Earlier this summer I had the pleasure of capturing some headshots for Hannah, writer and beauty guru for xoVain, xoJane, and Flare magazine. Her birthday was this week, so I thought it would be fun to share some of our time together.

 

+ more on the blog.

Last from the Newborn Session

 

Hannah looks so peaceful here..

 

lighting was Elichrom Deep Oct camera Left about 4 feet away

 

Power was about 2.3 on Elinchrom scale

 

we had Hannah on a Large Serving Dish so it is something different for me for sure..

 

makes me want to do more Newborn sessions.. (because this shot looks like most other newborn shots but there is only so much i can do with newborns)

 

CameraCanon EOS 5D Mark II

Exposure0.006 sec (1/160)

Aperturef/5.0

Focal Length85 mm

ISO Speed100

Exposure Bias0 EV

FlashOff, Did not fire

ALL MY PHOTOS ARE NOW ON SALE!

 

My cousin came over for brunch last month, and after seeing all the pictures on my wall, asked if he could borrow my medium format camera.

 

I have one that I like to give out for curious folks...that one is broken. No idea where to get it fixed (I have not spent a single second looking).

 

Instead, I lent him my workhorse, my (for many years) prized photographic possession: my Mamiyca c330.

 

A gift from a girlfriend when I turned 30, soon as I opened the box, saw what was inside, I had to go take pictures with it. Formidable beast that it is, I've loved lugging it to different countries, to different photo sessions. When the photos are bad...I lament the loss of the money it took to get those frames developed.

 

When the photos are good, though, I feel like a god stride the Earth.

 

A month later...my cousin has yet to take a single picture...

Betty Harris

 

The Lost Queen Of New Orleans Soul

  

Back in the sixties, soul ‘anoraks’ (myself included), who already treasured and sought out the works of the more obscure and emotive singers, absolutely revered Betty Harris (and, then again, soul-wise, I guess I still do!).

 

The couple of publicity shots that existed back then showed that she looked great, her gospelly interpretive voice was second-to-none and her best-known material was stunning, chiefly because it was chosen by top-flight producers like Bert Berns and Allen Tousssaint. But just as intriguingly, she was then something of a ‘mystery woman’. No-one really knew anything about her. Rumours circulated that she had begun as Big Maybelle’s ‘maid’ (did travelling black women entertainers of the late-50’s really take ‘maids’ with them?). Then someone said that, after her Sansu/SSS recordings, she had retired to become a truck-driver (did lissom black female ex-singers still only about 30 years of age really drive giant, freeway-eating Mack and Kenwood trucks – maybe these days, but surely not in early-70’s America!).

 

Today, thanks to researchers and the re-surfaced Betty herself, we certainly know much more about her - and that includes the fact that both of the above rumours were false, although each had truthful associations, as we shall see.

 

However, some mysteries and contradictory information remain. Whilst it’s clear that Betty was born in Orlando, Florida, many potted biographies quote a 1941 or a 1943 date. Even in David Cole’s excellent interview/article (‘In The Basement’ magazine No.32, October 2003), Betty’s birthdate is given as 9 September 1943 (which is repeated on a current Harris-related web-site). However, only a few months later, on 19th July 2004, Betty herself stated in a telephone interview with Amy Gold: “I wasn't born in the '40s at all. I was born in '39.” My opinion is that a woman may lie about her age to make herself appear younger but she would never lie (especially to another woman!) in such a way as to make herself look older! Therefore I reckon Betty Harris was born in 1939 – I rest my case!

 

This date is also in line with Wikipedia’s biography, yet that not-always-reliable source gives Betty’s surname as Harridick. It’s just possible this might be the married surname Betty acquired after her retirement from the music scene at the end of the 60’s as it was the guy who then became her husband who apparently ran a trucking business, hence giving rise to the false rumours about Betty herself driving such vehicles for a living. However, her true birth-surname was certainly Crews, as stated not just in the Cole interview but in a 2004 article about her younger sister, the operatic-quality spinto-soprano and now Fort Pierce, Florida-based evangelist, Sybil Maria Crews Young.

 

However, there is another possibility. When Betty was still only about 18 years of age, it seems she had a son, Selwyn T. Crews. (This chronology is based on the intro to the Amy Gold interview in 2004 in which Selwyn – sometimes called Tony and now apparently living in Atlanta - was said to then be 47 years of age). If Betty briefly married the father and if the father’s surname had been Harridick this could have led to her later adopting the ‘truncated’ name of Harris. When Betty joined the Hearts vocal group in around early 1958 (see later), she was still using the name Betty Crews but certainly something around that time must have prompted her to change her surname to Harris as this had already occurred by the time of her early-60’s first solo recording (see later). However all this begs one final question: how did Betty’s son inherit her own surname of Crews as opposed to that of his father (whoever he was)? Whether or not Betty married the father, perhaps either she ‘on her own’ (or perhaps close relations) raised the baby boy and ‘awarded’ him the family surname in place of that of his father?

 

When Betty left the music scene in the late 60’s her son would have been approaching his teenage years. She would then soon marry but her daughter, Christina would not arrive until about 1982, when Betty was in her early forties (this chronology is also based on the 2004 Amy Gold piece when Christina was said to be then merely 22 years of age and, according to the Cole interview published only a few months earlier, then attending university, married with a surname of Clemons and the mother of a young baby).

 

Anyway, what’s most important perhaps is Betty’s wonderful musical heritage and we should instead concentrate on that and how she came to take up secular singing.

 

Betty’s own father, a minister in the Pentecostal church, was the Rev. Rufus C. Crews, while her missionary (and later also Overseer/Miinister) mother was Winifred Crews. When Betty was about 3 years of age, her family - which included her non-musical brother Donnell but did not yet include her younger sister, Sybil Maria - moved from Orlando Fla. to Dothan in Alabama where her father took on new church responsibilities. Soon, he and his wife would become founders of Pentecostal Deliverance Ministries in both Dothan and Cottonwood.

 

Betty says her father had a loud tenor voice which could dominate his church and he was apparently also capable of hitting very high notes (an ability clearly his youngest daughter Sybil inherited). Indeed, it’s claimed he could play five instruments and had a three-octave vocal range. Unusually, he regularly indulged in the generally ‘white church’ vocal technique termed ‘Sacred Heart’, a form of accapella shape-note singing. However, it seems the Rev. Crews’ influence soon also became a magnet for touring black gospel stars, whose appearances he occasionally ‘promoted’ locally.

 

So it was no surprise that all of Betty’s early singing was done in church and, by the age of about 12, she had already fronted a choir supporting the big-voiced gospel star Brother Joe May, known as the ‘Thunderbolt of the Middle-West’. Betty would also meet the likes of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sam Cooke & the Soul Stirrers, The Dixie Hummingbirds, both groups of Blind Boys and the The Caravans, whom she idolised, although she soon realised harmony singing was not for her. Nor was the ‘gospel life’. She says: “I knew all of the gospel singers and I knew how they lived, and I just really didn't want to ... I didn't see myself making money. And (so) I went ‘secular’."

 

Betty left home at a very early age seeking that secular singing career. This was a huge and audacious step for a young girl from such a strict church background and clearly must have caused quite a ‘family split’ at the time. Betty says: “My parents were gospel preachers. I mean, my house was strict, very strict. They were holiness preachers, so you didn't play rhythm and blues in the house, they didn’t believe in that.”

 

Her parents remained in their church-dominated world in Alabama and in 2004 Betty reported that, although her father was by then deceased, her mother was then a fit 92 year-old ‘overseer’, still in charge of four Dothan churches. Sadly her mother too has since ‘passed’ and Betty, who had been looking after her, moved south temporarily to Atlanta for a few years from her Connecticut home so that her mother could spend her last days closer to the churches which she helped found.

 

Anyway, back in the 50’s, the brazen teenaged Betty headed off alone to far-flung New York to try to begin a singing career but first she took employment as a maid with a Long Island family thinking this would at least put a roof over her head (this was the ‘maid’ reference which later led to the false claims that Betty had held down just such a job with Big Maybelle, a singer whom she would not actually encounter for a year or two yet - see later). However, Betty says she wasn’t a maid for more than a week as she was offered a job singing at the nearby Celebrity Club in Freeport.

 

She was soon ‘discovered’ by J&S label-owner Zell Sanders, one of the few early black women entrepreneurs in the music biz. Zell got Betty to fill-in at a club she owned in Hempstead, Long Island, where she had just fired another girl singer. The show there at the time featured Johnnie & Joe, already with hits for Chess ‘under their belt’, Johnnie being Zell Sanders’ daughter, Johnnielouise Richardson, later of the Jaynetts.

 

Zell had then also recently fired virtually the entire Hearts vocal group who recorded for her J&S record label and, after failing to replace them en masse with another existing group, the Bouquets, she asked Betty to join with Mandy Hopper, Lezli and Mary Green, Ann King and earlier member Theresa Chatman to form a new incarnation of the Hearts.

 

Betty takes up the story: “I was too young to be away from home. So I left Long Island and went to live with (Zell). She became like a mother to me – very protective. I worked with the (Hearts) for a while and played some shows in New Jersey. I don’t remember the songs I recorded with them at all (she may have sung harmony on other recordings but Betty takes lead on just one side, namely the repetitive teen-slanted item “Like Later Baby”, released on J&S 1626 in October 1958, the flip of “I Want Your Love Tonight” – J&S 1627. The track is included on the 2006 UK Ace CDCHD 1089 release “Baby Washington And The Hearts”); but I was not cut out to be a group member. I wasn’t into harmony singing. When my spell with the Hearts finished, (Zell) took me all the way back home to Alabama; but she didn’t realise how determined to sing I was. Within a few weeks I was off again.”

 

It was some time after her return to the Big Apple that Betty would seek out the aptly-named powerhouse singer Big Maybelle, who was performing at Harlem’s famed Apollo Theater.

 

Betty says: “If you listen to Big Maybelle's voice, you get the idea that this is a big woman. When you listen to mine, you would think I was a big woman and I'm not. Never have been. And when I realized that that voice was about the closest thing to ‘me’ that I had heard, I went to see her at the Apollo (that was when I was around, oh I guess, maybe 19) and I sat through 3 or 4 shows. And the way she handled the audience, the way she sang, how she told jokes, the whole persona on stage fascinated me. So after the show I went back and I met her. I had a voice and some control, but I realized I needed more. I told her what I needed, and she allowed me to go on tour with her. I watched her night after night, and (during the) days she kept me in a mirror singing. She worked very hard with me until the time she felt I was ready to go on stage. Please let me say this. People pay a lot of money and spend years trying to get what I got from this woman. I want to thank Big Maybelle for her contributions to my career. I was not, repeat not, her maid. She was my teacher, my instructor and my coach. She was an entertainer that I really, really appreciated because she helped me when no one else would. I knew all about gospel. I knew what gospel singing was about, but when it came to R&B, I really didn't know the ropes.”

 

Anyway, it’s clear that Betty toured with Big Maybelle, taking lessons from her all the while, for some considerable time. This took her all over the States and at some point (some say after taking a break following the final show, in Chicago, of a nationwide Maybelle tour) she headed west to California where she cut her first solo 45 for Walter Douglas’ little-known Douglas label. Both of the featured songs were penned by Wilhelmina Clayton who, amongst other credits, wrote “So Little Time”, which Brook Benton would include on his 1964 Mercury MG 20886/SR 60886 album “Born To Sing The Blues”.

 

Sources vary about the date of Betty’s Douglas single and Betty herself doesn’t recall the details. 1960 is often given but if this particular visit to California was the same as the one during which she encountered the guy who would become her manager and would take her back to New York to introduce her to Bert Berns (see shortly), then the other, later date of 1962, often cited for this recording, would seem to be the more likely.

 

Betty’s release on Douglas 104 gave her own name greater prominence on the label than the company name itself. ListenYesterday’s Kisses is given ‘AA’ status while “Taking Care Of Business” gets just one ‘A’.

 

Betty’s voice had certainly matured since her Hearts ‘outing’ but the vocals seem in rather too high a register for complete comfort to my ear, although there is an assertive ‘attack’ to them somewhat akin to that on some of Etta James’ earlier work. The male back-up group seems competent enough (probably an established West Coast outfit) but, while the performances are not outstanding, they can certainly be regarded as ‘work in progress’.

 

Very little is known about the Douglas label or its owner but, with the Harris release being numbered 104, one assumes there must have been a few other releases. I did find a publishing-related web-site which linked Walter’s name and that of his publishing company (“Prolific”, which appears on the labels) to a Fort Worth, Texas residential address, so maybe he retired down there.

 

Anyway, if the record was cut in 1962 it would have been around this time - and in California - that Betty encountered Solomon Burke and his then manager Marvin Leonard ‘Babe’ Chivian.

 

Chivian (born 24 August 1925) was a Philadephia-based car repairer-dealer and property speculator who, in 1959 offered Burke a red Lincoln Continental convertible if he would let him be his manager. The originally-gospel-only-singing and also Philadelphia-raised Burke had earlier failed to get his secular career off to a start via Herb Abramson’s Triumph logo as, at that time (late 1958), he had found he was still contracted to his old gospel label, Apollo. However, it seems that by 1959 this obstacle was out of the way and Burke duly signed up with Chivian who arranged for the singer to record for the local Philly-based Singular label, owned by WPEN disc jockey Edwin L. "Larry" Brown and the aptly-named Canadian-born vocal coach, Artie Singer. However in November 1960, after two commercially unsuccessful Singular 45s (one of which, “This Little Ring”, Chivian had apparently co-penned), ‘Babe’, as he was most often called, was recommended by Billboard’s Paul Ackerman to take Burke to meet with Jerry Wexler and Ahmet Ertegun. This he did and Solomon duly moved to the Atlantic label where, by December 1961, he had been put (initially reluctantly) under the production of Bert Berns. Of course, Berns won Burke over by cutting him successfully on the producer’s own fine song “Cry To Me” (Atlantic 2131), a No.5 R&B/No.44 Pop hit for Solomon which charted through the Spring of 1962, a song which would soon of course play a big part in Betty’s career.

 

It seems Chivian (and presumably Burke too) were suitably impressed with Betty Harris’ potential and one can therefore see why, at this juncture, they would suggest she should go back with them to New York to audition specifically for Berns, although a pre-requisite was, of course, that Betty should first make ‘Babe’ Chivian her manager.

 

This was agreed and Betty duly returned to the Big Apple to meet with Berns, although at this time she would base herself in Philadelphia, probably because that was where ‘Babe’, her new manager, lived. Betty told David Cole: “Bert (Berns) was wonderful as far as I was concerned. He was the type of person you could easily work with, easily get to know.” Betty of course had heard Burke’s version of “Cry To Me” but told Berns she would have sung it ‘slower’ and with even more “expression and soul”. Berns asked her to sing it how she felt it and was so impressed that he called his arranger Garry Sherman down to work out a basic piano arrangement there and then.

 

The resultant July 1963 session was held at Bell Sound, New York before Betty had any kind of recording contract. The finished recording was achieved via the third ‘take’. The Sweet Inspirations (Cissy Houston, Dee Dee Warwick, Sylvia Shemwell and Estelle Brown) did back-ups, the sound also being beefed-up by some male singers, whom Betty recalls were from the Mitch Miller TV show. Although the label shows the recording to be a Leiber & Stoller Production, they were nowhere around and it was all down to Betty, Bert, Garry Sherman, a tight NY rhythm section, a white-shirt-and-bow-tie string section and the incomparable ‘Sweets’.

 

For the first time on record, Betty calls upon her gospel pedigree to obtain the depth of feeling and expression inherent in such an emotionally-worded song, turning Burke’s certainly very good, faster-paced soul performance into an altogether much slower, deeper and more telling experience. Betty says: “By being young I only had so much experience of pain, or what I considered ‘blues’ to be about, but I ‘felt’ the lyrics. I knew how to reach deep in my soul and bring out all the pain and disappointment I felt. All my childhood feelings and wants came out in ListenCry To Me. I wanted to give the world something I could feel.” And she certainly did that!

 

Berns had obviously spared no expense in bringing a top team together to obtain what he wanted from Betty and, in view particularly of his recent success for Atlantic with Burke, he hoped he would be able to lease his master to Jerry Wexler even if Chivian didn’t manage to actually get Betty signed to the label. However, in the event, Jerry ‘passed’, probably because his company had only just had a major hit with the song. So Bert offered it to Jerry Blaine at Jubilee, who snapped it up. Chivian also got Blaine to sign Betty to his label, the event being marked by a dinner in a swanky New York restaurant where Jerry Blaine’s son Steve gave Betty a French Poodle.

 

Betty’s superb reading of the song made No.10 R&B and No.23 Pop on Jubilee 5456, perhaps surprisingly a lower position than Burke’s more ‘commercial’ version in the Billboard R&B chart, yet a higher position in the usually more commercially-influenced Pop chart.

 

The overtly more ‘pop’, but still appealing Berns composition “I’ll Be A Liar” appeared on the flip.

 

Betty soon embarked on several promotional live performances and one such on 28 September 1963 (the very day of her record’s entry into the R&B chart) put her on a multi-act bill at San Francisco’s huge ‘Cow Palace’ auditorium, introduced by local Radio KWA dee-jays, Bob Mitchell and Tom Donahue.

 

Betty’s live version that day of ListenCry To Me in front of an orchestra conducted by Phil Spector was recorded by Autumn Records for their “Memories Of The Cow Palace” Autumn 101 LP (reissued in 1983 by Rhino on RNLP 105).

 

Vocally, Betty gives her hit-song 110 percent, although the band unsurprisingly does not compare favourably with the New York musicians on her studio recording and, in particular, includes a rather poor trumpet-player. However, I agree with a review of Betty’s performance, written at the time of the Rhino reissue, which commented: “It’s rawer than the single and shows what she must have sounded like on the chitlin’ circuit."

 

When it was time for Betty to record her follow-up to “Cry To Me” she embarked on what must have been two quite intensive sessions, both held on 13th November 1963, with most of the overdubs and editing carried out on 26th November. The side chosen for release on Jubilee 5465 was the Berns and Mike Stoller song “His Kiss” and this time Bert was actually credited on the label as producer despite reference once more to it being (nominally) a Leiber & Stoller production. The song is another slow-paced gospelly piece with almost a feel of Theola Kilgore’s “The Love Of My Man”. It’s another telling performance from Betty, as is the fine flip ListenIt’s Dark Outside, which I think is even better and also features some lovely churchy piano-playing. Despite “His Kiss” being the side that would ‘chart’, Billboard’s review concentrated on “It’s Dark Outside”.

 

“Mo Jo Hannah”, a Clarence Paul co-penned song first cut the previous year by the unfortunately-named Henry Lumpkin for Motown (1029), is a very pacy if slightly messy, swamp-soul opus which would appear as one side of Betty’s third Jubilee 45 (# 5480). This song would later be rather better recorded by Esther Phillips in February 1964 for her first Atlantic single (Atlantic 2229), a session which would also be arranged by Garry Sherman and feature the Sweets on back-ups. Others to cut the song would include Aaron Neville, The Intrigues and, in 1972, Tami Lynn for Cotillion and UK Mojo, although New Orleans native Tami had also cut a rather better version back in 1963 for the AFO organisation which saw release on an Opus 43 LP (OP 4303) and appears on the 1993 Ace CD “Gumbo Stew” (CDCHD 450).

 

Betty’s version was coupled on her third Jubilee single with an ultra-slow re-vamp of the 1947-first-published (and probably much older) New Zealand Maori ‘farewell song’ “Hearere Ra”, better known to English-speaking folk as “Now Is The Hour”. Those who remember the song as something of a ‘family favourite’ sung by friends and relatives at the end of a party or simply to someone heading off to pastures new, may find Betty and the Sweets’ deeply gospelised interpretation little more than a weird ‘novelty’ – personally I love it! After Betty’s rather uncertain opening melisma on the word ‘now’, she and the girls drench the song’s inherent schmaltz with some wonderful gospel-soul and make the departure of a loved one really sound like the sad occasion it usually was.

 

Jerry Blaine

Two unissued-at-the-time tracks were also recorded, one pretty good and one just throwaway pop to my ears. “Why Don’t You Tell Him” is a very pretty soul-ballad which sees Betty for the first (and probably only) time in ‘uptown sweet-soul’ mode – but she handles the style very well indeed and the result, which required some vocal overdubs from her as late as 25th May the following year, probably deserved release on a fourth Jubilee single, although it wasn’t to be. The awful unissued “Everybody’s Love” (aka “Just Like Mine”) with Betty’s vocal all but lost in front of a fast Bo Diddley beat and some uncharacteristically quasi-teen-girly singing from the Sweets, is best forgotten. This song had already been cut in 1961 as “Just Like Mine” by The Renaults on Wand 114.

 

Apart from her vocal overdubs to the one unissued track in May 1964, these November 1963 sessions would be Betty’s last for Berns and for Jubilee. “His Kiss” had at least made the Pop Hot 100, peaking at No.89 but sales to black R&B fans were not helped by Billboard ceasing to publish an R&B chart from the end of that very November (it wouldn’t be reintroduced until 23 January 1965). The record made No.74 on the Cashbox Pop chart and No.15 on their R&B listing.

 

Bert Berns

Jubillee would reissue “Cry To Me” and “I’ll Be A Liar” on #5658 in 1969 (when it would again make the R&B chart, peaking at No.44) and the next reissue of Betty’s Jubilee material would be on two 45s in the Virgo Golden Memories Series, “Cry To Me” being paired with a reissue of Joe Henderson’s “Snap Your Fingers” on Virgo 6014 in 1973, while two years later Virgo 6036 effectively reissued Jubilee 5465 by pairing Betty’s “His Kiss” with “It’s Dark Outside”.

 

Then in 1980 UK Charly’s “In The Saddle” CRB 1002 Harris set featured just two Jubilee sides, “Cry To Me” and “I’ll Be A Liar”. All the Jubilee material (including the unissued tracks) finally came together in 1998 on UK Westside’s fine “Soul Perfection Plus” CD (WESA 807), which also included some pre-take studio chat. 2005’s Australian Aim 1502 CD “The Lost Soul Queen – Soul Perfection Plus Rare Tracks” included just “Cry To Me” and “I’ll Be A Liar” of the Jubilee tracks.

 

Thinking back to these sessions, Betty admits that “Jubilee did not turn out as good as it should” and the main reason she cites is the loss of both her manager, ‘Babe’ Chivian and her producer Bert Berns. The ‘loss’ of Berns does not refer to his later untimely death on 30 December 1967 as this happened too late to have had any effect on Betty’s career but rather to his attention in the mid-60’s being on things other than Miss Betty Harris. We’ll come to that in a moment but first, what of her manager, ‘Babe’ Chivian?

 

Well, in October 1963 (a month before Betty had even undertaken her second set of sessions with Berns), ‘Babe’ Chivian was being “sought by the FBI as a material witness to illegal Cosa Nostra activities in Philadelphia” (to quote a news report of the time). Quite what degree of involvement this implies is unclear but even the phrase “being sought” suggests he wasn’t readily ‘coming forward’ and may even perhaps have ‘disappeared’ for a time. What does seem certain is that, at this juncture, his primary attention would not have been on Miss Harris (or even on Mr Solomon Burke).

 

Quite what happened to Chivian after this is also unclear. He may well have nominally retained his managerial role with Betty but he also certainly returned to Philly and to the auto trade as, some 8 years later, a 2nd October 1971 press report quoted the FBI as saying “the largest amount of forgery contraband ever seized in Philadelphia” had been discovered in Chivian’s office and that Chivian had been “charged with larceny, receiving stolen goods, counterfeiting, and ‘uttering’ and issuing forged ‘instruments’.” Much of this was connected with auto-licensing activities. Whether or not Chivian was tried and found guilty I have not discovered –but there probably wasn’t time as, within 3 months (according to Wikipedia), he would be dead, aged only 46.

 

The ’loss’ to Betty of Bert Berns’ attention clearly points to just how busy Bert was with other activities by late 1963 and how little time he was able to give to her. Throughout that year he had produced hits on UA for The Exciters and Garnet Mimms, had produced another hit for Baby Jane & The Rockabyes and had written hit material for the Four Pennies and The Rocky Fellers. He had also maintained the more-established Solomon Burke’s momentum for Atlantic with “Words”, “If You Need Me”, “Can’t Nobody Love You” and “You’re Good For Me”.

 

As the press was reporting Chivian’s problems in October of that year, Berns flew off to the UK for his first visit to Decca in London and must have returned only just in time for Betty’s second set of sessions in mid-November. Meanwhile Bert’s private life was keeping him busy too - he had met and fallen in love with fashion model and dancer Ilene Stuart, whom he would marry in 1964.

 

A probably now temporarily managerless Betty would wait in vain for Bert to produce a third set of sessions for Jubilee. His professional attention had now turned almost exclusively towards Atlantic. In March 1964 he would form his Keetch label to be distributed by Atlantic and then went on that year to write and produce lots of hits for Atlantic acts such as The Drifters, Solomon Burke, The Vibrations and LaVern Baker. In October of that year Bert was back in London to record Lulu and Them; then, with further big Atlantic successes on into 1965, Bert would form his Web IV publishing company in March of that year (‘Web’ for Wexler, the two Erteguns and Berns) before, in May, launching his own Bang label, named after the first names of the same four men.

 

It’s probably a shame that Betty did not get taken to Atlantic at this stage as Berns would probably have continued to record her, perhaps first for them and then maybe even for his own R&B subsidiary label, Shout; but I guess if that had happened, however good the results, we would then have been denied the fine body of work she was soon to ‘put down’ in New Orleans with Allen Toussaint.

 

Some sources say Betty apparently met Toussaint in New Orleans while on tour but a Harris-related web-site claims Toussaint caught her act at the Apollo and Betty herself told David Cole that she thought it was her manager (was it still Chivian or someone else?) who brought them together, the pair meeting in New York in mid-1965 to strike a deal before Betty flew down to New Orleans to record.

 

Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn were launching their then brand-new Sansu label and Betty would have the first release on it. The partnership between these two men (legalised via the Tou-Sea production company and the Marsaint publishing company) had actually begun with Lee Dorsey’s “Ride Your Pony”, which Marshall had taken to New York and leased to Larry Uttal for issue on Amy 927, the 45 becoming a hit just about the time Toussaint met up with Harris. However, wanting their own imprint, Allen and Marshall had then set up Sansu, whose offices in these early days were located on St. Phillip Street, while, for recording, use was probably made initially of Cosimo Matassa’s recently opened third studio, Jazz City, situated at 748 Camp Street (although Harris’ post-1967 recordings would have been cut either elsewhere in the Crescent City or possibly in Atlanta as it was in that year that the IRS seized Jazz City and all its contents from Matassa, with Toussaint and Sehorn not opening their own Sea-Saint Studio on Clematis Street until 1973, long after Harris had ceased recording).

 

So Jazz City is most likely where Betty Harris appeared in about August 1965 for her first Sansu session, which resulted in “I’m Evil Tonight” and “What A Sad Feeling” (Sansu 450), with the former track also seeing later reissue as one side of Sansu 466. Both songs were penned by Toussaint (using his mother’s maiden name of Naomi Neville) and Allen would not only arrange, produce and usually play on all of Betty’s Sansu (and one SSS-Int.) recordings but would also write all 20 of them too.

 

“I’m Evil Tonight” nicely combined an appealing semi-pop main riff with some meaningful and, at times, quite intense vocalising from Betty.

 

The original ‘plug-side’, though, was ListenWhat A Sad Feeling, a slower and altogether more dramatic opus. You can imagine Irma Thomas singing this one but, with no disrespect to the true Soul Queen of New Orleans, the ‘usurper’ from Dothan via the Big Apple makes such a fine job of this telling piece that there’s no need to imagine the song in anyone else’s hands; indeed, despite her several fine Jubilee sides, this track really marks the beginning of the recordings which turned Betty into the revered deep-soul 60’s legend she deservedly became. Commercially though, the 45 failed to return Betty to the charts.

 

Betty’s second trip to New Orleans was early in 1966. “Sometime” was a pleasant-enough fairly lay-back pop-soul ballad which Betty mainly sings in sweet-mode although she still manages to include some dramatic gospelly passages here and there. “I Don’t Wanna Hear It” was a rather brooding-sounding mid-to-up tempo piece with strong vocals from Betty, especially each time she sings in front of the back-up girls as they chant the title-line. Sadly, this pairing, issued on Sansu 452, also failed to make much impression saleswise.

 

Undeterred, Toussaint persevered and in about April 1966 Betty flew south again, this time to cut the potent, driving and funky Listen12 Red Roses, using exactly the same production techniques and male-back-up sound which was then bringing Toussaint and Sehorn big commercial success with Lee Dorsey. It’s a great ‘never-let-up’ opus with an irresistible Crescent City beat and some very tasty piano fills from Toussaint.

 

If that was good, ListenWhat’d I Do Wrong on the other side of Sansu 455 was something else! This was one of Betty’s ‘killer’ solo deep-soul outings for the label. Everything is right about this wonderful recording. The mournful brass backdrop, the terrific guitar fills and Toussaint’s beautiful bluesy piano passages which still allow the existence of an almost eerie sparseness, with no back-up singers (rightly) deemed necessary behind Betty’s emotion-soaked gospelly vocal. This is also great writing by Toussaint and no-one could ever have bettered Harris’ interpretation of his telling lyrics. The cut would also reappear as one side of Betty’s Sansu 478 release nearly two years later (see shortly).

 

Back in 1966, “12 Red Roses” should have easily made the US charts – but no, it didn’t. One wonders what kind of national promotion Betty’s 45 received as I can find no review or advertisement for it in Billboard, despite Sansu being distributed by New York’s Bell label. However, I have a feeling that most of Larry Uttal’s Toussaint/Sehorn-related promotion budget was being expended instead on Lee Dorsey’s product, as Lee was in the process of enjoying four straight Top 10 R&B hits on Utall’s own Amy imprint.

 

This theory is perhaps given support by the very obvious ‘Dorsey sound’ on Betty’s next Sansu 461 single, “Lonely Hearts”, cut in early 1967 but brought to a close by a weak and overly-long instrumental segment when what was clearly needed was at least another verse from Betty.

 

Slightly better was “Bad Luck”, a nice mid-pacer with not such an obvious Dorsey connection and offering a good superstitious tale of Betty being so prone to bad luck that even a four-leaf clover withered when it touched her hand!

 

Again the single flopped and Betty must have wondered if she was ever going to return to the charts; but, fortunately, her next Sansu outing finally achieved that very goal.

 

In mid-1967 Betty’s jet-hopping visits to New Orleans were renewed, yet the session produced only one known side, “Nearer To You”. Toussaint pared down the backing and Betty actually delivered a genuinely ‘deep’ vocal performance, the ‘commercial’ aspects of the arrangement being chiefly the overly sweet back-up chants and a rather cheesy organ. However, this combination of styles certainly did the trick as, despite a continuing lack of much press promotion, the song, coupled on Sansu 466 with a reissue of “I’m Evil Tonight”, made No.16 on Billboard’s R&B chart and No.85 on their Pop listing.

 

Betty’s new R&B hit may not have been a high-charter but it was a very steady seller, remaining in the listings from 15th July to 30th September and it would have been around August, when she was probably touring on the strength of it, that she joined up with James Carr and found herself moonlighting on one of his Goldwax recordings, “I’m A Fool For You” (#328). This was essentially a gently-rolling-rhythmed duet between the these two fine singers with James taking most of the lead lines and Betty answering his baritone with some quite high register responses. The record had appeal for sure and provided Betty with another hit, albeit she was unnamed on the label for contractual reasons. The recording would enter the charts on 23rd September, making No.42 R&B/No.97 Pop.

 

Betty explained her sortie with Carr thus: “We were travelling together and we sang all kinds of songs. I went with him (to his session and) on our way his guitar-player wrote this song for him. At the session we were goofing around with it, not doing anything for real, but it was taped and it sounded good. I called Marshall Sehorn about me being on it and he said ‘No’.”

 

So this was why Betty couldn’t be credited, even though, just like her own Sansu label, Goldwax was, at this time, also distributed by Larry Utall’s Bell organisation. According to Quinton Claunch’s recollections with Colin Dilnot, the recording itself was cut at Sam Phillips Studio in Memphis but the label writers’ credits feature not just James’ guitarist but no less than five top Memphis-related personalities, namely Dan Greer, Quinton Claunch, Earl Cage, George Jackson, and Rudolph Russell. Betty’s brief association with Carr would lead to yet another untrue rumour that she later became his road manager.

 

Anyway, both sides of Betty’s own ‘follow-up’ Sansu 45 were actually cut around August 1967 while “Nearer To You” was still charting and pretty close to the time of her encounter with Carr. “I’m Gonna Git Ya” returned Betty to the ‘Lee Dorsey’ format but, having said that, I find this slow but very ‘New Orleans-second line’ piece with its potent backbeat and girl group support to be really appealing.

 

However, the other side of Sansu 471, ListenCan’t Last Much Longer, was another Harris deep gem which rivalled even “What’d I Do Wrong” for top honours in those particular stakes. A pathos-inducing piano and then a brass fanfare introduce us to a fast-fading Betty (though not vocally!) who is such ‘a fool’ for her guy that she can’t put up much longer with the total disinterest he is now showing in her. The lyrics are so mournfully expressed one fears there could even be a potentially suicidal outcome for the girl rather than merely a reluctant acceptance of the inevitable ending of the relationship. It’s just a terrific piece of deep-soul.

 

For Betty’s next outing, Toussaint decided to pair her up with Lee Dorsey. This was probably merely an attempt to have some of Dorsey’s recent much bigger chart success rub off on Betty, although Betty referred to her duet with James Carr and surmised that “maybe that’s where the Lee Dorsey idea was born.”

 

The pair got together around October/November 1967 and the results were intriguing. “Love Lots Of Lovin’” was very much in the style Dorsey had been recently using and was a rather lightweight poppish piece, although both singers perform well enough, especially on the bridges between the main sections of the song. The crossover appeal was not enough though for major success, the record on Sansu 474 merely ‘bubbling under’ the Billboard Pop chart at No.110 for just the one week commencing 23rd December. One wonders what might have been if Amy had picked up the master and issued it effectively as a Lee Dorsey release.

 

However, the flip-side, ListenTake Care Of Our Love, was a superb piece of funereally-paced deep-soul – indeed I would go as far as to say that it’s probably the finest example from a male/female duo that I can recall. Lee Dorsey would not be a singer one would normally associate with deeply expressive singing but here he absolutely gives as good as he gets and what he gets from Betty is a staggeringly emotive response.

 

The empathy between the two singers seems stunningly good and yet Betty had reservations. She regarded the top-side (not unreasonably perhaps) as “definitely throwaway” but went on to say she didn’t like the other side either. She added: “I didn’t consider myself a double-singer but I had no say in the matter”. Betty, it seems, has always preferred to sing solo, although she was clearly more than happy to join vocally with James Carr.

 

Towards the end of 1967 Betty was preparing to go on a tour of Europe the following year with Otis Redding (an artist she had toured with before) but of course this would come to nought as a result of the Big O’s untimely death on 10 December.

 

Although Betty’s sporadic visits to record with Toussaint usually only resulted in two songs being recorded, it seems she managed three at her next session in early 1968, although, on this occasion only, there was a sizable gap between the master numbers of each of these recordings and it’s just possible there were actually three separate sessions. In any case, this session (or sessions) might well not have been in New Orleans as Cosimo’s Jazz City studio had now closed and, in addition to using other Crescent City studios, Toussaint and Sehorn also apparently did some recording in Atlanta. (However, when Betty herself recalled her Sansu years, she implied that she cut all her songs for Toussaint actually in New Orleans).

 

Anyway, the first song in the can was “Mean Man”, by far the funkiest record Betty had yet cut for Sansu which possibly introduced the use on her recordings of the Meters, whom Toussaint and Sehorn had by now more or less recruited as a ‘house-band’. The track was released on Sansu 478 with the older but wonderful “What’d I Do Wrong” re-used on the flip.

 

The other songs recorded allegedly at the same session were the mid-paced “Hook, Line n’ Sinker” on which Betty’s vocal is well up to its usual potent standard as she really tries to ‘sell’ what is, in truth, a fairly ‘average’ song; and “Show It”, a slightly pacier but rather mediocre item. These two were coupled on the very next Sansu release (#479).

 

By about June of ’68 it seems Toussaint was getting a bit desperate as to how to return Betty to the charts and he selected for her session at that time a revival of Lee Dorsey’s “Ride Your Pony” hit. I’m sure Betty’s heart would not have been in this one but as always her professionalism took over and she really delivers on what is a fine, funky foot-tapper, proving she could handle a driving piece of soul as well as anyone.

 

Some wonderful bass-lines introduce and underpin the very impressive other track cut at that time, namely ListenTrouble With My Lover. This is a rare case where mid-paced funky soul can also be very telling in the hands of a singer of the quality of Harris. For me, this is the best mid-to-uptempo side Betty cut for Sansu, along with “There’s A Break In the Road” (see shortly). Sadly, when released together on #480, neither of the mid-’68-recorded sides caused much of a stir saleswise.

 

There followed a longish gap in recording before Betty returned to Toussaint in about March of 1969. This is possibly due to the abandonement at that time of the Sansu label, only a couple of Art Neville singles having crept out after Betty’s last effort. The label would not be re-activated until the mid-70’s and the two sides Betty cut in ’69 were leased out for single release to Shelby Singleton’s SSS-International label.

 

As already implied, “There’s A Break In the Road” is a terrific piece of mid-paced Meters-led funky-soul, with Betty riding the potent riff in great style. I love the guitar-feedback that seems to have been deliberately featured here as it just adds ‘edge’ to what is almost a groundbreaking track for the late-60’s.

 

Conversely, the other track recorded for inclusion on the SSS-Int single is just one huge musical ‘mistake’ as far as I’m concerned. In about mid-’68, an artiste called Zilla Mayes (her surname more usually excluded the ‘e’) recorded a great Allen Toussaint song called “All I Want Is You” for one of Allen and Marshall’s subsidiary labels, Tou-Sea (#132). Zilla was older than Betty and, in addition to sporadically recording since 1951, she was also an Atlanta Radio dee-jay and gospel singer. Her 45 also had an excellent Toussaint song on the other side called “I Love You Still”.

 

Anyway, at her1969 (and last) session for Toussaint, Betty also cut a Toussaint song called “All I Want Is You” but this was a totally different, appalling tuneless ‘turkey’ of a song which sounded like it was destined for some third-class theatrical musical show. What’s more, if it really is Betty Harris trying to sing it (which I can barely believe), she has real trouble even holding what little there is of a tune and also struggles to hit some of the notes. This awful track should have been left to go mouldy on the cutting room floor.

 

This untypical Harris performance and Zilla Mayes’ amazing similarity to Betty’s more usual singing-style on her own very different song of the same name, would later completely ‘throw’ UK Charly Records whose 1980 “In The Saddle” CRB 1002 compilation would wrongly use Zilla’s recording in place of Betty’s, whilst crediting Betty on both the label and sleeve track-listing (aurally an absolutely understandable mistake).

 

It’s a great shame that such a wretched recording was the last side Betty would ever cut for Allen Toussaint as, overall, her body of work for him was outstanding. However, it seems that, although Betty clearly always gave of her professional best for Allen, she did not relate to him as well as she did to Bert Berns during her admittedly far fewer sessions with the New York producer.

 

Of her nearly 4 years of sporadic recording for Sansu, she agreed that “…the music was fantastic” but she clearly felt that she was not involved enough in the song-selection and recording process when she added: “All my sessions…were put together before I arrived…and some things were done after I left.”

 

Mind you, to be fair, with Betty simply flying in from the east coast to cut maybe no more than a couple of tracks and then flying home again as soon as possible, one can perhaps see how a writer, arranger and producer as adept as Allen Toussaint would want to have songs and maybe some rhythm tracks ready in advance of her arrival and then to arrange sweetening processes perhaps after her departure.

