Filton, a Suburban Town Located in South Gloucestershire, England
The suburban town of Filton is found in South Gloucestershire, England. It lies north of the city of Bristol, almost 5 miles away from the city centre. The districts within the town includes Northville, The Park, and the East. To the north of the town are Bradley Stoke and Patchway towns. The town’s name which dates back to 1187 is derived from the Old English words felepe (hay) and tun (field, farm).
The town plays host to several aircraft manufacturing companies such GKN Aerospace, BAE Systems, MBDA factories, Rolls-Royce and Airbus. Other businesses and organisation of national and international prominence are also located in Filton such as Hewlett-Packard, Viridor, Bristol Mail Centre, Ministry of Defense - Defense Equipment and Support Organisation and the NHS Blood and Transplant - Research and Development. Bristol Cars used to be based in this town until it was dissolved in 2011. The company resumed operation in 2015 and is now headquartered in Kensington, London.
Food, Shopping and Accommodation in Filton
The town boasts of two large shopping centres, Abbey Wood Retail Park and the Shield Center. The Shield Center sits on the original site of Shield Laundry, the factory-like laundry owned by Samuel Shield which started the entry of this formerly farming town into industrialisation. There are also other shops in the village in addition to the two shopping centres.
There are several eating places in this town mostly pubs and restaurants; from a fine dining restaurant serving Italian dishes to fast food and fish and chip joint. Traditional British cuisine as well as Asian, Indian and Chinese are available in this town.
Things to See and Do in Filton
Being an industrial and commercial “new” town, there are no historical sites in Filton nor are there places of interest for tourists. However, a short drive away in Bristol there are parks, playgrounds, botanical gardens including the Clifton and Durdham Downs for hiking horse riding, and cycling. The Downs also contain some of the most stunning local landmarks of the area.