[5] During the 19th and 20th centuries, the main industry was coal mining, with Pensford and the surrounding area forming a major part of the Somerset coalfield.

[6][7][8] The River Chew suffered a major flood in 1968 with serious damage to towns and villages along its route.

[10][11] Pensford and Publow has its own parish council which has some responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny.

The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, such as the village hall or community centre, playing fields and playgrounds, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning.

Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also of interest to the council.

It is part of the Publow and Whitchurch Ward which is represented by one councillor on the Bath and North East Somerset Unitary Authority which was created in 1996, as established by the Local Government Act 1992.

[14] The parish is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom as part of North East Somerset and Hanham.

Of these 73% of residents describing their health as 'good', 24% of 16- to 74-year-olds had no qualifications; and the area had an unemployment rate of 2.3% of all economically active people aged 16–74.

During the 1980s an attempt was made to turn it into an arts centre but this was abandoned when the extent of the repairs required to make the building safe became clear.

[19] The redevelopment of the church into a private dwelling was featured in the first episode of television series Restoration Home.

Nearby is Lord's Wood, Pensford, and the village is on the route of the Monarch's Way long-distance footpath.