 

Musically, it’s clear Betty liked her ‘deeper’ work best when she concurred: “That was me, that’s just me. The faster stuff I did because you had to do it but lyrics have always meant a lot to me. Out of the things Allen did, I was in love with ‘Can’t Last Much Longer’ (and) ‘Nearer To You’. Some of his music was, like, very, very meaningful to me.” Us too, Betty!

 

Having cut 20 known tracks for Sansu, Betty might well have expected at least one album to have been issued by the label but – no, it was left to the UK to provide one.

 

Her earlier Jubillee material had seen scant coverage in the UK at the time (only “Cry To Me”/”I’ll Be A Liar” appearing there on UK Decca’s London American label #9796); however, EMI’s UK Stateside label did at least issue two singles of Sansu material, while a small UK label called Buffalo picked up just on the Dorsey-Harris two-sider.

 

Thanks to Sansu’s distribution by Bell, the first (close to contemporaneous) album releases anywhere of some of Harris’ Sansu recordings appeared on the revered UK various-artist 3LP set “Bell’s Cellar Of Soul” (issued separately on MBLL 102, 107 and 117, the first two albums appearing in 1968 and the third in 1969).

 

However, also in 1969, as Betty’s tenure with Sansu came to an end, a small UK label called Action put out what became for many years the definitive Betty Harris LP, still much sought-after and pricey, entitled “Soul Perfection” (ACLP 6007). This contained 16 of Betty’s Sansu outings (a large number of tracks for an LP in those days).

 

Action had been formed in 1968 by record-store owner, soul music magazine editor and later UK Contempo and US Ichiban owner John Abbey. It was distributed by Island Records and based at Music House, 12 Neasden Lane, London NW10. Action issued no less than 56 singles in the 1968-1969 period from many different chiefly US soul-related sources (including a pairing of Betty’s “Ride Your Pony” and “Trouble With My Lover” on ACT 4535), plus another 24 singles when the label was revived between 1971 and 1974. It also put out 12 albums, including Betty’s.

 

Regarding later Harris reissues, apart from the aforementioned 45s of Jubilee material by Jubilee itself (1969) and Virgo (1973 and 1975), it would be 1980 before UK Charly issued their also already-mentioned CRB 1002 Harris LP “In The Saddle”, another 16-tracker, although only 13 Harris Sansu sides were featured, as also included were both sides of Betty’s first Jubilee single and the Zilla Mayes recording of “All I Want Is You” masquerading as by Betty.

 

In the same year, UK Charly also issued a three-track black-and-white picture sleeve single featuring “Ride Your Pony”, “Trouble With My Lover” and “Nearer To You” (CTD 102).

 

The CD era saw the aforementioned 1998 “Soul Perfection Plus” comprehensive Harris collection from UK Westside (WESA 807), followed by the also already mentioned “The Lost Soul Queen – Soul Perfection Plus Rare Tracks” Australian AIM 1502 set from 2005.

 

After Betty ended her association with Allen Toussaint, she decided to give up major musical activity chiefly because she was tired of the almost endless touring, drab hotel rooms and living out of a suitcase. However, the exact chronology of her movements from this point right up until 1996/7 have so far never been satisfactorily clarified.

 

At some point she returned to Alabama about which she recalls: "I said I'd rather be broke and be happy, than to have money and be miserable. And with that in mind, I went back home to Alabama, and I knew that it was going to be hard because I had lived an upscale life.”

 

However, possibly after she had returned to her native State, it seems she moved to Miami where she performed just at one or two clubs before deciding to quit all forms of the music scene completely. She says: "Otis had passed, Bert had passed, ‘Babe’ had passed. I looked at this business and said maybe this is not what God wanted me to do. As much as I loved singing, I just did not find things in the world the way I thought they were. I had to find me.”

 

Betty went ‘back to school’ for a time to learn business studies, married, and settled with her new husband and son in Florida. Then, in about 1982, her daughter came along and she gave much of her life over to raising her. Betty says: “I guess God put my child in my life. My daughter Christina, I just did everything for her. I put her in pageants and parades. My daughter became the focus of my life.”

 

In addition to her family responsibilities, Betty still sang, but now only in churches and at community events, as she had done in Alabama in her childhood.

 

In 1996/7 she moved to Hartford, Connecticut, where she joined an Artists Collective and began giving singing lessons. It was here too that she put her daughter through high school, also temporarily spending some time in Atlanta during her mother’s final months.

 

Then in 2001, her daughter found several Betty Harris fan sites on the web, prompting the singer to join a soul mailing list to announce her whereabouts. Her re-emergence caused quite a stir in deep soul circles and this inspired Betty to consider the possibility of performing again. Indeed, by 2004 she was anticipating that the BBC in the UK would be making a film about her life and announcing her intention to co-produce a new CD slated to be cut in Boston starting September 6th and released that December. This was to have been in conjunction with Boston-based guitarist and producer Chris Stovall Brown. However, neither of these projects came to fruition and Betty finally resurfaced in the music world on April 17, 2005, when she played her first live gig in 35 years at a benefit at Weaver High School in Hartford, which her daughter, by then at college, had once attended. Just a few weeks after this, Harris performed at New Orleans’ legendary annual Ponderosa Stomp.

 

Later in 2005 she went to Melbourne, Australia where she played a Hurricane Katrina benefit gig at the city’s Prince Of Wales venue that raised more than $30,000 for the New Orleans Musicians Clinic. The Australian band was comprised of carefully chosen members of the local roots scene who had cut their teeth on early New Orleans soul, R&B and funk sounds, fronted by Andy Baylor on guitar.

 

Harris was so impressed with this band that she allegedly parted company with the Stovall Brown unit on her return to the States and re-visited Melbourne again in November 2006 to play once more with Baylor and co. at the Prince Of Wales and at the Queenscliff Music Festival. While ‘down under’ she also appeared on the television program "Rockwiz", where she sang "Cry to Me" solo and her old Lee Dorsey duet "Love Lots of Lovin'" with Australian singer John Paul Young.

 

It had been during her 2005 trip to Australia that a visit to Hound Dog's Bop Shop in West Melbourne had triggered a series of events that led to Harris obtaining the rights to her Sansu master tapes. When she was shown the AIM compilation CD of her work, her lawyer Fred Wilhelms III contacted the Australian label and asked them who had licensed Harris' music to them. The trail led to a company called Gulf Coast Music. Fred Wilhelms explained to Red Kelly that GCM had been the entity set up by the Federal court to handle Marshall Sehorn's music assets when he declared bankruptcy in the mid-90s as a result of several judgments against him for bootlegging the Chess catalogue. When approached, Wilhelms says GCM accepted Betty’s claim to the Sansu masters because there was no proof she had ever been paid royalties and the rights were duly transferred to her.

 

This was just in time, as pop diva Christina Aguilera had then only recently sampled Allen Toussaint’s Harris-recorded song “Nearer To You” as part of her “Understand” track from her “Back To Basics” album, which had then already sold 2 million copies worldwide.

 

So, finally, not only was Harris' soul legacy being recognised but she would also receive some long-overdue and well-deserved financial reward for her past endeavours. In 2006, Betty commented: "I was angry because I did all of that work and didn't get anything for it. Normally you would get paid for studio time - I didn't even get that. It was a very hurtful time in my life. I thought what I was doing was worth a lot more than that. But you have to move on, so I got out of show business, went back to school, and I married and had kids. I refused to be labelled as a has-been in this business. I've always been a very determined person, to try and make the best of any situation. I've learnt that if you wait long enough, it's bound to come to you. I was able to get all my masters back from Sansu. We went to Nashville and I had them digitally redone and before too long we’re going to release them”.

 

It was also suggested that some of the songs Betty obtained have never yet seen reissue and so these would therefore have to be unissued Sansu Harris recordings. To my knowledge some 4 separate reissue compilations have appeared between 2006 and 2011 (see cover shots nearby), two of them, “Soul Cuts” (28 tracks on Master Classics) and “Selected Hits” (16 tracks on Charly) apparently being for MP3 download only, while the other two, “Greatest Hits” (15 tracks on Platinum Records) and “”Lonely Hearts” (16 tracks on Jukebox Entertainment) were also made available on CD. I am not aware of the inclusion on any of these releases of ‘new’ titles from Betty’s past recording history, although it seems the “Lonely Hearts” set did include 2 versions of “I Don’t Want To Hear It”.

 

2007 was another busy year for Betty, including an appearance at the "Porretta Soul Festival" in Italy before travelling on to make her French debut at the Perigueux New Orleans Music Festival that August. Betty would be back home in time for the release in November of her long-awaited ‘come back’ CD “Intuition”, but what a disappointment it proved to be. She had signed a deal with Jon Tiven to produce it in Nashville for his Evidence label (# ECD 26135-2) but, despite one or two names from the soul past like Jerry Ragovoy, Don Covay and Freddie Scott having some marginal input, and despite Betty herself being in fine voice, most of the songs had no soulful content at all, running closer to modern country-blues in style (the best is a moving tale of domestic violence entitled “She Stays On” which has a very Swamp Dogg feel to it). Tiven would produce the same level of mediocrity on his two Evidence CDs the following year featuring two more soul legends, Garnet Mimms and Howard Tate (whose earlier Ragovoy-produced “Rediscovered” Private Music/BMG CD in 2004 had been much better). In my opinion, Tiven simply failed to major on the great expressive vocal talents who had come his way.

 

If you want to hear just how soulfully emotive Betty could have been with the right material, then go here to catch a 1 min 52 sec. clip of her singing part of her “Cry To Me” rendition at the Porretta Terme festival in the same year her CD emerged. Allowing for the ‘iffy’ sound, one can soon tell that Betty could still sing deeply and impressively and it’s a shame that the clip cuts off abruptly for some reason well before the performance is finished. Tiven should have been watching and listening and, whilst one can understand that neither he nor Betty would have wanted a CD merely full of re-vamped old soul favourites, at least more of the modern songs could have been given a soulful feel.

 

Since 2007 Betty has also visited Spain, Italy, France once again, Australia twice more and has appeared at New York’s Lincoln Center.

 

With her daughter now married and having produced a grandchild, Betty has since based herself in another Connecticut city, Middletown. In January 2012, the local paper reported that, after all her touring, she was now ready to play “where she lives”, with a new band of her own, The Breaking News, which included musical director Tony Cafiero of Guilford on keyboards and Tom Smith of Cheshire on drums, these English-sounding cities actually being in Connecticut of course. Betty said: “Out of all this time that I’ve played, I’ve never had my own group, my own band, and I’ve found that to be an excellent experience; to have guys who rehearse with you, they know what you’re going to do. To have someone that has sat down and worked it out and is not just playing a chart. ... it’s really nice.”

 

Betty and her band played a ‘tune-up’ gig in December 2011 at The Cypress Restaurant in Middletown and on 7th January 2012 they played a bona fide $30-at-the-door Soul & Funk concert at Trinity-on-Main, a former church in New Britain that’s now a local cultural and performing arts center.

 

It’s nice to know that a great performer from the classic soul era is still ‘on song’ and entertaining the masses. Long may it be so.

 

UPDATE ~ On Saturday July 21st, 2012 Betty gave a radio interview on Station WRTC-FM out of Hartford, Connecticut (near her own present home). A few interesting observations emerged which add a little more info. to that contained in the main article.

 

Betty confirmed her high regard for Bert Berns. She said her “Cry To Me” session at Bell Sound took just 3 takes, the shortest session she ever had, although Berns was a person who “knew what he wanted to hear” and apparently, at a later session for him, another of Betty’s songs would see her made to sing 33 takes. She had nothing but praise too for the Sweet Inspirations who linked into “Cry To Me” so easily with only a minimum of discussion between them about what they were going to do.

 

On her 1967 3-month gruelling road-tour with the Otis Redding Review, she notes that they started off at the Apollo with 18 acts on the bill, including Johnnie Taylor and Bettye Swann (though neither she nor the generally knowledgeable dee-jay could remember Bettye’s surname!) She found Otis to be quiet, focused but not pushy, serious about what he did, a businessman but also a guy who could just be himself and didn’t worry about other acts maybe being in competition with him in any way.

 

Re her Sansu recording “Love Lot’s Of Loving” with Lee Dorsey, she confirms this was not a true duet in that Dorsey’s vocal and much, if not all of the backing track had already been cut by Allen Toussaint before Betty hit the Big Easy and Betty merely added her own vocal to the proceedings. Betty comments that she actually preferred the way she cut her Sansu tracks (by adding vocals to existing backing-tracks) to cutting ‘live’ in the studio. She maintained this allowed her to be more creative regarding her vocal before it got added into the mix. It was also made clear that Betty was already living in Miami during the time of her Sansu tracks and she was flying into New Orleans from there (not New York) for mainly 2-week periods to cut her sessions with Toussaint (some four weeks for her first ones).

 

Re her “Nearer To You” Sansu track, she confirms that, when she arrived to cut her vocal, there was very little already laid down, namely just a basic Toussaint piano track plus a bass. She left New Orleans of course before Toussaint mixed the final track and was amazed when, back in Miami, she heard the finished product with all the overdubs etc and barely recognised the piece.

 

When the dee-jay played Betty’s “A Bible And A Beer” from her 2007 Evidence CD, “Intuition”, Betty commented that her preacher-mother would not have approved of that title as she used to say to her when she was a younger secular soul singer: “That’s not the way God wants you to live”. It’s also clear that Betty shares my own view about this particular CD – basically she doesn’t rate it and doesn’t consider it to showcase “the real Betty Harris”.

 

When she first began her legal processes to recover her rights to her Sansu recordings - via her first lawyer Fred Wilhelms (now sadly deceased after contracting pancreatic cancer) - she was having a pretty rough time, as she says that was soon after she had lost both her mother and her husband.

 

While talking about her currently on-going legal action against Sony over Christine Aguilera’s sampling of her “Nearer To You” track, it was made pretty clear that she apparently regards all four of the reissue Harris CDs shown in the montage picture near the end of the main article as unlicensed and may well be bringing further actions against those responsible for these particular releases.

     

Explored #212

 

right now i'm enjoying a lazy sunday, lounging with d... he's playing tunes and i'm messing about with my laptop. snuck off about an hour ago to take some shots and i kinda like this one.. like i'm lost in a dream somewhere in the 1940's :)

 

i'm so dreamy happy right now you guys!

 

my new job has turned out to be more incredible than i could have imagined and i'm even involved in some design and marketing work. it's so exciting! everyday my role evolves more and more, i actually wake up happy to be going in... never thought i'd say that as a londoner!

 

in other news i started yoga classes. i've only been for 4 sessions so far, once a week on the 11th floor of my building, 8am till 9 so we watch the sun coming up over the city while doing yoga.. i love it :) i don't quite know how exactly but it's actually making me a happier person i think... giving me clarity..

 

anyways, i am gonna go and continue enjoying my sunday now by checking out some of your streams i've been missing lately! happy lazy sunday everyone :)

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15) Ron Magers, Ch. 5 News, Anchor,

16) Chris Zorch, Chicago Bears,

17) The Late Bill (Maverick) Golden, The Little Red Wagon, NHRA,

18) Erik Estrada, TV show, Chips, (2 Pictures)

 

Majorette, 1/32 scale, White Limo, Die cast, with 18 Picture Proof Autographs (P.P.A.),

 

#E1D-1-3, Autographed White Limo by 17 signers, The Late Dale Earnhardt Sr., and 16 others,

 

1) Ericca Kum, Olympics,

2) Bob Strauser, Owner Of Star Limos,

3) Lanu McAlista, W.M.V.P.,

4) Mark Carrier, Chicago Bears, N.F.L., Football,

5) Patti Haze, Radio D.J., Chicago,

6) The Late Dale Earnhardt Sr., NASCAR, #3, GM Goodwrench,

7) Bill Kurtis, News Anchor,

8) Shirley Hayes, Radio D.J. Chicago,

9) Leon Spinks, Pro Heavy Weight Boxer,

10) Dan Hampton, Chicago Bears,

11) Kevin Butler, Chicago Bears,

12) Robin George, Ch. 5 NBC, News Reporter,

13) Dick Biondi, WLS Radio, D.J.,

14) Robin Leach, Life Styles Of The Rich And Famous,

15) The Late Norm Van Lear, NBA, Basketball,

16) Wayne Messmore, Chicago Bulls, Announcer, Singer,

17) The Late Jan Grabrail, Famous for the U.S. 30 Drag Strip saying, Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, and the TV show, The Super Chargers,

 

Majorette, 1/32 scale, White Limo, Die cast, with 17 Picture Proof Autographs (P.P.A.),

 

#E1D-1-4, Autographed White Limo By The Late Davy Jones, (The Monkees), and 11 others,

 

1) Ray Szmanda, The Menards Guy,

2) Raymond Benson, James Bond Writer,

3) Dick Beyondi, WLS Radio, D.J.,

4) Jaks Johns, TV show, The Appraisal Fair,

5) The Late Davy Jones, TV show, (THE MONKEES),

6) The Late Stephen J. Cannell, Writer, Producer, The A Team, The Rockford Files, 21 Jump street, Wiseguy, Hardcastle and McCormick, Riptide, Baretta, Booker, Stingray, and many more,

7) The Late Roger Ebert, Movie Credit, At The Movies,

8) Leslie Hindman, TvV show, The Appraisal Fair,

9) Konan, W.C.W. Wrestler,

10) Scott Miller, WJMK Radio,

11) Isabel, WOJO 105.1 FM Radio,

12) Rich Koz, Svengoolie,

 

Majorette, 1/32 scale, White Limo, Die cast, with 12 Picture Proof Autographs (P.P.A.),

 

#E1D-1-5, Autographed White Limo By Paul La Mat, (American Graffiti) and 20 others,

 

1) Marnilis Baker, Miss Illinois, 2003,

2) Ray Szmanda, The Menards Guy,

3) Eiric, Loop Girl, Rock 97.9 FM radio,

4) Amaury Nolasco, The Movie, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Julieous, Orange car,

5) Jerrica, Playboy's Miss January, 2004,

6) N/A, no Picture,

7) Troy Trepanier, Famous Car Customizer,

8) Tom Barton, Editor of Toy Shop Paper,

9) Bill Wildt, TV show, Motorsports Unlimited,

10, Vinnie DiMartino, Custom Motorcycle Builder,

11) Chila , WCKG 105.9 FM radio,

12) Ron Finch, Custom Motorcycle Builder,

13) Paul La Mat, the Movie, American Graffiti,

14) Pixie XO, TV show, LA Ink,

15) Kevin Mathews, Signing Kev Head, Radio DJ,

16) Peggy O'Donald, TV show, Motorsports Unlimited,

17) The Late Jan Grabrail, Famous for the U.S. 30 Drag Strip saying, Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, and the TV show, The Super Chargers,

18) Bob Levien, Creator of, The World Of Wheels,

19) Mark Giangreco, ABC, Ch.7, Sports anchor,

20) N/A, no Picture,

21) The Late Bob (Broadway Bob) Metzler, owner and promoter of U.S. 30 Drag strip,

 

Majorette, 1/32 scale, White Limo, Die cast, with 21 Picture Proof Autographs (P.P.A.),

 

#E1D-2-1, NASCAR Bush series, Havoline3 250, 1993, Autographed White Track Car by The Late Davey Allison and 6 others,

 

1) Rodney Combs, #11, Luaire Heating , Pole Sitter,

2) Jerry Grandville, #81, Harley Davidson, Atlanta Felcons Coach,

3) Bobby Dotter, #08, Dewalt, Arizona Ice Tea, Pole Sitter,

4) Hermie Sadler, #25, Virginia Is For Lovers,

5) The Late Davey Allison, #28, Havoline, Died 6 months later after signing, No Picture

6) Steve Grissom, #31, Channellock Tools, Winner Of Race,

7) Chuck Bown, #63, Nescafe Nestea, Busch Grand National Champion,

 

Revell, 1/24 scale die cast, white track car signed by 7 drivers with 6 Picture Proof Autographs, (P.P.A.)

 

#E1D-2-2, NASCAR Busch series, Havoline3 250, 1994, Autographed White Track Car by 20 Drivers,

 

1) Robert Presley, #99, Skoal,

2) Mike Garvey, #0, Lawarre Racing,

3) Jason Keller, #57, Budget Gourmet,

4) Shawna Robinson, $46, Polaroid,

5) Elton Sawyer, #38, Ford Motor Credit,(2 Pictures)

6) Hermie Sadler, #26, Virginia Is For Lovers,

7) Nathan Butthe, #66, STP, (2 Pictures)

8) Jim Bown, #63, Lysol,

9) Chad Little, #23, Bayer Select, (2Pictures)

10) Bob Beveak, #3, Country Concert,

11) Dennis Setzer, #59, Alliance,

12) Stevie Reeves, #96, Glabber Girl,

13) Kenny Wallace, #8, TIC Fin. Systems,

14) Dirk Stephens, #15, Greased Lightning,

15) Randy Pemerton, T.N.N. TV,

16) Bobby Dotter, #08, DeWalt,

17) Larry Pearson, #92, Stanley Tools,

18) Rodney Combs, #43, Black Flag,

19) David Green, #44, Slim Jim,

20) Randy Porter, #35, Laughlin Racing,

 

Revell, Repainted, 1/24 scale die cast, signed by 20 drivers with Picture Proof Photos, (P.P.P.)

 

#E1D-2-3, NASCAR, Busch Series, Sears Auto Center 250, 1995, Signed by The Late Buddy Baker, and 20 other drivers,

 

1) Chad Little, The Late Kenny Irving is in the back ground, Winston Cup,

2)Tracy Leslie, #72, Detroit Gasket,

3) Jeff Fuller, #47, Sinoco 260,

4) Jerry Nadeau, #15, Bussman, Winston Cup,

5) Kenny Wallace, #8, Red Dog, Beer, Winston Cup,

6) Bobby Doter, #08,

7) Johnny Benson, #74, Lipton Tea, Winston Cup,

8) Ed Berrier, Caterpillar,

9) Phil Parsons, Winston Cup,

10) Glen Jarrett, T.N.N.,

11) Tim Fedawa, #55, McDonald's,

12) Hermie Sadler, #1, DeWalt,

13) Larry Pearson, Stanley Tools, Winston Cup,

14) Johnny Rumley, #25, Big Johnson,

15) The Late Buddy Baker, H.O.F., Winston Cup, T.N.N.,

16) Dirk Stephens, #64, Dura Lube,

17) Jim Bown, Rubbed,

18) Rich Bickle, #54, Kleenex,

19) Elton Sawyer, #38, Ford Credit,

20) Rodney Combs, #43, Jebco,

21) M. Wal, #88,

 

Revell, 1/24 scale, Die Cast, autographed by 21 drivers with Picture Proof Photos, (P.P.P.)

 

#E1D-2-4, NASCAR, Mark Martin, Greg Sacks, Rick Wilson, Signing, with 21 Others drivers #4 White Track Cars 1995. GM Goodwrench 400 and Detroit Gasket 200 at Michigan International Speedway.

Mark Martin was the winner of the 1995 Detroit Gasket 200.

 

1) Bobby Dotter, #08, Hyde Tools,

2) Curtis Markum, #63, Lysol,

3) Hermie Sadler, #1, DeWalt,

4) Phil Parsons, #99, Luxair,

5) Mike Wallace, #90, Duron, Winston Cup,

6) Kenny Wallace, #8, Red Dog, Beer, Winston Cup,

7) Tim Fedewa, #55, Innkeeper,

8) Elton Sawyer, #38, Ford Credit, Winston Cup,

9) Steve Grissom, #29, Channellock, Winston Cup,

10) Jason Keller, #57, The Budget Gourmet,

11) Greg Sacks, #32, Active Trucking, Winston Cup,

12) Terry LaBonte, #14, MW Windows, Winston Cup,

13) Rodney Combs, #43, Jebco,

14) Bill Brodrick, The Unical 76 Hat Man,

15) Jeff Purvis, #4, Kodak Fun Saver,

16) Greg Clark, #53, Clark Racing,

17) Rick Wilson, #75, Food Country, Winston Cup,

18) Tommy Ellis, #50, Healthsource,

19) David Green, #44, Slim Jim, Winston Cup,

20) Mike McLaughlin, #43, Black Flag,

21) Jim Weber, T.N.N. Motorsports,

22) Mark Martin, #60, Winn Dixie, Winston Cup,

23) Randy Porter, #18, Unifirst Uniforms,

24) Kevin LaPage, #71, Vermont Teddy Bear, Winston Cup.

 

Revell, 1/24 scale, Die Cast, autographed by 21 drivers with Picture Proof Photos, (P.P.P.)

 

#E1D-2-5, NASCAR, The Late Jim Sauter, H.O.F. Ned Jarrett, and 27 other Drivers Signing White Track car #5, 1996, Sears Auto Center 250, at Milwaukee Mile Speedway,

 

1) David Green, #95, Caterpillar, Winston cup,

2) Chad Little, #23, John Deere, Winston Cup,

3) Dale Fishline, #70, Murphy Motorsports,

4) Stevie Reeves, #96, Glabber Girl,

5) Ron Hel Jr., #66, Levitz Furniture,

6) Dennis Setzer, #38, Lipton Tea,

7) Phil Parsons, #10, Channellock,

8) Jim Bown, #51, Barbasol,

9) Todd Bodine, #81, Cape Carrsol, Winston Cup,

10) The Late Jim Sauter, #32,

11) Tim Fedewa, #40, Kleenex,

12) Mark Green, #37, Timber Wolf,

13) Chad Little, #23, John Deere, Winston Cup,

14) Kevin LaPage, #88, Farmers, Choice Fert, W.C.,

15) Curtis Markum, #63, Lysol,

16) Nathen Butkey, #4, Dura Glass,

17) Dick Berggren, CBS Sports, Announcer,

18) Bobby Dotter, #55, Lub Tek,

19) Larry Pearson, #92, Stanley Tools, Winston Cup,

20) Buckshot Jones, #00, Aqua Fresh,

21) Mike McLaughlin, #34, Royal Oak,

22) Elton Sawyer, #38,

23) Joe Hanson, #76,

24) Tommy Houston, #6, Suburbar, Propane,

25) Ned Jarrett, H.O.F., Winston Cup Champion,

26) Jason Keller, #57, Slim Jim,

27) Glen Jarrett, T.N.N. Motorsports,

28) Mike Dillion, #72, Detroit Gasket,

29) Jim Mclivaine, #29 Basket Ball Player, Grand Marshall,

 

Revell, 1/24 scale, Die Cast, autographed by 29 drivers with Picture Proof Photos, (P.P.P.)

 

#E1D-2-5, NASCAR, The Late Jim Sauter, H.O.F. Ned Jarrett, and 27 other Drivers Signing White Track car #5, 1996, Sears Auto Center 250, at Milwaukee Mile Speedway,

 

1) David Green, #95, Caterpillar, Winston cup,

2) Chad Little, #23, John Deere, Winston Cup,

3) Dale Fishline, #70, Murphy Motorsports,

4) Stevie Reeves, #96, Glabber Girl,

5) Ron Hel Jr., #66, Levitz Furniture,

6) Dennis Setzer, #38, Lipton Tea,

7) Phil Parsons, #10, Channellock,

8) Jim Bown, #51, Barbasol,

9) Todd Bodine, #81, Cape Carrsol, Winston Cup,

10) The Late Jim Sauter, #32,

11) Tim Fedewa, #40, Kleenex,

12) Mark Green, #37, Timber Wolf,

13) Chad Little, #23, John Deere, Winston Cup,

14) Kevin LaPage, #88, Farmers, Choice Fert, W.C.,

15) Curtis Markum, #63, Lysol,

16) Nathen Butkey, #4, Dura Glass,

17) Dick Berggren, CBS Sports, Announcer,

18) Bobby Dotter, #55, Lub Tek,

19) Larry Pearson, #92, Stanley Tools, Winston Cup,

20) Buckshot Jones, #00, Aqua Fresh,

21) Mike McLaughlin, #34, Royal Oak,

22) Elton Sawyer, #38,

23) Joe Hanson, #76,

24) Tommy Houston, #6, Suburbar, Propane,

25) Ned Jarrett, H.O.F., Winston Cup Champion,

26) Jason Keller, #57, Slim Jim,

27) Glen Jarrett, T.N.N. Motorsports,

28) Mike Dillion, #72, Detroit Gasket,

29) Jim Mclivaine, #29 Basket Ball Player, Grand Marshall,

 

Revell, 1/24 scale, Die Cast, autographed by 29 drivers with Picture Proof Photos, (P.P.P.)

 

#E1D-2-7, NASCAR, 17 Busch Series Drivers Signing, White Track Car, 1998, Diehard 250, at The Milwaukee Mile Speedway,

 

1) Joe Bessey, #6, Power Team,

2) Kevin LaPage, #40, Channellock,

3) Jeff Fuller, #89, Fiberall, Allerest, Pole Setter!!!

4) Phil Parsons, T.N.N. Motorsports Announcer,

5) Dave Blanney, #93, Amoco, Winston Cup,

6) Jimmy Means, #52, Winston Cup,

7) Elton Sawyer, #38, Barbasol,

8) Jeff Purvis, #4, Lance Snacks,

9) Randy LaJoie, #74, Fina, 1996 and 1997 Busch Series Champion,

10) Jimmy Foster, #90, Dr. Peper,

11) Casey Atwood, #28, LesCare Kitchens, Winston Cup,

12) Wayne Grubb, #83, Link Belt,

13) Patty Moise, #14, Rodes, Woman,

14) David Green, #56, Stanley, Winston Cup, 1994 Busch Series Champion,

15) Lance Hooper, #27, W.C.W. Wrestling,

16) Elliott Sadler, #66, Phillips 66, Winston Cup,

17) Kat Teasdale, #54, IGA, Woman,

 

Revell, 1/24 scale, Die Cast, autographed by 17 drivers with Picture Proof Photos, (P.P.P.)

 

#E1D-2-8, NASCAR, The Late Adam Petty, The Late Dick Trickle, The Late Steve Brynes, and 16 other Drivers signing, White Track Car, #8, 1999, Sears Diehard 250, at The Milewaukee Mile Speedway,

Casey Atwood was the Pole setter and Winner of the Race.

 

1) The Late Adam Petty, #45, Spree, Richard Petty's Grandson,

2) Randy LaJoie, #1, Bob Evans,

3) Phil Parsons, ESPN Sports Reporter,

4) Buckshot Jones, #00, Cheese-It,

5) Jason Keller, #57, IGA,

6) Jerry Grandview, #81, Unifirst Uniforms, Jerry was the Atlanta Felcons football Coach,

7) The Late, Barry Dodson, #35, Scana, Was a Winston Cup Crew chief for #17,

8) Mike Dillion, #59, Channellock,

9) Tony Raines, #33, Pennzoil,

10) Bobby Dotter, #08, Team Rensi,

11) Justin LaBonte, #44, Slim Jim,

12) The Late Dick Trickle, #5, Schnieder, Winston Cup,

13) Casey Atwood, #27, Castrol, Was Pole Setter and Winner of Race,

14) The Late Steve Brynes, T.N.N. Motorsports Reporter,

15) Jeff Purvis, #4, Lance Snacks,

16) Clair B. Lang, Nascar , Writer,

17) Jeff Green, #32, Kleenex,

18) Glen Allen Jr., #38, Barbasol,

19) Mike McLaughlin, #34, Gould Pumps,

 

Revell, 1/24 scale, Die Cast, Signed By 19 NASCAR Drivers all with Picture Proof Photos

 

#E1D-2-9, NASCAR, The Late Dick Trickle, The Late Jim Sauter, The Late Kevin Grubb, and 21 other drivers signing, White Track Car, #9, 2000, Sears Die Hard 250, at The Milwaukee Mile Speedway,

Jeff Green was the Pole Setter and The Winner Of The Race and the 2000 Busch Series Champion,

David Green was the 1994 Busch Series Champion,

Randy LaJoie was the 1996 and 1997 Busch Series Champion,

 

1) Jason Keller, #57, Excedrin,

2) Jeff Green, #10, Nestle, Pole Setter, Winner, and the Busch Series Champion,

3) Elton Sawyer, #98, Lysol,

4) The Late Dick Trickle, #5, Schneider, Winston Cup,

5) Mark Green, #63, Exxon Super-Flo,

6) The Late Kevin Grubb, #57, Timber Wolf,

7) Todd Bodine, #66, Phillips 66, Winston Cup,

8) Tony Raines, #33, Alka Seltzer, Bayer,

9) David Green, #34, AFG Glass, Winston Cup,

10) Bobby Hillin, #8, Kleenex, Winston Cup,

11) Mike McLaughlin, #48, Gould Pumps.

12) Jason Jarrett, #11, Rayovac, Ned Jarrett's Grandson,

13) The Late Jim Sauter, #45,

14) Jimmy Means, #52, Winston Cup,

15) Andy Santerre, #25, Lance Snacks,

16) Bobby Hamilton Jr., #26, Baywatch,

17) Tim Fedewa, #36, Stanley Tools,

18) Justin LaBonti, #44, Slim Jim,

19) Anthony Lazzard, #97, McDonald's, Indy Driver,

20) Jason Schuler, #17, Vision,

21) Mike Dillon, #21, Rockwell,

22) Jeff Purvis, #4, Porter Cables,

23) Chad Chaffin, #77, Lear Corp.,

24) Randy LaJoie, #1, Bob Evans,

 

Revell, 1/24 scale, Die Cast, Signed By 24 NASCAR Drivers all with Picture Proof Photos, (P.P.P.)

 

#E1D-3-1, NASCAR, The Late John Nemecheck, Mike Skinner, and 20 other drivers signing, White Track Truck, #1, 1995, Sears Auto Center 125, at The Milwaukee Mile Speedway, Mike Skinner was the pole Setter and Winner of the Race and the 1995 Nascar Truck Series Champion.

 

1) Dick Bergeren, CBS, Sports Reporter,

2) Mike Bliss, #2, Ultra Custom Wheels,

3) P.J. Jones, #1, Sears Diehard,

4) Scott Legasses, #24, DuPont,

5) John Kinder, #14, Stoppe Motorsports,

6) Ron Hornaday Jr., #16, Papa John's Pizza,

7) Dennis Setzer, #30, Taylor Togs,

8) T.J. Clark, #23, ASE,

9) Rodney Combs, #43, U.S. Olympic Bob Slide,

10) The Late John Nemecheck, #87, Burger King, Signature Rubbed,

11) Ken Squire, CBS, Motorsports Reporter,

12) Butch Miller, #98, Raybestos,

13) Bob Keselowski, #29, Winnebago,

14) Rick Carelli, #6, Total Petroleum,

15) Mike Skinner, #3, GM Goodwrench, Pole Setter, Winner of The Race and 1995 Truck Champion,

16) Bill Sedwick, #75, Spears Motorsports,

17) Kerry Teague, #51, Teamsters Local 71,

18) Kenny Allen, #65, ONSAT, TV Plus,

19) Bob Brevak, #34, Scaffidi Mack,

20) Ron Evans, #20, Barbary Coast,

21) Johnny Benson Jr., #18, Performance Friction, Winston Cup,

22) Mike Joy, CBS Motorsports, no Picture,

 

Racing Champions, stripped and repainted, 1/24 scale, die cast, signed by 22 drivers with Picture Proof Photos, (P.P.P.)

 

#E1D-3-2, NASCAR, 27 Drivers signing, White Track Truck, #2, 1996, Sears Auto Center 200, at the Milwaukee Mile Speedway, Mike Bliss was the Pole Setter. Ron Hornaday Jr. was the 1996 NASCAR Truck Series Champion.

 

1) Barry Dobson, #2, Team ASE Crew Chief, Winston Cup,

2) Mike Bliss, #2, Team ASE, POLE SETTER,

3) Rich Bickle, #43, Cummins Engines,

4) Mike Skinner, #3, GM Goodwrench, Last Years Pole Setter, Winner, and Champion, Winston Cup,

5) Lonnie Cox, #36, DuPont Thompson,

6) Rick Carelli, #6, ReMax International,

7) Lance Norwick, #19, Macklanburg Duncon,

8) Jerry Granville, #81, Flickers, was the Atlanta Felcons football Coach,

9) Michael Dokken, #64, Clearwater Linen,

10) Dave Rezendes, #7, QVC,

11) Robbie Reiser, #4, GMC Trucking, Winston Cup, Matt Kenseth Crew Chief,

12) Walker Evans, #20, DANA, Dirt Road Race Legend,

13) Bob Keselowski, #29, Winnebago, Brad's Father,

14) Ron Hornaday Jr., #16, NAPA, Becomes The 1996 Nascar Truck Champion.

15) David Smith, #12, Blake Racing,

16) Bryon Reffner, #44, 1-800-COLLECT,

17) Dick Bergeren, CBS Sports Reporter,

18) Doug George, #21, ORTHO,

19) Mike Hurbert #11, RPM Racing,

20) Bob Brevak, #31, Ho-Chunk Casino,

21) Joe Ruttman, #80, Roush Parts, Winston Cup,

22) Ron Barfield Jr., #94, Super 8 Motel,

23) Frank Dan, #69, Ford Racing, Did not Qualify,

24) Butch Miller, #98, Raybestos Brakes,

25) Bobby Gil, #75, Spears ,

26) Kenny Allen, #65, Action Rent-To-Own,

27) Mike Joy, CBS Sports Reporter,

 

Racing Champions, stripped and repainted, 1/24 scale, die cast, signed by 22 drivers with Picture Proof Photos, (P.P.P.)

 

#E1D-3-3, NASCAR, H.O.F. Legend, Ned Jarrett, and 19 other Truck Series drivers signing White Track Truck #3, 1997, Sears Diehard 200, at The Milwaukee Mile Speedway, Ron Hornaday Jr. was the WINNER of the RACE.

 

1) Mike Bliss, #2, Team ASE,

2) Tammy Jo Kirk, #7, Lovable, Woman Driver,

3) Mark Green, #37, Red Man Golden Blend,

4) Eli Gold, CBS Motorsports Reporter,

5) Rick Carelli, #6, ReMax,

6) Joe Rutman, #80, LCI International, Winston Cup,

7) Tony Raines, #19, Pennzoil,

8) Rick Crawford, #14, Circle Bar Motel,

9) Jerry Granville, #81, Frickers, Atlanta Felcons Coach,

10) Ned Jarrett, H.O.F. Legend, CBS Sports, Winston Cup,

11) Ron Hornaday Jr., #16, NAPA, WINNER of the RACE,

12) Dave Rezendes, #35, Ortho Lawn and Garden,

13) Ken Square, CBS Motorsports announcer,

14) Cindy Peterson, Did Not Qualify,

15) Rich Bickle, #17, Sears Diehard, Sponsor of race,

16) Dick Bergeren, CBS Motorsports Reporter,

17) Mike Joy, CBS Motorsports Reporter,

18) Lance Norwick, #90, NHL,

19) Dave Eniet, Founder Of The Truck Series,

20) Bob Keselowski, #29, Mopar Performance, Brad's Dad.

 

Racing Champions, stripped and repainted, 1/24 scale, die cast, signed by 20 drivers with Picture Proof Photos, (P.P.P.)

 

#E1D-3-4, NASCAR, The Late Buddy Baker, The Late Jim Sauter, The Late Tony Roper, and 22 other Truck Series Drivers signing, White Track Truck #4, 1998, Sears Diehard 200, at the Milwaukee Mile Speedway.

Jack Spague was the Pole Setter.

Mike Bliss was the WINNER of the Race.

Barry Dobson was the winning Crew Chief.

Ron Hornaday Jr., was the 1998 NASCAR Truck Champion.

Greg Biffle was the 1998 NASCAR Truck Series Rookie of the year.

