Uphill is a village in the civil parish of Weston-super- Mare in North Somerset, England, at the southern edge of the town, on the Bristol Channel coast.
History
The toponym, recorded in Domesday Book as Opopille, derives from the Old English uppan pylle, meaning "above the creek", referring to the mouth of the Axe.There is evidence of a port at Uphill since Roman times, probably for the export of lead from the Mendip Hills. The mouth of the River Axe is sheltered by Brean Down. The small quay at Uphill fell under the limited jurisdiction of the Port of Bristol, however it was a free port as it did not have the customs officers to collect revenues which were present at larger ports. In 1591 the captured French ship the Gray Honde from Bayonne was brought into Uphill, however; the normal trade from the 16th century was in livestock, brought from South Wales to be fattened on the local rich grassland. During the English Civil War the port was used to bring two regiments, about 1,500 men, of the Royalist Army from South Wales before the Battle of Langport. It continued as a small landing stage for many centuries including the import of coal and iron and the export of local produce. After the Enclosure Act of 1813 a public wharf was constructed for trade and was also used occasionally by passenger excursion ships.The Bristol to Exeter railway line runs through a steep cutting between Uphill and nearby Bleadon. This cutting is spanned by a high brick bridge known as " Devil 's Bridge " and designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The former Bleadon and Uphill railway station served the village from 1871 until 1964.
