Old Sodbury
| Old Sodbury | |
|---|---|
 The Dog Inn |
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 Old Sodbury
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| Old Sodbury shown within Gloucestershire | |
| Population | 661 (2011 Census) |
| OS grid reference | ST726822 |
| Civil parish | |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BRISTOL |
| Postcode district | BS37 |
| Dialling code | 01454 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Avon |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | |
Old Sodbury is a small village in the valley of the River Frome just below and to the west of the Cotswold escarpment and to the east of Chipping Sodbury and Yate in South Gloucestershire, England. It is situated in the Hundred of Grumbald's Ash. The village extends from Chipping Sodbury in the West to the Cotswold Edge in the East and is on the Cotswold Way. The Badminton Road (A432) winds eastwards towards Badminton, Gloucestershire through the village, up to the Cross Hands junction with the A46, which runs along the top of the Cotswold escarpment from Bath to Stroud.
The village lies on an old coaching route, and is much more ancient than its westerly neighbour, Chipping Sodbury: hence the name 'Old' Sodbury.
The name of the village is recorded in Anglo-Saxon (in the dative case) as Soppanbyrig = "Soppa's fort" and in Domesday Book as Sopeberie. The name may refer to the Iron Age hill fort just to the north-east of the village. The fort, perched on the edge of the Cotswold escarpment, is enclosed on three sides by two parallel earthworks, and is open to the west, commanding an impressive view of the Frome Valley, Severn Vale and the Welsh mountains. The earth walls enclose an area of 11 acres (45,000 m2), and are usually kept mown by the local farmer (the fort is in private hands, but accessible). The fort can be reached by footpath from the A46 road, and through the village from below via the Cotswold Way. Below the fort is a group of ancient pillow mounds which are supposed to have been created by people who hoped rabbits would develop warrens there – providing a source of meat.
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Wikipedia