 

1) Ron Hornaday Jr., #16, NAPA, 1998 NASCAR Truck Series Champion,

2) Mike Wallace, #52, Purolator Pure One,

3) Stacy Compton, #86, Royal Crown Cola, RC cola,

4) Glen Jarrett, CBS Motorsports Reporter,

5) Jay Sauter, #3, GM Goodwrench,

6) Wayne Anderson, #84, Porter Cable Power,

7) Kevin Cywinski, #31, Allied Signal, Bendix,

8) Mike Bliss, #2, Team ASE, WINNER Of The RACE,

9) Rick Crawford, #14, Circle Bar Motel and RV,

10) Mike Garvey, #68, Metro Milwaukee Auto,

11) N/A,

12) Butch Miller, #18, Dana Corp.,

13) Jimmy Hensley, #43, Cummins Engines,

14) KEVIN HARVICK, #75, Spears, Winston Cup,

15) Barry Dobson, Winning Crew Chief,

16) Brain Reffner, #66 Carlin Burners,

17) GREG BIFFLE, #50, Grainger, 1998 NASCAR Truck Series ROOKIE Of The Year, Winston Cup,

18) Jack Sprague, #24, Team Hendrick,

19) The Late Jim Sauter, IROC test Driver,

20) BORIS SAID, #44, FEDERATED Auto Parts, Winston Cup Road Racer,

21) Tammy Jo Kirk, #51 Failed to Qualify, Woman Driver,

22) Joe Bush, #67, Failed to Qualify,

23) Dennis Setzer, #29, Mopar Performance,

24) The Late Tony Roper, #55, Icehouse Beer, Tony died in a accident later that year.

25) The Late Buddy Baker, H.O.F., Legend, CBS Motorsports Announcer,

 

RACING CHAMPIONS, Stripped and Repainted, 1/24 scale, die cast, signed by 25 drivers with Picture Proof Photos

 

#E1D-3-5, NASCAR, Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, and 14 more drivers signing, White Track Truck, #5, 1999, Sears Diehard 200, at The Milwaukee Mile Speedway,

Greg Biffle was the POLE SETTER and the WINNER of the race.

 

1) KEVIN HARVICK, #98, Porter Cable Tools, Winston Cup,

2) Tim Steel, #21, HS Die and Engineering,

3) Jeff Andretti, EML Rockford , INDY Driver,

4) Kevin Cywinski, #31, Auto Trim Design,

5) Ron Barfield, #55 Icehouse Beer,

6) Rick Crawford, #14, Circle Bar and Motel,

7) Jerry Grandville, #81, Unifirst Uniforms, Atlanta Felcons football Coach,

8) Jay Sauter, #3, GM Goodwrench,

9) Eli Gold, CBS Motorsports Announcer,

10) Jimmy Hensley, #43, Dodge Motorsports,

11) Rick Corelli, CBS Motorsports Announcer,

12) GREG BIFFLE, #50, Grainger, Winston Cup, Greg was the POLE SETTER and the WINNER of The RACE,

13) Randy Tolsma, #25, Superguard Motor oil, CITGO,

14) Lance Norwick, #90, L R Motorsports,

15) Ron Hornaday Jr., #16, NAPA Auto Parts,

16) Dennis Setzer, #1, Mopar Performance,

 

RACING CHAMPIONS, Stripped and Repainted, 1/24 scale, die cast, signed by 16 drivers with Picture Proof Photos, (P.P.P.).

 

#E1D-4-1, INDY, CART, Sign by Mario Andretti, A.J.Foyt, and 9 other drivers signing White Track INDY CAR #1, From Elk Heart Lake Wis., Road America stripped ; Repainted , Racing Champions,,1/24th scale Diecast Autographed With Picture Proof Photo

 

Sign by:

1) Mario Andretti,

2) Greg Ray,

3) Raul Bossel,

4) Eddie Cheever,

5) Al Unser Jr.,

6) Roger Penski,

7) Arie Luyendyk,

8) Scott Goodyear,

9) #9,

10) Paul Tracy,

11) AJ Foyt

 

Roger Penske(no picture), Indy/Cart, stripped and Repainted , Racing Champions,,1/24th scale Diecast Autographed With Picture Proof Photo

 

#E1D-4-2, INDY, CART, Tony Stewart, Helleo Castroneves, and 17 other drivers signing, White Track INDY CAR #2.

 

Signed by:

1) Helleo Castroneves, Before Dancing With The Stars Championship, Alumax,

2) Mark Blundell, Motorola,

3) Bryan Herta, Shell,

4) Tony Kannon, McDonald's,

5) Mark Dismore, Menards,

6) Mike T. Reid, #3, Water Joe,

7) Al Unser Jr., Marlboro,

8) #66, Players,

9) Meno Gidley, Hogan Racing,

10) Players Lynn's Racing,

11) Tony Stewart, Menards,

12) Scott Purett, Visteon Racing,

13) Adrian Fernandez, Tecate,

14) Ruth? Lacus?,

15) The Late Carl Hogan, Owner Of Hogan Racing,

16) Danny Sullivan,

17) #9 No Picture,

18) Marla Kleen, Speed Channel,

19) Indy Owner and Media

 

Racing Champions, stripped and repainted, 1/24th scale, Diecast, Autographed With Picture Proof Photo,

 

.#E1D-4-1, INDY, CART, Sign by Mario Andretti, A.J.Foyt, and 9 other drivers signing White Track INDY CAR #1, From Elk Heart Lake Wis., Road America stripped ; Repainted , Racing Champions,,1/24th scale Diecast Autographed With Picture Proof Photo

 

Sign by:

1) Mario Andretti,

2) Greg Ray,

3) Raul Bossel,

4) Eddie Cheever,

5) Al Unser Jr.,

6) Roger Penski,

7) Arie Luyendyk,

8) Scott Goodyear,

9) #9,

10) Paul Tracy,

11) AJ Foyt

 

Roger Penske(no picture), Indy/Cart, stripped and Repainted , Racing Champions,,1/24th scale Diecast Autographed With Picture Proof Photo

 

#E1D-4-2, INDY, CART, Tony Stewart, Helleo Castroneves, and 17 other drivers signing, White Track INDY CAR #2.

 

Signed by:

1) Helleo Castroneves, Before Dancing With The Stars Championship, Alumax,

2) Mark Blundell, Motorola,

3) Bryan Herta, Shell,

4) Tony Kannon, McDonald's,

5) Mark Dismore, Menards,

6) Mike T. Reid, #3, Water Joe,

7) Al Unser Jr., Marlboro,

8) #66, Players,

9) Meno Gidley, Hogan Racing,

10) Players Lynn's Racing,

11) Tony Stewart, Menards,

12) Scott Purett, Visteon Racing,

13) Adrian Fernandez, Tecate,

14) Ruth? Lacus?,

15) The Late Carl Hogan, Owner Of Hogan Racing,

16) Danny Sullivan,

17) #9 No Picture,

18) Marla Kleen, Speed Channel,

19) Indy Owner and Media

 

Racing Champions, stripped and repainted, 1/24th scale, Diecast, Autographed With Picture Proof Photo,

 

1960's COX Gas Funny Car with 22 NHRA P.P. Autographs.

 

1) Don Prudhomme, Funny Car, Top Fuel, Champion, Owner, Hot Wheels, Army, Pepsi,

2) Del Worsham, Funny Car, Checker,

3)N/A,

4) Bob Glidden, Pro Stock Champion,Motorcraft,

5) Kenny Bernstein, Funny, Top Fuel, Champion, Budweiser,

6) Frank Pedregon, Funny Car, Redline Oil,

7) Mark Oswald, Funny car, Mac Tools,

8) Marty Reed, ESPN,

9) Cruz Pedregon, Funny Car, McDonald's, Advance Auto Parts,

10) Larry Dixon, Top Fuel, Champion, Miller, Beer,

11) Tommy Johnson, Funny Car, Skoal,

12) Brandon Bernstein, Top Fuel, Budweiser,

13) Scotty Cannon, Funny Car, (O),

14) Doug Herbert, Top Fuel, Snap On,

15) Gary Skelzi, Tpo Fuel, Winston,

16) Dick LaHaie, Top Fuel, Miller, Crew Chief,

17) Dale Greasy Jr., Funny Car, Craftmans,

18) Dean Skuza, Funny Car, Mopar, TV Show,

19) Red Hair, ESPN,

20) Billy Stephen, ESPN,

21) Tony Pedregon, Funny Car, GTX Castrol,

22) Tony Schumacher, Top Fuel, Champion, ARMY, Exide Batteries,

When I arrive home from a hard day photographing people’s living rooms I plonk myself in front of the computer, put my headphones on and for the next few hours sit ‘uploading’, accompanied by the sounds of GentleWhispering, TheWaterwhispers, TheOneLilium and pigsbum53, amongst others. No, I’m not a subscriber to some live porn website, these girls are not sat in front of their webcams waiting for their subscribers to request they carry out peculiar activities, oh, no, actually they ARE sat in front of their webcams inviting peculiar activity requests - but not the sexual kind. These girls (and boys, but it’s the girls who do it for me) have a gift, the gift of triggering ASMR. No, not Advanced Surface-Movement Radar, but Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response - in layman’s terms braingasms, head-tingles, head-orgasms, spine-tingles, attention induced euphoria.

 

Do you have it?

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_sensory_meridian_response

 

I have had it since childhood, and back then loved nothing more than going round to a friend’s house and playing role-play games; doctors and nurses, schoolteachers, librarians, Barbie and Ken rub up against each other with no clothes on, George’s marvellous medicine, Barbie and Barbie rub up against each other with no clothes on, Ken and My Little Pony rub up against each other . . .

 

Whilst listening to and watching my companion concentrating on our games and putting on the airs and graces of whichever characters we were pretending to be I would frequently be besieged by this overwhelmingly euphoric feeling, starting in the back of my skull, sending tingles all down my back, I would be totally transfixed by her banal chattering and careful movements, content just to sit there and be drowned in the sensation.

“Hannah! Lucy! – It’s time for Lucy to go home now, we are about to eat.” would be the words that broke the spell. I would be bundled out of the front door and have to run round the corner, back home, cursing them for eating dinner when I was experiencing the best moment of my life thus far.

 

I remember aged about seven forcing my male playmate to play doctors and nurses – I kept him shut in my bedroom and made him stroke my arms, legs and tummy with strange objects, accompanied by a doctorly dialogue and strict instructions on how delicately to speak. He didn’t seem to understand the purpose of this and his clumsy, chewed up fingers and the feeling of duress emanating from him put rather a dampener on it for me.

 

Upon learning that it was a rare phenomenon and one that couldn’t be forced, I would gratefully accept any fleeting moment of ecstasy, however it came. So hungry was I for the feeling that I would even tolerate going to my arch frenemy’s house, just because her mother triggered my tingles. She (the mother) was highly strung, obsessed with etiquette, angst ridden about everything and extremely strict, whilst speaking in a constrained, geisha-like whisper at ALL times. Perfect conditions. Standing in the entrance hall before entry into the house was permitted, we were all given explicit instructions on what rooms we could go in, what we were allowed to play, when our tea would be served, not to pester her beloved obese tortoiseshell cat, (tortoiseshells are nearly always overweight and unfriendly.) not to go within ten metres of the study where FATHER resided and to take our shoes off. I listened, transfixed. The tone of her voice, this nervous-breakdown-teetering whisper of hers hit me right in my ASMR. I would linger, dazed and super-relaxed in the hallway, long after we had officially been granted entry.

 

Other memorable AMSRvents:

 

Ready steady cook, when the contestants carefully emptied out their bags of ingredients describing in dreary detail, “I bought chicken because I like chicken and I eat a lot of chicken and I bought potatoes because I like potatoes and I eat a lot of potatoes.” whilst patting each item gently as they talked - bliss – I would sit as close as possible to the TV to hear the crackling packaging.

 

I remember a dull girl next to me in a maths lesson, during a hiatus when the teacher must have been out taking another dose of valium, drawing me a detailed diagram of her house layout and walking me through it with her pen, describing the layout of each room and drawing in each ornament. That was the best maths lesson I ever had.

 

Recently I was floorplanning a woman’s house while she spoke all-foreign-like to her child in lovely dulcet tones. I had finished drawing the kitchen 10 minutes earlier but I couldn’t bear to leave the room and lose the sensation in my head, so not only did I draw a plan of their kitchen – I sketched in every knife, fork and spoon, tea towel, tin of soup, and scouring pad to prolong my ecstacy.

 

Part of what is wonderful about ASMR is that you never know when it will hit you. A dreary day can be transformed by meeting that one special person with contrived mannerisms and voice. They will have no idea of the head orgasm they have just given you, apart from when you breathlessly gasp, ‘Thank you, thank you oh, thank you.’ It is the unpredictability of it all, the knowing it will end at any moment and cannot be relived that makes it even more covetable and can drive you to obsession.

 

But you can’t do it to yourself and neither, for me, can lovers. This is what proves that it isn’t sexual – my boyfriend and I discovered we had ASMR in common when we met, but can we trigger it in each other? Can we f**k – I would be worried if old ladies were more likely to give me orgasms than my man, but head orgasms – no problem, that’s standard, in fact he came home excitedly the other night to tell me that he had had braingasms for almost an hour with a librarian in the British Library. I was delighted for him.

 

But lately I don’t meet any of these god-like beings, and that is what led me to search on the Internet. There (once I eventually worked out it was tagged as ASMR) on YouTube they all were. I felt like a starving lion, on it’s last legs, reaching the crest of a hill on the arid Serengeti to look down into a lush valley where a vast waterhole was ringed by hundreds of thousands of juicy wildebeest – There were my tinglebeests! They had been there all this time and I had had no idea. I have since spent the last year catching up with the show and tells, lip smacking, close up whispers and make up sessions, my addled brain soothed by talk of nothing much, and the sounds of menial tasks.

 

As a non-conversationalist anti-social hermit, being able to listen to feminine chatter without having to respond in any way is a most satisfactory state of affairs, I subscribe to so many ASMRtists but my participation in the whisper community is entirely voyeuristic. I watch and enjoy, but I don’t comment and I don’t make videos either – I am an ASMR parasite, sucking the relaxation out of everyone and contributing nothing, that is why I have decided to try to spread the word about International ASMR day on 9th April, mind you, I have decided to do this only about five days before the actual day so my minute and tardy effort will probably do precisely nothing.

 

I have made private attempts at videos (ASMR videos that is) and watched them back, wincing, cringing at my not-at-all tingly voice, the way my mouth moves, how peculiar my hairline is, how dry and cracked my hands are. Some ASMRtists go for over an hour – after three minutes of my first show and tell I was getting louder and louder, talking faster and faster and hurling nail polishes and eyeshadows impatiently into a Tupperware box with loud and most un-relaxing clatters. I decided that the whisper community might not need my input.

 

A recent ASMR ambition of mine was to trigger someone else who has never felt the tingles before. So the very next child that partially knew me I used as a guinea pig, steering the game he was playing, ‘hammering something into a block of wood’ towards the game ‘I’ wanted to play; ‘Getting the stone out of the cow’s hoof’ which involved me using several primary coloured plastic implements from his Tomy toolset to remove an imaginary pebble from his imaginary ‘hoof’. The activity was narrated by me – the exceedingly softly spoken vet – who lightly tickled and de-stoned his feet with great concentration – I knew it was working when he lay back and just stared into space, trance-like, while I worked. As soon as I stopped he told me there was ‘nother tone in my hoof’ ‘and nother’ ‘and nother’ until, now satisfied that I had achieved my life’s goal, I was bored and wanted a glass of wine.

I hope to one day read in this child’s memoirs (the child growing up to be the foremost authority on the science of ASMR and getting stones out of cow’s hooves with plastic toys.) of the experience that set him on the way to the ‘Nobel Prize for Whispering’.

“This peculiar woman ruined my game and then insisted on tickling my feet with plastic tools. I was frozen with fear. She then announced that I bored her and abruptly walked off to get a bottle of wine. She never came back. I cried for a month and have had abandonment issues and drink problems ever since.

 

Perhaps in subsequent years with a bit more recognition International ASMR day could involve enormous conferences where the world’s leading ASMRtists attempt to create simultaneous mass braingasms to packed auditoriums. There will be ASMR pleasure-hunts where the aim is to experience tingles as many times as possible in one day, with visits to libraries, beauticians, opticians, schools, old people’s homes etc etc. For the entirety of International ASMR day everyone has to be softly spoken – even policemen, football coaches and scaffolders. Celebrities will naturally jump on the band wagon and each will produce an ASMR video.

 

Celebrity videos I would like to see:

 

Mary Berry does a weapons arsenal show & tell and delicately disassembles a Glock.

 

Sister Wendy does a mammogram role-play.

 

Brian Sewell chews Jelly beans whilst brushing your hair.

 

Nigel Slater unboxes and unwraps tampons and gently stirs them into a lamb stew.

 

Nancy Dell’olio performs an autopsy role-play.

 

Monica Bellucci wraps a severed finger in tissue paper.

 

Charlotte Gainsbourg gives you a binaural rectal exam, in French.

 

ASMRtists will become A-list celebrities, putting their voices on Sat Navs and special ‘whisper adverts’ where you will be asked to put headphones on to fully appreciate the effect.

 

ASMR clinics will open on high streets where you can go in, choose your role-play scenario and, in addition to aural and visual triggers, you get to experience tactile ones. I have found that a feather-light stroke of the inner forearm can increase a braingasm - many a wet-break at primary school was spent tickling each other’s forearms, “Close your eyes and when I get to the crook of your elbow with this paintbrush you have to call out, and then it’s my turn.”

 

I never called out.

    

Cheddar is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Somerset. It is situated on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills, 9 miles (14 km) north-west of Wells, 11 miles (18 km) south-east of Weston-super-Mare and 18 miles (29 km) south-west of Bristol. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Nyland and Bradley Cross. The parish had a population of 5,755 in 2011 and an acreage of 8,592 acres (3,477 ha) as of 1961.

 

Cheddar Gorge, on the northern edge of the village, is the largest gorge in the United Kingdom and includes several show caves, including Gough's Cave. The gorge has been a centre of human settlement since Neolithic times, including a Saxon palace. It has a temperate climate and provides a unique geological and biological environment that has been recognised by the designation of several Sites of Special Scientific Interest. It is also the site of several limestone quarries. The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese and has been a centre for strawberry growing. The crop was formerly transported on the Cheddar Valley rail line, which closed in the late 1960s and is now a cycle path. The village is now a major tourist destination with several cultural and community facilities, including the Cheddar Show Caves Museum.

 

The village supports a variety of community groups including religious, sporting and cultural organisations. Several of these are based on the site of the Kings of Wessex Academy, which is the largest educational establishment.

 

The name Cheddar comes from the Old English word ceodor, meaning deep dark cavity or pouch.

 

There is evidence of occupation from the Neolithic period in Cheddar. Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be 9,000 years old, was found in Cheddar Gorge in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. There is some evidence of a Bronze Age field system at the Batts Combe quarry site. There is also evidence of Bronze Age barrows at the mound in the Longwood valley, which if man-made it is likely to be a field system. The remains of a Roman villa have been excavated in the grounds of the current vicarage.

 

The village of Cheddar had been important during the Roman and Saxon eras. There was a royal palace at Cheddar during the Saxon period, which was used on three occasions in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot. The ruins of the palace were excavated in the 1960s. They are located on the grounds of the Kings of Wessex Academy, together with a 14th-century chapel dedicated to St. Columbanus. Roman remains have also been uncovered at the site. Cheddar was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Ceder, meaning "Shear Water", from the Old English scear and Old Welsh dŵr. An alternative spelling in earlier documents, common through the 1850s is Chedder.

 

As early as 1130 AD, the Cheddar Gorge was recognised as one of the "Four wonders of England". Historically, Cheddar's source of wealth was farming and cheese making for which it was famous as early as 1170 AD. The parish was part of the Winterstoke Hundred.

 

The manor of Cheddar was deforested in 1337 and Bishop Ralph was granted a licence by the King to create a hunting forest.

 

As early as 1527 there are records of watermills on the river. In the 17th and 18th centuries, there were several watermills which ground corn and made paper, with 13 mills on the Yeo at the peak, declining to seven by 1791 and just three by 1915. In the Victorian era it also became a centre for the production of clothing. The last mill, used as a shirt factory, closed in the early 1950s.

 

William Wilberforce saw the poor conditions of the locals when he visited Cheddar in 1789. He inspired Hannah More in her work to improve the conditions of the Mendip miners and agricultural workers. In 1801, 4,400 acres (18 km2) of common land were enclosed under the Inclosure Acts.

 

Tourism of the Cheddar gorge and caves began with the opening of the Cheddar Valley Railway in 1869.

 

Cheddar, its surrounding villages and specifically the gorge has been subject to flooding. In the Chew Stoke flood of 1968 the flow of water washed large boulders down the gorge, washed away cars, and damaged the cafe and the entrance to Gough's Cave.

 

Cheddar is recognised as a village. The adjacent settlement of Axbridge, although only about a third the population of Cheddar, is a town. This apparently illogical situation is explained by the relative importance of the two places in historic times. While Axbridge grew in importance as a centre for cloth manufacturing in the Tudor period and gained a charter from King John, Cheddar remained a more dispersed mining and dairy-farming village. Its population grew with the arrival of the railways in the Victorian era and the advent of tourism.

 

The parish council, which has 15 members who are elected for four years, is responsible 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 evaluates local planning applications and works with the police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, 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 the responsibility of the council.

 

The village is in the 'Cheddar and Shipham' electoral ward. After including Shipham the total population of the ward taken at the 2011 census is 6,842.

 

For local government purposes, since 1 April 2023, the village comes under the unitary authority of Somerset Council. Prior to this, it was part of the non-metropolitan district of Sedgemoor, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Axbridge Rural District. Fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the South Western Ambulance Service.

 

It is also part of the Wells county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. Prior to Brexit in 2020, it was part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.

 

Cheddar is twinned with Felsberg, Germany and Vernouillet, France, and it has an active programme of exchange visits. Initially, Cheddar twinned with Felsberg in 1984. In 2000, Cheddar twinned with Vernouillet, which had also been twinned with Felsberg. Cheddar also has a friendship link with Ocho Rios in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica.

 

It is also twinned with the commune of Descartes in the Indre-et-Loire department.

 

The area is underlain by Black Rock slate, Burrington Oolite and Clifton Down Limestone of the Carboniferous Limestone Series, which contain ooliths and fossil debris on top of Old Red Sandstone, and by Dolomitic Conglomerate of the Keuper. Evidence for Variscan orogeny is seen in the sheared rock and cleaved shales. In many places weathering of these strata has resulted in the formation of immature calcareous soils.

 

Cheddar Gorge, which is located on the edge of the village, is the largest gorge in the United Kingdom. The gorge is the site of the Cheddar Caves, where Cheddar Man was found in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. The caves, produced by the activity of an underground river, contain stalactites and stalagmites. Gough's Cave, which was discovered in 1903, leads around 400 m (437 yd) into the rock-face, and contains a variety of large rock chambers and formations. Cox's Cave, discovered in 1837, is smaller but contains many intricate formations. A further cave houses a children's entertainment walk known as the "Crystal Quest".

 

Cheddar Gorge, including Cox's Cave, Gough's Cave and other attractions, has become a tourist destination, attracting about 500,000 visitors per year. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, following its appearance on the 2005 television programme Seven Natural Wonders, Cheddar Gorge was named as the second greatest natural wonder in Britain, surpassed only by the Dan yr Ogof caves.

 

There are several large and unique Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) around the village.

 

Cheddar Reservoir is a near-circular artificial reservoir operated by Bristol Water. Dating from the 1930s, it has a capacity of 135 million gallons (614,000 cubic metres). The reservoir is supplied with water taken from the Cheddar Yeo, which rises in Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge and is a tributary of the River Axe. The inlet grate for the 54-inch (1.4 m) water pipe that is used to transport the water can be seen next to the sensory garden in Cheddar Gorge. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its wintering waterfowl populations.

 

Cheddar Wood and the smaller Macall's Wood form a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest from what remains of the wood of the Bishops of Bath and Wells in the 13th century and of King Edmund the Magnificent's wood in the 10th. During the 19th century, its lower fringes were grubbed out to make strawberry fields. Most of these have been allowed to revert to woodland. The wood was coppiced until 1917. This site compromises a wide range of habitats which include ancient and secondary semi-natural broadleaved woodland, unimproved neutral grassland, and a complex mosaic of calcareous grassland and acidic dry dwarf-shrub heath. Cheddar Wood is one of only a few English stations for starved wood-sedge (Carex depauperata). Purple gromwell (Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum), a nationally rare plant, also grows in the wood. Butterflies include silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia), dark green fritillary (Argynnis aglaja), pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne), holly blue (Celastrina argiolus) and brown argus (Aricia agestis). The slug Arion fasciatus, which has a restricted distribution in the south of England, and the soldier beetle Cantharis fusca also occur.

 

By far the largest of the SSSIs is called Cheddar Complex and covers 441.3 hectares (1,090.5 acres) of the gorge, caves and the surrounding area. It is important because of both biological and geological features. It includes four SSSIs, formerly known as Cheddar Gorge SSSI, August Hole/Longwood Swallet SSSI, GB Cavern Charterhouse SSSI and Charterhouse on-Mendip SSSI. It is partly owned by the National Trust who acquired it in 1910 and partly managed by the Somerset Wildlife Trust.

 

Close to the village and gorge are Batts Combe quarry and Callow Rock quarry, two of the active Quarries of the Mendip Hills where limestone is still extracted. Operating since the early 20th century, Batts Combe is owned and operated by Hanson Aggregates. The output in 2005 was around 4,000 tonnes of limestone per day, one third of which was supplied to an on-site lime kiln, which closed in 2009; the remainder was sold as coated or dusted aggregates. The limestone at this site is close to 99 percent carbonate of calcium and magnesium (dolomite).

 

The Chelmscombe Quarry finished its work as a limestone quarry in the 1950s and was then used by the Central Electricity Generating Board as a tower testing station. During the 1970s and 1980s it was also used to test the ability of containers of radioactive material to withstand impacts and other accidents.

 

Along with the rest of South West England, Cheddar has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country. The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50.0 °F). Seasonal temperature variation is less extreme than most of the United Kingdom because of the adjacent sea, which moderates temperature. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately 21 °C (69.8 °F). In winter mean minimum temperatures of 1 °C (33.8 °F) or 2 °C (35.6 °F) are common. In the summer the Azores high-pressure system affects the south-west of England. Convective cloud sometimes forms inland, reducing the number of hours of sunshine; annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600 hours. Most of the rainfall in the south-west is caused by Atlantic depressions or by convection. Most of the rainfall in autumn and winter is caused by the Atlantic depressions, which are most active during those seasons. In summer, a large proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. Average rainfall is around 700 mm (28 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall per year is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west.

 

The parish has a population in 2011 of 5,093, with a mean age of 43 years. Residents lived in 2,209 households. The vast majority of households (2,183) gave their ethnic status at the 2001 census as white.

 

The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese, which is the most popular type of cheese in the United Kingdom. The cheese is now made and consumed worldwide, and only one producer remains in the village.

 

Since the 1880s, Cheddar's other main produce has been the strawberry, which is grown on the south-facing lower slopes of the Mendip hills. As a consequence of its use for transporting strawberries to market, the since-closed Cheddar Valley line became known as The Strawberry Line after it opened in 1869. The line ran from Yatton to Wells. When the rest of the line was closed and all passenger services ceased, the section of the line between Cheddar and Yatton remained open for goods traffic. It provided a fast link with the main markets for the strawberries in Birmingham and London, but finally closed in 1964, becoming part of the Cheddar Valley Railway Nature Reserve.

 

Cheddar Ales is a small brewery based in the village, producing beer for local public houses.

 

Tourism is a significant source of employment. Around 15 percent of employment in Sedgemoor is provided by tourism, but within Cheddar it is estimated to employ as many as 1,000 people. The village also has a youth hostel, and a number of camping and caravan sites.

 

Cheddar has a number of active service clubs including Cheddar Vale Lions Club, Mendip Rotary and Mendip Inner Wheel Club. The clubs raise money for projects in the local community and hold annual events such as a fireworks display, duck races in the Gorge, a dragon boat race on the reservoir and concerts on the grounds of the nearby St Michael's Cheshire Home.

 

Several notable people have been born or lived in Cheddar. Musician Jack Bessant, the bass guitarist with the band Reef grew up on his parents' strawberry farm, and Matt Goss and Luke Goss, former members of Bros, lived in Cheddar for nine months as children. Trina Gulliver, ten-time World Professional Darts Champion, previously lived in Cheddar until 2017. The comedian Richard Herring grew up in Cheddar. His 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, The Headmaster's Son is based on his time at The Kings of Wessex School, where his father Keith was the headmaster. The final performance of this show was held at the school in November 2009. He also visited the school in March 2010 to perform his show Hitler Moustache. In May 2013, a community radio station called Pulse was launched.

 

The market cross in Bath Street dates from the 15th century, with the shelter having been rebuilt in 1834. It has a central octagonal pier, a socket raised on four steps, a hexagonal shelter with six arched four-centred openings, shallow two-stage buttresses at each angle, and an embattled parapet. The shaft is crowned by an abacus with figures in niches, probably from the late 19th century, although the cross is now missing. It was rebuilt by Thomas, Marquess of Bath. It is a scheduled monument (Somerset County No 21) and Grade II* listed building.

 

In January 2000, the cross was seriously damaged in a traffic accident. By 2002, the cross had been rebuilt and the area around it was redesigned to protect and enhance its appearance. The cross was badly damaged again in March 2012, when a taxi crashed into it late at night demolishing two sides. Repair work, which included the addition of wooden-clad steel posts to protect against future crashes, was completed in November 2012 at a cost of £60,000.

 

Hannah More, a philanthropist and educator, founded a school in the village in the late 18th century for the children of miners. Her first school was located in a 17th-century house. Now named "Hannah More's Cottage", the Grade II-listed building is used by the local community as a meeting place.

 

The village is situated on the A371 road which runs from Wincanton, to Weston-super-Mare. It is approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) from the route of the M5 motorway with around a 10 miles (16 km) drive to junction 22.

 

It was on the Cheddar Valley line, a railway line that was opened in 1869 and closed in 1963. It became known as The Strawberry Line because of the large volume of locally-grown strawberries that it carried. It ran from Yatton railway station through Cheddar to Wells (Tucker Street) railway station and joined the East Somerset Railway to make a through route via Shepton Mallet (High Street) railway station to Witham. Sections of the now-disused railway have been opened as the Strawberry Line Trail, which currently runs from Yatton to Cheddar. The Cheddar Valley line survived until the "Beeching Axe". Towards the end of its life there were so few passengers that diesel railcars were sometimes used. The Cheddar branch closed to passengers on 9 September 1963 and to goods in 1964. The line closed in the 1960s, when it became part of the Cheddar Valley Railway Nature Reserve, and part of the National Cycle Network route 26. The cycle route also intersects with the West Mendip Way and various other footpaths.

 

The principal bus route is hourly service 126 between Weston-super-Mare and Wells operated by First West of England. Other bus routes include the service 668 from Shipham to Street which runs every couple of hours operated by Libra Travel, as well as the college bus service 66 which runs from Axbridge to the Bridgwater Campus of Bridgwater and Taunton College in the mornings and evenings of college term times and is operated by Bakers Dolphin.

 

The first school in Cheddar was set up by Hannah More during the 18th Century, however now Cheddar has three schools belonging to the Cheddar Valley Group of Schools, twelve schools that provide Cheddar Valley's three-tier education system. Cheddar First School has ten classes for children between 4 and 9 years. Fairlands Middle School, a middle school categorised as a middle-deemed-secondary school, has 510 pupils between 9 and 13. Fairlands takes children moving up from Cheddar First School as well as other first schools in the Cheddar Valley. The Kings of Wessex Academy, a coeducational comprehensive school, has been rated as "good" by Ofsted. It has 1,176 students aged 13 to 18, including 333 in the sixth form. Kings is a faith school linked to the Church of England. It was awarded the specialist status of Technology College in 2001, enabling it to develop its Information Technology (IT) facilities and improve courses in science, mathematics and design technology. In 2007 it became a foundation school, giving it more control over its own finances. The academy owns and runs a sports centre and swimming pool, Kings Fitness & Leisure, with facilities that are used by students as well as residents. It has since November 2016 been a part of the Wessex Learning Trust which incorporates eight academies from the surrounding area.

 

The Church of St Andrew dates from the 14th century. It was restored in 1873 by William Butterfield. It is a Grade I listed building and contains some 15th-century stained glass and an altar table of 1631. The chest tomb in the chancel is believed to contain the remains of Sir Thomas Cheddar and is dated 1442. The tower, which rises to 100 feet (30 m), contains a bell dating from 1759 made by Thomas Bilbie of the Bilbie family. The graveyard contains the grave of the hymn writer William Chatterton Dix.

 

There are also churches for Roman Catholic, Methodist and other denominations, including Cheddar Valley Community Church, who not only meet at the Kings of Wessex School on Sunday, but also have their own site on Tweentown for meeting during the week. The Baptist chapel was built in 1831.

 

Kings Fitness & Leisure, situated on the grounds of the Kings of Wessex School, provides a venue for various sports and includes a 20-metre swimming pool, racket sport courts, a sports hall, dance studios and a gym. A youth sports festival was held on Sharpham Road Playing Fields in 2009. In 2010 a skatepark was built in the village, funded by the Cheddar Local Action Team.

 

Cheddar A.F.C., founded in 1892 and nicknamed "The Cheesemen",[111] play in the Western Football League Division One. In 2009 plans were revealed to move the club from its present home at Bowdens Park on Draycott Road to a new larger site.

 

Cheddar Cricket Club was formed in the late 19th century and moved to Sharpham Road Playing Fields in 1964. They now play in the West of England Premier League Somerset Division. Cheddar Rugby Club, who own part of the Sharpham playing fields, was formed in 1836. The club organises an annual Cheddar Rugby Tournament. Cheddar Lawn Tennis Club, was formed in 1924, and play in the North Somerset League and also has social tennis and coaching. Cheddar Running Club organised an annual half marathon until 2009.

 

The village is both on the route of the West Mendip Way and Samaritans Way South West.

 

Somerset 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.

 

The centre of Somerset is dominated by the Levels, a coastal plain and wetland, and the north-east and west of the county are hilly. The north-east contains part of the Cotswolds AONB, all of the Mendip Hills AONB, and a small part of Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB; the west contains the Quantock Hills AONB, a majority of Exmoor National Park, and part of the Blackdown Hills AONB. The main rivers in 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.

 

Somerset is a historic county in the south west of England. There is evidence of human occupation since prehistoric times with hand axes and flint points from the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic eras, and a range of burial mounds, hill forts and other artefacts dating from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. The oldest dated human road work in Great Britain is the Sweet Track, constructed across the Somerset Levels with wooden planks in the 39th century BCE.

 

Following the Roman Empire's invasion of southern 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 Early Medieval period Somerset was the scene of battles between the Anglo-Saxons and first the Britons and later the Danes. In this period it was ruled first by various kings of Wessex, and later by kings of England. Following the defeat of the Anglo-Saxon monarchy 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 are based 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.

 

The Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods saw hunter-gatherers move into the region of Somerset. There is evidence from flint artefacts in a quarry at Westbury that an ancestor of modern man, possibly Homo heidelbergensis, was present in the area from around 500,000 years ago. There is still some doubt about whether the artefacts are of human origin but they have been dated within Oxygen Isotope Stage 13 (524,000 – 478,000 BP). Other experts suggest that "many of the bone-rich Middle Pleistocene deposits belong to a single but climatically variable interglacial that succeeded the Cromerian, perhaps about 500,000 years ago. Detailed analysis of the origin and modification of the flint artefacts leads to the conclusion that the assemblage was probably a product of geomorphological processes rather than human work, but a single cut-marked bone suggests a human presence." Animal bones and artefacts unearthed in the 1980s at Westbury-sub-Mendip, in Somerset, have shown evidence of early human activity approximately 700,000 years ago.

 

Homo sapiens sapiens, or modern man, came to Somerset during the Early Upper Palaeolithic. There is evidence of occupation of four Mendip caves 35,000 to 30,000 years ago. During the Last Glacial Maximum, about 25,000 to 15,000 years ago, it is probable that Somerset was deserted as the area experienced tundra conditions. Evidence was found in Gough's Cave of deposits of human bone dating from around 12,500 years ago. The bones were defleshed and probably ritually buried though perhaps related to cannibalism being practised in the area at the time or making skull cups or storage containers. Somerset was one of the first areas of future England settled following the end of Younger Dryas phase of the last ice age c. 8000 BC. Cheddar Man is the name given to the remains of a human male found in Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge. He is Britain's oldest complete human skeleton. The remains date from about 7150 BC, and it appears that he died a violent death. Somerset is thought to have been occupied by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers from about 6000 BCE; Mesolithic artefacts have been found in more than 70 locations. Mendip caves were used as burial places, with between 50 and 100 skeletons being found in Aveline's Hole. In the Neolithic era, from about 3500 BCE, there is evidence of farming.

 

At the end of the last ice age the Bristol Channel was dry land, but later the sea level rose, particularly between 1220 and 900 BC and between 800 and 470 BCE, resulting in major coastal changes. The Somerset Levels became flooded, but the dry points such as Glastonbury and Brent Knoll have a long history of settlement, and are known to have been occupied by Mesolithic hunters. The county has prehistoric burial mounds (such as Stoney Littleton Long Barrow), stone rows (such as the circles at Stanton Drew and Priddy) and settlement sites. Evidence of Mesolithic occupation has come both from the upland areas, such as in Mendip caves, and from the low land areas such as the Somerset Levels. Dry points in the latter such as Glastonbury Tor and Brent Knoll, have a long history of settlement with wooden trackways between them. There were also "lake villages" in the marsh such as those at Glastonbury Lake Village and Meare. One of the oldest dated human road work in Britain is the Sweet Track, constructed across the Somerset Levels with wooden planks in the 39th century BC, partially on the route of the even earlier Post Track.

 

There is evidence of Exmoor's human occupation from Mesolithic times onwards. In the Neolithic period people started to manage animals and grow crops on farms cleared from the woodland, rather than act purely as hunter gatherers. It is also likely that extraction and smelting of mineral ores to make tools, weapons, containers and ornaments in bronze and then iron started in the late Neolithic and into the Bronze and Iron Ages.

 

The caves of the Mendip Hills were settled during the Neolithic period and contain extensive archaeological sites such as those at Cheddar Gorge. There are numerous Iron Age Hill Forts, which were later reused in the Dark Ages, such as Cadbury Castle, Worlebury Camp and Ham Hill. The age of the henge monument at Stanton Drew stone circles is unknown, but is believed to be from the Neolithic period. There is evidence of mining on the Mendip Hills back into the late Bronze Age when there were technological changes in metal working indicated by the use of lead. There are numerous "hill forts", such as Small Down Knoll, Solsbury Hill, Dolebury Warren and Burledge Hill, which seem to have had domestic purposes, not just a defensive role. They generally seem to have been occupied intermittently from the Bronze Age onward, some, such as Cadbury Camp at South Cadbury, being refurbished during different eras. Battlegore Burial Chamber is a Bronze Age burial chamber at Williton which is composed of three round barrows and possibly a long, chambered barrow.

 

The Iron Age tribes of later Somerset were the Dobunni in north Somerset, Durotriges in south Somerset and Dumnonii in west Somerset. The first and second produced coins, the finds of which allows their tribal areas to be suggested, but the latter did not. All three had a Celtic culture and language. However, Ptolemy stated that Bath was in the territory of the Belgae, but this may be a mistake. The Celtic gods were worshipped at the temple of Sulis at Bath and possibly the temple on Brean Down. Iron Age sites on the Quantock Hills, include major hill forts at Dowsborough and Ruborough, as well as smaller earthwork enclosures, such as Trendle Ring, Elworthy Barrows and Plainsfield Camp.

 

Somerset was part of the Roman Empire from 47 AD to about 409 AD. However, the end was not abrupt and elements of Romanitas lingered on for perhaps a century.

 

Somerset was invaded from the south-east by the Second Legion Augusta, under the future emperor Vespasian. The hillforts of the Durotriges at Ham Hill and Cadbury Castle were captured. Ham Hill probably had a temporary Roman occupation. The massacre at Cadbury Castle seems to have been associated with the later Boudiccan Revolt of 60–61 AD. The county remained part of the Roman Empire until around 409 AD.

