История и развитие деревни Пиздаун-Сент-Джон

The present village of Peasedown St John is relatively modern. 'A place known by the name of The Red Post' was how the scattering of buildings was referred to in 1768, taking its name from the local Public House. The hamlet of Carlingcott on the north west edge of Peasedown is known to have existed before 1800 but the main modern development in the area began in the 19th century when the Somerset Coalfield was greatly expanded as the Industrial Revolution increased demand for coal across England. By the early 1840s there was still no discernible village, except a few cottages around the Red Post and a small number of buildings along what would become the Bath Road, near a field named "Pease Down" (now Highfield Road). The 1841 census lists about fifteen households with around eighty people living at "Peas Down", mostly coal miners, with some agricultural labourers, two carpenters, a seamstress, and a stonemason. The sinking of the Braysdown colliery in 1845 meant that accommodation had to be built for the enlarged workforce to work the new pit and expansion of the village was now inevitable. With the closure of the coal mines in the period up to the 1970s, and the growing popularity of out of town living, Peasedown rapidly became a commuter village for the cities of Bath and Bristol. This increased with two further phases of construction, the first in the 1950s and 1960s and the second in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Both involved the construction of what were intended as affordable family housing, the first phase being mainly in the southeast of the village and consisting mostly of terraced or semi detached properties.

Although it was between 1850 and 1890 that Peasedown grew into being a distinct settlement, it was not until 1955 that it became a civil parish, has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, such as the village hall or community centre, playing fields and playgrounds, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also of interest to the council. The parish falls within the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset, and within the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non metropolitan county. Between 1 April 1974 and 1 April 1996 it was in the Wansdyke district of the county of Avon. Before 1974 that the parish was part of the Bathavon Rural District. The village falls within 'Peasedown' electoral ward with the same area and population as the parish. The parish is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom as part of North East Somerset.

Peasedown lies on one of the many hills outside Bath, roughly south southwest of Bath and southeast of Bristol. Much the village lies on the relatively flat section on the top of the hill, but the northwestern side of the village is on the slope of the hill. The village of Wellow, 3 miles (4 km) to the east of Peasedown, marks the southern edge of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Along with the rest of South West England, Peasedown St John has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country. The annual mean temperature is approximately Seasonal temperature variation is less extreme than most of the United Kingdom because of the adjacent sea temperatures. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately In winter mean minimum temperatures of or are common.

Amenities include a doctors' surgery, a dental practice, a veterinary practice, two public houses (The Waggon & Horses and The Red Post, built in 1851), a youth centre, cricket and football clubs a Cattery and a range of shops. Sulis Hospital, just off the bypass and to the south, was designed by Foster and Partners and opened in 2010 as a private hospital called Circle Bath. Since 2021 it has been a subsidiary of Bath's Royal United Hospital, providing both private and NHS treatment. There are children's play areas at Beacon Field, Eckweek Lane and on 'the Rec' (Peasedown Recreation Field), with the latter including a skate park. There is a further public open space at Ecewiche Green. Beacon Hall is the home of the Peasedown St John Community Association.

Peasedown Athletic Football Club began life in the late 1800s as Peasedown Miners Welfare; the club continues to field a senior team in the Somerset County League and a Reserve side in the Midsomerset Football League. Peasedown Albion Football Club runs junior sides for 150 children and teenagers. Peasedown St John Cricket Club was founded over 100 years ago. Today it runs several adult teams and three youth teams. Adjacent to the ground is the clubhouse which is also used to hold a variety of social functions. Camerton and Peasedown Crouquet Club opened in spring 2012. Peasedown St John Scout Group runs Beavers, Cubs and Scouts for young people aged 6–14, and Explorer Scouts for older teenagers.

The A367 (which follows the route of the Roman Fosse Way) between Lincoln and Exeter used to run through Peasedown, but it was bypassed in the mid 1990s. The village is roughly 7 mile (11 km) between the A36 and the A37 to the east and west respectively. First West of England provides Peasedown St. John with bus services to and from Bath, Radstock, Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Shepton Mallet and Wells. Bus connections to Bristol and in other directions are frequent via Bath. The village is also home to the coach hire company Arleen.

There is a large primary school in Peasedown St John, built in 1913 and extended significantly in recent years. In a 2007 inspection report it was described as "A good school with many outstanding features". This judgement was reiterated by Ofsted in 2011. The nearest secondary school is Writhlington School in Writhlington, Radstock, and others are at Midsomer Norton and Bath. Further and higher education locally is provided by the University of Bath, Bath Spa University, the City of Bath College, and Norton Radstock College. Special needs education is provided by Three Ways School.

Peasedown St John has four Christian churches: Church of England, Methodist, Catholic and Christadelphian. The Parish Church of St John the Baptist was created on 6 August 1874 by Order in Council. Instrumental in its foundation were the Misses Jarrett of Camerton Court, owners of the Camerton Collieries which employed many Peasedown men. As well as providing the land and much of the capital for the construction of the church of St John the Baptist and the adjacent vicarage, they were also responsible for building the first school buildings which stood on Jarrett land in what became Church Road. The current church building dates from 1893, and was designed by George Frederick Bodley and Thomas Garner, replacing an earlier iron structure. The Church is home to a growing congregation, and with an emphasis on Bible teaching and a belief in the work of the Holy Spirit. Today St John's Church forms part of 'the St J's' Benefice, which also includes St Julian's Church in Wellow, St James the Less Church in Foxcote and St Julian's Chapel in Shoscombe. Peasedown St John Methodist Church was also founded in 1874. The church congregation is active in the community, hosting youth work, lunches for the elderly, drug intervention schemes, and children's clubs. Peasedown Christadelphian Hall is on Huddox Hill.

Peasedown St John was one of several local villages where in the 1930s budding children's author Roald Dahl used to sell kerosene. As he described in his autobiographical work Boy: Tales of Childhood (published 1984):