| Portishead | |
|---|---|
From the top to bottom-right, Portishead Marina, The Seafront, Town Centre, Black Nore Lighthouse, St Nicholas' Church | |
  Portishead Location within Somerset | |
| Population | 26,366 (Parish, 2021)[1] 26,355 (Built up area, 2021)[2] |
| OS grid reference | ST470764 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BRISTOL |
| Postcode district | BS20 |
| Dialling code | 01275 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Avon |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
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Portishead (/ˈpɔːrtɪshɛd/ PORT-iss-hed) is a town[3] and civil parish in the North Somerset unitary authority area, in the county of Somerset, England. With a population of 26,366 at the 2021 Census, the town is located on the Severn Estuary opposite Cardiff and Newport in Wales.[4] The town is 8 miles (13 km) to the west of Bristol and 18 miles northeast of Weston-super-Mare.
Portishead has a long history as a fishing port. As a royal manor it expanded rapidly during the early 19th century around the docks, with supporting transport infrastructure. A power station and chemical works were added in the 20th century, but the dock and industrial facilities have since closed and have been redeveloped into a marina and residential areas. Portishead was also the telephone control centre used by British Telecom (BT) for non-direct dialled calls to maritime vessels, a service known as Portishead Radio. The headquarters of both Avon and Somerset Constabulary and Avon Fire and Rescue Service are in Portishead. Portishead Lifeboat Station is situated close to the marina. Run solely by local Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) volunteers, it serves the waters of the Severn estuary and inland waterways into the city of Bristol.
- ^ "Portishead parish". City Population. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ "Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales: Census 2021". Census 2021. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
- ^ "Welcome to the Portishead Town Council website". Portishead Town Council. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ^ "Population of Portishead". Portishead Town Council. Archived from the original on 23 July 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.