To the northeast lies Bradford on Avon parish, and to the west is the county boundary with Somerset which follows the valley of the River Frome.

Westwood's recorded history begins in 983 AD, when King Ethelred's charters granted various pieces of land to his servant Aelfnoth, and four years later to his huntsman Leofwine.

By the mid-19th century, the quality of Westwood stone had earned a good reputation, and over the next half-century, output increased at a great rate.

For example, the eastern part of the quarry tunnels had since 1928 been used for growing mushrooms, as the relatively stable ambient temperatures and the high humidity of the underground were found perfectly suitable.

From 1941, about six hundred workers manufactured gun-control equipment at an underground factory which had been located in the tunnels to defend against Luftwaffe raids.

Additionally, by the end of 1942 the Westwood tunnels had "probably housed the greatest and most valuable collection of cultural and artistic artifacts assembled in one location anywhere in the world", including exhibits from the British Museum, pictures from the National Portrait Gallery, tapestries from the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Elgin Marbles, and the Wright brothers' aeroplane.

[4] The present church, now dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, was built in ashlar rubble in the 15th century; restoration in 1840 included rebuilding the south side of the chancel.

[8] Pevsner describes the elaborately decorated 16th-century west tower[4] as "splendid";[10] at its southeast corner is a prominent octagonal stair turret with a domed top.

[16] A group of 1790s three-storey weavers' houses next to the canal at Avoncliffe was bought in 1835 by the guardians of the Bradford Poor Law Union, and converted into a workhouse with capacity for 250; a chapel was added and later a schoolroom.