In the late 18th century Nailsea was a small industrial village based on coal mining and glass manufacturing.

It also had a thriving farming community hence the smock-wearing, straw-chewing image of a rural argicultural worker.

Nailsea is situated  on the edge of the North Somerset Levels which is rich in flora and fauna and boasts the remains of a Roman villa although most of its glassworks relics are buried under the teletubbies mound opposite Tesco.

Nowadays Nailsea it is more of a commuter new town with a population of approximately 23,000 if you include next door Backwell.

It boasts a railway station with direct links to London and nearby is Bristol Airport which offers hundreds of international destinations. 

Nailsea is 11 miles from Bristol city centre and a few miles from the Someset coastal towns of Clevedon and Weston-super-Mare with the M5 and M4 on its doorstep.

With a fantastic community spirit and fabulous schools Nailsea is a lovely place to live and work but you may have to go out-of-town for somewhere really exciting to play or sadly shop.

Nailsea's most famous sons are the 19th century evangelist Hannah More who ran a bible class at the Tithe Barn to teach the children of the poor to read but not write; musician and song writer Adge Cutter, of The Wurzels, who grew up in the town and recorded Drink Up Thy Zyder the national anthem of the West Country life at the Royal Oak pub; and Redvers Coates who founded Coates Cider Company  - that's one God-fearing teetotaler and two who knew what their right arm was for - you can see their silhouette statues at the Millennium Park. 

The brass figure of a glassblower is opposite the High Street entrance of Tesco supermarket positioned against a backdrop of traffic signs

Where once the residents of Nailsea were farmers, coal miners or glass workers in 2014 our biggest employers are the Dutch-owned Brabantia and world leaders GE Oil and Gas now called Baker Hughes Energy Technology Uk Limited.

The firm makes modern home items like waste bins, laundry racks and food storage containers and the other specialises in advanced energy drilling and production energy technology.

Local authority North Somerset Council and nearby Bristol Airport also employs many Nailsea residents. 

More history on the gallery yesterdays page HERE