About Portishead
Portishead is a town in North Somerset with an estimated population of 21,000 and is located on the Bristol Channel coast just 10 miles west of Bristol.
Portishead's history dates back to Roman times. Its name derives from the 'port at the head of the river', having been called Portshead and Portschute at times in its history and Portesheve in the Domesday Book, and was locally known as Posset. The town was built on the mouth of a small tributary; the High Street once met the water at the top of the river. Iron rings, evidence of where the old fishing boats used to moor can still be seen today on the street's stone walls.
Portishead is primarily a dormitory town for Bristol and its environs. Local employers include the Avon and Somerset Constabulary, which has its headquarters on the western edge of the town, Gordano School, and numerous care homes for the elderly, as well as a retail complex. The town has retained a 'local shop identity', despite some larger DIY chains and supermarkets being built.
The Portishead coastline is of environmental and geological interest. The Lake Grounds area, built in the early 20th century around an artificial lake, is the town's main park area. One of the UK's last surviving outdoor swimming pools is situated on the shore next to the Lake Grounds and is open during the summer months. In 2009, the outdoor pool was renovated by a team filming for American TV programme Ty's Great British Adventure. Above the Lake grounds is Battery Point, where a gun battery was sited to protect the Severn Estuary from invasion fleets.
Information & text gathered from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved September 1st, 2021, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portishead