 

The Roman invasion, and possibly the preceding period of involvement in the internal affairs of the south of England, was inspired in part by the potential of the Mendip Hills. A great deal of the attraction of the lead mines may have been the potential for the extraction of silver.

 

Forts were set up at Bath and Ilchester. The lead and silver mines at Charterhouse in the Mendip Hills were run by the military. The Romans established a defensive boundary along the new military road known the Fosse Way (from the Latin fossa meaning ditch). The Fosse Way ran through Bath, Shepton Mallet, Ilchester and south-west towards Axminster. The road from Dorchester ran through Yeovil to meet the Fosse Way at Ilchester. Small towns and trading ports were set up, such as Camerton and Combwich. The larger towns decayed in the latter part of the period, though the smaller ones appear to have decayed less. In the latter part of the period, Ilchester seems to have been a "civitas" capital and Bath may also have been one. Particularly to the east of the River Parrett, villas were constructed. However, only a few Roman sites have been found to the west of the river. The villas have produced important mosaics and artifacts. Cemeteries have been found outside the Roman towns of Somerset and by Roman temples such as that at Lamyatt. Romano-British farming settlements, such as those at Catsgore and Sigwells, have been found in Somerset. There was salt production on the Somerset Levels near Highbridge and quarrying took place near Bath, where the Roman Baths gave their name to Bath.

 

Excavations carried out before the flooding of Chew Valley Lake also uncovered Roman remains, indicating agricultural and industrial activity from the second half of the 1st century until the 3rd century AD. The finds included a moderately large villa at Chew Park, where wooden writing tablets (the first in the UK) with ink writing were found. There is also evidence from the Pagans Hill Roman Temple at Chew Stoke. In October 2001 the West Bagborough Hoard of 4th century Roman silver was discovered in West Bagborough. The 681 coins included two denarii from the early 2nd century and 8 Miliarense and 671 Siliqua all dating to the period AD 337 – 367. The majority were struck in the reigns of emperors Constantius II and Julian and derive from a range of mints including Arles and Lyons in France, Trier in Germany and Rome.

 

In April 2010, the Frome Hoard, one of the largest-ever hoards of Roman coins discovered in Britain, was found by a metal detectorist. The hoard of 52,500 coins dated from the 3rd century AD and was found buried in a field near Frome, in a jar 14 inches (36 cm) below the surface. The coins were excavated by archaeologists from the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

 

This is the period from about 409 AD to the start of Saxon political control, which was mainly in the late 7th century, though they are said to have captured the Bath area in 577 AD. Initially the Britons of Somerset seem to have continued much as under the Romans but without the imperial taxation and markets. There was then a period of civil war in Britain though it is not known how this affected Somerset. The Western Wandsdyke may have been constructed in this period but archaeological data shows that it was probably built during the 5th or 6th century. This area became the border between the Romano-British Celts and the West Saxons following the Battle of Deorham in 577 AD. The ditch is on the north side, so presumably it was used by the Celts as a defence against Saxons encroaching from the upper Thames Valley. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the Saxon Cenwalh achieved a breakthrough against the British Celtic tribes, with victories at Bradford-on-Avon (in the Avon Gap in the Wansdyke) in 652 AD, and further south at the Battle of Peonnum (at Penselwood) in 658 AD, followed by an advance west through the Polden Hills to the River Parrett.

 

The Saxon advance from the east seems to have been halted by battles between the British and Saxons, for example; at the siege of Badon Mons Badonicus (which may have been in the Bath region e.g. at Solsbury Hill), or Bathampton Down. During the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries, Somerset was probably partly in the Kingdom of Dumnonia, partly in the land of the Durotriges and partly in that of the Dobunni. The boundaries between these is largely unknown, but may have been similar to those in the Iron Age. Various "tyrants" seem to have controlled territories from reoccupied hill forts. There is evidence of an elite at hill forts such as Cadbury Castle and Cadbury Camp; for example, there is imported pottery. Cemeteries are an important source of evidence for the period and large ones have been found in Somerset, such as that at Cannington, which was used from the Roman to the Saxon period. The towns of Somerset seem to have been little used during that period but there continued to be farming on the villa sites and at the Romano-British villages.

 

There may have been effects from plague and volcanic eruption during this period as well as marine transgression into the Levels.

 

The language spoken during this period is thought to be Southwestern Brythonic, but only one or two inscribed stones survive in Somerset from this period. However, a couple of curse tablets found in the baths at Bath may be in this language. Some place names in Somerset seem to be Celtic in origin and may be from this period or earlier, e.g. Tarnock. Some river names, such as Parrett, may be Celtic or pre-Celtic. The religion of the people of Somerset in this period is thought to be Christian but it was isolated from Rome until after the Council of Hertford in 673 AD when Aldhelm was asked to write a letter to Geraint of Dumnonia and his bishops. Some church sites in Somerset are thought to date from this period, e.g., Llantokay Street.

 

Most of what is known of the history of this period comes from Gildas's On the Ruin of Britain, which is thought to have been written in Durotrigan territory, possibly at Glastonbury.

 

The earliest fortification of Taunton started for King Ine of Wessex and Æthelburg, in or about the year 710 AD. However, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle this was destroyed 12 years later.

 

This is the period from the late 7th century (for most of Somerset) to 1066, though for part of the 10th and 11th centuries England was under Danish control. Somerset, like Dorset to the south, held the West Saxon advance from Wiltshire/Hampshire back for over a century, remaining a frontier between the Saxons and the Romano-British Celts.

 

The Saxons conquered Bath following the Battle of Deorham in 577, and the border was probably established along the line of the Wansdyke to the north of the Mendip Hills. Then Cenwalh of Wessex broke through at Bradford-on-Avon in 652, and the Battle of Peonnum possibly at Penselwood in 658, advancing west through the Polden Hills to the River Parrett. In 661 the Saxons may have advanced into what is now Devon as a result of a battle fought at Postesburh, possibly Posbury near Crediton.

 

Then in the period 681–85 Centwine of Wessex conquered King Cadwaladr and "advanced as far as the sea", but it is not clear where this was. It is assumed that the Saxons occupied the rest of Somerset about this time. The Saxon rule was consolidated under King Ine, who established a fort at Taunton, demolished by his wife in 722. It is sometimes said that he built palaces at Somerton and South Petherton but this does not seem to be the case. He fought against Geraint in 710. In 705 the diocese of Sherborne was formed, taking in Wessex west of Selwood. Saxon kings granted land in Somerset by charter from the 7th century onward. The way and extent to which the Britons survived under the Saxons is a debatable matter. However, King Ine's laws make provision for Britons. Somerset originally formed part of Wessex and latter became a separate "shire". Somersetshire seems to have been formed within Wessex during the 8th century though it is not recorded as a name until later. Mints were set up at times in various places in Somerset in the Saxon period, e.g., Watchet.

 

Somerset played an important part in defeating the spread of the Danes in the 9th century. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that in 845 Alderman Eanwulf, with the men of Somersetshire (Sumorsǣte), and Bishop Ealstan, and Alderman Osric, with the men of Dorsetshire, conquered the Danish army at the mouth of the Parret. This was the first known use of the name Somersæte. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports that in January 878 the King Alfred the Great fled into the marshes of Somerset from the Viking's invasion and made a fort at Athelney. From the fort Alfred was able to organize a resistance using the local militias from Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire.

 

Viking raids took place for instance in 987 and 997 at Watchet and the Battle of Cynwit. King Alfred was driven to seek refuge from the Danes at Athelney before defeating them at the Battle of Ethandun in 878, usually considered to be near Edington, Wiltshire, but possibly the village of Edington in Somerset. Alfred established a series of forts and lookout posts linked by a military road, or Herepath, so his army could cover Viking movements at sea. The Herepath has a characteristic form which is familiar on the Quantocks: a regulation 20 m wide track between avenues of trees growing from hedge laying embankments. The Herepath ran from the ford on the River Parrett at Combwich, past Cannington hill fort to Over Stowey, where it climbed the Quantocks along the line of the current Stowey road, to Crowcombe Park Gate. Then it went south along the ridge, to Triscombe Stone. One branch may have led past Lydeard Hill and Buncombe Hill, back to Alfred's base at Athelney. The main branch descended the hills at Triscombe, then along the avenue to Red Post Cross, and west to the Brendon Hills and Exmoor. A peace treaty with the Danes was signed at Wedmore and the Danish king Guthrum the Old was baptised at Aller. Burhs (fortified places) had been set up by 919, such as Lyng. The Alfred Jewel, an object about 2.5 inch long, made of filigree gold, cloisonné-enamelled and with a rock crystal covering, was found in 1693 at Petherton Park, North Petherton. Believed to have been owned by Alfred the Great it is thought to have been the handle for a pointer that would have fit into the hole at its base and been used while reading a book.

 

Monasteries and minster churches were set up all over Somerset, with daughter churches from the minsters in manors. There was a royal palace at Cheddar, which was used at times in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot, and there is likely to have been a "central place" at Somerton, Bath, Glastonbury and Frome since the kings visited them. The towns of Somerset seem to have been in occupation in this period though evidence for this is limited because of subsequent buildings on top of remains from this period. Agriculture flourished in this period, with a re-organisation into centralised villages in the latter part in the east of the county.

 

In the period before the Norman Conquest, Somerset came under the control of Godwin, Earl of Wessex, and his family. There seems to have been some Danish settlement at Thurloxton and Spaxton, judging from the place-names. After the Norman Conquest, the county was divided into 700 fiefs, and large areas were owned by the crown, with fortifications such as Dunster Castle used for control and defence.

 

This period of Somerset's history is well documented, for example in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and Asser's Life of Alfred.

 

This is the period from 1066 to around 1500. Following the defeat of the Saxons by the Normans in 1066, various castles were set up in Somerset by the new lords such as that at Dunster, and the manors was awarded to followers of William the Conqueror such as William de Moyon and Walter of Douai. Somerset does not seem to have played much part in the civil war in King Stephen's time, but Somerset lords were main players in the murder of Thomas Becket.

 

A good picture of the county in 1086 is given by Domesday Book, though there is some difficulty in identifying the various places since the hundreds are not specified. The total population given for the county, which had different boundaries to those today, was 13,399, however this only included the heads of households, so with their families this may have been around 67,000. Farming seems to have prospered for the next three centuries but was severely hit by the Black Death which in 1348 arrived in Dorset and quickly spread through Somerset, causing widespread mortality, perhaps as much as 50% in places. It re-occurred, resulting in a change in feudal practices since the manpower was no longer so available.

 

Reclamation of land from marsh in the Somerset Levels increased, largely under monastic influence. Crafts and industries also flourished, the Somerset woollen industry being one of the largest in England at this time. "New towns" were founded in this period in Somerset, i.e. Newport, but were not successful. Coal mining on the Mendips was an important source of wealth while quarrying also took place, an example is near Bath.

 

The towns grew, again often by monastic instigation, during this period and fairs were started. The church was very powerful at this period, particularly Glastonbury Abbey. After their church burnt down, the monks there "discovered" the tomb of "King Arthur" and were able rebuild their church. There were over 20 monasteries in Somerset at this period including the priory at Hinton Charterhouse which was founded in 1232 by Ela, Countess of Salisbury who also founded Lacock Abbey. Many parish churches were re-built in this period. Between 1107 and 1129 William Giffard the Chancellor of King Henry I, converted the bishop's hall in Taunton into Taunton Castle. Bridgwater Castle was built in 1202 by William Brewer. It passed to the king in 1233 and in 1245 repairs were ordered to its motte and towers. During the 11th century Second Barons' War against Henry III, Bridgwater was held by the barons against the King. In the English Civil War the town and the castle were held by the Royalists under Colonel Sir Francis Wyndham. Eventually, with many buildings destroyed in the town, the castle and its valuable contents were surrendered to the Parliamentarians. The castle itself was deliberately destroyed in 1645.

 

During the Middle Ages sheep farming for the wool trade came to dominate the economy of Exmoor. The wool was spun into thread on isolated farms and collected by merchants to be woven, fulled, dyed and finished in thriving towns such as Dunster. The land started to be enclosed and from the 17th century onwards larger estates developed, leading to establishment of areas of large regular shaped fields. During this period a Royal Forest and hunting ground was established, administered by the Warden. The Royal Forest was sold off in 1818.

 

In the medieval period the River Parrett was used to transport Hamstone from the quarry at Ham Hill, Bridgwater was part of the Port of Bristol until the Port of Bridgwater was created in 1348, covering 80 miles (130 km) of the Somerset coast line, from the Devon border to the mouth of the River Axe. Historically, the main port on the river was at Bridgwater; the river being bridged at this point, with the first bridge being constructed in 1200 AD. Quays were built in 1424; with another quay, the Langport slip, being built in 1488 upstream of the Town Bridge. A Customs House was sited at Bridgwater, on West Quay; and a dry dock, launching slips and a boat yard on East Quay. The river was navigable, with care, to Bridgwater Town Bridge by 400 to 500 tonnes (440 to 550 tons) vessels. By trans-shipping into barges at the Town Bridge the Parrett was navigable as far as Langport and (via the River Yeo) to Ilchester.

 

This is the period from around 1500 to 1800. In the 1530s, the monasteries were dissolved and their lands bought from the king by various important families in Somerset. By 1539, Glastonbury Abbey was the only monastery left, its abbot Richard Whiting was then arrested and executed on the orders of Thomas Cromwell. From the Tudor to the Georgian times, farming specialised and techniques improved, leading to increases in population, although no new towns seem to have been founded. Large country houses such as at Hinton St George and Montacute House were built at this time.

 

The Bristol Channel floods of 1607 are believed to have affected large parts of the Somerset Levels with flooding up to 8 feet (2 m) above sea level. In 1625, a House of Correction was established in Shepton Mallet and, today, HMP Shepton Mallet is England's oldest prison still in use.

 

During the English Civil War, Somerset was largely Parliamentarian, although Dunster was a Royalist stronghold. The county was the site of important battles between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians, notably the Battle of Lansdowne in 1643 and the Battle of Langport in 1645. The castle changed hands several times during 1642–45 along with the town. During the Siege of Taunton it was defended by Robert Blake, from July 1644 to July 1645. This war resulted in castles being destroyed to prevent their re-use.

 

In 1685, the Duke of Monmouth led the Monmouth Rebellion in which Somerset people fought against James II. The rebels landed at Lyme Regis and travelled north hoping to capture Bristol and Bath, puritan soldiers damaged the west front of Wells Cathedral, tore lead from the roof to make bullets, broke the windows, smashed the organ and the furnishings, and for a time stabled their horses in the nave. They were defeated in the Battle of Sedgemoor at Westonzoyland, the last battle fought on English soil. The Bloody Assizes which followed saw the losers being sentenced to death or transportation.

 

The Society of Friends established itself in Street in the mid-17th century, and among the close-knit group of Quaker families were the Clarks: Cyrus started a business in sheepskin rugs, later joined by his brother James, who introduced the production of woollen slippers and, later, boots and shoes. C&J Clark still has its headquarters in Street, but shoes are no longer manufactured there. Instead, in 1993, redundant factory buildings were converted to form Clarks Village, the first purpose-built factory outlet in the United Kingdom.

 

The 18th century was largely one of peace and declining industrial prosperity in Somerset. The Industrial Revolution in the Midlands and Northern England spelt the end for most of Somerset's cottage industries. However, farming continued to flourish, with the Bath and West of England Agricultural Society being founded in 1777 to improve methods. John Billingsley conducted a survey of the county's agriculture in 1795 but found that methods could still be improved.

 

Arthur Wellesley took his title, Duke of Wellington from the town of Wellington. He is commemorated on a nearby hill with a large, spotlit obelisk, known as the Wellington Monument.

 

In north Somerset, mining in the Somerset coalfield was an important industry, and in an effort to reduce the cost of transporting the coal the Somerset Coal Canal was built; part of it was later converted into a railway. Other canals included the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, Westport Canal, Grand Western Canal, Glastonbury Canal and Chard Canal.[9] The Dorset and Somerset Canal was proposed, but very little of it was ever constructed.

 

The 19th century saw improvements to Somerset's roads with the introduction of turnpikes and the building of canals and railways. The usefulness of the canals was short-lived, though they have now been restored for recreation. The railways were nationalised after the Second World War, but continued until 1965, when smaller lines were scrapped; two were transferred back to private ownership as "heritage" lines.

 

In 1889, Somerset County Council was created, replacing the administrative functions of the Quarter Sessions.

 

The population of Somerset has continued to grow since 1800, when it was 274,000, particularly in the seaside towns such as Weston-super-Mare. Some population decline occurred earlier in the period in the villages, but this has now been reversed, and by 1951 the population of Somerset was 551,000.

 

Chard claims to be the birthplace of powered flight, as it was here in 1848 that the Victorian aeronautical pioneer John Stringfellow first demonstrated that engine-powered flight was possible through his work on the Aerial Steam Carriage. North Petherton was the first town in England (and one of the few ever) to be lit by acetylene gas lighting, supplied by the North Petherton Rosco Acetylene Company. Street lights were provided in 1906. Acetylene was replaced in 1931 by coal gas produced in Bridgwater, as well as by the provision of an electricity supply.

 

Around the 1860s, at the height of the iron and steel era, a pier and a deep-water dock were built, at Portishead, by the Bristol & Portishead Pier and Railway to accommodate the large ships that had difficulty in reaching Bristol Harbour. The Portishead power stations were coal-fed power stations built next to the dock. Construction work started on Portishead "A" power station in 1926. It began generating electricity in 1929 for the Bristol Corporation's Electricity Department. In 1951, Albright and Wilson built a chemical works on the opposite side of the dock from the power stations. The chemical works produced white phosphorus from phosphate rock imported, through the docks, into the UK. The onset of new generating capacity at Pembroke (oil-fired) and Didcot (coal-fired) in the mid-1970s brought about the closure of the older, less efficient "A" Station. The newer of the two power stations ("B" Station) was converted to burn oil when the Somerset coalfields closed. Industrial activities ceased in the dock with the closure of the power stations. The Port of Bristol Authority finally closed the dock in 1992, and it has now been developed into a marina and residential area.

 

During the First World War hundreds of Somerset soldiers were killed, and war memorials were put up in most of the towns and villages; only a few villages escaped casualties. There were also casualties – though much fewer – during the Second World War, who were added to the memorials. The county was a base for troops preparing for the 1944 D-Day landings, and some Somerset hospitals still date partly from that time. The Royal Ordnance Factory ROF Bridgwater was constructed early in World War II for the Ministry of Supply. It was designed as an Explosive ROF, to produce RDX, which was then a new experimental high-explosive. It obtained water supplies from two sources via the Somerset Levels: the artificial Huntspill River which was dug during the construction of the factory and also from the King's Sedgemoor Drain, which was widened at the same time. The Taunton Stop Line was set up to resist a potential German invasion, and the remains of its pill boxes can still be seen, as well as others along the coast. A decoy town was constructed on Black Down, intended to represent the blazing lights of a town which had neglected to follow the black-out regulations. Sites in the county housed Prisoner of War camps including: Norton Fitzwarren, Barwick, Brockley, Goathurst and Wells. Various airfields were built or converted from civilian use including: RNAS Charlton Horethorne (HMS Heron II), RAF Weston-super-Mare, RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Yeovil/Westland Airport, RAF Weston Zoyland, RAF Merryfield, RAF Culmhead and RAF Charmy Down.

 

Exmoor was one of the first British National Parks, designated in 1954, under the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act. and is named after its main river. It was expanded in 1991 and in 1993 Exmoor was designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area. The Quantock Hills were designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1956, the first such designation in England under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. The Mendip Hills followed with AONB designation in 1972.

 

Hinkley Point A nuclear power station was a Magnox power station constructed between 1957 and 1962 and operating until ceasing generation in 2000. Hinkley Point B is an Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) which was designed to generate 1250 MW of electricity (MWe). Construction of Hinkley Point B started in 1967. In September 2008 it was announced, by Électricité de France (EDF), that a third, twin-unit European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) power station known as Hinkley Point C is planned, to replace Hinkley Point B which was due for closure in 2016, but has now has its life extended until 2022.

 

Somerset today has only two small cities, Bath and Wells, and only small towns in comparison with other areas of England. Tourism is a major source of employment along the coast, and in Bath and Cheddar for example. Other attractions include Exmoor, West Somerset Railway, Haynes Motor Museum and the Fleet Air Arm Museum as well as the churches and the various National Trust and English Heritage properties in Somerset.

 

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 number of apple orchards has reduced.

 

In the late 19th century the boundaries of Somerset were slightly altered, but the main change came in 1974 when the county of Avon was set up. The northern part of Somerset was removed from the administrative control of Somerset County Council. On abolition of the county of Avon in 1996, these areas became separate administrative authorities, "North Somerset" and "Bath and North East Somerset". The Department for Communities and Local Government was considering a proposal by Somerset County Council to change Somerset's administrative structure by abolishing the five districts to create a Somerset unitary authority. The changes were planned to be implemented no later than 1 April 2009. However, support for the county council's bid was not guaranteed and opposition among the district council and local population was strong; 82% of people responding to a referendum organised by the five district councils rejected the proposals. It was confirmed in July 2007 that the government had rejected the proposals for unitary authorities in Somerset, and that the present two-tier arrangements of Somerset County Council and the district councils will remain.

Cheddar is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Somerset. It is situated on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills, 9 miles (14 km) north-west of Wells, 11 miles (18 km) south-east of Weston-super-Mare and 18 miles (29 km) south-west of Bristol. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Nyland and Bradley Cross. The parish had a population of 5,755 in 2011 and an acreage of 8,592 acres (3,477 ha) as of 1961.

 

Cheddar Gorge, on the northern edge of the village, is the largest gorge in the United Kingdom and includes several show caves, including Gough's Cave. The gorge has been a centre of human settlement since Neolithic times, including a Saxon palace. It has a temperate climate and provides a unique geological and biological environment that has been recognised by the designation of several Sites of Special Scientific Interest. It is also the site of several limestone quarries. The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese and has been a centre for strawberry growing. The crop was formerly transported on the Cheddar Valley rail line, which closed in the late 1960s and is now a cycle path. The village is now a major tourist destination with several cultural and community facilities, including the Cheddar Show Caves Museum.

 

The village supports a variety of community groups including religious, sporting and cultural organisations. Several of these are based on the site of the Kings of Wessex Academy, which is the largest educational establishment.

 

The name Cheddar comes from the Old English word ceodor, meaning deep dark cavity or pouch.

 

There is evidence of occupation from the Neolithic period in Cheddar. Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be 9,000 years old, was found in Cheddar Gorge in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. There is some evidence of a Bronze Age field system at the Batts Combe quarry site. There is also evidence of Bronze Age barrows at the mound in the Longwood valley, which if man-made it is likely to be a field system. The remains of a Roman villa have been excavated in the grounds of the current vicarage.

 

The village of Cheddar had been important during the Roman and Saxon eras. There was a royal palace at Cheddar during the Saxon period, which was used on three occasions in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot. The ruins of the palace were excavated in the 1960s. They are located on the grounds of the Kings of Wessex Academy, together with a 14th-century chapel dedicated to St. Columbanus. Roman remains have also been uncovered at the site. Cheddar was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Ceder, meaning "Shear Water", from the Old English scear and Old Welsh dŵr. An alternative spelling in earlier documents, common through the 1850s is Chedder.

 

As early as 1130 AD, the Cheddar Gorge was recognised as one of the "Four wonders of England". Historically, Cheddar's source of wealth was farming and cheese making for which it was famous as early as 1170 AD. The parish was part of the Winterstoke Hundred.

 

The manor of Cheddar was deforested in 1337 and Bishop Ralph was granted a licence by the King to create a hunting forest.

 

As early as 1527 there are records of watermills on the river. In the 17th and 18th centuries, there were several watermills which ground corn and made paper, with 13 mills on the Yeo at the peak, declining to seven by 1791 and just three by 1915. In the Victorian era it also became a centre for the production of clothing. The last mill, used as a shirt factory, closed in the early 1950s.

 

William Wilberforce saw the poor conditions of the locals when he visited Cheddar in 1789. He inspired Hannah More in her work to improve the conditions of the Mendip miners and agricultural workers. In 1801, 4,400 acres (18 km2) of common land were enclosed under the Inclosure Acts.

 

Tourism of the Cheddar gorge and caves began with the opening of the Cheddar Valley Railway in 1869.

 

Cheddar, its surrounding villages and specifically the gorge has been subject to flooding. In the Chew Stoke flood of 1968 the flow of water washed large boulders down the gorge, washed away cars, and damaged the cafe and the entrance to Gough's Cave.

 

Cheddar is recognised as a village. The adjacent settlement of Axbridge, although only about a third the population of Cheddar, is a town. This apparently illogical situation is explained by the relative importance of the two places in historic times. While Axbridge grew in importance as a centre for cloth manufacturing in the Tudor period and gained a charter from King John, Cheddar remained a more dispersed mining and dairy-farming village. Its population grew with the arrival of the railways in the Victorian era and the advent of tourism.

 

The parish council, which has 15 members who are elected for four years, is responsible 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 evaluates local planning applications and works with the police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, 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 the responsibility of the council.

 

The village is in the 'Cheddar and Shipham' electoral ward. After including Shipham the total population of the ward taken at the 2011 census is 6,842.

 

For local government purposes, since 1 April 2023, the village comes under the unitary authority of Somerset Council. Prior to this, it was part of the non-metropolitan district of Sedgemoor, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Axbridge Rural District. Fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the South Western Ambulance Service.

 

It is also part of the Wells county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. Prior to Brexit in 2020, it was part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.

 

Cheddar is twinned with Felsberg, Germany and Vernouillet, France, and it has an active programme of exchange visits. Initially, Cheddar twinned with Felsberg in 1984. In 2000, Cheddar twinned with Vernouillet, which had also been twinned with Felsberg. Cheddar also has a friendship link with Ocho Rios in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica.

 

It is also twinned with the commune of Descartes in the Indre-et-Loire department.

 

The area is underlain by Black Rock slate, Burrington Oolite and Clifton Down Limestone of the Carboniferous Limestone Series, which contain ooliths and fossil debris on top of Old Red Sandstone, and by Dolomitic Conglomerate of the Keuper. Evidence for Variscan orogeny is seen in the sheared rock and cleaved shales. In many places weathering of these strata has resulted in the formation of immature calcareous soils.

 

Cheddar Gorge, which is located on the edge of the village, is the largest gorge in the United Kingdom. The gorge is the site of the Cheddar Caves, where Cheddar Man was found in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. The caves, produced by the activity of an underground river, contain stalactites and stalagmites. Gough's Cave, which was discovered in 1903, leads around 400 m (437 yd) into the rock-face, and contains a variety of large rock chambers and formations. Cox's Cave, discovered in 1837, is smaller but contains many intricate formations. A further cave houses a children's entertainment walk known as the "Crystal Quest".

 

Cheddar Gorge, including Cox's Cave, Gough's Cave and other attractions, has become a tourist destination, attracting about 500,000 visitors per year. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, following its appearance on the 2005 television programme Seven Natural Wonders, Cheddar Gorge was named as the second greatest natural wonder in Britain, surpassed only by the Dan yr Ogof caves.

 

There are several large and unique Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) around the village.

 

Cheddar Reservoir is a near-circular artificial reservoir operated by Bristol Water. Dating from the 1930s, it has a capacity of 135 million gallons (614,000 cubic metres). The reservoir is supplied with water taken from the Cheddar Yeo, which rises in Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge and is a tributary of the River Axe. The inlet grate for the 54-inch (1.4 m) water pipe that is used to transport the water can be seen next to the sensory garden in Cheddar Gorge. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its wintering waterfowl populations.

 

Cheddar Wood and the smaller Macall's Wood form a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest from what remains of the wood of the Bishops of Bath and Wells in the 13th century and of King Edmund the Magnificent's wood in the 10th. During the 19th century, its lower fringes were grubbed out to make strawberry fields. Most of these have been allowed to revert to woodland. The wood was coppiced until 1917. This site compromises a wide range of habitats which include ancient and secondary semi-natural broadleaved woodland, unimproved neutral grassland, and a complex mosaic of calcareous grassland and acidic dry dwarf-shrub heath. Cheddar Wood is one of only a few English stations for starved wood-sedge (Carex depauperata). Purple gromwell (Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum), a nationally rare plant, also grows in the wood. Butterflies include silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia), dark green fritillary (Argynnis aglaja), pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne), holly blue (Celastrina argiolus) and brown argus (Aricia agestis). The slug Arion fasciatus, which has a restricted distribution in the south of England, and the soldier beetle Cantharis fusca also occur.

 

By far the largest of the SSSIs is called Cheddar Complex and covers 441.3 hectares (1,090.5 acres) of the gorge, caves and the surrounding area. It is important because of both biological and geological features. It includes four SSSIs, formerly known as Cheddar Gorge SSSI, August Hole/Longwood Swallet SSSI, GB Cavern Charterhouse SSSI and Charterhouse on-Mendip SSSI. It is partly owned by the National Trust who acquired it in 1910 and partly managed by the Somerset Wildlife Trust.

 

Close to the village and gorge are Batts Combe quarry and Callow Rock quarry, two of the active Quarries of the Mendip Hills where limestone is still extracted. Operating since the early 20th century, Batts Combe is owned and operated by Hanson Aggregates. The output in 2005 was around 4,000 tonnes of limestone per day, one third of which was supplied to an on-site lime kiln, which closed in 2009; the remainder was sold as coated or dusted aggregates. The limestone at this site is close to 99 percent carbonate of calcium and magnesium (dolomite).

 

The Chelmscombe Quarry finished its work as a limestone quarry in the 1950s and was then used by the Central Electricity Generating Board as a tower testing station. During the 1970s and 1980s it was also used to test the ability of containers of radioactive material to withstand impacts and other accidents.

 

Along with the rest of South West England, Cheddar has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country. The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50.0 °F). Seasonal temperature variation is less extreme than most of the United Kingdom because of the adjacent sea, which moderates temperature. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately 21 °C (69.8 °F). In winter mean minimum temperatures of 1 °C (33.8 °F) or 2 °C (35.6 °F) are common. In the summer the Azores high-pressure system affects the south-west of England. Convective cloud sometimes forms inland, reducing the number of hours of sunshine; annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600 hours. Most of the rainfall in the south-west is caused by Atlantic depressions or by convection. Most of the rainfall in autumn and winter is caused by the Atlantic depressions, which are most active during those seasons. In summer, a large proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. Average rainfall is around 700 mm (28 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall per year is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west.

 

The parish has a population in 2011 of 5,093, with a mean age of 43 years. Residents lived in 2,209 households. The vast majority of households (2,183) gave their ethnic status at the 2001 census as white.

 

The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese, which is the most popular type of cheese in the United Kingdom. The cheese is now made and consumed worldwide, and only one producer remains in the village.

 

Since the 1880s, Cheddar's other main produce has been the strawberry, which is grown on the south-facing lower slopes of the Mendip hills. As a consequence of its use for transporting strawberries to market, the since-closed Cheddar Valley line became known as The Strawberry Line after it opened in 1869. The line ran from Yatton to Wells. When the rest of the line was closed and all passenger services ceased, the section of the line between Cheddar and Yatton remained open for goods traffic. It provided a fast link with the main markets for the strawberries in Birmingham and London, but finally closed in 1964, becoming part of the Cheddar Valley Railway Nature Reserve.

 

Cheddar Ales is a small brewery based in the village, producing beer for local public houses.

 

Tourism is a significant source of employment. Around 15 percent of employment in Sedgemoor is provided by tourism, but within Cheddar it is estimated to employ as many as 1,000 people. The village also has a youth hostel, and a number of camping and caravan sites.

 

Cheddar has a number of active service clubs including Cheddar Vale Lions Club, Mendip Rotary and Mendip Inner Wheel Club. The clubs raise money for projects in the local community and hold annual events such as a fireworks display, duck races in the Gorge, a dragon boat race on the reservoir and concerts on the grounds of the nearby St Michael's Cheshire Home.

 

Several notable people have been born or lived in Cheddar. Musician Jack Bessant, the bass guitarist with the band Reef grew up on his parents' strawberry farm, and Matt Goss and Luke Goss, former members of Bros, lived in Cheddar for nine months as children. Trina Gulliver, ten-time World Professional Darts Champion, previously lived in Cheddar until 2017. The comedian Richard Herring grew up in Cheddar. His 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, The Headmaster's Son is based on his time at The Kings of Wessex School, where his father Keith was the headmaster. The final performance of this show was held at the school in November 2009. He also visited the school in March 2010 to perform his show Hitler Moustache. In May 2013, a community radio station called Pulse was launched.

 

The market cross in Bath Street dates from the 15th century, with the shelter having been rebuilt in 1834. It has a central octagonal pier, a socket raised on four steps, a hexagonal shelter with six arched four-centred openings, shallow two-stage buttresses at each angle, and an embattled parapet. The shaft is crowned by an abacus with figures in niches, probably from the late 19th century, although the cross is now missing. It was rebuilt by Thomas, Marquess of Bath. It is a scheduled monument (Somerset County No 21) and Grade II* listed building.

 

In January 2000, the cross was seriously damaged in a traffic accident. By 2002, the cross had been rebuilt and the area around it was redesigned to protect and enhance its appearance. The cross was badly damaged again in March 2012, when a taxi crashed into it late at night demolishing two sides. Repair work, which included the addition of wooden-clad steel posts to protect against future crashes, was completed in November 2012 at a cost of £60,000.

 

Hannah More, a philanthropist and educator, founded a school in the village in the late 18th century for the children of miners. Her first school was located in a 17th-century house. Now named "Hannah More's Cottage", the Grade II-listed building is used by the local community as a meeting place.

 

The village is situated on the A371 road which runs from Wincanton, to Weston-super-Mare. It is approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) from the route of the M5 motorway with around a 10 miles (16 km) drive to junction 22.

 

It was on the Cheddar Valley line, a railway line that was opened in 1869 and closed in 1963. It became known as The Strawberry Line because of the large volume of locally-grown strawberries that it carried. It ran from Yatton railway station through Cheddar to Wells (Tucker Street) railway station and joined the East Somerset Railway to make a through route via Shepton Mallet (High Street) railway station to Witham. Sections of the now-disused railway have been opened as the Strawberry Line Trail, which currently runs from Yatton to Cheddar. The Cheddar Valley line survived until the "Beeching Axe". Towards the end of its life there were so few passengers that diesel railcars were sometimes used. The Cheddar branch closed to passengers on 9 September 1963 and to goods in 1964. The line closed in the 1960s, when it became part of the Cheddar Valley Railway Nature Reserve, and part of the National Cycle Network route 26. The cycle route also intersects with the West Mendip Way and various other footpaths.

 

The principal bus route is hourly service 126 between Weston-super-Mare and Wells operated by First West of England. Other bus routes include the service 668 from Shipham to Street which runs every couple of hours operated by Libra Travel, as well as the college bus service 66 which runs from Axbridge to the Bridgwater Campus of Bridgwater and Taunton College in the mornings and evenings of college term times and is operated by Bakers Dolphin.

 

The first school in Cheddar was set up by Hannah More during the 18th Century, however now Cheddar has three schools belonging to the Cheddar Valley Group of Schools, twelve schools that provide Cheddar Valley's three-tier education system. Cheddar First School has ten classes for children between 4 and 9 years. Fairlands Middle School, a middle school categorised as a middle-deemed-secondary school, has 510 pupils between 9 and 13. Fairlands takes children moving up from Cheddar First School as well as other first schools in the Cheddar Valley. The Kings of Wessex Academy, a coeducational comprehensive school, has been rated as "good" by Ofsted. It has 1,176 students aged 13 to 18, including 333 in the sixth form. Kings is a faith school linked to the Church of England. It was awarded the specialist status of Technology College in 2001, enabling it to develop its Information Technology (IT) facilities and improve courses in science, mathematics and design technology. In 2007 it became a foundation school, giving it more control over its own finances. The academy owns and runs a sports centre and swimming pool, Kings Fitness & Leisure, with facilities that are used by students as well as residents. It has since November 2016 been a part of the Wessex Learning Trust which incorporates eight academies from the surrounding area.

 

The Church of St Andrew dates from the 14th century. It was restored in 1873 by William Butterfield. It is a Grade I listed building and contains some 15th-century stained glass and an altar table of 1631. The chest tomb in the chancel is believed to contain the remains of Sir Thomas Cheddar and is dated 1442. The tower, which rises to 100 feet (30 m), contains a bell dating from 1759 made by Thomas Bilbie of the Bilbie family. The graveyard contains the grave of the hymn writer William Chatterton Dix.

 

There are also churches for Roman Catholic, Methodist and other denominations, including Cheddar Valley Community Church, who not only meet at the Kings of Wessex School on Sunday, but also have their own site on Tweentown for meeting during the week. The Baptist chapel was built in 1831.

 

Kings Fitness & Leisure, situated on the grounds of the Kings of Wessex School, provides a venue for various sports and includes a 20-metre swimming pool, racket sport courts, a sports hall, dance studios and a gym. A youth sports festival was held on Sharpham Road Playing Fields in 2009. In 2010 a skatepark was built in the village, funded by the Cheddar Local Action Team.

 

Cheddar A.F.C., founded in 1892 and nicknamed "The Cheesemen",[111] play in the Western Football League Division One. In 2009 plans were revealed to move the club from its present home at Bowdens Park on Draycott Road to a new larger site.

 

Cheddar Cricket Club was formed in the late 19th century and moved to Sharpham Road Playing Fields in 1964. They now play in the West of England Premier League Somerset Division. Cheddar Rugby Club, who own part of the Sharpham playing fields, was formed in 1836. The club organises an annual Cheddar Rugby Tournament. Cheddar Lawn Tennis Club, was formed in 1924, and play in the North Somerset League and also has social tennis and coaching. Cheddar Running Club organised an annual half marathon until 2009.

 

The village is both on the route of the West Mendip Way and Samaritans Way South West.

 

Somerset 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.

 

The centre of Somerset is dominated by the Levels, a coastal plain and wetland, and the north-east and west of the county are hilly. The north-east contains part of the Cotswolds AONB, all of the Mendip Hills AONB, and a small part of Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB; the west contains the Quantock Hills AONB, a majority of Exmoor National Park, and part of the Blackdown Hills AONB. The main rivers in 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.

 

Somerset is a historic county in the south west of England. There is evidence of human occupation since prehistoric times with hand axes and flint points from the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic eras, and a range of burial mounds, hill forts and other artefacts dating from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. The oldest dated human road work in Great Britain is the Sweet Track, constructed across the Somerset Levels with wooden planks in the 39th century BCE.

 

Following the Roman Empire's invasion of southern 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 Early Medieval period Somerset was the scene of battles between the Anglo-Saxons and first the Britons and later the Danes. In this period it was ruled first by various kings of Wessex, and later by kings of England. Following the defeat of the Anglo-Saxon monarchy 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 are based 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.

 

The Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods saw hunter-gatherers move into the region of Somerset. There is evidence from flint artefacts in a quarry at Westbury that an ancestor of modern man, possibly Homo heidelbergensis, was present in the area from around 500,000 years ago. There is still some doubt about whether the artefacts are of human origin but they have been dated within Oxygen Isotope Stage 13 (524,000 – 478,000 BP). Other experts suggest that "many of the bone-rich Middle Pleistocene deposits belong to a single but climatically variable interglacial that succeeded the Cromerian, perhaps about 500,000 years ago. Detailed analysis of the origin and modification of the flint artefacts leads to the conclusion that the assemblage was probably a product of geomorphological processes rather than human work, but a single cut-marked bone suggests a human presence." Animal bones and artefacts unearthed in the 1980s at Westbury-sub-Mendip, in Somerset, have shown evidence of early human activity approximately 700,000 years ago.

