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Pillhead House
Location: ST550859
  
Geologically the area between the River Severn in the west and the hills to the east of Easter Compton is known as the Henbury Levels. The Levels form an area of low elevation comprising flat and artificially drained land. Originally sea marsh, the superficial deposits created by Holocene inundations, bog formations and intermediate dry periods have been stabilised by centuries of drainage and sea defence construction which has resulted in the pasture land seen today.
Archaelogical information on the area is sketchy, but during the last 15 years excavations have uncovered Iron Age sites at Green Lane, Hallen and Awkley, and Romano-British sites at Northwick, Ellinghurst Farm, Awkley Hill, Crooks Marsh Farm, Spaniorum and Cattybrook, as well as at Lawrence Weston and (in 1950) at Kings Weston. The evidence suggests that the landscape has existed in much the same form as now for the last 2000 years, and has been subject to inundation on a regular basis, as now.
The period of Roman occupation, AD43-410, coincided with a much drier period on the levels, and it is believed that to some extent this was the result of extensive drainage engineering, which included alterations to the course of the Pill. Indeed, much drainage work had been carried out prior to the arrival of the Romans.
Whilst there is no evidence of Roman occupation at Pillhead, a Roman camp was uncovered in Bank Road almost 50 years ago and crossings via the English Stones are believed to have been attempted by the Romans. Continual findings of Roman coins at New Passage would seem to indicate more than just casual activity on, or at the mouth of, the Pill.
It is difficult to put an exact date on any but the most famous
buildings and even they are subject to doubt and dispute. Even
so, the house at Pillhead, commonly known as Pillhead Cottages,
is firmly established by Wessex Archaeology as having been built
between 1700 and 1720. This is the more architecturally pleasing
higher western side. The lower, cottage-style, parts on the
east appear to have been built as a series of inferior extensions around 18 3 0, at which time the west was also refurbished.
It appears likely the building started life as a single dwelling in the style of a small mansion or manor house. A central stairway led from the ground floor to a balcony onto which opened the upper rooms. The top of the stairway was widely splayed to provide equal access to all rooms, and a large inglenook fireplace at the south end providing one cooking area seems to confirm its original use as one house.
The house was bought and converted to office use by the Bristol and South Wales Union Railway, presumably around 1863 when the line to New Passage Pier was opened. New Passage had been a ferry point for many years and was served by coaches from Bristol for the crossing to Portskewett. With the opening of the Union Railway New Passage and Pillhead House were to be the scene of increased activity for 23 years. Pillhead became known as the "Coal Offices" and were the centre for coal movements within the area. Coal barges were able to sail up to Pillhead on the high tide. Coking coal was supplied to the "Gas House", a large factory some 300 yards nearer the Severn along New Passage. Here, coke was burned to provide gas to light the New Passage Hotel & the Pier, which was 594 yards long, being 30 feet wide for the first 400 yards, and then widening to provide platforms onto which passengers could alight from the carriages that had been driven onto the pier. The structure was supported on piles driven some 30 feet into the bed of the river and rising some 50 feet above it, and firmly braced by horizontal and vertical wal-ings. The passenger platform on the south side was 100 yards long with waiting rooms and offices. At the pier head a series of stages was built with a staircase attached to a pontoon which rose and fell with the tide so bringing the stairs level with the stage across which passengers could step directly onto the ship. As you can imagine there was a considerable need for gas supply. With the opening of the Severn Tunnel in 1886 the pier was no longer needed and by spring 1888 it had been dismantled, all 10 0,000 cubic feet of timber, together with its moorings of 14 anchors and 9,510 feet of chain. The salvaged material was moved past Pillhead by rail to Pilning Junction. Nothing of the pier remains,, the stub end that can be seen at New Passage has been rebuilt on the site of the original which was destroyed. Some of the ^coring points can be seen in the river at low tide.
The Gas House continued to provide gas with fuel supplied from Pillhead for the New Passage Hotel and local houses, probably until electricity was provided in the 1920s and later. After that the Gas House stood empty for many years, supplying its iron fittings for use in the Second World War. Eventually, as it was in a dangerous condition, the owner of the land on which it stood, Mr Charlie Cottrell, had its tall chimney & building demolished by explosion in about 1962, although much of the brickwork was preserved in local wall and other rebuilding schemes.
