町を貫通している.

歴史
最も古い居住の証拠は、町で見つかったローマ人が入植した際の残存物である. 特に、セントローレンス学校の校庭での考古学的発掘によって、保存状態の良いモザイク画をもった、大きなローマ人集落の遺跡が見つかった. 町の中心部はエイヴォン川を横切る浅瀬を囲むように発達し、これが町の名前の由来（Broad-Ford）となった. この浅瀬はノルマン人の支配下にあった時代に現在も残る石橋によって補強された. ノルマン人がいた側は上流であり、橋はアーチ型に削られた. 新しい側もアーチが彫られた. 町の橋と教会はイギリスの一級史跡である. 橋は当初、荷馬用であったが、１７世紀に西側が作り直されたことで拡張された. ピューリタン革命のさなかの１６４３年７月２日、町はランズダウンの戦いへ向かう途中に橋の管理権を握った王党派間の衝突の舞台となった. 橋の上には当初は教会として使われ、のちに町の拘留所として使われた小さな建物がある. 建物の頂点についていた風向計はガッジョンの形をしており、それゆえ地元のことわざでは「我々は水の上、魚の下にいる」と言われる. ウィドゥブロック グレンジは町の縁にあるジョージ王朝風の荘園の館である. 荘園は元々はマンバーズ伯爵の私有地にモデル農場として作られたが、現在はホテルとして経営されている. 河川水を動力源とした毛織物工場が町に富をもたらした. 町には地元の織物産業が最も栄えた、１７世紀の建造物がある. 織工の家の最も良い例は、ニュータウンやミドルランク、トーリーテラスにある. １８世紀初め、ダニエル・デフォーはブラッドフォード・オン・エイヴォンを訪れ、「ブラッドフォード・オン・エイヴォンでは１０，０００ユーロから４０，０００ユーロで織物仕上げ工を雇うのは全く普通のことだ、という話を聞いた. 」と述べた. 産業革命期の織物工業における機械化の進展に伴って、毛織物産業は小さな小屋から、織機の動力として水と蒸気を使えるような、エイヴォン川に近接する場所へ意図的に建てられた工場へ中心が移った. ブラッドフォード・オン・エイヴォンにはそのような工場が３０ほど建てられ、１９世紀後半にイギリス毛織物工業の中心がヨークシャーに移るまで長きにわたって繁栄した. 最後の地元の工場が１９０５年に閉鎖した. 多くの工場はそれ以来持ち主がおらず、廃墟となったものもある. ブラッドフォード・オン・エイヴォンの特筆すべき特徴は１４世紀に建てられた、サクソン・タイズ. バーンとして知られる巨大な二級史跡タイズ・バーンである. 長さ１８０フィート、幅３０フィートあり、バートンファーム国家公園の一部である. その納屋は教会に資金を提供するための税を、品物のかたちで集めておくことに使われていた. 町の中心部や周辺にあるいくつかの建造物は２０１２年までにリノベーションや再開発の対象に指定された. １９９８年にはウィルトシャー音楽センターがブラッドフォード・オン・エイヴォンのセントローレンス学校の敷地内にオープンした. ２０００年にはミリー記念碑がお披露目された. ２００３年８月８日にはブラッドフォード・オン・エイヴォンがフェアトレード・タウンとしての地位を認められた.

政治
町には２つの選挙区（北部と南部）がある. ２０１１年の国勢調査ではそれらを合わせた領域と人口が前述の区分と一致した.

教会
有名なのは、７０５年ごろセントアルドヘルムによって見つけられたサクソン教会（セントローレンスを指す）である. ここは一時的に殉職者エドワード王の埋葬地にされた. 教会は１８５６年カノン・ウィリアム・フランプトンによって再発見され、非宗教的な用途に（聞いたところでは家や学校、工場の一部として）使われた. 考古学に興味があったカノン・フランプトンの研究では、ウィリアム・オブ・マールズベリーについての記述でその教会のことが言及されている. 高いレベルで隠れた拱廊を含むいくつかの建物はより後の時代に属し、一方で２０１２年２月に教会で使用可能なリーフレットは、すべての建物は９５０年～１０５０年のものとするのが好ましいようだ、と主張している. 外側の手の込んだ装飾は扶壁柱、つまり二つの彩色のない蛇腹な幅広い小壁からできており、それらの間には上部が円形でその短く垂直な壁が台形の柱頭と柱礎をもつアーチのある、隠れた拱廊がある. 一方で東側の切妻壁と隣接した角には垂直な三つの半円筒型の一連の蛇腹の装飾がある. 教会の中には小さなチャンセルアーチの上の壁の高い位置に飛んでいる天使の彫刻が二つある. 右側の彫刻は伝えるところによれば「透明な着衣を着ているように意図されている. …脚の膝から下は透明なローブを通して見えているように描かれている. これは「奇想」だとして言及されている. サクソン教会に加えて、町には英国教会の教会が四つ、英国教会の礼拝堂が一つバプティスト派の教会が二つ、統一教会（メソジスト派と合同改革教会）が一つ、自由非国教会が一つ、地域教会が一つ