 

Homo sapiens sapiens, or modern man, came to Somerset during the Early Upper Palaeolithic. There is evidence of occupation of four Mendip caves 35,000 to 30,000 years ago. During the Last Glacial Maximum, about 25,000 to 15,000 years ago, it is probable that Somerset was deserted as the area experienced tundra conditions. Evidence was found in Gough's Cave of deposits of human bone dating from around 12,500 years ago. The bones were defleshed and probably ritually buried though perhaps related to cannibalism being practised in the area at the time or making skull cups or storage containers. Somerset was one of the first areas of future England settled following the end of Younger Dryas phase of the last ice age c. 8000 BC. Cheddar Man is the name given to the remains of a human male found in Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge. He is Britain's oldest complete human skeleton. The remains date from about 7150 BC, and it appears that he died a violent death. Somerset is thought to have been occupied by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers from about 6000 BCE; Mesolithic artefacts have been found in more than 70 locations. Mendip caves were used as burial places, with between 50 and 100 skeletons being found in Aveline's Hole. In the Neolithic era, from about 3500 BCE, there is evidence of farming.

 

At the end of the last ice age the Bristol Channel was dry land, but later the sea level rose, particularly between 1220 and 900 BC and between 800 and 470 BCE, resulting in major coastal changes. The Somerset Levels became flooded, but the dry points such as Glastonbury and Brent Knoll have a long history of settlement, and are known to have been occupied by Mesolithic hunters. The county has prehistoric burial mounds (such as Stoney Littleton Long Barrow), stone rows (such as the circles at Stanton Drew and Priddy) and settlement sites. Evidence of Mesolithic occupation has come both from the upland areas, such as in Mendip caves, and from the low land areas such as the Somerset Levels. Dry points in the latter such as Glastonbury Tor and Brent Knoll, have a long history of settlement with wooden trackways between them. There were also "lake villages" in the marsh such as those at Glastonbury Lake Village and Meare. One of the oldest dated human road work in Britain is the Sweet Track, constructed across the Somerset Levels with wooden planks in the 39th century BC, partially on the route of the even earlier Post Track.

 

There is evidence of Exmoor's human occupation from Mesolithic times onwards. In the Neolithic period people started to manage animals and grow crops on farms cleared from the woodland, rather than act purely as hunter gatherers. It is also likely that extraction and smelting of mineral ores to make tools, weapons, containers and ornaments in bronze and then iron started in the late Neolithic and into the Bronze and Iron Ages.

 

The caves of the Mendip Hills were settled during the Neolithic period and contain extensive archaeological sites such as those at Cheddar Gorge. There are numerous Iron Age Hill Forts, which were later reused in the Dark Ages, such as Cadbury Castle, Worlebury Camp and Ham Hill. The age of the henge monument at Stanton Drew stone circles is unknown, but is believed to be from the Neolithic period. There is evidence of mining on the Mendip Hills back into the late Bronze Age when there were technological changes in metal working indicated by the use of lead. There are numerous "hill forts", such as Small Down Knoll, Solsbury Hill, Dolebury Warren and Burledge Hill, which seem to have had domestic purposes, not just a defensive role. They generally seem to have been occupied intermittently from the Bronze Age onward, some, such as Cadbury Camp at South Cadbury, being refurbished during different eras. Battlegore Burial Chamber is a Bronze Age burial chamber at Williton which is composed of three round barrows and possibly a long, chambered barrow.

 

The Iron Age tribes of later Somerset were the Dobunni in north Somerset, Durotriges in south Somerset and Dumnonii in west Somerset. The first and second produced coins, the finds of which allows their tribal areas to be suggested, but the latter did not. All three had a Celtic culture and language. However, Ptolemy stated that Bath was in the territory of the Belgae, but this may be a mistake. The Celtic gods were worshipped at the temple of Sulis at Bath and possibly the temple on Brean Down. Iron Age sites on the Quantock Hills, include major hill forts at Dowsborough and Ruborough, as well as smaller earthwork enclosures, such as Trendle Ring, Elworthy Barrows and Plainsfield Camp.

 

Somerset was part of the Roman Empire from 47 AD to about 409 AD. However, the end was not abrupt and elements of Romanitas lingered on for perhaps a century.

 

Somerset was invaded from the south-east by the Second Legion Augusta, under the future emperor Vespasian. The hillforts of the Durotriges at Ham Hill and Cadbury Castle were captured. Ham Hill probably had a temporary Roman occupation. The massacre at Cadbury Castle seems to have been associated with the later Boudiccan Revolt of 60–61 AD. The county remained part of the Roman Empire until around 409 AD.

 

The Roman invasion, and possibly the preceding period of involvement in the internal affairs of the south of England, was inspired in part by the potential of the Mendip Hills. A great deal of the attraction of the lead mines may have been the potential for the extraction of silver.

 

Forts were set up at Bath and Ilchester. The lead and silver mines at Charterhouse in the Mendip Hills were run by the military. The Romans established a defensive boundary along the new military road known the Fosse Way (from the Latin fossa meaning ditch). The Fosse Way ran through Bath, Shepton Mallet, Ilchester and south-west towards Axminster. The road from Dorchester ran through Yeovil to meet the Fosse Way at Ilchester. Small towns and trading ports were set up, such as Camerton and Combwich. The larger towns decayed in the latter part of the period, though the smaller ones appear to have decayed less. In the latter part of the period, Ilchester seems to have been a "civitas" capital and Bath may also have been one. Particularly to the east of the River Parrett, villas were constructed. However, only a few Roman sites have been found to the west of the river. The villas have produced important mosaics and artifacts. Cemeteries have been found outside the Roman towns of Somerset and by Roman temples such as that at Lamyatt. Romano-British farming settlements, such as those at Catsgore and Sigwells, have been found in Somerset. There was salt production on the Somerset Levels near Highbridge and quarrying took place near Bath, where the Roman Baths gave their name to Bath.

 

Excavations carried out before the flooding of Chew Valley Lake also uncovered Roman remains, indicating agricultural and industrial activity from the second half of the 1st century until the 3rd century AD. The finds included a moderately large villa at Chew Park, where wooden writing tablets (the first in the UK) with ink writing were found. There is also evidence from the Pagans Hill Roman Temple at Chew Stoke. In October 2001 the West Bagborough Hoard of 4th century Roman silver was discovered in West Bagborough. The 681 coins included two denarii from the early 2nd century and 8 Miliarense and 671 Siliqua all dating to the period AD 337 – 367. The majority were struck in the reigns of emperors Constantius II and Julian and derive from a range of mints including Arles and Lyons in France, Trier in Germany and Rome.

 

In April 2010, the Frome Hoard, one of the largest-ever hoards of Roman coins discovered in Britain, was found by a metal detectorist. The hoard of 52,500 coins dated from the 3rd century AD and was found buried in a field near Frome, in a jar 14 inches (36 cm) below the surface. The coins were excavated by archaeologists from the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

 

This is the period from about 409 AD to the start of Saxon political control, which was mainly in the late 7th century, though they are said to have captured the Bath area in 577 AD. Initially the Britons of Somerset seem to have continued much as under the Romans but without the imperial taxation and markets. There was then a period of civil war in Britain though it is not known how this affected Somerset. The Western Wandsdyke may have been constructed in this period but archaeological data shows that it was probably built during the 5th or 6th century. This area became the border between the Romano-British Celts and the West Saxons following the Battle of Deorham in 577 AD. The ditch is on the north side, so presumably it was used by the Celts as a defence against Saxons encroaching from the upper Thames Valley. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the Saxon Cenwalh achieved a breakthrough against the British Celtic tribes, with victories at Bradford-on-Avon (in the Avon Gap in the Wansdyke) in 652 AD, and further south at the Battle of Peonnum (at Penselwood) in 658 AD, followed by an advance west through the Polden Hills to the River Parrett.

 

The Saxon advance from the east seems to have been halted by battles between the British and Saxons, for example; at the siege of Badon Mons Badonicus (which may have been in the Bath region e.g. at Solsbury Hill), or Bathampton Down. During the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries, Somerset was probably partly in the Kingdom of Dumnonia, partly in the land of the Durotriges and partly in that of the Dobunni. The boundaries between these is largely unknown, but may have been similar to those in the Iron Age. Various "tyrants" seem to have controlled territories from reoccupied hill forts. There is evidence of an elite at hill forts such as Cadbury Castle and Cadbury Camp; for example, there is imported pottery. Cemeteries are an important source of evidence for the period and large ones have been found in Somerset, such as that at Cannington, which was used from the Roman to the Saxon period. The towns of Somerset seem to have been little used during that period but there continued to be farming on the villa sites and at the Romano-British villages.

 

There may have been effects from plague and volcanic eruption during this period as well as marine transgression into the Levels.

 

The language spoken during this period is thought to be Southwestern Brythonic, but only one or two inscribed stones survive in Somerset from this period. However, a couple of curse tablets found in the baths at Bath may be in this language. Some place names in Somerset seem to be Celtic in origin and may be from this period or earlier, e.g. Tarnock. Some river names, such as Parrett, may be Celtic or pre-Celtic. The religion of the people of Somerset in this period is thought to be Christian but it was isolated from Rome until after the Council of Hertford in 673 AD when Aldhelm was asked to write a letter to Geraint of Dumnonia and his bishops. Some church sites in Somerset are thought to date from this period, e.g., Llantokay Street.

 

Most of what is known of the history of this period comes from Gildas's On the Ruin of Britain, which is thought to have been written in Durotrigan territory, possibly at Glastonbury.

 

The earliest fortification of Taunton started for King Ine of Wessex and Æthelburg, in or about the year 710 AD. However, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle this was destroyed 12 years later.

 

This is the period from the late 7th century (for most of Somerset) to 1066, though for part of the 10th and 11th centuries England was under Danish control. Somerset, like Dorset to the south, held the West Saxon advance from Wiltshire/Hampshire back for over a century, remaining a frontier between the Saxons and the Romano-British Celts.

 

The Saxons conquered Bath following the Battle of Deorham in 577, and the border was probably established along the line of the Wansdyke to the north of the Mendip Hills. Then Cenwalh of Wessex broke through at Bradford-on-Avon in 652, and the Battle of Peonnum possibly at Penselwood in 658, advancing west through the Polden Hills to the River Parrett. In 661 the Saxons may have advanced into what is now Devon as a result of a battle fought at Postesburh, possibly Posbury near Crediton.

 

Then in the period 681–85 Centwine of Wessex conquered King Cadwaladr and "advanced as far as the sea", but it is not clear where this was. It is assumed that the Saxons occupied the rest of Somerset about this time. The Saxon rule was consolidated under King Ine, who established a fort at Taunton, demolished by his wife in 722. It is sometimes said that he built palaces at Somerton and South Petherton but this does not seem to be the case. He fought against Geraint in 710. In 705 the diocese of Sherborne was formed, taking in Wessex west of Selwood. Saxon kings granted land in Somerset by charter from the 7th century onward. The way and extent to which the Britons survived under the Saxons is a debatable matter. However, King Ine's laws make provision for Britons. Somerset originally formed part of Wessex and latter became a separate "shire". Somersetshire seems to have been formed within Wessex during the 8th century though it is not recorded as a name until later. Mints were set up at times in various places in Somerset in the Saxon period, e.g., Watchet.

 

Somerset played an important part in defeating the spread of the Danes in the 9th century. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that in 845 Alderman Eanwulf, with the men of Somersetshire (Sumorsǣte), and Bishop Ealstan, and Alderman Osric, with the men of Dorsetshire, conquered the Danish army at the mouth of the Parret. This was the first known use of the name Somersæte. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports that in January 878 the King Alfred the Great fled into the marshes of Somerset from the Viking's invasion and made a fort at Athelney. From the fort Alfred was able to organize a resistance using the local militias from Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire.

 

Viking raids took place for instance in 987 and 997 at Watchet and the Battle of Cynwit. King Alfred was driven to seek refuge from the Danes at Athelney before defeating them at the Battle of Ethandun in 878, usually considered to be near Edington, Wiltshire, but possibly the village of Edington in Somerset. Alfred established a series of forts and lookout posts linked by a military road, or Herepath, so his army could cover Viking movements at sea. The Herepath has a characteristic form which is familiar on the Quantocks: a regulation 20 m wide track between avenues of trees growing from hedge laying embankments. The Herepath ran from the ford on the River Parrett at Combwich, past Cannington hill fort to Over Stowey, where it climbed the Quantocks along the line of the current Stowey road, to Crowcombe Park Gate. Then it went south along the ridge, to Triscombe Stone. One branch may have led past Lydeard Hill and Buncombe Hill, back to Alfred's base at Athelney. The main branch descended the hills at Triscombe, then along the avenue to Red Post Cross, and west to the Brendon Hills and Exmoor. A peace treaty with the Danes was signed at Wedmore and the Danish king Guthrum the Old was baptised at Aller. Burhs (fortified places) had been set up by 919, such as Lyng. The Alfred Jewel, an object about 2.5 inch long, made of filigree gold, cloisonné-enamelled and with a rock crystal covering, was found in 1693 at Petherton Park, North Petherton. Believed to have been owned by Alfred the Great it is thought to have been the handle for a pointer that would have fit into the hole at its base and been used while reading a book.

 

Monasteries and minster churches were set up all over Somerset, with daughter churches from the minsters in manors. There was a royal palace at Cheddar, which was used at times in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot, and there is likely to have been a "central place" at Somerton, Bath, Glastonbury and Frome since the kings visited them. The towns of Somerset seem to have been in occupation in this period though evidence for this is limited because of subsequent buildings on top of remains from this period. Agriculture flourished in this period, with a re-organisation into centralised villages in the latter part in the east of the county.

 

In the period before the Norman Conquest, Somerset came under the control of Godwin, Earl of Wessex, and his family. There seems to have been some Danish settlement at Thurloxton and Spaxton, judging from the place-names. After the Norman Conquest, the county was divided into 700 fiefs, and large areas were owned by the crown, with fortifications such as Dunster Castle used for control and defence.

 

This period of Somerset's history is well documented, for example in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and Asser's Life of Alfred.

 

This is the period from 1066 to around 1500. Following the defeat of the Saxons by the Normans in 1066, various castles were set up in Somerset by the new lords such as that at Dunster, and the manors was awarded to followers of William the Conqueror such as William de Moyon and Walter of Douai. Somerset does not seem to have played much part in the civil war in King Stephen's time, but Somerset lords were main players in the murder of Thomas Becket.

 

A good picture of the county in 1086 is given by Domesday Book, though there is some difficulty in identifying the various places since the hundreds are not specified. The total population given for the county, which had different boundaries to those today, was 13,399, however this only included the heads of households, so with their families this may have been around 67,000. Farming seems to have prospered for the next three centuries but was severely hit by the Black Death which in 1348 arrived in Dorset and quickly spread through Somerset, causing widespread mortality, perhaps as much as 50% in places. It re-occurred, resulting in a change in feudal practices since the manpower was no longer so available.

 

Reclamation of land from marsh in the Somerset Levels increased, largely under monastic influence. Crafts and industries also flourished, the Somerset woollen industry being one of the largest in England at this time. "New towns" were founded in this period in Somerset, i.e. Newport, but were not successful. Coal mining on the Mendips was an important source of wealth while quarrying also took place, an example is near Bath.

 

The towns grew, again often by monastic instigation, during this period and fairs were started. The church was very powerful at this period, particularly Glastonbury Abbey. After their church burnt down, the monks there "discovered" the tomb of "King Arthur" and were able rebuild their church. There were over 20 monasteries in Somerset at this period including the priory at Hinton Charterhouse which was founded in 1232 by Ela, Countess of Salisbury who also founded Lacock Abbey. Many parish churches were re-built in this period. Between 1107 and 1129 William Giffard the Chancellor of King Henry I, converted the bishop's hall in Taunton into Taunton Castle. Bridgwater Castle was built in 1202 by William Brewer. It passed to the king in 1233 and in 1245 repairs were ordered to its motte and towers. During the 11th century Second Barons' War against Henry III, Bridgwater was held by the barons against the King. In the English Civil War the town and the castle were held by the Royalists under Colonel Sir Francis Wyndham. Eventually, with many buildings destroyed in the town, the castle and its valuable contents were surrendered to the Parliamentarians. The castle itself was deliberately destroyed in 1645.

 

During the Middle Ages sheep farming for the wool trade came to dominate the economy of Exmoor. The wool was spun into thread on isolated farms and collected by merchants to be woven, fulled, dyed and finished in thriving towns such as Dunster. The land started to be enclosed and from the 17th century onwards larger estates developed, leading to establishment of areas of large regular shaped fields. During this period a Royal Forest and hunting ground was established, administered by the Warden. The Royal Forest was sold off in 1818.

 

In the medieval period the River Parrett was used to transport Hamstone from the quarry at Ham Hill, Bridgwater was part of the Port of Bristol until the Port of Bridgwater was created in 1348, covering 80 miles (130 km) of the Somerset coast line, from the Devon border to the mouth of the River Axe. Historically, the main port on the river was at Bridgwater; the river being bridged at this point, with the first bridge being constructed in 1200 AD. Quays were built in 1424; with another quay, the Langport slip, being built in 1488 upstream of the Town Bridge. A Customs House was sited at Bridgwater, on West Quay; and a dry dock, launching slips and a boat yard on East Quay. The river was navigable, with care, to Bridgwater Town Bridge by 400 to 500 tonnes (440 to 550 tons) vessels. By trans-shipping into barges at the Town Bridge the Parrett was navigable as far as Langport and (via the River Yeo) to Ilchester.

 

This is the period from around 1500 to 1800. In the 1530s, the monasteries were dissolved and their lands bought from the king by various important families in Somerset. By 1539, Glastonbury Abbey was the only monastery left, its abbot Richard Whiting was then arrested and executed on the orders of Thomas Cromwell. From the Tudor to the Georgian times, farming specialised and techniques improved, leading to increases in population, although no new towns seem to have been founded. Large country houses such as at Hinton St George and Montacute House were built at this time.

 

The Bristol Channel floods of 1607 are believed to have affected large parts of the Somerset Levels with flooding up to 8 feet (2 m) above sea level. In 1625, a House of Correction was established in Shepton Mallet and, today, HMP Shepton Mallet is England's oldest prison still in use.

 

During the English Civil War, Somerset was largely Parliamentarian, although Dunster was a Royalist stronghold. The county was the site of important battles between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians, notably the Battle of Lansdowne in 1643 and the Battle of Langport in 1645. The castle changed hands several times during 1642–45 along with the town. During the Siege of Taunton it was defended by Robert Blake, from July 1644 to July 1645. This war resulted in castles being destroyed to prevent their re-use.

 

In 1685, the Duke of Monmouth led the Monmouth Rebellion in which Somerset people fought against James II. The rebels landed at Lyme Regis and travelled north hoping to capture Bristol and Bath, puritan soldiers damaged the west front of Wells Cathedral, tore lead from the roof to make bullets, broke the windows, smashed the organ and the furnishings, and for a time stabled their horses in the nave. They were defeated in the Battle of Sedgemoor at Westonzoyland, the last battle fought on English soil. The Bloody Assizes which followed saw the losers being sentenced to death or transportation.

 

The Society of Friends established itself in Street in the mid-17th century, and among the close-knit group of Quaker families were the Clarks: Cyrus started a business in sheepskin rugs, later joined by his brother James, who introduced the production of woollen slippers and, later, boots and shoes. C&J Clark still has its headquarters in Street, but shoes are no longer manufactured there. Instead, in 1993, redundant factory buildings were converted to form Clarks Village, the first purpose-built factory outlet in the United Kingdom.

 

The 18th century was largely one of peace and declining industrial prosperity in Somerset. The Industrial Revolution in the Midlands and Northern England spelt the end for most of Somerset's cottage industries. However, farming continued to flourish, with the Bath and West of England Agricultural Society being founded in 1777 to improve methods. John Billingsley conducted a survey of the county's agriculture in 1795 but found that methods could still be improved.

 

Arthur Wellesley took his title, Duke of Wellington from the town of Wellington. He is commemorated on a nearby hill with a large, spotlit obelisk, known as the Wellington Monument.

 

In north Somerset, mining in the Somerset coalfield was an important industry, and in an effort to reduce the cost of transporting the coal the Somerset Coal Canal was built; part of it was later converted into a railway. Other canals included the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, Westport Canal, Grand Western Canal, Glastonbury Canal and Chard Canal.[9] The Dorset and Somerset Canal was proposed, but very little of it was ever constructed.

 

The 19th century saw improvements to Somerset's roads with the introduction of turnpikes and the building of canals and railways. The usefulness of the canals was short-lived, though they have now been restored for recreation. The railways were nationalised after the Second World War, but continued until 1965, when smaller lines were scrapped; two were transferred back to private ownership as "heritage" lines.

 

In 1889, Somerset County Council was created, replacing the administrative functions of the Quarter Sessions.

 

The population of Somerset has continued to grow since 1800, when it was 274,000, particularly in the seaside towns such as Weston-super-Mare. Some population decline occurred earlier in the period in the villages, but this has now been reversed, and by 1951 the population of Somerset was 551,000.

 

Chard claims to be the birthplace of powered flight, as it was here in 1848 that the Victorian aeronautical pioneer John Stringfellow first demonstrated that engine-powered flight was possible through his work on the Aerial Steam Carriage. North Petherton was the first town in England (and one of the few ever) to be lit by acetylene gas lighting, supplied by the North Petherton Rosco Acetylene Company. Street lights were provided in 1906. Acetylene was replaced in 1931 by coal gas produced in Bridgwater, as well as by the provision of an electricity supply.

 

Around the 1860s, at the height of the iron and steel era, a pier and a deep-water dock were built, at Portishead, by the Bristol & Portishead Pier and Railway to accommodate the large ships that had difficulty in reaching Bristol Harbour. The Portishead power stations were coal-fed power stations built next to the dock. Construction work started on Portishead "A" power station in 1926. It began generating electricity in 1929 for the Bristol Corporation's Electricity Department. In 1951, Albright and Wilson built a chemical works on the opposite side of the dock from the power stations. The chemical works produced white phosphorus from phosphate rock imported, through the docks, into the UK. The onset of new generating capacity at Pembroke (oil-fired) and Didcot (coal-fired) in the mid-1970s brought about the closure of the older, less efficient "A" Station. The newer of the two power stations ("B" Station) was converted to burn oil when the Somerset coalfields closed. Industrial activities ceased in the dock with the closure of the power stations. The Port of Bristol Authority finally closed the dock in 1992, and it has now been developed into a marina and residential area.

 

During the First World War hundreds of Somerset soldiers were killed, and war memorials were put up in most of the towns and villages; only a few villages escaped casualties. There were also casualties – though much fewer – during the Second World War, who were added to the memorials. The county was a base for troops preparing for the 1944 D-Day landings, and some Somerset hospitals still date partly from that time. The Royal Ordnance Factory ROF Bridgwater was constructed early in World War II for the Ministry of Supply. It was designed as an Explosive ROF, to produce RDX, which was then a new experimental high-explosive. It obtained water supplies from two sources via the Somerset Levels: the artificial Huntspill River which was dug during the construction of the factory and also from the King's Sedgemoor Drain, which was widened at the same time. The Taunton Stop Line was set up to resist a potential German invasion, and the remains of its pill boxes can still be seen, as well as others along the coast. A decoy town was constructed on Black Down, intended to represent the blazing lights of a town which had neglected to follow the black-out regulations. Sites in the county housed Prisoner of War camps including: Norton Fitzwarren, Barwick, Brockley, Goathurst and Wells. Various airfields were built or converted from civilian use including: RNAS Charlton Horethorne (HMS Heron II), RAF Weston-super-Mare, RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Yeovil/Westland Airport, RAF Weston Zoyland, RAF Merryfield, RAF Culmhead and RAF Charmy Down.

 

Exmoor was one of the first British National Parks, designated in 1954, under the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act. and is named after its main river. It was expanded in 1991 and in 1993 Exmoor was designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area. The Quantock Hills were designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1956, the first such designation in England under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. The Mendip Hills followed with AONB designation in 1972.

 

Hinkley Point A nuclear power station was a Magnox power station constructed between 1957 and 1962 and operating until ceasing generation in 2000. Hinkley Point B is an Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) which was designed to generate 1250 MW of electricity (MWe). Construction of Hinkley Point B started in 1967. In September 2008 it was announced, by Électricité de France (EDF), that a third, twin-unit European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) power station known as Hinkley Point C is planned, to replace Hinkley Point B which was due for closure in 2016, but has now has its life extended until 2022.

 

Somerset today has only two small cities, Bath and Wells, and only small towns in comparison with other areas of England. Tourism is a major source of employment along the coast, and in Bath and Cheddar for example. Other attractions include Exmoor, West Somerset Railway, Haynes Motor Museum and the Fleet Air Arm Museum as well as the churches and the various National Trust and English Heritage properties in Somerset.

 

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 number of apple orchards has reduced.

 

In the late 19th century the boundaries of Somerset were slightly altered, but the main change came in 1974 when the county of Avon was set up. The northern part of Somerset was removed from the administrative control of Somerset County Council. On abolition of the county of Avon in 1996, these areas became separate administrative authorities, "North Somerset" and "Bath and North East Somerset". The Department for Communities and Local Government was considering a proposal by Somerset County Council to change Somerset's administrative structure by abolishing the five districts to create a Somerset unitary authority. The changes were planned to be implemented no later than 1 April 2009. However, support for the county council's bid was not guaranteed and opposition among the district council and local population was strong; 82% of people responding to a referendum organised by the five district councils rejected the proposals. It was confirmed in July 2007 that the government had rejected the proposals for unitary authorities in Somerset, and that the present two-tier arrangements of Somerset County Council and the district councils will remain.

Hungarian postcard by Est Media, Budapest. David Carradine as Bill in Kill Bill, Vol. 2 (Quentin Tarantino, 2004). Caption: Aprilis 29 - Töl a Mozikban. (In the cinema from 29 April).

 

In Kill Bill, Vol 2 (Quentin Tarantino, 2004), the Bride (Uma Thurman) continues her quest for vengeance against her former boss and lover Bill (David Carradine). Having dispatched several of her arch-enemies in the first film, she now pursuits the reclusive bouncer and Bill's younger beer-swilling brother Budd (Michael Madsen), and the treacherous, one-eyed Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah). Bill, Bud, and Elle are the only survivors from the squad of assassins who attempted to murder her and her unborn child on her wedding day in a furious assault. It's all leading up to the ultimate confrontation with Bill, the Bride's former master, and the man who ordered her execution! Like Volume 1, Volume 2 received positive reviews and was a box-office hit.

 

Kill Bill Vol. 2 stands on its own, although Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 were planned and produced as a single film. After editing began, producer Harvey Weinstein, who was known for pressuring filmmakers to shorten their films, suggested that Tarantino split the film in two. The decision was announced in July 2003. Vol. 2 is not a sequel but a continuation and completion. It is a distillation of the countless grindhouse Kung-fu movies Tarantino has absorbed and transcends. Perry Seibert at AllMovie: "Where Volume 1 offered the most visually freewheeling Tarantino work ever, Volume 2 showcases how deliberate his intentions are. Take the training sequence with Pai Mei: This looks like every kung fu movie that ever played on a Saturday afternoon on your local UHF station. The cheesy zooms, the arch dialogue, and the faux-mystical bearded mentor are all intricately planned and in place. These elements are not kitsch; Tarantino genuinely loves these genre tropes and wants nothing more than to share that love with the audience while never taking his eye off the story. This is exactly what he accomplishes in Kill Bill, and he does it with confidence."

 

Vol. 2 opens with a long closeup of The Bride behind the wheel of a car, explaining her mission, which is to kill Bill. Flashbacks remind us that the pregnant Bride and her entire wedding party were targeted by the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad in a massacre at the Two Pines Wedding Chapel. Bill was responsible. Roger Ebert at RogerEbert.com: "He's played by David Carradine in a performance that somehow, improbably, suggests that Bill and the Bride had a real relationship despite the preposterous details surrounding it. (Bill is deeply offended that she plans to marry a used record store owner and lead a normal life.)" The Bride survived the massacre and awakened after a long coma, and in the first film set to avenge herself against the Deadly Vipers and Bill. In "Volume 2," The Bride meets the warrior master Pai Mei (Gordon Liu), who lives on the top of a high, lonely hill reached by climbing many stairs. He was Bill's master, and in a flashback, Bill delivers his protege for training. Pai Mei is a harsh and uncompromising teacher, and the Bride sheds blood during their unrelenting sessions. The training with Pai Mei prepared The Bride to begin her career with Bill. In the action that takes place "now," The Bride has to fight her way past formidable opponents, including Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah), the one-eyed master of martial arts, and Budd (Michael Madsen), who works as a bouncer in a strip joint and lives in a mobile home surrounded by desolation.

 

Neither one is a pushover for The Bride. The showdown with Budd involves a sequence where it seems The Bride must surely die after being buried alive. The fight with Elle Driver is a virtuoso celebration of fight choreography. Their battle takes place inside Budd's trailer home, which is pretty much demolished in the process. Roger Ebert: " Tarantino, who began the film in black and white before switching to color, plays with formats here, too; to suggest the claustrophobia of being buried, he shows The Bride inside her wooden casket, and as clods of earth rain down on the lid, he switches from widescreen to the classic 4x3 screen ratio." As with Tarantino's previous films, Kill Bill features an eclectic soundtrack comprising many musical genres. On the two soundtracks, the music ranges from country music to selections from the Spaghetti Western film scores of Ennio Morricone. Bernard Herrmann's theme from the film Twisted Nerve is whistled by the menacing Elle Driver in the hospital scene. A brief, 15-second excerpt from the opening of the Ironside theme music by Quincy Jones is used as the Bride's revenge motif, which flares up with a red-tinged flashback whenever she is in the company of her next target.

 

Roger Ebert: "One of the achievements of "Volume 2" is that the story is filled in, the characters are developed, and they do begin to resonate, especially during the extraordinary final meeting between The Bride and Bill -- which consists not of nonstop action but of more hypnotic dialogue and ends in an event that is like a quiet, deadly punch line. Put the two parts together, and Tarantino has made a masterful saga that celebrates the martial arts genre while kidding it, loving it, and transcending it. I confess I feared that "Volume 2" would be like those sequels that lack the intensity of the original. But this is all one film, and now that we see it whole, it's greater than its two parts; Tarantino remains the most brilliantly oddball filmmaker of his generation, and this is one of the best films of the year." Kill Bill Vol. 2 grossed $25.1 million on its opening weekend, which was higher than Vol. 1's, and the equivalent success confirmed the studio's financial decision to split the film into two theatrical releases. Vol. 2 grossed a total of $66.2 million in the United States and Canada and $86 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $152.2 million. In June 2021, Quentin Tarantino stated that a potential Kill Bill Vol. 3 would take place 20 years following the original volumes and that he was excited about the possibility of Uma Thurman and her daughter Maya Hawke playing the Bride and her daughter B.B. respectively.

 

Sources: Roger Ebert (RoigerEbert.com), Perry Seibert (AllMovie), Wikipedia, and IMDb.

 

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Waiting for the wave. My waterproof disposable film camera set is something i want to carry on with, i've still got quite a few to upload from the last couple of sessions, cant wait to get back in the water...

...Abigail Lee....She was all of about 3 hours old in this pic. She weighed in at 8 lb. 9.1 oz. and 21' long. We're so happy she's finally arrived, but she was NOT happy about being here. :) At least not yet anyway... I'm looking forward to getting her home for some newborn sessions. Hospital lighting is the pits! :) PS....she looks a LOT like big sister Hannah when she was born.

 

Nikon D5000, 50mm

At the Carriage House, Higham Ferrars

#1A-5, Muti Colored Autographed NASCAR Lamp Box signed The Late Jim Sauter, The Late Kevin Grubbs, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, and 38 Other Drivers, with Picture Proof Photos, (P.P.P.),

 

1) Ray Dunlap, ESPN, Lt. Green,

2) Ted Musgrave, #1, Mopar Performance, Pink,

3) Kevin LaPage, #37, Timber Wolf , Pink,

4) Randy LaJoie, #7, Kleenex, Lt. Green,

5) Larry McRenolds, FOX, Pink,

6) David Star, #75, Spears, Green,

7) Tom Powers, #55, U Of N.W. Ohio, Lt. Green,

8) Hank Parker Jr., #36, GNC Live Well, Lt. Green,

9) Dana White, #86, Coverall Car Parts, L Green,

10) Casey Mears, #66, Phillips 66, Orange,

11) Ashton Lewis, #46, Civil Air Patrol, Pink,

12) Phil Bonfield, #52, Means Racing, Brown,

13) Lon Richman, #N/A, Did Not Qualify, Green,

14) Bobby Dotter, #08, People Against Drugs, Orange,

15) Carlos Contreras, #43, Hot Wheels, Blue,

16) Steve Portengay, #39, Rotor Rooter, Lt. Blue,

17) Jason Schuller, #73, Met-Rx, Orange,

18) Tony Raises, #33, Bace Motorsports, Brown,

19) Mike Bliss, #16, IWX Motorfrieght, Orange,

20) Jeff Hammon, FOX, Blue,

21) Jay Sauter, #21, Rockwell Automat, Pink,

22) Bill Lester, #8, Dodge Motorsports, Orange,

23) Matt Crafton, #88, MENARD, Blue,

24) Lance Norwick, #90, Express Persona, Lt. Blue,

25) Randy McDonald #72, Bussiness Driver, Green,

26) CARL EDWARDS, #63, Mittler Brothers, Orange,

27) Stacy Compton, #59, Kingsford, Lt. Green,

28) Larry Foyt, #14, Hannah's Casino, Pink,

29) Jack Sprauge, #24, Net Zero, Very Lt. Green,

30) N/A, #90, N/A, Orange,

31) The Late Jim Sauter, #29, Advance Rockwell, Lt Green,

32) Scott Riggs, #10, Nestle NesQuik, Brown,

33) The Late Kevin Grubbs, #54, Toys R US, Pink,

34) N/A, N/A, N/A, Orange,

35) Mark Green, #38, Great Clips, Orange,

36) GREG BIFFLE, #60, Grainger, Brown,

37) Amy Earl, ESPN, Pink,

38) Tim Fedewa, #n/a, N/A, Blue,

39) Steve N/A, N/A, N/A, Lt. Green,

40) Kenny Schrader, #52, Federated Auto Parts, Blue,

41) Shane Hall, #63, Greased Lightning, Lt. Blue,

42) Jimmy Means, #52, Alka Selzer, Brown,

 

#1A-5, Muti Colored Autographed NASCAR Lamp Box signed The Late Jim Sauter, The Late Kevin Grubbs, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, and 38 Other Drivers, with Picture Proof Photos, (P.P.P.),

 

1) Ray Dunlap, ESPN, Lt. Green,

2) Ted Musgrave, #1, Mopar Performance, Pink,

3) Kevin LaPage, #37, Timber Wolf , Pink,

4) Randy LaJoie, #7, Kleenex, Lt. Green,

5) Larry McRenolds, FOX, Pink,

6) David Star, #75, Spears, Green,

7) Tom Powers, #55, U Of N.W. Ohio, Lt. Green,

8) Hank Parker Jr., #36, GNC Live Well, Lt. Green,

9) Dana White, #86, Coverall Car Parts, L Green,

10) Casey Mears, #66, Phillips 66, Orange,

11) Ashton Lewis, #46, Civil Air Patrol, Pink,

12) Phil Bonfield, #52, Means Racing, Brown,

13) Lon Richman, #N/A, Did Not Qualify, Green,

14) Bobby Dotter, #08, People Against Drugs, Orange,

15) Carlos Contreras, #43, Hot Wheels, Blue,

16) Steve Portengay, #39, Rotor Rooter, Lt. Blue,

17) Jason Schuller, #73, Met-Rx, Orange,

18) Tony Raises, #33, Bace Motorsports, Brown,

19) Mike Bliss, #16, IWX Motorfrieght, Orange,

20) Jeff Hammond, FOX, Blue,

21) Jay Sauter, #21, Rockwell Automat, Pink,

22) Bill Lester, #8, Dodge Motorsports, Orange,

23) Matt Crafton, #88, MENARD, Blue,

24) Lance Norwick, #90, Express Persona, Lt. Blue,

25) Randy McDonald #72, Bussiness Driver, Green,

26) CARL EDWARDS, #63, Mittler Brothers, Orange,

27) Stacy Compton, #59, Kingsford, Lt. Green,

28) Larry Foyt, #14, Hannah's Casino, Pink,

29) Jack Sprauge, #24, Net Zero, Very Lt. Green,

30) N/A, #90, N/A, Orange,

31) The Late Jim Sauter, #29, Advance Rockwell, Lt Green,

32) Scott Riggs, #10, Nestle NesQuik, Brown,

33) The Late Kevin Grubbs, #54, Toys R US, Pink,

34) N/A, N/A, N/A, Orange,

35) Mark Green, #38, Great Clips, Orange,

36) GREG BIFFLE, #60, Grainger, Brown,

37) Amy Earl, ESPN, Pink,

38) Tim Fedewa, #n/a, N/A, Blue,

39) Steve N/A, N/A, N/A, Lt. Green,

40) Kenny Schrader, #52, Federated Auto Parts, Blue,

41) Shane Hall, #63, Greased Lightning, Lt. Blue,

42) Jimmy Means, #52, Alka Selzer, Brown,

 

#1A-5, Muti Colored Autographed NASCAR Lamp Box signed The Late Jim Sauter, The Late Kevin Grubbs, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, and 38 Other Drivers, with Picture Proof Photos, (P.P.P.),

 

1) Ray Dunlap, ESPN, Lt. Green,

2) Ted Musgrave, #1, Mopar Performance, Pink,

3) Kevin LaPage, #37, Timber Wolf , Pink,

4) Randy LaJoie, #7, Kleenex, Lt. Green,

5) Larry McRenolds, FOX, Pink,

6) David Star, #75, Spears, Green,

7) Tom Powers, #55, U Of N.W. Ohio, Lt. Green,

8) Hank Parker Jr., #36, GNC Live Well, Lt. Green,

9) Dana White, #86, Coverall Car Parts, L Green,

10) Casey Mears, #66, Phillips 66, Orange,

11) Ashton Lewis, #46, Civil Air Patrol, Pink,

12) Phil Bonfield, #52, Means Racing, Brown,

13) Lon Richman, #N/A, Did Not Qualify, Green,

14) Bobby Dotter, #08, People Against Drugs, Orange,

15) Carlos Contreras, #43, Hot Wheels, Blue,

16) Steve Portengay, #39, Rotor Rooter, Lt. Blue,

17) Jason Schuller, #73, Met-Rx, Orange,

18) Tony Raises, #33, Bace Motorsports, Brown,

19) Mike Bliss, #16, IWX Motorfrieght, Orange,

20) Jeff Hammond, FOX, Blue,

21) Jay Sauter, #21, Rockwell Automat, Pink,

22) Bill Lester, #8, Dodge Motorsports, Orange,

23) Matt Crafton, #88, MENARD, Blue,

24) Lance Norwick, #90, Express Persona, Lt. Blue,

25) Randy McDonald #72, Bussiness Driver, Green,

26) CARL EDWARDS, #63, Mittler Brothers, Orange,

27) Stacy Compton, #59, Kingsford, Lt. Green,

28) Larry Foyt, #14, Hannah's Casino, Pink,

29) Jack Sprauge, #24, Net Zero, Very Lt. Green,

30) N/A, #90, N/A, Orange,

31) The Late Jim Sauter, #29, Advance Rockwell, Lt Green,

32) Scott Riggs, #10, Nestle NesQuik, Brown,

33) The Late Kevin Grubbs, #54, Toys R US, Pink,

34) N/A, N/A, N/A, Orange,

35) Mark Green, #38, Great Clips, Orange,

36) GREG BIFFLE, #60, Grainger, Brown,

37) Amy Earl, ESPN, Pink,

38) Tim Fedewa, #n/a, N/A, Blue,

39) Steve N/A, N/A, N/A, Lt. Green,

40) Kenny Schrader, #52, Federated Auto Parts, Blue,

41) Shane Hall, #63, Greased Lightning, Lt. Blue,

42) Jimmy Means, #52, Alka Selzer, Brown,

 

Top 200 of 2022 @ deepskyobject

 

Продолжаем чад кутежа: #best_of_2022, наконец.