After the demolition of the pier most of the line continued in use as in 1878 a branch line had been constructed across the turning circle at New Passage to the Shaft. Coal was supplied from Pillhead to the Shaft to run the pumping machinery in use in the Severn Tunnel which was under construction by then. In 1900 the line from Avonmouth was extended to link with the line at Pillhead in order that rail traffic could travel to Cardiff from Avonmouth without the need to go via Bristol. This line which ran along the east side of Green Lane provided a spur onto Shaft Road to supply the coal needed at the pumping station and the line to New Passage then became surplus to requirements and the track was removed. Nothing remains of this line although its course could clearly be seen, particularly at Pillhead, but much has been obliterated by the Second Crossing Works. At the house called Puffers End at the west end of New Passage the turntable used to turn the engines stood and the shape of the table with its circular banks can still be clearly seen although a new concrete wall being built may soon obscure the view for outsiders. Coal was supplied along the spur from Green Lane until the Shaft workings were converted to electricity and Pillhead had then no useful purpose to serve as the "Coal Offices". By the time the Rifle Range was built in 1933 the Coal Offices were no more.
The scheme for the Bristol and South Wales Junction Railway that had been authorised by Parliament in 1846 and had been overtaken by the rinion Railway scheme incorporated in 1857 had got under way in 1863, but was to last only 23 years. With the closure of the Union Railway operations passed into the hands of Great Western w'no operated the adjoining services in the west countryand ownership of Pillhead remained in the hands of Great Western until 1970. It is believed that Pillhead was then converted to three cottages and rented to rail employees, and during the 1930s all three occupants, Messrs Cottrell, Oakhill and England were permanent way workers. For almost 20 years the England family operated a mini farm from their cottage, selling milk, eggs, etc.
In 1948 the rail system was nationalised and ownership of Pillhead passed to British Rail. Unable to cope with the traditional demands and unwilling to act in its best regional interests the rail system failed and in 1964 many local branch lines were to close. The halt, some 70 yards east of Pillhead, opened in 1928 and reviving the name New Passage on the timetables was closed & with it Cross Hands Halt and Pilning Low Level and a whole way of life. The census of 1871 showed that 15 men were employed on the New Passage ferries, 13 of whom lived in New Passage, and 13 men were employed at New Passage Pier Station, all of whom lived in New Passage, many in Bland's Cottages, now known as Blands Row. By 1966, 2 years after nationalisation, only one man, Mr Ron Singer, was employed on the railway in this area. As Line and Tunnel Inspector, Mr Singer lived at Pillhead until April 1970 when he left his post and his home to live in Cross Hands Road. With no further need for railway housing in the area British Rail sold the property to Gloucester, Rural District Council of Thorn-bury and with the Local Government Reorganisation of 1972 Pillhead passed into the ownership of Northavon District Council. About this time the last remaining railwayman, Walter Cottrell died, and for the first time in over 100 years Pillhead had no connection with the railway.
Around 1976/8 the last residents Mr & Mrs Jack Snell and Mrs Gladys Devlin and daughter Ann-Marie were rehoused in Patchway K Thornbury respectively. Mr Cottrell's house, having stood empty for a couple of years was used to re-house a rent arrears family from Thornbury and when they too were re-housed Pillhead became empty, around 1978/9 and fell into disrepair. Many enquiries were made by interested purchasers but Northavon obviously had prior knowledge of what was to come and refused to consider any sale. I am now informed by Northavon the cottages are surplus to their requirements although disposal cannot be considered until after the completion of the Second Severn Crossing and its associated roads as there are outstanding claims against Dept of Transport and Wessex Water in respect of works carried out adjacent to the properties.
I was unable to find any information relating to the occupants of the house prior to its use as a coal office. Census counting was not carried out until 1841. Although early census forms often carried details of the property as well as the occupants my searches of microfilm relevant to the 1841 and 1861 census counts failed to reveal a listing for Pillhead showing occupation for the area only as New Passage.
It appears then that the gentleman responsible for the construction of Pillhead must remain a mystery along with its derelict attic room and long disused cellar, although two billheads found in the attic,and shown to me by Mr Singer both relate to Bath at the end of the 18th century, may indicate the resident of the time perhaps came from that area or perhaps merely shopped there!
[Source: F Barr]
[OCR Copied from A4 Typed Document]
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