Yate & District
Heritage Centre
Public Collections

Local History

Yate & District Heritage Centre offers an extensive range of local history material for researchers and general visitors. There are over 200 history files containing documents, and photographs of each aspect of the history of the Yate area.

  • Of particular importance are the collections relating to Parnall Aircraft (Creda Archive), Newman Industries, World War I & II and local farming.
  • Yate Heritage Centre Photo Archive; the archive contains over 2000 local history photographs on every aspect of the area's history with significant collections of World War I and Newman Industries images. The archive has recently been enhanced with over 500 key Murray Dowding images of the local area in the early 20th century. Since 2015 we have also had access to the Gazette collection of press photographs since 1962 numbering several thousands.
  • Oral History Collection. Since 200 we have carried out over 200 interviews for the Heritage Centre on all manner of industrial, social and domestic life in the area.
  • Map Collections. The Centre has a good selection of maps of the area including tithe map copies, 1880s, 1902-3, 1920-21 and post war maps 
  • Chipping Sodbury; Sodbury forms around 10% of the collection with numerous images, maps and oral history.
  • Outlying areas; the Centre contains documents and images for all the villages and hamlets in a 3 mile radius of Yate and beyond. There is particularly rich information on Manors, World War I and Mining linked to surrounding areas.

Local & Family History Records

  • Family History Computer Sites
  • Yate Parish Records 1662-1812 (Film)
  • Yate Burials 1942-74 (Fiche)
  • Chipping Sodbury Burials 1813- 1888 (Fiche)
  • Chipping Sodbury Marriages 1661-1836 (Fiche)
  • Chipping Sodbury Baptism 1813 – 1935 (Fiche)
  • Chipping Sodbury Banns 1754-1871 (Fiche)
  • Yate & Sodbury Directories 1831-1939 (Fiche)
  • Yate Vestry Minutes 1831-1902 (CD)
  • Yate (1863 – 1908) & North Road (1879 – 1929) Log Books (CD)
  • Yate Electoral Registers 1918-1930 (Fiche)
  • Yate Inclosure Award (Folder & CD)
  • Gaol, Transportation & Workhouse Building Records (especially 1943-70)

Yate Heritage Centre Book List

  • A Miscellany of Memories – Chipping Sodbury School -1938-1988.
  • Chipping Sodbury Golf Club Centenary 1905 – 2005 A Commemorative
  • Dodington – Dodington House - tour around its park, the house
  • Dodington – An Illustrated Survey – the book is full of pictures and information about the house.
  • Frampton Cotterell and Coalpit Heath (in photographs)
  • Horton Church School
  • The History of Yate – the leaflet is from early history to 1980s
  • Letters to the Parishes from the Rector (Horton)
  • Tapestry of Time - The Dodington Story.
  • The Sodburys – Images of England – Compile - This book records 240 pictures.
  • Whispers from the Workhouse – The Story of the Spike
  • Parnall's in Memoriam – Oral History linked to the bombing of Parnall Aircraft
  • The Three Sodburys – The book gives information about the town different times – from Pre-history to present day.
  • Remember your Manors – Pat Alcock
  • Rural House 1720 – Linda Hall
  • Yate Farms – Mary Isaac
  • Butcher , Baker , Candle maker – Chipping Sodbury – This book is a record in tables about the buildings of the town from 1795 onwards.
  • Acton Court – The evolution of a Tudor Manor House.
  • Wickwar through the ages – history about the town
  • Medieval Gloucestershire – The industry of the area from the period.
  • The Place Names of Gloucestershire – In 4 volumes.
  • The Gloucestershire Constabulary – History from 1839 -1985 – by Harry Thomas
  • Country Library Series – Road and Transport in Gloucestershire
  • Glorious Gloucestershire – Wallis Peel
  • I remember – Social Life in Gloucestershire villages 1850 -1950.
  • Evening Post – Simply Glorious the Rise of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club – By Andy Stockhausen
  • The History of Frenchay Hospital – James C Briggs.
  • A place-name of Gloucestershire by H Smith - English Place-Name Society Volumes 1-4.

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Photos or Film from Yate's Past - If you own something of interest then contact Yate Heritage Centre.

Yate Heritage Centre, Church Road, Yate, Bristol BS37 5BG. Tel: 01454 862200

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Forthcoming Events

Take a look at our calendar of forthcoming events in Yate. If you find something of interest, then we would love to see you there.

What People are Saying

"It was well planned, informative with lots to see and lots to do".
Pupils at Broadway Infants School

 

"Fantastic! Thorough and comprehensive. Lots of visual things for the children....".
St Paul's Catholic Primary School

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Learning with Yate Heritage Centre

We work with original local archive material, photographs, maps, census forms and oral history.

We can offer:

  • Loans Boxes 
  • Visits to your school
  • Visits to our Heritage Centre

Inspire the curiosity of your class. Help them to understand the complexity of people's lives, the process of change, the diversity and relationships between different groups in their own locality through time.

Visit our learning page to find out more.