(pronounced "CANE-sh'm"), is a
Town between
Bristol and
Bath in south west
England .
Traditionally a town in the county of
Somerset , Keynsham was part of the shortlived
Avon county before its dissolution. Now it resides in
Bath And North East Somerset .
Keynsham is twinned with Libourne, France.
At Keynsham, the
River Chew meets the
River Avon .
Keynsham is scattered with
Roman remains, such as the
Roman Villa s at Somerdale and Durley Hilll and a burial site between Keynsham and
Saltford .
The settlement, said to be named after
Saint Keyna , developed into a mediaeval market town, its growth prompted by the foundation of an influential and prosperous
Abbey , founded by the Victorine order of
Augustinian monks.
The town was the site of a battle between royalist forces and the rebel
Duke Of Monmouth .
An important industry in the town is
Cadbury's Chocolate factory, formerly ''Fry's'', it was merged with Cadbury's in 1989. Keynsham Cadbury is the home of Fry's Chocolate Cream, the Double Decker, Dairy Milk, Chocolate Buttons, Mini Eggs, Cream Eggs, Fudge, Chomp and most importantly, the Crunchie. According to Cadbury Employees (or 'Chocolate Welders' as they are locally known), the Crunchie Machine makes enough bars to stretch to The Moon and back ''every week!''
In 1969, the town featured as the title of the third album by the
Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band . The title was chosen after Keynsham rose to fame after featuring on an advert on
Radio Luxembourg for Horace Bachelor's Infra-draw betting system. The name of the town was spelled out, "Keynsham – spelt K-E-Y-N-S-H-A-M – Keynsham, Bristol".
On February 2, 2005, Keynsham was granted
Fairtrade Town status.
On the outskirts of Keynsham lies
Keynsham Humpy Tumps , one of the most floristically rich
Acidic Grassland sites within the
Avon area. Between Keynsham and
Saltford , an area of
Green Belt has been planted as the
Manor Road Community Woodland and was designated as a Nature Reserve in 2005.