 

Места и теги условны, забытые герои будут найдены чуть позже!

 

#shoegaze #reverb

 

01. Collapse - Black Sheep Is Still Dreaming

02. Holy Fawn - Dimensional Bleed

03. Submotile - One Final Summit Before The Fall

04. Tokyo Shoegazer - Moonworld Playground

05. For Tracy Hyde - Hotel Insomnia

06. Murrumur - Webmaker

07. Lovesliescrushing - Psalms EP

08. Knifeplay - Animal Drowning

09. Della Zyr - Vitamins and Apprehension

10. Stomp Talk Modstone - Worth It EP

11. Jōetsu Shore - 1999

12. Loop - Sonancy

13. They Are Gutting a Body of Water - Lucky Styles

14. The Stargazer Lilies - Cosmic Tidal Wave

15. Resplandor - Tristeza

16. Cloakroom - Dissolution Wave

17. Grivo - Omit

18. Deserta - Every Moment, Everything You Need

19. Dead Leaf Echo - Milk. Blue. Kisses. And. Whalebone. Wishes

20. A Place to Bury Strangers - See Through You

 

honorable mentions:

 

Catatonic Suns - Saudade

Sphere - A Fusion of Two Hemispheres

SOM - The Shape of Everything

Animal Ghosts - Wallow

Built to Spill - When the Wind Forgets Your Name

 

—

 

#dreampop #ethereal

 

01. Alvvays - Blue Rev

02. Daydream Twins - Daydream Twins

03. Florist - Florist

04. Blushing - Possessions

05. Say Sue Me - The Last Thing Left

06. Panda Riot - Extra Cosmic

07. Phantom Handshakes - A Passport to Remain

08. Dottie - Thief

09. Beach House - Once Twice Melody

10. Peel Dream Magazine - Pad

11. Lucid Express - Floret

12. Mass of the Fermenting Dregs - Awakening​:​Sleeping

13. Spool - (Image For) Drawing on Canvas

14. Men I Trust - Untourable Album

15. TRPP - Here To Stay

16. Living Hour - Someday is Today

17. Launder - Happening

18. Winter - What Kind of Blue Are You?

19. Vero - Unsoothing Interior

20. Rolo Tomassi - Where Myth Becomes Memory

 

honorable mentions:

 

RAY - Green

Wednesday - Mowing the Leaves Instead of Piling 'em Up

Dream Suicides - It's Better Not To Say Anything EP

Asian Glow - Stalled Flutes, Means

Yumi Zouma - Present Tense

Tallies - Patina

 

—

 

#electronic #drone #ambient #idm

 

01. Kelly Lee Owens, Lasse Marhaug - LP.8

02. Broadcast - Maida Vale Sessions

03. Kali Malone - Living Torch

04. Stereolab - Pulse Of The Early Brain [Switched On Vol.5]

05. Trentemøller - Memoria

06. Daniel Avery - Ultra Truth

07. Pneumatic Tubes - A Letter From TreeTops

08. Maya Shenfeld - In Free Fall

09. Sarah Davachi - Two Sisters

10. Björk - Fossora

11. Éliane Radigue, Frédéric Blondy - Occam XXV

12. Moderat - More D4ta

13. Fenella [Jane Weaver] - The Metallic Index

14. Sweet Trip - Seen / Unseen

15. Claire Rousay - Everything Perfect Is Already Here

16. Rosa Anschütz - Goldener Strom

17. Belief - Belief

18. Seb Wildblood - Do You Feel It Too?

19. God is War - Predation Perfected

20. Burial - Antidawn EP

 

honorable mentions:

 

Boris Barksdale - Mind over Matter

Bonobo - Fragments

µ-Ziq - Magic Pony Ride

Plaid - Feorm Falorx

Orbital - 30 Something

 

—

 

#postpunk #darkwave #newwave

 

01. Just Mustard - Heart Under

02. Lunacy - Echo in the Memory

03. Automatic - Excess

04. Sunrise Patriot Motion - Black Fellflower Stream

05. Thus Love - Memorial

06. High Vis - Blending

07. Hours of Worship - The Cold That You Left

08. Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia

09. Yard Act - The Overload

10. Spike Hellis - Spike Hellis

11. Phantasia - Ghost Stories

12. Death Bells - Between Here & Everywhere

13. Guerilla Toss - Famously Alive

14. Straw Man Army - SOS

15. The Soft Moon - Exister

16. Local Suicide - Eros Anikate

17. Upchuck - Sense Yourself

18. Smirk - Material

19. Un Hombre Solo - Desilusión Total

20. Viagra Boys - Cave World

 

honorable mentions:

 

The Serfs - Primal Matter

DITZ - The Great Regression

French Police - Onyx EP

Locust Revival - Your Delusions Are Not Mine EP

Conjunto Primitivo - Morir Y Renacer

Preoccupations - Arrangements

 

—

 

#avantprog #minimalism #darkjazz #neosoul

 

01. Charles Stepney - Step On Step [anthology]

02. The Beat Escape - Shadows of Ecstacy

03. Sault - 11

04. The Lovecraft Sextet - Nights of Lust

05. John McGuire - Pulse Music (1975-1979)

06. Satvrne - Sofia

07. Sofie Birch - Holotropica

08. Fürsattl - Rheinlust

09. Ernest Hood - Back to the Woodlands

10. Caterina Barbieri - Spirit Exit

11. The Midnight Ensemble - La femme

12. Madalyn Merkey - Puzzle Music

13. Mai Mai Mai - Rimorso

14. Psychedelic Porn Crumpets - Night Gnomes

15. Dania - Voz

16. Magic Shoppe - Mono Lake

17. Carmen Villain - Only Love From Now On

18. Obongjayar - Some Nights I Dream of Doors

19. Smoke Point - Smoke Point

20. Adele Nigro - Tentativo

 

honorable mentions:

 

Valentina Goncharova - Ocean: Symphony for Electric Violin and Other Instruments... [reissues]

Dead Melodies - Murken Hollow

Whatever The Weather - Whatever the Weather

Antonina Nowacka & Sofie Birch - Languoria

Atomiste - Midnight Here We Come

 

—

 

#doom #sludge #drone #postmetal #blackmetal

 

01. Krallice - Psychagogue [atmospheric black]

02. Boris - Fade [drone, post-metal]

03. Scarcity - Aveilut [avant-garde metal, atmospheric black]

04. Devil's Witches - In All Her Forms [doom]

05. Sadness - Tortuga [blackgaze]

06. Brutus - Unison Life [post-hardcore, post-metal]

07. Lustre - A Thirst for Summer Rain [atmospheric black, ambient]

08. Dressed In Streams - Vande Mataram [black]

09. Ultha - All That Has Never Been True [atmospheric black]

10. MWWB - The Harvest [doomgaze]

11. Worm - Bluenothing EP [death, doom, atmospheric]

12. Blood of Sokar - Cinis [doom, atmospheric black]

13. Sumerlands - Dreamkiller [heavy]

14. Woe Bather - May Loneliness Consume You [atmospheric black]

15. Darkthrone - Astral Fortress [heavy, black, doom]

16. Foehammer - Monumentum [doom, sludge]

17. Sylvaine - Nova [blackgaze, post-metal]

18. Sum Of R - Lahbryce EP [drone, post-metal]

19. Chrome Ghost - House of Falling Ash [doom, post-metal]

20. Trhä - Endlhëdëhaj qáshmëna ëlh vim innivte [atmospheric black, lo-fi]

 

honorable mentions:

 

Carrion Bloom - Sacraments of Pestilence EP [black]

Early Moods - Early Moods [doom]

Russian Circles - Gnosis [post-metal]

Vacuous - Dreams of Dysphoria [death]

Ggu:ll - Ex Est [death, doom]

 

—

 

#rock #garage

 

01. VA - Ghost Riders [1965-1974]

02. The Smile - A LIght for Attracting Attention

03. Duster - Together

04. Breathless - See Those Colours Fly

05. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Cool It Down

06. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Omnium Gatherum

07. The Black Angels - Wilderness Of Mirrors

08. Fleshwater - We're Not Here To Be Loved

09. Bedlocked - Bedlocked

10. Kikagaku Moyo - Kumoyo Island

11. Mildred - Pt.2

12. Darkher - The Buried Storm

13. The Asteroid #4 - Tones of the Sparrow

14. Turnstile - Glow On

15. Pencey Sloe - Neglect

16. The Lounge Society - Tired of Liberty

17. Spiritualized - Everything Was Beautiful

18. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Fire Doesn't Grow On Trees

19. Mai Mai Mai - Rimorso

20. Plosivs - Plosivs

 

honorable mentions:

 

Steve Queralt, Michael Smith - Sun Moon Town EP

Spice - Viv

Jack White - Entering Heaven Alive

Liam Gallagher - C'mon You Know

Dinosaur Jr. - Sweep It Into Space

 

—

 

#indie

 

01. The Orielles - Tableau

02. Molly Nilsson - Extreme

03. Horsegirl - Versions of Modern Performance

04. Sophia Blenda - Die Neue Heiterkeit

05. The Cat's Miaow - Songs '94-'98

06. Reptaliens - Multiverse

07. The Beths - Expert in a Dying Field

08. Carla dal Forno - Come Around

09. Elusin - Synfuels

10. Sorry - Anywhere But Here

11. Widowspeak - The Jacket

12. Anne Garner - Dear Unknown

13. Mild Orange - Looking For Space

14. Aldous Harding - Warm Chris

15. Surrounder - Structural Mercy

16. Hatchie - Giving the World Away

17. A. A. Williams - As The Moon Rests

18. Dry Cleaning - Stumpwork

19. Turbo Goth - Awakened Imagination

20. Frankie Cosmos - Inner World Peace

 

honorable mentions:

 

Beth Orton - Weather Alive

King Tuff - Smalltown Stardust

Grushenka - Entre Flores de Azafrán

King Hannah - I'm Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me

Avalyn - Distant Days / Lucid Dreams / When We Were Nothing (Singles)

 

—

 

#pop #artpop #synthwave

 

01. Weyes Blood - And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow

02. PVA - Blush

03. Röyksopp - Profound Mysteries

04. Melody's Echo Chamber - Emotional Eternal

05. Cate Le Bon - Pompeii

06. Wet Leg - Wet Leg

07. Jockstrap - I Love You Jennifer B

08. Gwenno - Tresor

09. Ethel Cain - Preacher's Daughter

10. Confidence Man - Tilt

11. Beabadoobee - Beatopia

12. Babehoven - Light Moving Time

13. Ultraflex - Infinite Wellness

14. Aurora - The Gods We Can Touch

15. Sudan Archives - Natural Brown Prom Queen

16. Warpaint - Radiate Like This

17. Let's Eat Grandma - Two Ribbons

18. Spacemoth - No Past No Future

19. Blackpink - Born Pink

20. Taylor Swift - Midnights

 

honorable mentions:

 

Caitlin Rose - Cazimi

Big City - Liquid Times EP

Goat - Oh Death

Beyoncé - Renaissance

Rosalía - Motomami

 

—

 

#Russia

 

01. Пётр Мамонов - Незнайка [avant-garde]

02. Конъюнктура - Пепел [indie rock]

03. Aerofall - RH [shoegaze]

04. Faience Knife - Дом EP [ethereal, dream pop]

05. Mental Map - In and out of Place EP [dream pop]

06. Dog Silent - Flying Fish [shoegaze]

07. Рука Дочери - Письма бывшему другу [garage pop]

08. Heavy Plane - Сон (Single) [shoegaze]

09. Kot Kot [Lena Filatova] - I Pni [avant-garde, drone]

10. Комсомольск - Комсомольск-0 EP [indie pop]

11. Союз [Belarus] - Force of the Wind [jazz fusion]

12. Утешение - Работа сна EP [indie pop, shoegaze]

13. Honeyfrequency - Private Global [indie pop]

14. Silent Run - Ambulance EP [dream pop, shoegaze]

15. Акульи слёзы - Ссадины [indie pop]

16. Life On Venus - Homewards [dream pop]

17. Dvar - Metah [dungeon synth, neoclassical darkwave]

18. Hoavi - Posle Vsego [ambient]

19. Барочные астрономы - Рыцари пурпурного шалфея [ritual ambient]

20. Культура курения - Призрачность (Single) [blackgaze]

 

honorable mentions:

Instasamka – Popstar [dance pop]

Гнёт - Бремя [atmospheric black, dungeon synth]

Subway Porno - Memory Motel [noise pop, shoegaze]

Teletape - Не быть современным [dream pop]

Второй этаж поражает - Дворцы [indie pop]

 

more: Russia: Best 75 albums of 2022

 

—

 

Лучшие концерты / The Best Live Shows Of 2022

 

1. Theodor Bastard @ Театр Эйфмана, 10.12.2022

 

2. Конъюнктура, Космос на потолке, Деревянные киты, Флорист, Tired Up, Поля, Сизрс @ Ласточка, 28.08.2022

 

3. Комсомольск, Kedr Livanskiy, Антоха МС, Кирилл Рихтер, Катя Iowa, Варвара Шмыкова @ Roof Place, 24.08.2022

 

4. Ishome @ K30, 06.08.2022

 

5. Sestrica, PTU, Антоха МС, Symbol, Sofia Rodina, Линда, Natasha Bai, Марк Щедрин @ PPF, Севкабель, 03.09.2022

 

6. Комсомольск @ Blank, 19.11.2022

 

7. Деревянные киты @ Сердце, 13.10.2022

 

8. Культура курения @ The Place, 16.12.2022

 

9. Деревянные киты @ Мачты, 26.04.2022

 

10. Ольга Глазова @ Медиацентр Александринский, 05.05.2022

 

11. Сказы леса @ Mod, 20.05.2022

 

12. Ishome @ Ласточка, 13.05.2022

 

13. Настя Фердинандова @ The Hat, 07.10.2022

 

Для разнообразия — концерты 2011 и топ из прошлой жизни.

 

—

 

Лучшие фильмы / The Best Movies of 2022

 

10/10

Тихоня / An Cailín Ciúin [The Quiet Girl] (Colm Bairéad, 2022)

Catherine Clinch, Carrie Crowley, Andrew Bennett

тихий хит года

 

9/10

Банши Инишерина / The Banshees of Inisherin (Martin McDonagh, 2022)

Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Pat Shortt

шедевральная притча из Ирландии

 

9/10

Решение уйти / 헤어질 결심 [Decision to Leave] (Park Chan-wook, 2022)

Tang Wei, Park Hae-il

замысловатая корейская нео-нуар драма

 

7/10

Треугольник печали / Triangle of Sadness (Ruben Östlund, 2022)

Woody Harrelson, Charlbi Dean, Dolly de Leon, Harris Dickinson, Zlatko Burić, Vicki Berlin

социально-сатирический опус с мизантропическим уклоном

 

6/10

Варяг / The Northman (Robert Eggers, 2022)

Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke

неплохо, но не хватило хронометража и/или бюджета для эпичности, размах на «Властелина колец»

 

6/10

Бардо / Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (Alejandro Iñárritu, 2022)

Daniel Giménez Cacho, Griselda Siciliani, Ximena Lamadrid, Íker Sánchez Solano

противоречивый как жизнь фильм, поднимающий вопросы бытия (и отдельно американо-мексиканских отношений), здесь много разговоров — отца с дочерью, сыном и женой, конкистадором Кортесом, или пограничником в конце, но пара моментов шок-контента почти гробят этот визуальный шедевр, минут 15 (из 174) вырезать и будет хит!

 

6/10

М3ГАН / M3GAN (Gerard Johnstone, 2022)

Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Amie Donald

«я киборг и это нормально», киберпанк-ужастик на вечер на тему 'cможет ли 'Ex Machina' заменить детям родителей?'

 

5/10

Топ Ган: Мэверик / Top Gun: Maverick (Joseph Kosinski, 2022)

Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Monica Barbaro

красивая обёртка и касса over 1,5 млрд, но не цепляет, было бы гораздо интереснее увидеть с теми же героями опусы «Escape from Afghanistan» или «Put an end to the Nord Stream», например

 

3/10

Солнце моё / Aftersun (Charlotte Wells, 2022)

Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio, Celia Rowlson-Hall

'не верю'

 

1/10

Всё везде и сразу / Everything Everywhere All at Once (Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, 2022)

Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis

переоценено

 

—

 

фильмы прошлых лет (что-то пропустил или пересмотрел и переоценил)

 

10/10

Пикник у Висячей скалы / Picnic at Hanging Rock (Peter Weir, 1975)

Жидкое небо / Liquid Sky (Slava Tsukerman, 1982)

Плетёный человек / The Wicker Man (Robin Hardy, 1973)

Париж, Техас / Paris, Texas (Wim Wenders, 1984)

Подземка / Subway (Luc Besson, 1985)

Пуля в сердце / Une balle au cœur [A Bullet Through the Heart] (Jean-Daniel Pollet, 1966)

Добро пожаловать к Райли / Welcome to the Rileys (Jake Scott, 2010)

Любовь в двадцать лет / L'amour à vingt ans [Love at Twenty] (S.Ishihara, M.Ophüls, R.Rossellini, F.Truffaut, A.Wajda, 1962)

Морозко (1964) / Frosty (Aleksandr Rou, 1965)

Убрать Картера / Get Carter (Mike Hodges, 1971)

Вид на жительство / Green Card (Peter Weir, 1990)

Девочка со спичками / Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern [The Little Match Girl] (Uwe Janson, 2013)

 

9/10

Человек с золотым пистолетом / The Man with the Golden Gun (Guy Hamilton, 1974)

Безумный Макс / Mad Max (George Miller, 1979)

Приключение / L'avventura [The Adventure] (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1960)

Офис / The Office [S1.E6] 'Hot Girl' (Amy Heckerling, 2005)

Входящая в море (Леонид Осыка, 1965)

Выше радуги / Above the rainbow (Georgi Yungvald-Khilkevich, 1986)

Будет ласковый дождь (по мотивам Р.Брэдбери) / There Will Come Soft Rains [short] («Узбекфильм», 1984)

 

8/10

Осторожность / Careful (Guy Maddin, 1992)

Городские легенды / Urban Myths [S1.E1] 'Bob Dylan: Knockin' on Dave's Door' (Ben Palmer, 2017)

Мой создатель / Archive (Gavin Rothery, 2020)

Медовый месяц в Лас-Вегасе / Honeymoon in Vegas (Andrew Bergman, 1992)

Незаконное вторжение / Unlawful Entry (Jonathan Kaplan, 1992)

Дьявольский особняк / Cold Creek Manor (Mike Figgis, 2003)

Лакричная пицца / Licorice Pizza (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2021)

Непристойное предложение / Indecent Proposal (Adrian Lyne, 1993)

Ловушка для одинокого мужчины / A trap for a lonely man (Aleksey Korenev, 1990)

Как отделаться от парня за 10 дней / How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (Donald Petrie, 2003)

 

7/10

Класс 1999 / Class of 1999 (Mark Lester, 1990)

Кровавый четверг / Thursday (Skip Woods, 1998)

Особь / Species (Roger Donaldson, 1995)

Полуночный полицейский / Midnight Cop [Killing Blue] (Peter Patzak, 1988)

Исчезновение Сидни Холла / The Vanishing of Sidney Hall (Shawn Christensen, 2017)

Дочь моего босса / My Boss's Daughter (David Zucker, 2003)

Благосердная ночь / Gracious Night (Mika Kaurismäki, 2020)

 

6/10

Роллеры будущего / Roller Blade (Donald Jackson, 1986)

Гагарин. Первый в космосе / Gagarin. First in space (Pavel Parkhomenko, 2013)

 

5/10

Субмарина / Submarine (Richard Ayoade, 2010)

Люди Икс: Апокалипсис / X-Men: Apocalypse (Bryan Singer, 2016)

Ужасающий / Terrifier (Damien Leone, 2016)

Дальний космос / Stowaway (Joe Penna, 2021)

 

4/10

Ангелы Чарли / Charlie's Angels (Elizabeth Banks, 2019)

Охотники за разумом / Mindhunters (Renny Harlin, 2004)

 

3/10

Святая Гора / The Holy Mountain (Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1973)

хорошо что ему не дали снимать «Дюну»!

 

—

 

total recall:

 

seen live (all time)

 

Albums of the Year:

 

flickr:

 

2024 | 2023

 

2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017

 

last - blogspot:

 

2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013

 

livejournal:

 

2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006

 

shoegazers:

 

2025

 

2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018

 

2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012

 

2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007

 

#top2022 #best_of_2022 #dreampop #shoegzae #postpunk #drone #doom #postmetal #indiepop #deepskyobject #россия

#1A-5, Muti Colored Autographed NASCAR Lamp Box signed The Late Jim Sauter, The Late Kevin Grubbs, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, and 38 Other Drivers, with Picture Proof Photos, (P.P.P.),

 

1) Ray Dunlap, ESPN, Lt. Green,

2) Ted Musgrave, #1, Mopar Performance, Pink,

3) Kevin LaPage, #37, Timber Wolf , Pink,

4) Randy LaJoie, #7, Kleenex, Lt. Green,

5) Larry McRenolds, FOX, Pink,

6) David Star, #75, Spears, Green,

7) Tom Powers, #55, U Of N.W. Ohio, Lt. Green,

8) Hank Parker Jr., #36, GNC Live Well, Lt. Green,

9) Dana White, #86, Coverall Car Parts, L Green,

10) Casey Mears, #66, Phillips 66, Orange,

11) Ashton Lewis, #46, Civil Air Patrol, Pink,

12) Phil Bonfield, #52, Means Racing, Brown,

13) Lon Richman, #N/A, Did Not Qualify, Green,

14) Bobby Dotter, #08, People Against Drugs, Orange,

15) Carlos Contreras, #43, Hot Wheels, Blue,

16) Steve Portengay, #39, Rotor Rooter, Lt. Blue,

17) Jason Schuller, #73, Met-Rx, Orange,

18) Tony Raises, #33, Bace Motorsports, Brown,

19) Mike Bliss, #16, IWX Motorfrieght, Orange,

20) Jeff Hammond, FOX, Blue,

21) Jay Sauter, #21, Rockwell Automat, Pink,

22) Bill Lester, #8, Dodge Motorsports, Orange,

23) Matt Crafton, #88, MENARD, Blue,

24) Lance Norwick, #90, Express Persona, Lt. Blue,

25) Randy McDonald #72, Bussiness Driver, Green,

26) CARL EDWARDS, #63, Mittler Brothers, Orange,

27) Stacy Compton, #59, Kingsford, Lt. Green,

28) Larry Foyt, #14, Hannah's Casino, Pink,

29) Jack Sprauge, #24, Net Zero, Very Lt. Green,

30) N/A, #90, N/A, Orange,

31) The Late Jim Sauter, #29, Advance Rockwell, Lt Green,

32) Scott Riggs, #10, Nestle NesQuik, Brown,

33) The Late Kevin Grubbs, #54, Toys R US, Pink,

34) N/A, N/A, N/A, Orange,

35) Mark Green, #38, Great Clips, Orange,

36) GREG BIFFLE, #60, Grainger, Brown,

37) Amy Earl, ESPN, Pink,

38) Tim Fedewa, #n/a, N/A, Blue,

39) Steve N/A, N/A, N/A, Lt. Green,

40) Kenny Schrader, #52, Federated Auto Parts, Blue,

41) Shane Hall, #63, Greased Lightning, Lt. Blue,

42) Jimmy Means, #52, Alka Selzer, Brown,

 

Owens has released eight official solo studio albums since 2001, mostly recorded in USA, including his two most recent (Into The Sea (2015) and Southern Wind (2018)) which were recorded in Nashville with Grammy nominated, award winning producer Neilson Hubbard. Reviews (from both sides of the Atlantic), were very positive, and highlighted a "unique Scottish, americana blend" in his music.[3] The title track of Southern Wind (co-written with American musician Will Kimbrough) won the UK Song of the Year Award in 2019 at UK Americana Music Association Awards in London.[4][5]

 

A “best of” album – The Man From Leith (with sleeve notes by Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh) – was released in March 2020 on London’s Eel Pie Records, also to very positive reviews.[6]

 

His eighth album, Sinner’s Shrine, recorded in Tucson, Arizona, with members of ”desert noir” band, Calexico, was released in February 2022 (jointly on London's Eel Pie Records and CRS (Netherlands)). It was preceded by a series of three well received EPs - The Desert Trilogy - released throughout 2021, comprising 4 tracks from Sinner’s Shrine, several from the album sessions and some recorded long distance during lockdown.

 

Owens also tours occasionally with Scottish fiddle player Amy Geddes, under the name of Redwood Mountain, with lyrics taken from Alan Lomax’s The Book of American Folk Songs, reimagined with new melodies. A self titled album was released in 2017.

 

Other recent projects include the international music/film collaboration, Buffalo Blood (with producer/musician Neilson Hubbard, Audrey Spillman and Joshua Britt). Recorded outdoors, on location in the New Mexico desert (at Echo Canyon and Georgia O'Keeffe's Ghost Ranch), the songs explore themes of migration and displacement of people, especially of Native Americans. A self titled double album was released on Eel Pie Records in 2019, and launched with a live performance at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections.[7]

 

In March 2020 Owens curated the inaugural Cash Back in Fife Festival, which celebrated the legacy of Johnny Cash, and his family connections to Fife.[8] He was invited to participate in the Official Johnny Cash Heritage Festival (online), broadcast from Dyess Arkansas, in October 2021.[9]

 

Voted "Best UK Act of 2021" in Americana UK Readers Poll.[10]

#1A-5, Muti Colored Autographed NASCAR Lamp Box signed The Late Jim Sauter, The Late Kevin Grubbs, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, and 38 Other Drivers, with Picture Proof Photos, (P.P.P.),

 

1) Ray Dunlap, ESPN, Lt. Green,

2) Ted Musgrave, #1, Mopar Performance, Pink,

3) Kevin LaPage, #37, Timber Wolf , Pink,

4) Randy LaJoie, #7, Kleenex, Lt. Green,

5) Larry McRenolds, FOX, Pink,

6) David Star, #75, Spears, Green,

7) Tom Powers, #55, U Of N.W. Ohio, Lt. Green,

8) Hank Parker Jr., #36, GNC Live Well, Lt. Green,

9) Dana White, #86, Coverall Car Parts, L Green,

10) Casey Mears, #66, Phillips 66, Orange,

11) Ashton Lewis, #46, Civil Air Patrol, Pink,

12) Phil Bonfield, #52, Means Racing, Brown,

13) Lon Richman, #N/A, Did Not Qualify, Green,

14) Bobby Dotter, #08, People Against Drugs, Orange,

15) Carlos Contreras, #43, Hot Wheels, Blue,

16) Steve Portengay, #39, Rotor Rooter, Lt. Blue,

17) Jason Schuller, #73, Met-Rx, Orange,

18) Tony Raises, #33, Bace Motorsports, Brown,

19) Mike Bliss, #16, IWX Motorfrieght, Orange,

20) Jeff Hammond, FOX, Blue,

21) Jay Sauter, #21, Rockwell Automat, Pink,

22) Bill Lester, #8, Dodge Motorsports, Orange,

23) Matt Crafton, #88, MENARD, Blue,

24) Lance Norwick, #90, Express Persona, Lt. Blue,

25) Randy McDonald #72, Bussiness Driver, Green,

26) CARL EDWARDS, #63, Mittler Brothers, Orange,

27) Stacy Compton, #59, Kingsford, Lt. Green,

28) Larry Foyt, #14, Hannah's Casino, Pink,

29) Jack Sprauge, #24, Net Zero, Very Lt. Green,

30) N/A, #90, N/A, Orange,

31) The Late Jim Sauter, #29, Advance Rockwell, Lt Green,

32) Scott Riggs, #10, Nestle NesQuik, Brown,

33) The Late Kevin Grubbs, #54, Toys R US, Pink,

34) N/A, N/A, N/A, Orange,

35) Mark Green, #38, Great Clips, Orange,

36) GREG BIFFLE, #60, Grainger, Brown,

37) Amy Earl, ESPN, Pink,

38) Tim Fedewa, #n/a, N/A, Blue,

39) Steve N/A, N/A, N/A, Lt. Green,

40) Kenny Schrader, #52, Federated Auto Parts, Blue,

41) Shane Hall, #63, Greased Lightning, Lt. Blue,

42) Jimmy Means, #52, Alka Selzer, Brown,

 

#E1D-1-2, Autographed White Limo by 18 signers, Daryl Hannah, Roger Ebert, The Late Bob Keeshan, (Captain Kangaroo).and 15 others,

 

1) Daryl Hannah, Hollywood, Splash, Kill Bill,

2) Ron Riveria, Chicago Bears, NFL, Football,

3) Milu Murry, WSCR Radio, Chicago,

4)Jay Hilenburg, Chicago Bears,

5) Nick Firestone, INDY, Grandson of Mr. Firestone Tire,

6) Trace Armstong, Chicago Bears,

7) Dick Biondi, WLS Radio, Chicago,

8) Bob Christansan, Chicago Bears,

9) The Late Bob Keeshan, Captain Kangaroo,

10) The Late Ed (Big Daddy) Roth, Creator of Rat Fink,

11) Austin St. John, The Red, Power Ranger,

12) David Kaplin, Sports, A Piece Of The Game,

13) Brain Jones, Sports Radio,

14) The Late Roger Ebert, Movie Credit, At The Movies,

15) Ron Magers, Ch. 5 News, Anchor,

16) Chris Zorch, Chicago Bears,

17) The Late Bill (Maverick) Golden, The Little Red Wagon, NHRA,

18) Erik Estrada, TV show, Chips, (2 Pictures)

 

Majorette, 1/32 scale, White Limo, Die cast, with 18 Picture Proof Autographs (P.P.A.),

Carte de visite by Edward Jacobs of New Orleans, La. A Union officer with pen in hand recreates a scene tied to his life in uniform. He may be signing an document, composing orders, filling out a form or preparing correspondence. Though his name is currently lost to time, his shoulder straps indicate he served as a major or lieutenant colonel.

 

Update, July 7, 2025: A print of this same image offered for sale by The Excelsior Brigade identifies this officer as Lt. Col. Edward Marcus Brown (1821-1903) of the 5th and 8th Vermont infantries. Other sources verify this identification.

 

Here's Brown's biography from the History of Norwich University, 1819-98, pages 255-257

 

CLASS OF 1844.

 

NON-GRADUATES.

 

LIEUT.-COL. EDWARD M. BROWN.

 

Edward M. Brown, second son of Charles and Hannah (Bartlett) Brown, was born in Hartland, Vt., June 22, 1821. Both his grandfathers, Solomon Brown and Israel Bartlett, were soldiers in the Revolutionary War. He fitted for college at the Norwich (Vt.) Institute, and in the spring of 1842 entered the University. He remained until the spring of 1844, when, by the request of Capt. Alden Partridge, he went to Bristol, Penn., to further continue his studies, and to teach in the branch school established by him in that place. He had been elected valedictorian of his class for the commencement of 1844, but was unable to return to the University for the graduating exercises.

 

In the early spring of 1847, he became editor and publisher of the Spirit of the Age, a newspaper at Woodstock, Vt.; where he continued to reside until December, 1860; he was appointed postmaster at Woodstock in June, 1852, which position he filled for over seven years; he was elected one of the delegates at large to the National Democratic convention at Charleston, S. C., in 1860, and served as a member of the committee on platform and resolutions in that convention. In December, 1860, he removed to Montpelier to take editorial charge of the Vermont Patriot; he was engaged in that work when the War of the Rebellion came on; he held a commission in the only organized regiment of Vermont militia at that time, but was unable to accept a position in the first regiment that responded to the call for troops; he entered the service as adjutant of the Fifth regiment August 24, 1861; he remained with that regiment until January 9, 1862, when he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the Eighth Vermont Infantry, at the date of its organization, and proceeded with it to Ship Island and New Orleans, with Col. Stephen Thomas and Maj. Charles Dillingham, as associate field officers. At New Orleans, he was placed upon special service by Gen. Benjamin F. Butler, commanding the department, embracing among others the publication and management of the Delta, a newspaper taken possession of as a military necessity, for the benefit of the department, and the promotion of Union sentiment. At the close of this service, and the retirement of General Butler as commander of the department of the Gulf, he returned to Montpelier in April, 1863, having, under medical advice, received an honorable discharge from the army.

 

In February, 1864, by request of General Butler, who was then in command of the department of Virginia and North Carolina, he went to Fortress Monroe, and arranged to publish a daily newspaper, and execute department printing at Norfolk, Va., which, under joint management with Capt. John Clark, a member of General Butler’s staff, was continued till after the close of the war.

 

He returned to Vermont in the spring of 1866, and thereafter devoted several years to much needed recuperation of health, filling in some time with slight newspaper work for the local papers, mostly on the Vermont Watchman. He was appointed official reporter of the Vermont senate for five successive sessions. In July, 1873, he removed with his family to Yankton, in the then territory of Dakota, and immediately after arriving there, was appointed United States deputy surveyor of government lands, filling a contract requiring about sixty days’ service in the field. Returning to Yankton, he engaged as one of the publishers and editor-in-chief on the Press and Dakotian newspaper—only two other papers being then published in the territory. He executed another surveying contract the next season, 1874, and a new United States land office having been established at Bismarck, he was offered, and accepted, the appointment of receiver of public money in that office, which position was held for eight years, winding up his public services in the then state of North Dakota in a survey of the old Fort Rice military reservation (abandoned). In 1890, he removed to St. Paul, Minn., where, in the seventy-seventh year of his age, he now resides with his wife.

 

May 2, 1846, he married, at Hartford, Vt., Jerusha Hayward, daughter of Samuel and Sarah Hayward of Strafford, Vt. Samuel Hayward was a soldier in the American Revolutionary War, and as one of the few remaining “daughters,” Mrs. Brown has been given a pension, by special act of congress. She was born in Strafford, Vt., June 21, 1823. The “golden wedding” anniversary, May 2, 1896, was duly honored by their five children and eight grandchildren

 

And here is a story I wrote:

 

One day in June 1862, a fugitive slave wandered by the camp of the 8th Vermont Infantry in the New Orleans suburb of Algiers. The New Englanders were quartered in spacious rooms of a large railroad depot surrounded by lush grass and covered by a canopy of shade trees. The nearby Mississippi River added to the picturesque nature of the place.

 

The fugitive, bearing the raw marks of shackles on his ankles, was not alone. His owner followed closely behind, overtook him, and ordered the man back to the plantation. The man refused. The stalemate was broken when the enslaver resorted to brute force when he pulled out a leather strap and began lashing the man. As the blows landed and the flogging continued, the commotion reverberated through the camp.

 

The Vermonters, fervent abolitionists almost to a man, hurried to the scene and quickly grasped the situation. They descended on the slave owner, stopped the whipping, and immediately booted him out of camp. Then the Vermonters led the fugitive to the safety and protection of their camp.

 

But not all of the Vermonters held abolitionist views. A number of officers and some of the men held more conservative views on slavery. One of them happened to be the lieutenant colonel, Edward Marcus Brown. Alerted by the ruckus, he immediately ordered the men into line. Brown launched into a lecture on the inappropriateness of their conduct and pointedly informed them that they were forbidden to meddle with the personal property of citizens—“whether in slaves or anything else,” he reportedly said.

 

The reaction to Brown’s decree did not sit well with the mass of the men, who refused to accept or obey him. A historian recounted what happened next: “Indignation ran high, and a number of the men, expecting an order to deliver up the negro, who has been secreted in camp, pledged themselves to protect him and to refuse obedience to any such order, even at the cost of trial and punishment for mutiny.”

 

They were willing to risk death to protect the fugitive. Fortunately for them, Brown let the matter drop—perhaps realizing he may be jeopardizing his own authority and life. Though the fugitive’s fate is unknown, it is possible he joined others escaping bondage sent to nearby Carrollton, where organizers formed regiments of Black men to fight for the Union.

 

Brown’s views were well-known in Vermont. Two years earlier, he had attended the National Democratic Convention at Charleston, S.C., as a delegate at large and a member of the platform and resolutions committee. Convention delegates failed to select a candidate as no nominee secured the two-thirds majority of votes needed, preventing front-runner Stephen A. Douglas, the U.S. senator from Illinois, from securing the coveted spot. The convention reconvened in Baltimore, eventually nominating Douglas but losing the Southern Democrats, who nominated Vice President John C. Breckinridge. The party split contributed to the victory of Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party that autumn, and precipitated the secession crisis that erupted in civil war.

 

Brown happened to be well-positioned for the life of a citizen-soldier. A native of Hartland, Vt., and the grandson of two patriots who fought in the Revolution, Brown obtained an education from one of the finest military schools in the country, Norwich University. Though he ranked valedictorian of the Class of 1844, by a quirk of fate Brown never graduated. He had been detached to help establish a branch of the school in Pennsylvania, which caused him to miss graduation exercises.

 

Though his studies suggested a career as a soldier, he pursued a career as a journalist beginning in 1847 when he became editor and publisher of the *Spirit of the Age*, a newspaper in Woodstock, Vt. Active in civil affairs, including the town postmaster, he also kept active in the military as an officer in the Woodstock Light Infantry. During this time, Brown honed his skills as an editor and writer, and sharpened his Democratic politics, leading to his attendance at the failed Charleston Convention.

 

Much to the dismay of Woodstock’s citizenry, Brown left town in December 1860—the same month South Carolina declared its separation from the United States. Brown left for a great new job in Montpelier—leading the editorial section of the influential *Vermont Patriot*. Brown relished the role, using his platform to capture the dangerous moment as the divided nation drifted to war.

 

One of his finest editorials appeared in print on January 12, 1861. He wrote, in part:

 

Will the Union be Preserved?

That it has become necessary to ask such a question while yet a remnant of those men who established this confederacy remain on earth is more humiliating than it would have been ever to have remained the dependencies of another government. The blood of the Revolution was an illy applied sacrifice if, in a little more than three quarters of a century, while yet linger among us the lengthened shadows of those days, we are compelled to record a dissolution of that fabric which cost so many valuable lives, and such a vast amount of treasure. And yet, the events which are now daily crowding upon us, are of such a nature, as forebodes the most direful consequences.

 

Every day and every hour, the chance of reconciliation diminishes, and some rash act or imprudent step may plunge the country into all the horrors of civil war. There are men who wait to hope from the patriotism or statesmanship of those who, for years, have exerted all their energies to bring about just this state of things. The leaders of the opposition to democracy at the North, have made their record out of incendiary speeches, and votes insulting to one section of the Union, and now exasperation is seeking revenge, if not a reasonable, at least in a legitimate way. But the politicians having brought the country into peril, with no reasonable prospect of extricating it, there is but one course to be pursued.

 

The people, always patriotic, and always imbued with a love of justice, must make themselves heard and felt in this emergency. They must re-affirm the emphatic language of Jackson—“THE UNION, IT MUST AND SHALL BE PRESERVED,” and rising superior to party, make a united and determined effort to vindicate the assertion. It is no time now to make stump speeches for humanity, the time has arrived when the earnest men must act, and the real patriots give counsel. Rumors have already gained credence of a premeditated attack from the South upon Washington, for the purpose of preventing the inauguration, at the seat of government, of a President constitutionally elected. To prevent such a disgrace falling upon the country—a disgrace which would enrapture all who have regarded self-government, or a government in which the people rule, a chimera, a more than Spartan firmness should take possession of every true friend to the constitution and the Union. But first of all, let us set ourselves right. If we are to hang traitors let us do it with clean hands.

  

Brown’s editorial continued on, ending with the sentiment that to preserve the Union, the North must reject partisan extremism, enforce laws justly, remove radical leaders, and unite firmly against existing forces of disunion in the North and South.

 

Brown held firm on these sentiments after he joined the Union Army. In August 1861 he began his service as first lieutenant and adjutant of the 5th Vermont Infantry. Dispatched to the Defenses of Washington, D.C., Brown resigned in January 1862 to accept a lieutenant colonel’s commission in the 8th. Ordered to Louisiana, the regiment trained at Ship Island before taking up various guard duties in New Orleans in May 1862 as part of the command of Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler.

