Westbury-on-Trym

The origins of Westbury-on-Trym predate those of Bristol itself. In the 6th century Westbury was in the territory of Hwicce, which became part of Mercia in the 7th century. The earliest record of Westbury, in the form Uuestburg, was in a charter dated between 793 and 796. -burg or -bury was from the Old English burh, which usually meant a fort but could also mean a fortified house or a minster. The name may refer to a minster already present on the site of the parish church in the 8th century. It is not clear why the burh was "west". It possibly referred to the westernmost minster in the territory of Hwicce. At the end of the 8th century, King Offa of Mercia granted land at Westbury to his…