Long Ashton & Gordano

Long Ashton sits on the edge of the Gordano Valley, centred on a village green and parish church. The village grew around farming and small-scale industry; a notable local institution was the Long Ashton Research Station, established in the early 20th century and long associated with fruit and cider studies. Alley lanes and footpaths link the village to orchards, the remnants of the research plots and a network of community facilities, including a school and village hall. Historic farm buildings and the church tower mark the settlement on Ordnance Survey maps and local walking routes.

The Gordano Valley itself is a low-lying corridor of farmland, scrub and pockets of woodland with a string of small settlements — Portbury, Easton-in-Gordano, Walton-in-Gordano and Pill — set along its slopes and lanes. The M5 follows the valley floor and the Gordano motorway services occupy a site beside the carriageway; local circular walks known as the Gordano Round use minor roads and field paths to link farms, hedgerows and the valley rim. Seasonal tides and drainage shape the lowland fields and lanes.