 

An officer in the 8th noted, “The people of the city were in a state of ugliness and vindictiveness hardly to be expressed. Men and women seemed to be filled with the spirit of the Evil One, but the stern hand of General Butler had a very salutary effect.” Butler proved a thorn in the side of New Orleans locals, drawing their ire in the form of jokes, fabricated stories, and the nickname “Beast Butler.”

 

Butler, who had risen from the political ranks to become a general, had been a loyal Democrat prior to switching his allegiance to the Republican Party in 1861. At some point, possibly during his tenure as a Democrat, he learned of Brown’s abilities as an editor and publisher.

 

In late 1862, Butler had need for a man of Brown’s talents. *The Daily Delta*, New Orleans’ fearless newspaper, had run afoul of Butler with its Southern sympathetic stories and editorials after the general had censored the city press. Butler responded by tapping Brown and two other officers to be *The Delta*’s new editors. The staff published twice a day with a circulation of 10,000—with Brown and his fellow editors keeping a watchful eye for all the news fit to print—under Gen. Butler’s censorship rules.

 

Brown resigned his commission in December 1862—about the time President Lincoln removed Butler from command of New Orleans and the Department of the Gulf, replacing him with another political general, Nathaniel P. Banks.

 

The connection of Brown and Butler is noteworthy. Politically, the Republican Butler enjoyed the support of radical elements in politics. Brown, the Democrat, railed against radical elements in government.

 

Nonetheless, following Brown’s return to Montpelier, Butler called on him again. In early 1864, Butler, now commander of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and the Army of the James, invited Brown to publish a daily newspaper and attend to other printing needs at Fortress Monroe. Brown occupied this position until the end of the war.

 

Back in Vermont, Brown reduced his workload due to health issues attributed to his service, contributing to local newspapers and accepting an appointment as the official reporter for the Vermont Senate. He also spent more time with his wife, Jerusha, and five children.

 

Brown had one more grand adventure in 1873, when he and his family relocated to the frontier town of Yankton in Dakota Territory. He became editor-in-chief and one of the publishers of the *Press and Dakotan* newspaper. Moving to Bismarck the following year, he served in various appointed offices connected to government lands. In 1890, a year after South Dakota gained statehood, the Browns left for Minnesota and settled for the last chapter of their lives in St. Paul. Brown died in 1903 at age 82.

 

I encourage you to use this image for educational purposes only. However, please ask for permission.

A short walk south down Centre Street from the site of the parsonage, at the corner of Hobart Street, is the site of Ingersoll’s ordinary (or tavern). Nathaniel Ingersoll was one of the most respected members of the Salem Village community. His tavern/inn was located at a bend on the Andover Road (today Centre Street), a convenient stop for travelers and a gathering center for the village. The earliest part of the building that stands here today was built circa 1670. According to historian Charles Upham, in 1692, the Ingersoll garden abutted the parsonage orchards. Upham also describes the Ingersoll property with a separate dwelling house from the ordinary, as well as the town’s watch house, where sentinels guarded against Native American attack. Ingersoll lived on this property for seventy years.

   

The first three to be accused of witchcraft in 1692 – Tituba, Sarah Osborne (alternate spellings Osburn, Osborn, Osbourne), and Sarah Good were scheduled to be examined here on March 1, but so many people turned up to witness the event that it had to be moved down the road to the meetinghouse to accommodate the crowd. Nevertheless, the attendees spent lots of money for tavern refreshments that day – on food, cider, and rum.

  

Both examinations and afflictions took place on this land. In mid-March, Deodat Lawson witnessed the afflicted Mary Walcott at the ordinary, with self-inflicted teeth marks on her wrist. Rebecca Nurse was also held here before her examination, as was Dorothy Good. It was here that John Indian became afflicted when Elizabeth Cary from Charlestown came to town to defend herself against witchcraft accusations. Wilmott Redd of Marblehead was also examined here.

 

On March 28, William Rayment and Daniel Elliot were at Ingersoll’s tavern with some of the afflicted girls. The two men, along with Nathaniel Ingersoll’s wife Hannah, heard the girls claim to see the specter of Goody Proctor. Oddly, the accusers were almost casual about it and did not act in their usual dramatic fashion. One said of Proctor, “Goody Proctor, old witch, I’ll have her hang.” When scolded by Hannah Ingersoll for these words, one of the girls admitted to acting out “for sport, they must have some sport.”

 

April 21 saw another disturbing event at the ordinary, when Nathaniel’s adopted son Benjamin Hutchinson struck with his sword at a place where Abigail Hobbs claimed the specter of George Burroughs was seen. According to Hobbs, the specter turned into a cat, only to be picked up by the specter of Sarah Good. Hobbs’s dramatic visions ended with the sighting of a huge gathering of witches out on the hill.

 

Nathaniel Ingersoll was born circa 1633. When his father Richard died, the 11-year-old Ingersoll inherited 75 acres of land. While still a boy, he went to live with his father’s friend Governor Endecott on Endecott’s 300-acre country estate, Orchard Farm, where he was employed as a “servant” for four years. More like an apprenticeship, this employment readied him for taking on his own home and farm when older.

 

Nathaniel Ingersoll married Hannah Collins around the age of nineteen, approximately the same time he started his own farm. The couple had one daughter, who died young. Neighbor Joseph Hutchinson, the father of several sons, agreed that the Ingersolls could adopt one of his boys, Benjamin, and raise him as their own.

 

Historian Charles Upham calls Nathaniel Ingersoll “the Father of the Village.” He was a Lieutenant in the militia and one of two deacons of the church – the other was his good friend Edward Putnam, the brother of Thomas Putnam.

 

Ingersoll was reportedly fair, honest, and generous. One example of this is evident in the records regarding Reverend George Burroughs’s return to Salem Village from Maine in May of 1683. Burroughs came to settle his outstanding debts (among them, the funeral costs of his first wife, loaned to him by Captain John Putnam with whom he had initially lodged) and in turn receive his back pay. Despite his voluntary return, John Putnam had him arrested when he arrived in Salem Village. The marshal was instructed to present him with a list of debts owed. Ingersoll arose and said to Putnam, “To my knowledge you and Mr. Burroughs have reckoned and balanced accounts two or three times since, as you say, this money was due, and you never made any mention of it when you reckoned with Mr. Burroughs.” Despite this defense, and Putnam’s acknowledgement of the facts, Burroughs was held overnight at Ingersoll’s ordinary, under guard. Six villagers, led by Nathaniel Ingersoll, posted bail for his release. The case was finally settled by late June. Nine years later, Burroughs was accused of witchcraft and executed on August 19, 1692.

 

In 1701, Nathaniel Ingersoll gave land to the village on which to build the second meetinghouse: “it shall stand on Watch-House Hill, before Deacon Ingersoll’s door.” Before the new meetinghouse was built, the “elevated spot” was levelled and cleared.

 

Nathaniel Ingersoll died in 1719 at the age of 85. He remembered his many relatives in his will, and deeded property for a training field to the town.

 

Additional note: Nathaniel Ingersoll’s father’s friend Governor John Endecott was the longest-serving Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony: he was the 1st, 10th, 13th, 15th, and 17th governor, serving portions of 1629-1664. His Orchard Farm was located in present-day Danversport. The Endecott Pear Tree, which still stands, was planted in its current location by Endecott between 1632 and 1649, and is thought to have been brought from England on the Arabella in 1630. It is America’s oldest cultivated tree.

 

Additional note: A notable descendant of Nathaniel Ingersoll is Nathaniel Bowditch (1773-1838), the eminent mathematician known as the father of modern maritime navigation, whose The New Practical Navigator is used to this day.

 

salemwitchmuseum.com/locations/ingersolls-ordinary/

  

Nathaniel Ingersoll was born 1632 Salem, Essex Co, MA, and was mentioned in his father's (Richard Ingersoll) will as the youngest son. He married to Hannah Collins, 25 March 1657 at Salem. [1] Nathaniel was chosen deacon of the church at Salem Village 24 Nov 1689 and at the same time he was a Lieutenant and inn-holder. He played an active part in the witchcraft delusion in 1692. [2]

 

Nathaniel Ingersoll was an important figure in Salem, and many of the early meetings and events of the Salem Witch Trials occurred at his home/tavern since church meetings were held at his home. He participated in the trials themselves, as well. [3] [4]

  

www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ingersoll-57

  

Nathaniel Ingersoll (1632-1718) was born in Salem to Richard and Ann Ingersoll, who arrived to Salem in 1629 from Bedfordshire England. Ingersoll and his family ran an “ordinary” – the 17th century term for a local tavern – which was the social center of the community of Salem Village, then an agricultural village of Salem Town. The estate even had a watch tower for citizens to watch for Native American attacks from the forest.

  

During the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, those accused of witchcraft were brought to the Ordinary before their initial hearings and held in an upstairs room. Originally, the hearings themselves – with accusers throwing themselves on the ground in front of the judges, screaming, and claiming to see the “specters” of the accused torturing them – were to be held in the barroom as county court sessions were. Due to the large crowds that wanted to watch the spectacle, the hearings were moved down the road to the meetinghouse (see past post), but afterwards the judges and spectators returned to the tavern for lunch and drinks. John Indian, Reverend Samuel Parris’ slave and husband of Tituba, the first accused and killed of witchcraft, worked the bar sometimes for Ingersoll, and he would show off scars on his arm to out-of-towners who passed through, bragging that he got them when he was attacked by witches. The barroom at Ingersoll’s is also where one of the accusers admitted that they were accusing and sending innocent people to their deaths for nothing but “sport.”

 

When Nathaniel Ingersoll died in 1718, the estate was sold and operated as a tavern through the 1700s and into the 1800s under different owners. Due to its proximity to the militia training field, it was frequented by the men who later marched from Danvers to confront the British soldiers on the day of the Battle of Lexington and Concord. The home eventually became the parsonage of the First Church of Danvers and remained as such until about 1970, when the home was acquired as a private home.

  

buildingsofnewengland.com/2020/05/12/ingersolls-ordinary-...

  

Historical Significance (include explanation of themes checked above)

Here Nathaniel Ingersoil, lieutenant of the militia and first deacon of

the Village Church, kept a tavern "saling beere, slder, lickers, and provision" to travelers. His house was the "headquarters of the village" where military, civic, and prayer meetings were held, and such persons as Increase & Cotton Mather entertained. On the surcdnding grounds, witchcraft came to Salem

Village in 1692, and persons accused of being witches were examined by Magis- trates Jonathan Corwln and John Hathorne in Ingersoil1 s Ordinary.

Deacon Ingersoil died in 1719, and the house was conveyed to Joseph Cross, mariner of Salem in 1736. About 1753 Cross made extensive repairs on the Old house. The house was licensed as a tavern from 1751 - 1793. In 1302,the house wassold toMa.1.Gen.Ebenezer Goodale whokept a large butchering business, and occupied the house for 30 years. Goodale did not get along well with his neighbors and the area became somewhat run down. The First Church purchased the house for a parsonage in May 1332, and it was used for this purpose until the late 1966«s. Many religious and civil organizations met here during its use as a parsonage.

10. Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps,etc.)

Priest, George F., "Salem Village Parsonage"

Pratt, Annette,

Upham, Charles P . caxem Witchcraft Boston, 1367, v o l , 1 S.IS5-179

Tapley, Harriet, Perley, Sidney,

"Old Tavern Days in Danvers: Danvers. Hist Soc C„ n Danvers, 1920, vol.8, p.7-Q *"o 1 1 ,

"Center of Salem Village"in 1700"

)anvers Hist,S_oc^oll^Danvers 1019, vol 7 o 38-39

  

blob:https://mhc-macris.net/b3643391-a74f-4a74-8b8b-70e3404ba9b2

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Majorette, 1/32 scale, White Limo, Die cast, with 18 Picture Proof Autographs (P.P.A.),

Cheddar is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Somerset. It is situated on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills, 9 miles (14 km) north-west of Wells, 11 miles (18 km) south-east of Weston-super-Mare and 18 miles (29 km) south-west of Bristol. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Nyland and Bradley Cross. The parish had a population of 5,755 in 2011 and an acreage of 8,592 acres (3,477 ha) as of 1961.

 

Cheddar Gorge, on the northern edge of the village, is the largest gorge in the United Kingdom and includes several show caves, including Gough's Cave. The gorge has been a centre of human settlement since Neolithic times, including a Saxon palace. It has a temperate climate and provides a unique geological and biological environment that has been recognised by the designation of several Sites of Special Scientific Interest. It is also the site of several limestone quarries. The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese and has been a centre for strawberry growing. The crop was formerly transported on the Cheddar Valley rail line, which closed in the late 1960s and is now a cycle path. The village is now a major tourist destination with several cultural and community facilities, including the Cheddar Show Caves Museum.

 

The village supports a variety of community groups including religious, sporting and cultural organisations. Several of these are based on the site of the Kings of Wessex Academy, which is the largest educational establishment.

 

The name Cheddar comes from the Old English word ceodor, meaning deep dark cavity or pouch.

 

There is evidence of occupation from the Neolithic period in Cheddar. Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be 9,000 years old, was found in Cheddar Gorge in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. There is some evidence of a Bronze Age field system at the Batts Combe quarry site. There is also evidence of Bronze Age barrows at the mound in the Longwood valley, which if man-made it is likely to be a field system. The remains of a Roman villa have been excavated in the grounds of the current vicarage.

 

The village of Cheddar had been important during the Roman and Saxon eras. There was a royal palace at Cheddar during the Saxon period, which was used on three occasions in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot. The ruins of the palace were excavated in the 1960s. They are located on the grounds of the Kings of Wessex Academy, together with a 14th-century chapel dedicated to St. Columbanus. Roman remains have also been uncovered at the site. Cheddar was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Ceder, meaning "Shear Water", from the Old English scear and Old Welsh dŵr. An alternative spelling in earlier documents, common through the 1850s is Chedder.

 

As early as 1130 AD, the Cheddar Gorge was recognised as one of the "Four wonders of England". Historically, Cheddar's source of wealth was farming and cheese making for which it was famous as early as 1170 AD. The parish was part of the Winterstoke Hundred.

 

The manor of Cheddar was deforested in 1337 and Bishop Ralph was granted a licence by the King to create a hunting forest.

 

As early as 1527 there are records of watermills on the river. In the 17th and 18th centuries, there were several watermills which ground corn and made paper, with 13 mills on the Yeo at the peak, declining to seven by 1791 and just three by 1915. In the Victorian era it also became a centre for the production of clothing. The last mill, used as a shirt factory, closed in the early 1950s.

 

William Wilberforce saw the poor conditions of the locals when he visited Cheddar in 1789. He inspired Hannah More in her work to improve the conditions of the Mendip miners and agricultural workers. In 1801, 4,400 acres (18 km2) of common land were enclosed under the Inclosure Acts.

 

Tourism of the Cheddar gorge and caves began with the opening of the Cheddar Valley Railway in 1869.

 

Cheddar, its surrounding villages and specifically the gorge has been subject to flooding. In the Chew Stoke flood of 1968 the flow of water washed large boulders down the gorge, washed away cars, and damaged the cafe and the entrance to Gough's Cave.

 

Cheddar is recognised as a village. The adjacent settlement of Axbridge, although only about a third the population of Cheddar, is a town. This apparently illogical situation is explained by the relative importance of the two places in historic times. While Axbridge grew in importance as a centre for cloth manufacturing in the Tudor period and gained a charter from King John, Cheddar remained a more dispersed mining and dairy-farming village. Its population grew with the arrival of the railways in the Victorian era and the advent of tourism.

 

The parish council, which has 15 members who are elected for four years, is responsible 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 evaluates local planning applications and works with the police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, 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 the responsibility of the council.

 

The village is in the 'Cheddar and Shipham' electoral ward. After including Shipham the total population of the ward taken at the 2011 census is 6,842.

 

For local government purposes, since 1 April 2023, the village comes under the unitary authority of Somerset Council. Prior to this, it was part of the non-metropolitan district of Sedgemoor, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Axbridge Rural District. Fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the South Western Ambulance Service.

 

It is also part of the Wells county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. Prior to Brexit in 2020, it was part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.

 

Cheddar is twinned with Felsberg, Germany and Vernouillet, France, and it has an active programme of exchange visits. Initially, Cheddar twinned with Felsberg in 1984. In 2000, Cheddar twinned with Vernouillet, which had also been twinned with Felsberg. Cheddar also has a friendship link with Ocho Rios in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica.

 

It is also twinned with the commune of Descartes in the Indre-et-Loire department.

 

The area is underlain by Black Rock slate, Burrington Oolite and Clifton Down Limestone of the Carboniferous Limestone Series, which contain ooliths and fossil debris on top of Old Red Sandstone, and by Dolomitic Conglomerate of the Keuper. Evidence for Variscan orogeny is seen in the sheared rock and cleaved shales. In many places weathering of these strata has resulted in the formation of immature calcareous soils.

 

Cheddar Gorge, which is located on the edge of the village, is the largest gorge in the United Kingdom. The gorge is the site of the Cheddar Caves, where Cheddar Man was found in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. The caves, produced by the activity of an underground river, contain stalactites and stalagmites. Gough's Cave, which was discovered in 1903, leads around 400 m (437 yd) into the rock-face, and contains a variety of large rock chambers and formations. Cox's Cave, discovered in 1837, is smaller but contains many intricate formations. A further cave houses a children's entertainment walk known as the "Crystal Quest".

 

Cheddar Gorge, including Cox's Cave, Gough's Cave and other attractions, has become a tourist destination, attracting about 500,000 visitors per year. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, following its appearance on the 2005 television programme Seven Natural Wonders, Cheddar Gorge was named as the second greatest natural wonder in Britain, surpassed only by the Dan yr Ogof caves.

 

There are several large and unique Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) around the village.

 

Cheddar Reservoir is a near-circular artificial reservoir operated by Bristol Water. Dating from the 1930s, it has a capacity of 135 million gallons (614,000 cubic metres). The reservoir is supplied with water taken from the Cheddar Yeo, which rises in Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge and is a tributary of the River Axe. The inlet grate for the 54-inch (1.4 m) water pipe that is used to transport the water can be seen next to the sensory garden in Cheddar Gorge. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its wintering waterfowl populations.

 

Cheddar Wood and the smaller Macall's Wood form a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest from what remains of the wood of the Bishops of Bath and Wells in the 13th century and of King Edmund the Magnificent's wood in the 10th. During the 19th century, its lower fringes were grubbed out to make strawberry fields. Most of these have been allowed to revert to woodland. The wood was coppiced until 1917. This site compromises a wide range of habitats which include ancient and secondary semi-natural broadleaved woodland, unimproved neutral grassland, and a complex mosaic of calcareous grassland and acidic dry dwarf-shrub heath. Cheddar Wood is one of only a few English stations for starved wood-sedge (Carex depauperata). Purple gromwell (Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum), a nationally rare plant, also grows in the wood. Butterflies include silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia), dark green fritillary (Argynnis aglaja), pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne), holly blue (Celastrina argiolus) and brown argus (Aricia agestis). The slug Arion fasciatus, which has a restricted distribution in the south of England, and the soldier beetle Cantharis fusca also occur.

 

By far the largest of the SSSIs is called Cheddar Complex and covers 441.3 hectares (1,090.5 acres) of the gorge, caves and the surrounding area. It is important because of both biological and geological features. It includes four SSSIs, formerly known as Cheddar Gorge SSSI, August Hole/Longwood Swallet SSSI, GB Cavern Charterhouse SSSI and Charterhouse on-Mendip SSSI. It is partly owned by the National Trust who acquired it in 1910 and partly managed by the Somerset Wildlife Trust.

 

Close to the village and gorge are Batts Combe quarry and Callow Rock quarry, two of the active Quarries of the Mendip Hills where limestone is still extracted. Operating since the early 20th century, Batts Combe is owned and operated by Hanson Aggregates. The output in 2005 was around 4,000 tonnes of limestone per day, one third of which was supplied to an on-site lime kiln, which closed in 2009; the remainder was sold as coated or dusted aggregates. The limestone at this site is close to 99 percent carbonate of calcium and magnesium (dolomite).

 

The Chelmscombe Quarry finished its work as a limestone quarry in the 1950s and was then used by the Central Electricity Generating Board as a tower testing station. During the 1970s and 1980s it was also used to test the ability of containers of radioactive material to withstand impacts and other accidents.

 

Along with the rest of South West England, Cheddar has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country. The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50.0 °F). Seasonal temperature variation is less extreme than most of the United Kingdom because of the adjacent sea, which moderates temperature. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately 21 °C (69.8 °F). In winter mean minimum temperatures of 1 °C (33.8 °F) or 2 °C (35.6 °F) are common. In the summer the Azores high-pressure system affects the south-west of England. Convective cloud sometimes forms inland, reducing the number of hours of sunshine; annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600 hours. Most of the rainfall in the south-west is caused by Atlantic depressions or by convection. Most of the rainfall in autumn and winter is caused by the Atlantic depressions, which are most active during those seasons. In summer, a large proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. Average rainfall is around 700 mm (28 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall per year is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west.

 

The parish has a population in 2011 of 5,093, with a mean age of 43 years. Residents lived in 2,209 households. The vast majority of households (2,183) gave their ethnic status at the 2001 census as white.

 

The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese, which is the most popular type of cheese in the United Kingdom. The cheese is now made and consumed worldwide, and only one producer remains in the village.

 

Since the 1880s, Cheddar's other main produce has been the strawberry, which is grown on the south-facing lower slopes of the Mendip hills. As a consequence of its use for transporting strawberries to market, the since-closed Cheddar Valley line became known as The Strawberry Line after it opened in 1869. The line ran from Yatton to Wells. When the rest of the line was closed and all passenger services ceased, the section of the line between Cheddar and Yatton remained open for goods traffic. It provided a fast link with the main markets for the strawberries in Birmingham and London, but finally closed in 1964, becoming part of the Cheddar Valley Railway Nature Reserve.

 

Cheddar Ales is a small brewery based in the village, producing beer for local public houses.

 

Tourism is a significant source of employment. Around 15 percent of employment in Sedgemoor is provided by tourism, but within Cheddar it is estimated to employ as many as 1,000 people. The village also has a youth hostel, and a number of camping and caravan sites.

 

Cheddar has a number of active service clubs including Cheddar Vale Lions Club, Mendip Rotary and Mendip Inner Wheel Club. The clubs raise money for projects in the local community and hold annual events such as a fireworks display, duck races in the Gorge, a dragon boat race on the reservoir and concerts on the grounds of the nearby St Michael's Cheshire Home.

 

Several notable people have been born or lived in Cheddar. Musician Jack Bessant, the bass guitarist with the band Reef grew up on his parents' strawberry farm, and Matt Goss and Luke Goss, former members of Bros, lived in Cheddar for nine months as children. Trina Gulliver, ten-time World Professional Darts Champion, previously lived in Cheddar until 2017. The comedian Richard Herring grew up in Cheddar. His 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, The Headmaster's Son is based on his time at The Kings of Wessex School, where his father Keith was the headmaster. The final performance of this show was held at the school in November 2009. He also visited the school in March 2010 to perform his show Hitler Moustache. In May 2013, a community radio station called Pulse was launched.

 

The market cross in Bath Street dates from the 15th century, with the shelter having been rebuilt in 1834. It has a central octagonal pier, a socket raised on four steps, a hexagonal shelter with six arched four-centred openings, shallow two-stage buttresses at each angle, and an embattled parapet. The shaft is crowned by an abacus with figures in niches, probably from the late 19th century, although the cross is now missing. It was rebuilt by Thomas, Marquess of Bath. It is a scheduled monument (Somerset County No 21) and Grade II* listed building.

 

In January 2000, the cross was seriously damaged in a traffic accident. By 2002, the cross had been rebuilt and the area around it was redesigned to protect and enhance its appearance. The cross was badly damaged again in March 2012, when a taxi crashed into it late at night demolishing two sides. Repair work, which included the addition of wooden-clad steel posts to protect against future crashes, was completed in November 2012 at a cost of £60,000.

 

Hannah More, a philanthropist and educator, founded a school in the village in the late 18th century for the children of miners. Her first school was located in a 17th-century house. Now named "Hannah More's Cottage", the Grade II-listed building is used by the local community as a meeting place.

 

The village is situated on the A371 road which runs from Wincanton, to Weston-super-Mare. It is approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) from the route of the M5 motorway with around a 10 miles (16 km) drive to junction 22.

 

It was on the Cheddar Valley line, a railway line that was opened in 1869 and closed in 1963. It became known as The Strawberry Line because of the large volume of locally-grown strawberries that it carried. It ran from Yatton railway station through Cheddar to Wells (Tucker Street) railway station and joined the East Somerset Railway to make a through route via Shepton Mallet (High Street) railway station to Witham. Sections of the now-disused railway have been opened as the Strawberry Line Trail, which currently runs from Yatton to Cheddar. The Cheddar Valley line survived until the "Beeching Axe". Towards the end of its life there were so few passengers that diesel railcars were sometimes used. The Cheddar branch closed to passengers on 9 September 1963 and to goods in 1964. The line closed in the 1960s, when it became part of the Cheddar Valley Railway Nature Reserve, and part of the National Cycle Network route 26. The cycle route also intersects with the West Mendip Way and various other footpaths.

 

The principal bus route is hourly service 126 between Weston-super-Mare and Wells operated by First West of England. Other bus routes include the service 668 from Shipham to Street which runs every couple of hours operated by Libra Travel, as well as the college bus service 66 which runs from Axbridge to the Bridgwater Campus of Bridgwater and Taunton College in the mornings and evenings of college term times and is operated by Bakers Dolphin.

 

The first school in Cheddar was set up by Hannah More during the 18th Century, however now Cheddar has three schools belonging to the Cheddar Valley Group of Schools, twelve schools that provide Cheddar Valley's three-tier education system. Cheddar First School has ten classes for children between 4 and 9 years. Fairlands Middle School, a middle school categorised as a middle-deemed-secondary school, has 510 pupils between 9 and 13. Fairlands takes children moving up from Cheddar First School as well as other first schools in the Cheddar Valley. The Kings of Wessex Academy, a coeducational comprehensive school, has been rated as "good" by Ofsted. It has 1,176 students aged 13 to 18, including 333 in the sixth form. Kings is a faith school linked to the Church of England. It was awarded the specialist status of Technology College in 2001, enabling it to develop its Information Technology (IT) facilities and improve courses in science, mathematics and design technology. In 2007 it became a foundation school, giving it more control over its own finances. The academy owns and runs a sports centre and swimming pool, Kings Fitness & Leisure, with facilities that are used by students as well as residents. It has since November 2016 been a part of the Wessex Learning Trust which incorporates eight academies from the surrounding area.

 

The Church of St Andrew dates from the 14th century. It was restored in 1873 by William Butterfield. It is a Grade I listed building and contains some 15th-century stained glass and an altar table of 1631. The chest tomb in the chancel is believed to contain the remains of Sir Thomas Cheddar and is dated 1442. The tower, which rises to 100 feet (30 m), contains a bell dating from 1759 made by Thomas Bilbie of the Bilbie family. The graveyard contains the grave of the hymn writer William Chatterton Dix.

 

There are also churches for Roman Catholic, Methodist and other denominations, including Cheddar Valley Community Church, who not only meet at the Kings of Wessex School on Sunday, but also have their own site on Tweentown for meeting during the week. The Baptist chapel was built in 1831.

 

Kings Fitness & Leisure, situated on the grounds of the Kings of Wessex School, provides a venue for various sports and includes a 20-metre swimming pool, racket sport courts, a sports hall, dance studios and a gym. A youth sports festival was held on Sharpham Road Playing Fields in 2009. In 2010 a skatepark was built in the village, funded by the Cheddar Local Action Team.

 

Cheddar A.F.C., founded in 1892 and nicknamed "The Cheesemen",[111] play in the Western Football League Division One. In 2009 plans were revealed to move the club from its present home at Bowdens Park on Draycott Road to a new larger site.

 

Cheddar Cricket Club was formed in the late 19th century and moved to Sharpham Road Playing Fields in 1964. They now play in the West of England Premier League Somerset Division. Cheddar Rugby Club, who own part of the Sharpham playing fields, was formed in 1836. The club organises an annual Cheddar Rugby Tournament. Cheddar Lawn Tennis Club, was formed in 1924, and play in the North Somerset League and also has social tennis and coaching. Cheddar Running Club organised an annual half marathon until 2009.

 

The village is both on the route of the West Mendip Way and Samaritans Way South West.

 

Somerset 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.

 

The centre of Somerset is dominated by the Levels, a coastal plain and wetland, and the north-east and west of the county are hilly. The north-east contains part of the Cotswolds AONB, all of the Mendip Hills AONB, and a small part of Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB; the west contains the Quantock Hills AONB, a majority of Exmoor National Park, and part of the Blackdown Hills AONB. The main rivers in 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.

 

Somerset is a historic county in the south west of England. There is evidence of human occupation since prehistoric times with hand axes and flint points from the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic eras, and a range of burial mounds, hill forts and other artefacts dating from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. The oldest dated human road work in Great Britain is the Sweet Track, constructed across the Somerset Levels with wooden planks in the 39th century BCE.

 

Following the Roman Empire's invasion of southern 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 Early Medieval period Somerset was the scene of battles between the Anglo-Saxons and first the Britons and later the Danes. In this period it was ruled first by various kings of Wessex, and later by kings of England. Following the defeat of the Anglo-Saxon monarchy 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 are based 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.

 

The Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods saw hunter-gatherers move into the region of Somerset. There is evidence from flint artefacts in a quarry at Westbury that an ancestor of modern man, possibly Homo heidelbergensis, was present in the area from around 500,000 years ago. There is still some doubt about whether the artefacts are of human origin but they have been dated within Oxygen Isotope Stage 13 (524,000 – 478,000 BP). Other experts suggest that "many of the bone-rich Middle Pleistocene deposits belong to a single but climatically variable interglacial that succeeded the Cromerian, perhaps about 500,000 years ago. Detailed analysis of the origin and modification of the flint artefacts leads to the conclusion that the assemblage was probably a product of geomorphological processes rather than human work, but a single cut-marked bone suggests a human presence." Animal bones and artefacts unearthed in the 1980s at Westbury-sub-Mendip, in Somerset, have shown evidence of early human activity approximately 700,000 years ago.

 

Homo sapiens sapiens, or modern man, came to Somerset during the Early Upper Palaeolithic. There is evidence of occupation of four Mendip caves 35,000 to 30,000 years ago. During the Last Glacial Maximum, about 25,000 to 15,000 years ago, it is probable that Somerset was deserted as the area experienced tundra conditions. Evidence was found in Gough's Cave of deposits of human bone dating from around 12,500 years ago. The bones were defleshed and probably ritually buried though perhaps related to cannibalism being practised in the area at the time or making skull cups or storage containers. Somerset was one of the first areas of future England settled following the end of Younger Dryas phase of the last ice age c. 8000 BC. Cheddar Man is the name given to the remains of a human male found in Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge. He is Britain's oldest complete human skeleton. The remains date from about 7150 BC, and it appears that he died a violent death. Somerset is thought to have been occupied by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers from about 6000 BCE; Mesolithic artefacts have been found in more than 70 locations. Mendip caves were used as burial places, with between 50 and 100 skeletons being found in Aveline's Hole. In the Neolithic era, from about 3500 BCE, there is evidence of farming.

 

At the end of the last ice age the Bristol Channel was dry land, but later the sea level rose, particularly between 1220 and 900 BC and between 800 and 470 BCE, resulting in major coastal changes. The Somerset Levels became flooded, but the dry points such as Glastonbury and Brent Knoll have a long history of settlement, and are known to have been occupied by Mesolithic hunters. The county has prehistoric burial mounds (such as Stoney Littleton Long Barrow), stone rows (such as the circles at Stanton Drew and Priddy) and settlement sites. Evidence of Mesolithic occupation has come both from the upland areas, such as in Mendip caves, and from the low land areas such as the Somerset Levels. Dry points in the latter such as Glastonbury Tor and Brent Knoll, have a long history of settlement with wooden trackways between them. There were also "lake villages" in the marsh such as those at Glastonbury Lake Village and Meare. One of the oldest dated human road work in Britain is the Sweet Track, constructed across the Somerset Levels with wooden planks in the 39th century BC, partially on the route of the even earlier Post Track.

 

There is evidence of Exmoor's human occupation from Mesolithic times onwards. In the Neolithic period people started to manage animals and grow crops on farms cleared from the woodland, rather than act purely as hunter gatherers. It is also likely that extraction and smelting of mineral ores to make tools, weapons, containers and ornaments in bronze and then iron started in the late Neolithic and into the Bronze and Iron Ages.

 

The caves of the Mendip Hills were settled during the Neolithic period and contain extensive archaeological sites such as those at Cheddar Gorge. There are numerous Iron Age Hill Forts, which were later reused in the Dark Ages, such as Cadbury Castle, Worlebury Camp and Ham Hill. The age of the henge monument at Stanton Drew stone circles is unknown, but is believed to be from the Neolithic period. There is evidence of mining on the Mendip Hills back into the late Bronze Age when there were technological changes in metal working indicated by the use of lead. There are numerous "hill forts", such as Small Down Knoll, Solsbury Hill, Dolebury Warren and Burledge Hill, which seem to have had domestic purposes, not just a defensive role. They generally seem to have been occupied intermittently from the Bronze Age onward, some, such as Cadbury Camp at South Cadbury, being refurbished during different eras. Battlegore Burial Chamber is a Bronze Age burial chamber at Williton which is composed of three round barrows and possibly a long, chambered barrow.

 

The Iron Age tribes of later Somerset were the Dobunni in north Somerset, Durotriges in south Somerset and Dumnonii in west Somerset. The first and second produced coins, the finds of which allows their tribal areas to be suggested, but the latter did not. All three had a Celtic culture and language. However, Ptolemy stated that Bath was in the territory of the Belgae, but this may be a mistake. The Celtic gods were worshipped at the temple of Sulis at Bath and possibly the temple on Brean Down. Iron Age sites on the Quantock Hills, include major hill forts at Dowsborough and Ruborough, as well as smaller earthwork enclosures, such as Trendle Ring, Elworthy Barrows and Plainsfield Camp.

 

Somerset was part of the Roman Empire from 47 AD to about 409 AD. However, the end was not abrupt and elements of Romanitas lingered on for perhaps a century.

 

Somerset was invaded from the south-east by the Second Legion Augusta, under the future emperor Vespasian. The hillforts of the Durotriges at Ham Hill and Cadbury Castle were captured. Ham Hill probably had a temporary Roman occupation. The massacre at Cadbury Castle seems to have been associated with the later Boudiccan Revolt of 60–61 AD. The county remained part of the Roman Empire until around 409 AD.

 

The Roman invasion, and possibly the preceding period of involvement in the internal affairs of the south of England, was inspired in part by the potential of the Mendip Hills. A great deal of the attraction of the lead mines may have been the potential for the extraction of silver.

 

Forts were set up at Bath and Ilchester. The lead and silver mines at Charterhouse in the Mendip Hills were run by the military. The Romans established a defensive boundary along the new military road known the Fosse Way (from the Latin fossa meaning ditch). The Fosse Way ran through Bath, Shepton Mallet, Ilchester and south-west towards Axminster. The road from Dorchester ran through Yeovil to meet the Fosse Way at Ilchester. Small towns and trading ports were set up, such as Camerton and Combwich. The larger towns decayed in the latter part of the period, though the smaller ones appear to have decayed less. In the latter part of the period, Ilchester seems to have been a "civitas" capital and Bath may also have been one. Particularly to the east of the River Parrett, villas were constructed. However, only a few Roman sites have been found to the west of the river. The villas have produced important mosaics and artifacts. Cemeteries have been found outside the Roman towns of Somerset and by Roman temples such as that at Lamyatt. Romano-British farming settlements, such as those at Catsgore and Sigwells, have been found in Somerset. There was salt production on the Somerset Levels near Highbridge and quarrying took place near Bath, where the Roman Baths gave their name to Bath.

 

Excavations carried out before the flooding of Chew Valley Lake also uncovered Roman remains, indicating agricultural and industrial activity from the second half of the 1st century until the 3rd century AD. The finds included a moderately large villa at Chew Park, where wooden writing tablets (the first in the UK) with ink writing were found. There is also evidence from the Pagans Hill Roman Temple at Chew Stoke. In October 2001 the West Bagborough Hoard of 4th century Roman silver was discovered in West Bagborough. The 681 coins included two denarii from the early 2nd century and 8 Miliarense and 671 Siliqua all dating to the period AD 337 – 367. The majority were struck in the reigns of emperors Constantius II and Julian and derive from a range of mints including Arles and Lyons in France, Trier in Germany and Rome.

 

In April 2010, the Frome Hoard, one of the largest-ever hoards of Roman coins discovered in Britain, was found by a metal detectorist. The hoard of 52,500 coins dated from the 3rd century AD and was found buried in a field near Frome, in a jar 14 inches (36 cm) below the surface. The coins were excavated by archaeologists from the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

 

This is the period from about 409 AD to the start of Saxon political control, which was mainly in the late 7th century, though they are said to have captured the Bath area in 577 AD. Initially the Britons of Somerset seem to have continued much as under the Romans but without the imperial taxation and markets. There was then a period of civil war in Britain though it is not known how this affected Somerset. The Western Wandsdyke may have been constructed in this period but archaeological data shows that it was probably built during the 5th or 6th century. This area became the border between the Romano-British Celts and the West Saxons following the Battle of Deorham in 577 AD. The ditch is on the north side, so presumably it was used by the Celts as a defence against Saxons encroaching from the upper Thames Valley. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the Saxon Cenwalh achieved a breakthrough against the British Celtic tribes, with victories at Bradford-on-Avon (in the Avon Gap in the Wansdyke) in 652 AD, and further south at the Battle of Peonnum (at Penselwood) in 658 AD, followed by an advance west through the Polden Hills to the River Parrett.

 

The Saxon advance from the east seems to have been halted by battles between the British and Saxons, for example; at the siege of Badon Mons Badonicus (which may have been in the Bath region e.g. at Solsbury Hill), or Bathampton Down. During the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries, Somerset was probably partly in the Kingdom of Dumnonia, partly in the land of the Durotriges and partly in that of the Dobunni. The boundaries between these is largely unknown, but may have been similar to those in the Iron Age. Various "tyrants" seem to have controlled territories from reoccupied hill forts. There is evidence of an elite at hill forts such as Cadbury Castle and Cadbury Camp; for example, there is imported pottery. Cemeteries are an important source of evidence for the period and large ones have been found in Somerset, such as that at Cannington, which was used from the Roman to the Saxon period. The towns of Somerset seem to have been little used during that period but there continued to be farming on the villa sites and at the Romano-British villages.

 

There may have been effects from plague and volcanic eruption during this period as well as marine transgression into the Levels.

 

The language spoken during this period is thought to be Southwestern Brythonic, but only one or two inscribed stones survive in Somerset from this period. However, a couple of curse tablets found in the baths at Bath may be in this language. Some place names in Somerset seem to be Celtic in origin and may be from this period or earlier, e.g. Tarnock. Some river names, such as Parrett, may be Celtic or pre-Celtic. The religion of the people of Somerset in this period is thought to be Christian but it was isolated from Rome until after the Council of Hertford in 673 AD when Aldhelm was asked to write a letter to Geraint of Dumnonia and his bishops. Some church sites in Somerset are thought to date from this period, e.g., Llantokay Street.

 

Most of what is known of the history of this period comes from Gildas's On the Ruin of Britain, which is thought to have been written in Durotrigan territory, possibly at Glastonbury.

 

The earliest fortification of Taunton started for King Ine of Wessex and Æthelburg, in or about the year 710 AD. However, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle this was destroyed 12 years later.

 

This is the period from the late 7th century (for most of Somerset) to 1066, though for part of the 10th and 11th centuries England was under Danish control. Somerset, like Dorset to the south, held the West Saxon advance from Wiltshire/Hampshire back for over a century, remaining a frontier between the Saxons and the Romano-British Celts.

