About Yate

Yate is a UK town situated in the south-west of England and lies 11 miles north-east of Bristol in the county of South Gloucestershire.

We will endeavour to encourage and promote the best social and environmental practices for the town of Yate by managing services, assets and the resources of the Town Council for the benefit of the local community. 

At the 2001 census its population was 21,789. The town is surrounded by countryside and within reach of the cities of Bristol and Bath by bicycle, car, or public transport.

The history of the town is quite considerable. Yate is mentioned in the Saxon Chronicles and also, in the Domesday Book which makes Yate over 1000 years old.

Defibrillators around Yate

Yate Town Council has installed an Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) at the following sites:

  1. Elmwood entrance to Kingsgate Park;
  2. Poole Court, Poole Court Drive, adjacent to the disabled access;
  3. Sunnyside Bowls Pavillion;
  4. Armadillo Youth Venue and Café, opposite Morrisons;
  5. Yate Parish Hall, Station Road.

The town council will be installing over the next few months further AED’s at:

  1. Abbotswood Shopping Centre;
  2. Brinsham Park Carpark;
  3. Yate Heritage Centre;
  4. Westerleigh Road, the Road to Nowhere end.

The Town Council liaised with South West Ambulance to ensure the AED’s installed are easy to see (they are bright yellow), easy to use and easy to maintain.

If, in an emergency an AED is required, please dial 999 in the first instance and you will be directed to the nearest accessible unit and provided with a code if the AED is in a lockable cabinet.

Yate Town Council’s AED’s have voice and visual prompts when the cabinets are opened.  Public AED awareness sessions will be planned when possible.

If you are interested in supporting the Town Council’s ongoing project to make defibrillators more widely available and help save lives, any contributions would be gratefully received.  Alternatively, if you would like to sponsor the purchase and installation of a defibrillator – as a business or an individual – please contact us.

COVID-19

Yate Town Council has created a dedicated COVID page on our website which contains information and updates regarding the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Yate Town Council

The Town Council represents the interests of the people of Yate.

A large proportion of the Council’s time is spent representing, lobbying and campaigning for the needs of our community.

The Council also provides the residents of Yate with leisure facilities and amenities, such as parks, play areas, football pitches, a skateboarding / BMX park and much more.

In addition, we own several properties including the Pop Inn Café, Yate Heritage Centre, the Parish Hall and Poole Court. Some of our facilities are available to hire.

Travelling to and from Yate

Yate is conveniently located for easy access to both the M4 and M5 motorways. Easy access is gained to Wales by the River Severn suspension bridges.

Yate Railway Station

Yate has its own railway station, located on the main Bristol to Birmingham line. Trains are operated by First Great Western. Yate station is 7 miles from Parkway station to connect with trains to London.

Yate Buses

Various bus companies operate regular daily services throughout Yate – AndyBus, Cotswold Edge Bus Company, First Group and Wessex Connect.

Bristol Airport

The nearest airport is Bristol Airport, which is located 18 miles away at Lulsgate, south of Bristol.

Local Authorities

The town council is Yate Town Council. Yate was in Gloucestershire until 1974 when it became part of the newly-formed County of Avon. In 1996 the Avon authority was abolished and the area became part of the unitary authority of South Gloucestershire Council.

Yate: In the beginning

Yate is derived from the Saxon work Gete, Geate or Giete, meaning a gateway into a forest area. A charter of 778AD, mentions Giete when Alfred, King of the Hwicce gave it to St. Mary’s Priory in Worcester. This charter may, however, be a forgery.

In Domesday Book, 1086, Yate was listed as an outlying part of the manor of Westbury-on-Trym and was still held by St. Mary’s, Worcester. Until 1228, the Forest of Kingswood extended from Bristol in the south to Huntingford (near Wotton-under-Edge) in the north and from the Severn estuary in the west to the brow of the escarpment through Hawkesbury, Old Sodbury, and Lansdown in the east.

Places to Visit around Yate

Yate is within easy reach of many interesting cities:-

  • Bristol is 11 miles away and has many attractions including 2 Cathedrals, SS Great Britain, Explore @ Bristol and Durdham Downs and Zoological Gardens.
  • Bath, a world heritage site, lies 15 miles away and is famous for its architecture and use of Bath stone. Bath also has many attractions including the Roman Baths, Pump Rooms and Abbey.
  • Gloucester is 30 miles away and features a Norman Cathedral and redeveloped dock area.

Other places of interest include:-

  • Yate Court – was the seat of the lords of the manor of Yate from at least the early 13th century. It eventually became a dairy farm and remained so until the mid 1990’s.
  • Acton Court – dates from the late medieval period and was inextricably linked with the Poyntz family, one of the mightiest families in southern Gloucestershire.
  • Badminton – the ancestral home of the Dukes of Beaufort, which hosts the internationally Badminton Horse Trials each May.
  • Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust – offers a great day out for all the family and those interested in birds.
  • Berkeley Castle – a place of historical interest as it was the scene of the murder of Edward 11.
  • Castle Combe – a picturesque Cotswold village and home to a popular motor racing circuit. The scenic area was featured in the “Doctor Doolittle” film.
  • Dyrham Park – a William and Mary mansion built at the turn of the eighteenth centre. It is administered by the National Trust and the grounds are extensive.
  • Hawkesbury Upton – Tyndale Monument at North Nibley and Stinchcombe Hill – Cotswold vantage points which offer breathtaking views.
  • Westonbirt Arboretum – offers 600 acres of rare and unusual trees.

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