Falfield can be explored through two themes: its closely intertwined church and local history, and the public rights of way through the parish. This distinction can help with travel planning, since historical connections and paths describe different aspects of the place. You can decide in advance whether Falfield’s history or finding your way around the surrounding area should be your focus.

The Church, the Jenkinson family and Eastwood Park

The Church of St George brings together a specific memorial and the history of the Jenkinson family. The church contains a Gothic alabaster monument to Sir G.S. Jenkinson, who died in 1892. The church’s connection with the family extends beyond this monument: the history of the parish church is closely linked with the Jenkinsons, who owned the Eastwood Park estate until 1916. Sir George Jenkinson also provided the land for the construction of the church, the rectory and the school in Falfield.

Eastwood Park is also part of this historical context. The estate was begun around 1820 for the Earl of Liverpool and rebuilt and extended around 1865 for Sir G.S. Jenkinson. S.W. Daukes of Gloucester is considered the likely architect. Today, Eastwood Park is a hospital engineering centre. The sequence of building phases places the estate in the history of the Jenkinsons without conflating the different dates into a single phase of construction.

Remembrance at the War Memorial

The Falfield War Memorial was erected in 1921 in memory of the men of the parish who died while serving in the First World War. It was later also dedicated to the men who fell in the Second World War. A memorial service is still held every year; check the specific dates locally.

The memorial’s location also tells a story of local history: in 1964, it was moved about 25 metres to the north-east because of improvements to the A38. At the time, the road was referred to as the Exeter-to-Leeds trunk road. The memorial therefore brings both remembrance of the fallen and a change in the road layout into focus. These two aspects can be considered separately when planning a stay in Falfield: as a place of remembrance and as part of local development history.

Public rights of way and getting around

Several public rights of way pass through the parish of Falfield and are now legally protected. An interactive map provides full details of the rights of way through the parish and surrounding area. If you want to explore the paths, the map gives an overview of their routes and the information recorded. This keeps the focus on the network of paths, rather than inferring a particular route from individual rights of way.

The Village Green and local traditions

The Village Green was used for the annual May Day celebrations and for singing Christmas carols around the Christmas tree. These events were organised by the Falfield Village Hall Management Committee. The two occasions take place in different seasons and show how the village green was used for community traditions. If you want to plan your trip around one of these events, check the specific dates locally.

Another landmark in the surrounding area is a windmill tower near Falfield, visible from the A38 and just visible from the M5. Together with the church and memorial history, and the public rights of way, it offers an overview of several distinct Falfield themes: historical connections, community remembrance, paths and visible features of the surrounding area.

Discover more destinations: Rangeworthy, Chippenham, Thornbury, Pucklechurch, Marshfield, Wick, Badminton, Acton Turville.

For the wider travel overview: South Gloucestershire.