Kingshill

Kings Hill was part of the Town tithing and is a steep, crooked hill that leads from Lower Street to the back road from Litton to the main Bristol to Wells road.This used to be the main road until the turnpike road was built in the 18th century which involved cutting a new road through Chew Hill. This extract is taken from the 1794 map.

The blue spot is the approximate location of what was once the ‘Duck Gallery’ but was the site of the Batt’s wagon making business. The field marked 379 is known as Batt’s Wood as a result, not because it is the home of fling mammals although it might be that as well.

The yellow spot marks the site of Kings Hill Cottage which is a new building but is a redevelopment on the site of an earlier building.

Brook cottage shown on the left is on the corner of Lower Street and Kings Hill shown by the red spot on the map. It may have been one of the many shops in the village. Ken Church remembers that Jack Young who is was the post master at the beginning of the 20th century lived there. It was also a doctor’s surgery. Terry Green, who kindly provided this photograph, remembers visiting Dr Miles of Paulton there.

The green spot marks a building which may have been the Batt’s workshop or another building which was demolished when what are now known as the Alms Houses were built in 1812.

There are a number of theories for the source of the name Kings Hill.

One is that it originated during the English Civil war when there were a few military  actions in the vicinity of the village. There was a gathering of an ‘army’ but they were Parliamentarians and the action is generally accepted as being based at Nedge.

Another possibility is that the name is linked to the bronze age barrow between Kings Hill and Chew Hill. A legend could have grown up that the barrow was where the ‘king’ was buried.

The most likely explanation is that it is a contraction of Kingsmill’s Hill. The locals still pronounce it as ‘Kinsel’.