The Somerset Portal
![caption=Somerset shown within England](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/EnglandSomerset.svg/100px-EnglandSomerset.svg.png)
Somerset (/ˈsʌmərsɪt, -sɛt/ SUM-ər-sit, -set; archaically Somersetshire /ˈsʌmərsɪt.ʃɪər, -sɛt-, -ʃər/ SUM-ər-sit-sheer, -set-, -shər) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east and the north-east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. The largest settlement is the city of Bath, and the county town is Taunton.
Somerset is a predominantly rural county, especially to the south and west, with an area of 4,171 km2 (1,610 sq mi) and a population of 965,424. After Bath (101,557), the largest settlements are Weston-super-Mare (82,418), Taunton (60,479), and Yeovil (49,698). Wells (12,000) is a city, the second-smallest by population in England. For local government purposes the county comprises three unitary authority areas: Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset, and Somerset. Bath and North East Somerset Council is a member of the West of England Combined Authority.
The centre of Somerset is dominated by the Levels, a coastal plain and wetland. The north-east contains part of the Cotswolds uplands and all of the Mendip Hills, which are both national landscapes; the west contains the Quantock Hills and part of the Blackdown Hills, which are also national landscapes, and most of Exmoor, a national park. The major rivers of the county are the Avon, which flows through Bath and then Bristol, and the Axe, Brue, and Parrett, which drain the Levels.
There is evidence of Paleolithic human occupation in Somerset, and the area was subsequently settled by the Celts, Romans and Anglo-Saxons. The county played a significant part in Alfred the Great's rise to power, and later the English Civil War and the Monmouth Rebellion. In the later medieval period its wealth allowed its monasteries and parish churches to be rebuilt in grand style; Glastonbury Abbey was particularly important, and claimed to house the tomb of King Arthur and Guinevere. The city of Bath is famous for its Georgian architecture, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The county is also the location of Glastonbury Festival, one of the UK's major music festivals. (Full article...)
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Following the Roman invasion of Great Britain the mining of lead and silver in the Mendip Hills provided a basis for local industry and commerce. Bath became the site of a major Roman fort and city, the remains of which can still be seen. During the Dark Ages and Saxon period Somerset was the scene of battles first with the Britons and later with the Danes and was ruled by various kings of Wessex, succeeded by kings of England. Following the defeat of the Anglo-Saxons by the Normans in 1066, castles were built in Somerset.
Expansion of the population and settlements in the county continued during the Tudor and more recent periods. Agriculture and coal mining expanded until the 18th century, although other industries declined during the industrial revolution. In modern times the population has grown, particularly in the seaside towns, notably Weston-super-Mare. Agriculture continues to be a major business, if no longer a major employer because of mechanisation. Light industries take place in towns such as Bridgwater and Yeovil. The towns of Taunton and Shepton Mallet manufacture cider, although the acreage of apple orchards is less than it once was. (Full article...)
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Districts of Somerset
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Somerset_numbered_districts_2023.svg/200px-Somerset_numbered_districts_2023.svg.png)
- Somerset (Unitary)
- North Somerset (Unitary)
- Bath and North East Somerset (Unitary)
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Co-ordinates 51°03′N 2°44′W / 51.05°N 2.74°W
Somerton is a small town and civil parish in the South Somerset district. It gave its name to the county of Somerset, was briefly, around the start of the 14th century, the county town, and around 900 AD was possibly the capital of Wessex. It has held a weekly market since the Middle Ages, and the main square with its market cross is today an attractive location for visitors. Situated on the River Cary, approximately 8.8 miles (14.2 km) north-west of Yeovil, the town has its own parish council serving a population of 4,706 as of 2002, and an acreage of 6,620 acres (2,680 ha) as of 1894. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Etsome and Hurcot.
The history of Somerton dates back to the Anglo-Saxon era, when it was an important political and commercial centre. A local legend has it that Ine, a Wessex king, was originally a farmer in Somerton. After the Norman conquest of England the importance of the town declined despite being the former county town of Somerset in the late thirteenth century and early fourteenth century. Despite losing county town status, Somerton then became a market town in the Middle Ages, whose economy was supported by transport systems using the River Parrett, and later rail transport via the Great Western Railway, and by light industries including glove making and gypsum mining.
In the centre of Somerton the wide market square, with its octagonal roofed market cross, is surrounded by old houses, while close by is the 13th century Church of St Michael and All Angels. Somerton also had links with Muchelney Abbey in the Middle Ages. (Full article...)
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's "Did You Know" archives:
- ... that the architect Hans Price was responsible for the distinctive look of buildings in Weston-super-Mare, England, during the Victorian era (example pictured)?
- ... that Portbury Ashlands is a new nature reserve on the site previously used to dump the waste from Portishead power stations?
- ... that Poundisford Park was set up as a medieval deer park by the Bishop of Winchester?
- ... that the Salisbury and Yeovil Railway has been described as "the most successful of all railways in Southern England"?
- ... that the Norman church in Pawlett, Somerset has a stained glass window showing Christ blessing children who are in modern dress and holding a teddy bear and toy boat?
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Ælfheah of Canterbury
Bath, Somerset
Battle of Babylon Hill
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Chew Stoke
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Herbie Hewett
Kennet and Avon Canal
Mells War Memorial
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Porlock Stone Circle
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Somerset County Cricket Club in 2009
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List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Avon
List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset
List of Somerset County Cricket Club Twenty20 players
List of Somerset County Cricket Club grounds
List of Somerset County Cricket Club players with 100 or more first-class or List A appearances
List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in Southwest England
List of hillforts and ancient settlements in Somerset
List of local nature reserves in Somerset
List of scheduled monuments in Bath and North East Somerset
List of scheduled monuments in Mendip
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To Catch a Copper
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