 

The Saxons conquered Bath following the Battle of Deorham in 577, and the border was probably established along the line of the Wansdyke to the north of the Mendip Hills. Then Cenwalh of Wessex broke through at Bradford-on-Avon in 652, and the Battle of Peonnum possibly at Penselwood in 658, advancing west through the Polden Hills to the River Parrett. In 661 the Saxons may have advanced into what is now Devon as a result of a battle fought at Postesburh, possibly Posbury near Crediton.

 

Then in the period 681–85 Centwine of Wessex conquered King Cadwaladr and "advanced as far as the sea", but it is not clear where this was. It is assumed that the Saxons occupied the rest of Somerset about this time. The Saxon rule was consolidated under King Ine, who established a fort at Taunton, demolished by his wife in 722. It is sometimes said that he built palaces at Somerton and South Petherton but this does not seem to be the case. He fought against Geraint in 710. In 705 the diocese of Sherborne was formed, taking in Wessex west of Selwood. Saxon kings granted land in Somerset by charter from the 7th century onward. The way and extent to which the Britons survived under the Saxons is a debatable matter. However, King Ine's laws make provision for Britons. Somerset originally formed part of Wessex and latter became a separate "shire". Somersetshire seems to have been formed within Wessex during the 8th century though it is not recorded as a name until later. Mints were set up at times in various places in Somerset in the Saxon period, e.g., Watchet.

 

Somerset played an important part in defeating the spread of the Danes in the 9th century. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that in 845 Alderman Eanwulf, with the men of Somersetshire (Sumorsǣte), and Bishop Ealstan, and Alderman Osric, with the men of Dorsetshire, conquered the Danish army at the mouth of the Parret. This was the first known use of the name Somersæte. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports that in January 878 the King Alfred the Great fled into the marshes of Somerset from the Viking's invasion and made a fort at Athelney. From the fort Alfred was able to organize a resistance using the local militias from Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire.

 

Viking raids took place for instance in 987 and 997 at Watchet and the Battle of Cynwit. King Alfred was driven to seek refuge from the Danes at Athelney before defeating them at the Battle of Ethandun in 878, usually considered to be near Edington, Wiltshire, but possibly the village of Edington in Somerset. Alfred established a series of forts and lookout posts linked by a military road, or Herepath, so his army could cover Viking movements at sea. The Herepath has a characteristic form which is familiar on the Quantocks: a regulation 20 m wide track between avenues of trees growing from hedge laying embankments. The Herepath ran from the ford on the River Parrett at Combwich, past Cannington hill fort to Over Stowey, where it climbed the Quantocks along the line of the current Stowey road, to Crowcombe Park Gate. Then it went south along the ridge, to Triscombe Stone. One branch may have led past Lydeard Hill and Buncombe Hill, back to Alfred's base at Athelney. The main branch descended the hills at Triscombe, then along the avenue to Red Post Cross, and west to the Brendon Hills and Exmoor. A peace treaty with the Danes was signed at Wedmore and the Danish king Guthrum the Old was baptised at Aller. Burhs (fortified places) had been set up by 919, such as Lyng. The Alfred Jewel, an object about 2.5 inch long, made of filigree gold, cloisonné-enamelled and with a rock crystal covering, was found in 1693 at Petherton Park, North Petherton. Believed to have been owned by Alfred the Great it is thought to have been the handle for a pointer that would have fit into the hole at its base and been used while reading a book.

 

Monasteries and minster churches were set up all over Somerset, with daughter churches from the minsters in manors. There was a royal palace at Cheddar, which was used at times in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot, and there is likely to have been a "central place" at Somerton, Bath, Glastonbury and Frome since the kings visited them. The towns of Somerset seem to have been in occupation in this period though evidence for this is limited because of subsequent buildings on top of remains from this period. Agriculture flourished in this period, with a re-organisation into centralised villages in the latter part in the east of the county.

 

In the period before the Norman Conquest, Somerset came under the control of Godwin, Earl of Wessex, and his family. There seems to have been some Danish settlement at Thurloxton and Spaxton, judging from the place-names. After the Norman Conquest, the county was divided into 700 fiefs, and large areas were owned by the crown, with fortifications such as Dunster Castle used for control and defence.

 

This period of Somerset's history is well documented, for example in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and Asser's Life of Alfred.

 

This is the period from 1066 to around 1500. Following the defeat of the Saxons by the Normans in 1066, various castles were set up in Somerset by the new lords such as that at Dunster, and the manors was awarded to followers of William the Conqueror such as William de Moyon and Walter of Douai. Somerset does not seem to have played much part in the civil war in King Stephen's time, but Somerset lords were main players in the murder of Thomas Becket.

 

A good picture of the county in 1086 is given by Domesday Book, though there is some difficulty in identifying the various places since the hundreds are not specified. The total population given for the county, which had different boundaries to those today, was 13,399, however this only included the heads of households, so with their families this may have been around 67,000. Farming seems to have prospered for the next three centuries but was severely hit by the Black Death which in 1348 arrived in Dorset and quickly spread through Somerset, causing widespread mortality, perhaps as much as 50% in places. It re-occurred, resulting in a change in feudal practices since the manpower was no longer so available.

 

Reclamation of land from marsh in the Somerset Levels increased, largely under monastic influence. Crafts and industries also flourished, the Somerset woollen industry being one of the largest in England at this time. "New towns" were founded in this period in Somerset, i.e. Newport, but were not successful. Coal mining on the Mendips was an important source of wealth while quarrying also took place, an example is near Bath.

 

The towns grew, again often by monastic instigation, during this period and fairs were started. The church was very powerful at this period, particularly Glastonbury Abbey. After their church burnt down, the monks there "discovered" the tomb of "King Arthur" and were able rebuild their church. There were over 20 monasteries in Somerset at this period including the priory at Hinton Charterhouse which was founded in 1232 by Ela, Countess of Salisbury who also founded Lacock Abbey. Many parish churches were re-built in this period. Between 1107 and 1129 William Giffard the Chancellor of King Henry I, converted the bishop's hall in Taunton into Taunton Castle. Bridgwater Castle was built in 1202 by William Brewer. It passed to the king in 1233 and in 1245 repairs were ordered to its motte and towers. During the 11th century Second Barons' War against Henry III, Bridgwater was held by the barons against the King. In the English Civil War the town and the castle were held by the Royalists under Colonel Sir Francis Wyndham. Eventually, with many buildings destroyed in the town, the castle and its valuable contents were surrendered to the Parliamentarians. The castle itself was deliberately destroyed in 1645.

 

During the Middle Ages sheep farming for the wool trade came to dominate the economy of Exmoor. The wool was spun into thread on isolated farms and collected by merchants to be woven, fulled, dyed and finished in thriving towns such as Dunster. The land started to be enclosed and from the 17th century onwards larger estates developed, leading to establishment of areas of large regular shaped fields. During this period a Royal Forest and hunting ground was established, administered by the Warden. The Royal Forest was sold off in 1818.

 

In the medieval period the River Parrett was used to transport Hamstone from the quarry at Ham Hill, Bridgwater was part of the Port of Bristol until the Port of Bridgwater was created in 1348, covering 80 miles (130 km) of the Somerset coast line, from the Devon border to the mouth of the River Axe. Historically, the main port on the river was at Bridgwater; the river being bridged at this point, with the first bridge being constructed in 1200 AD. Quays were built in 1424; with another quay, the Langport slip, being built in 1488 upstream of the Town Bridge. A Customs House was sited at Bridgwater, on West Quay; and a dry dock, launching slips and a boat yard on East Quay. The river was navigable, with care, to Bridgwater Town Bridge by 400 to 500 tonnes (440 to 550 tons) vessels. By trans-shipping into barges at the Town Bridge the Parrett was navigable as far as Langport and (via the River Yeo) to Ilchester.

 

This is the period from around 1500 to 1800. In the 1530s, the monasteries were dissolved and their lands bought from the king by various important families in Somerset. By 1539, Glastonbury Abbey was the only monastery left, its abbot Richard Whiting was then arrested and executed on the orders of Thomas Cromwell. From the Tudor to the Georgian times, farming specialised and techniques improved, leading to increases in population, although no new towns seem to have been founded. Large country houses such as at Hinton St George and Montacute House were built at this time.

 

The Bristol Channel floods of 1607 are believed to have affected large parts of the Somerset Levels with flooding up to 8 feet (2 m) above sea level. In 1625, a House of Correction was established in Shepton Mallet and, today, HMP Shepton Mallet is England's oldest prison still in use.

 

During the English Civil War, Somerset was largely Parliamentarian, although Dunster was a Royalist stronghold. The county was the site of important battles between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians, notably the Battle of Lansdowne in 1643 and the Battle of Langport in 1645. The castle changed hands several times during 1642–45 along with the town. During the Siege of Taunton it was defended by Robert Blake, from July 1644 to July 1645. This war resulted in castles being destroyed to prevent their re-use.

 

In 1685, the Duke of Monmouth led the Monmouth Rebellion in which Somerset people fought against James II. The rebels landed at Lyme Regis and travelled north hoping to capture Bristol and Bath, puritan soldiers damaged the west front of Wells Cathedral, tore lead from the roof to make bullets, broke the windows, smashed the organ and the furnishings, and for a time stabled their horses in the nave. They were defeated in the Battle of Sedgemoor at Westonzoyland, the last battle fought on English soil. The Bloody Assizes which followed saw the losers being sentenced to death or transportation.

 

The Society of Friends established itself in Street in the mid-17th century, and among the close-knit group of Quaker families were the Clarks: Cyrus started a business in sheepskin rugs, later joined by his brother James, who introduced the production of woollen slippers and, later, boots and shoes. C&J Clark still has its headquarters in Street, but shoes are no longer manufactured there. Instead, in 1993, redundant factory buildings were converted to form Clarks Village, the first purpose-built factory outlet in the United Kingdom.

 

The 18th century was largely one of peace and declining industrial prosperity in Somerset. The Industrial Revolution in the Midlands and Northern England spelt the end for most of Somerset's cottage industries. However, farming continued to flourish, with the Bath and West of England Agricultural Society being founded in 1777 to improve methods. John Billingsley conducted a survey of the county's agriculture in 1795 but found that methods could still be improved.

 

Arthur Wellesley took his title, Duke of Wellington from the town of Wellington. He is commemorated on a nearby hill with a large, spotlit obelisk, known as the Wellington Monument.

 

In north Somerset, mining in the Somerset coalfield was an important industry, and in an effort to reduce the cost of transporting the coal the Somerset Coal Canal was built; part of it was later converted into a railway. Other canals included the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, Westport Canal, Grand Western Canal, Glastonbury Canal and Chard Canal.[9] The Dorset and Somerset Canal was proposed, but very little of it was ever constructed.

 

The 19th century saw improvements to Somerset's roads with the introduction of turnpikes and the building of canals and railways. The usefulness of the canals was short-lived, though they have now been restored for recreation. The railways were nationalised after the Second World War, but continued until 1965, when smaller lines were scrapped; two were transferred back to private ownership as "heritage" lines.

 

In 1889, Somerset County Council was created, replacing the administrative functions of the Quarter Sessions.

 

The population of Somerset has continued to grow since 1800, when it was 274,000, particularly in the seaside towns such as Weston-super-Mare. Some population decline occurred earlier in the period in the villages, but this has now been reversed, and by 1951 the population of Somerset was 551,000.

 

Chard claims to be the birthplace of powered flight, as it was here in 1848 that the Victorian aeronautical pioneer John Stringfellow first demonstrated that engine-powered flight was possible through his work on the Aerial Steam Carriage. North Petherton was the first town in England (and one of the few ever) to be lit by acetylene gas lighting, supplied by the North Petherton Rosco Acetylene Company. Street lights were provided in 1906. Acetylene was replaced in 1931 by coal gas produced in Bridgwater, as well as by the provision of an electricity supply.

 

Around the 1860s, at the height of the iron and steel era, a pier and a deep-water dock were built, at Portishead, by the Bristol & Portishead Pier and Railway to accommodate the large ships that had difficulty in reaching Bristol Harbour. The Portishead power stations were coal-fed power stations built next to the dock. Construction work started on Portishead "A" power station in 1926. It began generating electricity in 1929 for the Bristol Corporation's Electricity Department. In 1951, Albright and Wilson built a chemical works on the opposite side of the dock from the power stations. The chemical works produced white phosphorus from phosphate rock imported, through the docks, into the UK. The onset of new generating capacity at Pembroke (oil-fired) and Didcot (coal-fired) in the mid-1970s brought about the closure of the older, less efficient "A" Station. The newer of the two power stations ("B" Station) was converted to burn oil when the Somerset coalfields closed. Industrial activities ceased in the dock with the closure of the power stations. The Port of Bristol Authority finally closed the dock in 1992, and it has now been developed into a marina and residential area.

 

During the First World War hundreds of Somerset soldiers were killed, and war memorials were put up in most of the towns and villages; only a few villages escaped casualties. There were also casualties – though much fewer – during the Second World War, who were added to the memorials. The county was a base for troops preparing for the 1944 D-Day landings, and some Somerset hospitals still date partly from that time. The Royal Ordnance Factory ROF Bridgwater was constructed early in World War II for the Ministry of Supply. It was designed as an Explosive ROF, to produce RDX, which was then a new experimental high-explosive. It obtained water supplies from two sources via the Somerset Levels: the artificial Huntspill River which was dug during the construction of the factory and also from the King's Sedgemoor Drain, which was widened at the same time. The Taunton Stop Line was set up to resist a potential German invasion, and the remains of its pill boxes can still be seen, as well as others along the coast. A decoy town was constructed on Black Down, intended to represent the blazing lights of a town which had neglected to follow the black-out regulations. Sites in the county housed Prisoner of War camps including: Norton Fitzwarren, Barwick, Brockley, Goathurst and Wells. Various airfields were built or converted from civilian use including: RNAS Charlton Horethorne (HMS Heron II), RAF Weston-super-Mare, RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Yeovil/Westland Airport, RAF Weston Zoyland, RAF Merryfield, RAF Culmhead and RAF Charmy Down.

 

Exmoor was one of the first British National Parks, designated in 1954, under the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act. and is named after its main river. It was expanded in 1991 and in 1993 Exmoor was designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area. The Quantock Hills were designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1956, the first such designation in England under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. The Mendip Hills followed with AONB designation in 1972.

 

Hinkley Point A nuclear power station was a Magnox power station constructed between 1957 and 1962 and operating until ceasing generation in 2000. Hinkley Point B is an Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) which was designed to generate 1250 MW of electricity (MWe). Construction of Hinkley Point B started in 1967. In September 2008 it was announced, by Électricité de France (EDF), that a third, twin-unit European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) power station known as Hinkley Point C is planned, to replace Hinkley Point B which was due for closure in 2016, but has now has its life extended until 2022.

 

Somerset today has only two small cities, Bath and Wells, and only small towns in comparison with other areas of England. Tourism is a major source of employment along the coast, and in Bath and Cheddar for example. Other attractions include Exmoor, West Somerset Railway, Haynes Motor Museum and the Fleet Air Arm Museum as well as the churches and the various National Trust and English Heritage properties in Somerset.

 

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 number of apple orchards has reduced.

 

In the late 19th century the boundaries of Somerset were slightly altered, but the main change came in 1974 when the county of Avon was set up. The northern part of Somerset was removed from the administrative control of Somerset County Council. On abolition of the county of Avon in 1996, these areas became separate administrative authorities, "North Somerset" and "Bath and North East Somerset". The Department for Communities and Local Government was considering a proposal by Somerset County Council to change Somerset's administrative structure by abolishing the five districts to create a Somerset unitary authority. The changes were planned to be implemented no later than 1 April 2009. However, support for the county council's bid was not guaranteed and opposition among the district council and local population was strong; 82% of people responding to a referendum organised by the five district councils rejected the proposals. It was confirmed in July 2007 that the government had rejected the proposals for unitary authorities in Somerset, and that the present two-tier arrangements of Somerset County Council and the district councils will remain.

Hannah & Alec

Charlotte, NC

 

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#E1D-1-2, Autographed White Limo by 18 signers, Daryl Hannah, Roger Ebert, The Late Bob Keeshan, (Captain Kangaroo).and 15 others,

 

1) Daryl Hannah, Hollywood, Splash, Kill Bill,

2) Ron Riveria, Chicago Bears, NFL, Football,

3) Milu Murry, WSCR Radio, Chicago,

4)Jay Hilenburg, Chicago Bears,

5) Nick Firestone, INDY, Grandson of Mr. Firestone Tire,

6) Trace Armstong, Chicago Bears,

7) Dick Biondi, WLS Radio, Chicago,

8) Bob Christansan, Chicago Bears,

9) The Late Bob Keeshan, Captain Kangaroo,

10) The Late Ed (Big Daddy) Roth, Creator of Rat Fink,

11) Austin St. John, The Red, Power Ranger,

12) David Kaplin, Sports, A Piece Of The Game,

13) Brain Jones, Sports Radio,

14) The Late Roger Ebert, Movie Credit, At The Movies,

15) Ron Magers, Ch. 5 News, Anchor,

16) Chris Zorch, Chicago Bears,

17) The Late Bill (Maverick) Golden, The Little Red Wagon, NHRA,

18) Erik Estrada, TV show, Chips, (2 Pictures)

 

Majorette, 1/32 scale, White Limo, Die cast, with 18 Picture Proof Autographs (P.P.A.),

#E1D-1-2, Autographed White Limo by 18 signers, Daryl Hannah, Roger Ebert, The Late Bob Keeshan, (Captain Kangaroo).and 15 others,

 

1) Daryl Hannah, Hollywood, Splash, Kill Bill,

2) Ron Riveria, Chicago Bears, NFL, Football,

3) Milu Murry, WSCR Radio, Chicago,

4)Jay Hilenburg, Chicago Bears,

5) Nick Firestone, INDY, Grandson of Mr. Firestone Tire,

6) Trace Armstong, Chicago Bears,

7) Dick Biondi, WLS Radio, Chicago,

8) Bob Christansan, Chicago Bears,

9) The Late Bob Keeshan, Captain Kangaroo,

10) The Late Ed (Big Daddy) Roth, Creator of Rat Fink,

11) Austin St. John, The Red, Power Ranger,

12) David Kaplin, Sports, A Piece Of The Game,

13) Brain Jones, Sports Radio,

14) The Late Roger Ebert, Movie Credit, At The Movies,

15) Ron Magers, Ch. 5 News, Anchor,

16) Chris Zorch, Chicago Bears,

17) The Late Bill (Maverick) Golden, The Little Red Wagon, NHRA,

18) Erik Estrada, TV show, Chips, (2 Pictures)

 

Majorette, 1/32 scale, White Limo, Die cast, with 18 Picture Proof Autographs (P.P.A.),

#E1D-1-2, Autographed White Limo by 18 signers, Daryl Hannah, Roger Ebert, The Late Bob Keeshan, (Captain Kangaroo).and 15 others,

 

1) Daryl Hannah, Hollywood, Splash, Kill Bill,

2) Ron Riveria, Chicago Bears, NFL, Football,

3) Milu Murry, WSCR Radio, Chicago,

4)Jay Hilenburg, Chicago Bears,

5) Nick Firestone, INDY, Grandson of Mr. Firestone Tire,

6) Trace Armstong, Chicago Bears,

7) Dick Biondi, WLS Radio, Chicago,

8) Bob Christansan, Chicago Bears,

9) The Late Bob Keeshan, Captain Kangaroo,

10) The Late Ed (Big Daddy) Roth, Creator of Rat Fink,

11) Austin St. John, The Red, Power Ranger,

12) David Kaplin, Sports, A Piece Of The Game,

13) Brain Jones, Sports Radio,

14) The Late Roger Ebert, Movie Credit, At The Movies,

15) Ron Magers, Ch. 5 News, Anchor,

16) Chris Zorch, Chicago Bears,

17) The Late Bill (Maverick) Golden, The Little Red Wagon, NHRA,

18) Erik Estrada, TV show, Chips, (2 Pictures)

 

Majorette, 1/32 scale, White Limo, Die cast, with 18 Picture Proof Autographs (P.P.A.),

Cheddar is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Somerset. It is situated on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills, 9 miles (14 km) north-west of Wells, 11 miles (18 km) south-east of Weston-super-Mare and 18 miles (29 km) south-west of Bristol. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Nyland and Bradley Cross. The parish had a population of 5,755 in 2011 and an acreage of 8,592 acres (3,477 ha) as of 1961.

 

Cheddar Gorge, on the northern edge of the village, is the largest gorge in the United Kingdom and includes several show caves, including Gough's Cave. The gorge has been a centre of human settlement since Neolithic times, including a Saxon palace. It has a temperate climate and provides a unique geological and biological environment that has been recognised by the designation of several Sites of Special Scientific Interest. It is also the site of several limestone quarries. The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese and has been a centre for strawberry growing. The crop was formerly transported on the Cheddar Valley rail line, which closed in the late 1960s and is now a cycle path. The village is now a major tourist destination with several cultural and community facilities, including the Cheddar Show Caves Museum.

 

The village supports a variety of community groups including religious, sporting and cultural organisations. Several of these are based on the site of the Kings of Wessex Academy, which is the largest educational establishment.

 

The name Cheddar comes from the Old English word ceodor, meaning deep dark cavity or pouch.

 

There is evidence of occupation from the Neolithic period in Cheddar. Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be 9,000 years old, was found in Cheddar Gorge in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. There is some evidence of a Bronze Age field system at the Batts Combe quarry site. There is also evidence of Bronze Age barrows at the mound in the Longwood valley, which if man-made it is likely to be a field system. The remains of a Roman villa have been excavated in the grounds of the current vicarage.

 

The village of Cheddar had been important during the Roman and Saxon eras. There was a royal palace at Cheddar during the Saxon period, which was used on three occasions in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot. The ruins of the palace were excavated in the 1960s. They are located on the grounds of the Kings of Wessex Academy, together with a 14th-century chapel dedicated to St. Columbanus. Roman remains have also been uncovered at the site. Cheddar was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Ceder, meaning "Shear Water", from the Old English scear and Old Welsh dŵr. An alternative spelling in earlier documents, common through the 1850s is Chedder.

 

As early as 1130 AD, the Cheddar Gorge was recognised as one of the "Four wonders of England". Historically, Cheddar's source of wealth was farming and cheese making for which it was famous as early as 1170 AD. The parish was part of the Winterstoke Hundred.

 

The manor of Cheddar was deforested in 1337 and Bishop Ralph was granted a licence by the King to create a hunting forest.

 

As early as 1527 there are records of watermills on the river. In the 17th and 18th centuries, there were several watermills which ground corn and made paper, with 13 mills on the Yeo at the peak, declining to seven by 1791 and just three by 1915. In the Victorian era it also became a centre for the production of clothing. The last mill, used as a shirt factory, closed in the early 1950s.

 

William Wilberforce saw the poor conditions of the locals when he visited Cheddar in 1789. He inspired Hannah More in her work to improve the conditions of the Mendip miners and agricultural workers. In 1801, 4,400 acres (18 km2) of common land were enclosed under the Inclosure Acts.

 

Tourism of the Cheddar gorge and caves began with the opening of the Cheddar Valley Railway in 1869.

 

Cheddar, its surrounding villages and specifically the gorge has been subject to flooding. In the Chew Stoke flood of 1968 the flow of water washed large boulders down the gorge, washed away cars, and damaged the cafe and the entrance to Gough's Cave.

 

Cheddar is recognised as a village. The adjacent settlement of Axbridge, although only about a third the population of Cheddar, is a town. This apparently illogical situation is explained by the relative importance of the two places in historic times. While Axbridge grew in importance as a centre for cloth manufacturing in the Tudor period and gained a charter from King John, Cheddar remained a more dispersed mining and dairy-farming village. Its population grew with the arrival of the railways in the Victorian era and the advent of tourism.

 

The parish council, which has 15 members who are elected for four years, is responsible 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 evaluates local planning applications and works with the police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, 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 the responsibility of the council.

 

The village is in the 'Cheddar and Shipham' electoral ward. After including Shipham the total population of the ward taken at the 2011 census is 6,842.

 

For local government purposes, since 1 April 2023, the village comes under the unitary authority of Somerset Council. Prior to this, it was part of the non-metropolitan district of Sedgemoor, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Axbridge Rural District. Fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the South Western Ambulance Service.

 

It is also part of the Wells county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. Prior to Brexit in 2020, it was part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.

 

Cheddar is twinned with Felsberg, Germany and Vernouillet, France, and it has an active programme of exchange visits. Initially, Cheddar twinned with Felsberg in 1984. In 2000, Cheddar twinned with Vernouillet, which had also been twinned with Felsberg. Cheddar also has a friendship link with Ocho Rios in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica.

 

It is also twinned with the commune of Descartes in the Indre-et-Loire department.

 

The area is underlain by Black Rock slate, Burrington Oolite and Clifton Down Limestone of the Carboniferous Limestone Series, which contain ooliths and fossil debris on top of Old Red Sandstone, and by Dolomitic Conglomerate of the Keuper. Evidence for Variscan orogeny is seen in the sheared rock and cleaved shales. In many places weathering of these strata has resulted in the formation of immature calcareous soils.

 

Cheddar Gorge, which is located on the edge of the village, is the largest gorge in the United Kingdom. The gorge is the site of the Cheddar Caves, where Cheddar Man was found in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. The caves, produced by the activity of an underground river, contain stalactites and stalagmites. Gough's Cave, which was discovered in 1903, leads around 400 m (437 yd) into the rock-face, and contains a variety of large rock chambers and formations. Cox's Cave, discovered in 1837, is smaller but contains many intricate formations. A further cave houses a children's entertainment walk known as the "Crystal Quest".

 

Cheddar Gorge, including Cox's Cave, Gough's Cave and other attractions, has become a tourist destination, attracting about 500,000 visitors per year. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, following its appearance on the 2005 television programme Seven Natural Wonders, Cheddar Gorge was named as the second greatest natural wonder in Britain, surpassed only by the Dan yr Ogof caves.

 

There are several large and unique Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) around the village.

 

Cheddar Reservoir is a near-circular artificial reservoir operated by Bristol Water. Dating from the 1930s, it has a capacity of 135 million gallons (614,000 cubic metres). The reservoir is supplied with water taken from the Cheddar Yeo, which rises in Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge and is a tributary of the River Axe. The inlet grate for the 54-inch (1.4 m) water pipe that is used to transport the water can be seen next to the sensory garden in Cheddar Gorge. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its wintering waterfowl populations.

 

Cheddar Wood and the smaller Macall's Wood form a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest from what remains of the wood of the Bishops of Bath and Wells in the 13th century and of King Edmund the Magnificent's wood in the 10th. During the 19th century, its lower fringes were grubbed out to make strawberry fields. Most of these have been allowed to revert to woodland. The wood was coppiced until 1917. This site compromises a wide range of habitats which include ancient and secondary semi-natural broadleaved woodland, unimproved neutral grassland, and a complex mosaic of calcareous grassland and acidic dry dwarf-shrub heath. Cheddar Wood is one of only a few English stations for starved wood-sedge (Carex depauperata). Purple gromwell (Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum), a nationally rare plant, also grows in the wood. Butterflies include silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia), dark green fritillary (Argynnis aglaja), pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne), holly blue (Celastrina argiolus) and brown argus (Aricia agestis). The slug Arion fasciatus, which has a restricted distribution in the south of England, and the soldier beetle Cantharis fusca also occur.

 

By far the largest of the SSSIs is called Cheddar Complex and covers 441.3 hectares (1,090.5 acres) of the gorge, caves and the surrounding area. It is important because of both biological and geological features. It includes four SSSIs, formerly known as Cheddar Gorge SSSI, August Hole/Longwood Swallet SSSI, GB Cavern Charterhouse SSSI and Charterhouse on-Mendip SSSI. It is partly owned by the National Trust who acquired it in 1910 and partly managed by the Somerset Wildlife Trust.

 

Close to the village and gorge are Batts Combe quarry and Callow Rock quarry, two of the active Quarries of the Mendip Hills where limestone is still extracted. Operating since the early 20th century, Batts Combe is owned and operated by Hanson Aggregates. The output in 2005 was around 4,000 tonnes of limestone per day, one third of which was supplied to an on-site lime kiln, which closed in 2009; the remainder was sold as coated or dusted aggregates. The limestone at this site is close to 99 percent carbonate of calcium and magnesium (dolomite).

 

The Chelmscombe Quarry finished its work as a limestone quarry in the 1950s and was then used by the Central Electricity Generating Board as a tower testing station. During the 1970s and 1980s it was also used to test the ability of containers of radioactive material to withstand impacts and other accidents.

 

Along with the rest of South West England, Cheddar has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country. The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50.0 °F). Seasonal temperature variation is less extreme than most of the United Kingdom because of the adjacent sea, which moderates temperature. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately 21 °C (69.8 °F). In winter mean minimum temperatures of 1 °C (33.8 °F) or 2 °C (35.6 °F) are common. In the summer the Azores high-pressure system affects the south-west of England. Convective cloud sometimes forms inland, reducing the number of hours of sunshine; annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600 hours. Most of the rainfall in the south-west is caused by Atlantic depressions or by convection. Most of the rainfall in autumn and winter is caused by the Atlantic depressions, which are most active during those seasons. In summer, a large proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. Average rainfall is around 700 mm (28 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall per year is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west.

 

The parish has a population in 2011 of 5,093, with a mean age of 43 years. Residents lived in 2,209 households. The vast majority of households (2,183) gave their ethnic status at the 2001 census as white.

 

The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese, which is the most popular type of cheese in the United Kingdom. The cheese is now made and consumed worldwide, and only one producer remains in the village.

 

Since the 1880s, Cheddar's other main produce has been the strawberry, which is grown on the south-facing lower slopes of the Mendip hills. As a consequence of its use for transporting strawberries to market, the since-closed Cheddar Valley line became known as The Strawberry Line after it opened in 1869. The line ran from Yatton to Wells. When the rest of the line was closed and all passenger services ceased, the section of the line between Cheddar and Yatton remained open for goods traffic. It provided a fast link with the main markets for the strawberries in Birmingham and London, but finally closed in 1964, becoming part of the Cheddar Valley Railway Nature Reserve.

 

Cheddar Ales is a small brewery based in the village, producing beer for local public houses.

 

Tourism is a significant source of employment. Around 15 percent of employment in Sedgemoor is provided by tourism, but within Cheddar it is estimated to employ as many as 1,000 people. The village also has a youth hostel, and a number of camping and caravan sites.

 

Cheddar has a number of active service clubs including Cheddar Vale Lions Club, Mendip Rotary and Mendip Inner Wheel Club. The clubs raise money for projects in the local community and hold annual events such as a fireworks display, duck races in the Gorge, a dragon boat race on the reservoir and concerts on the grounds of the nearby St Michael's Cheshire Home.

 

Several notable people have been born or lived in Cheddar. Musician Jack Bessant, the bass guitarist with the band Reef grew up on his parents' strawberry farm, and Matt Goss and Luke Goss, former members of Bros, lived in Cheddar for nine months as children. Trina Gulliver, ten-time World Professional Darts Champion, previously lived in Cheddar until 2017. The comedian Richard Herring grew up in Cheddar. His 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, The Headmaster's Son is based on his time at The Kings of Wessex School, where his father Keith was the headmaster. The final performance of this show was held at the school in November 2009. He also visited the school in March 2010 to perform his show Hitler Moustache. In May 2013, a community radio station called Pulse was launched.

 

The market cross in Bath Street dates from the 15th century, with the shelter having been rebuilt in 1834. It has a central octagonal pier, a socket raised on four steps, a hexagonal shelter with six arched four-centred openings, shallow two-stage buttresses at each angle, and an embattled parapet. The shaft is crowned by an abacus with figures in niches, probably from the late 19th century, although the cross is now missing. It was rebuilt by Thomas, Marquess of Bath. It is a scheduled monument (Somerset County No 21) and Grade II* listed building.

 

In January 2000, the cross was seriously damaged in a traffic accident. By 2002, the cross had been rebuilt and the area around it was redesigned to protect and enhance its appearance. The cross was badly damaged again in March 2012, when a taxi crashed into it late at night demolishing two sides. Repair work, which included the addition of wooden-clad steel posts to protect against future crashes, was completed in November 2012 at a cost of £60,000.

 

Hannah More, a philanthropist and educator, founded a school in the village in the late 18th century for the children of miners. Her first school was located in a 17th-century house. Now named "Hannah More's Cottage", the Grade II-listed building is used by the local community as a meeting place.

 

The village is situated on the A371 road which runs from Wincanton, to Weston-super-Mare. It is approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) from the route of the M5 motorway with around a 10 miles (16 km) drive to junction 22.

 

It was on the Cheddar Valley line, a railway line that was opened in 1869 and closed in 1963. It became known as The Strawberry Line because of the large volume of locally-grown strawberries that it carried. It ran from Yatton railway station through Cheddar to Wells (Tucker Street) railway station and joined the East Somerset Railway to make a through route via Shepton Mallet (High Street) railway station to Witham. Sections of the now-disused railway have been opened as the Strawberry Line Trail, which currently runs from Yatton to Cheddar. The Cheddar Valley line survived until the "Beeching Axe". Towards the end of its life there were so few passengers that diesel railcars were sometimes used. The Cheddar branch closed to passengers on 9 September 1963 and to goods in 1964. The line closed in the 1960s, when it became part of the Cheddar Valley Railway Nature Reserve, and part of the National Cycle Network route 26. The cycle route also intersects with the West Mendip Way and various other footpaths.

 

The principal bus route is hourly service 126 between Weston-super-Mare and Wells operated by First West of England. Other bus routes include the service 668 from Shipham to Street which runs every couple of hours operated by Libra Travel, as well as the college bus service 66 which runs from Axbridge to the Bridgwater Campus of Bridgwater and Taunton College in the mornings and evenings of college term times and is operated by Bakers Dolphin.

 

The first school in Cheddar was set up by Hannah More during the 18th Century, however now Cheddar has three schools belonging to the Cheddar Valley Group of Schools, twelve schools that provide Cheddar Valley's three-tier education system. Cheddar First School has ten classes for children between 4 and 9 years. Fairlands Middle School, a middle school categorised as a middle-deemed-secondary school, has 510 pupils between 9 and 13. Fairlands takes children moving up from Cheddar First School as well as other first schools in the Cheddar Valley. The Kings of Wessex Academy, a coeducational comprehensive school, has been rated as "good" by Ofsted. It has 1,176 students aged 13 to 18, including 333 in the sixth form. Kings is a faith school linked to the Church of England. It was awarded the specialist status of Technology College in 2001, enabling it to develop its Information Technology (IT) facilities and improve courses in science, mathematics and design technology. In 2007 it became a foundation school, giving it more control over its own finances. The academy owns and runs a sports centre and swimming pool, Kings Fitness & Leisure, with facilities that are used by students as well as residents. It has since November 2016 been a part of the Wessex Learning Trust which incorporates eight academies from the surrounding area.

 

The Church of St Andrew dates from the 14th century. It was restored in 1873 by William Butterfield. It is a Grade I listed building and contains some 15th-century stained glass and an altar table of 1631. The chest tomb in the chancel is believed to contain the remains of Sir Thomas Cheddar and is dated 1442. The tower, which rises to 100 feet (30 m), contains a bell dating from 1759 made by Thomas Bilbie of the Bilbie family. The graveyard contains the grave of the hymn writer William Chatterton Dix.

 

There are also churches for Roman Catholic, Methodist and other denominations, including Cheddar Valley Community Church, who not only meet at the Kings of Wessex School on Sunday, but also have their own site on Tweentown for meeting during the week. The Baptist chapel was built in 1831.

 

Kings Fitness & Leisure, situated on the grounds of the Kings of Wessex School, provides a venue for various sports and includes a 20-metre swimming pool, racket sport courts, a sports hall, dance studios and a gym. A youth sports festival was held on Sharpham Road Playing Fields in 2009. In 2010 a skatepark was built in the village, funded by the Cheddar Local Action Team.

 

Cheddar A.F.C., founded in 1892 and nicknamed "The Cheesemen",[111] play in the Western Football League Division One. In 2009 plans were revealed to move the club from its present home at Bowdens Park on Draycott Road to a new larger site.

 

Cheddar Cricket Club was formed in the late 19th century and moved to Sharpham Road Playing Fields in 1964. They now play in the West of England Premier League Somerset Division. Cheddar Rugby Club, who own part of the Sharpham playing fields, was formed in 1836. The club organises an annual Cheddar Rugby Tournament. Cheddar Lawn Tennis Club, was formed in 1924, and play in the North Somerset League and also has social tennis and coaching. Cheddar Running Club organised an annual half marathon until 2009.

 

The village is both on the route of the West Mendip Way and Samaritans Way South West.

 

Somerset 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.

 

The centre of Somerset is dominated by the Levels, a coastal plain and wetland, and the north-east and west of the county are hilly. The north-east contains part of the Cotswolds AONB, all of the Mendip Hills AONB, and a small part of Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB; the west contains the Quantock Hills AONB, a majority of Exmoor National Park, and part of the Blackdown Hills AONB. The main rivers in 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.

 

Somerset is a historic county in the south west of England. There is evidence of human occupation since prehistoric times with hand axes and flint points from the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic eras, and a range of burial mounds, hill forts and other artefacts dating from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. The oldest dated human road work in Great Britain is the Sweet Track, constructed across the Somerset Levels with wooden planks in the 39th century BCE.

 

Following the Roman Empire's invasion of southern 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 Early Medieval period Somerset was the scene of battles between the Anglo-Saxons and first the Britons and later the Danes. In this period it was ruled first by various kings of Wessex, and later by kings of England. Following the defeat of the Anglo-Saxon monarchy 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 are based 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.

 

The Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods saw hunter-gatherers move into the region of Somerset. There is evidence from flint artefacts in a quarry at Westbury that an ancestor of modern man, possibly Homo heidelbergensis, was present in the area from around 500,000 years ago. There is still some doubt about whether the artefacts are of human origin but they have been dated within Oxygen Isotope Stage 13 (524,000 – 478,000 BP). Other experts suggest that "many of the bone-rich Middle Pleistocene deposits belong to a single but climatically variable interglacial that succeeded the Cromerian, perhaps about 500,000 years ago. Detailed analysis of the origin and modification of the flint artefacts leads to the conclusion that the assemblage was probably a product of geomorphological processes rather than human work, but a single cut-marked bone suggests a human presence." Animal bones and artefacts unearthed in the 1980s at Westbury-sub-Mendip, in Somerset, have shown evidence of early human activity approximately 700,000 years ago.

 

Homo sapiens sapiens, or modern man, came to Somerset during the Early Upper Palaeolithic. There is evidence of occupation of four Mendip caves 35,000 to 30,000 years ago. During the Last Glacial Maximum, about 25,000 to 15,000 years ago, it is probable that Somerset was deserted as the area experienced tundra conditions. Evidence was found in Gough's Cave of deposits of human bone dating from around 12,500 years ago. The bones were defleshed and probably ritually buried though perhaps related to cannibalism being practised in the area at the time or making skull cups or storage containers. Somerset was one of the first areas of future England settled following the end of Younger Dryas phase of the last ice age c. 8000 BC. Cheddar Man is the name given to the remains of a human male found in Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge. He is Britain's oldest complete human skeleton. The remains date from about 7150 BC, and it appears that he died a violent death. Somerset is thought to have been occupied by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers from about 6000 BCE; Mesolithic artefacts have been found in more than 70 locations. Mendip caves were used as burial places, with between 50 and 100 skeletons being found in Aveline's Hole. In the Neolithic era, from about 3500 BCE, there is evidence of farming.

 

At the end of the last ice age the Bristol Channel was dry land, but later the sea level rose, particularly between 1220 and 900 BC and between 800 and 470 BCE, resulting in major coastal changes. The Somerset Levels became flooded, but the dry points such as Glastonbury and Brent Knoll have a long history of settlement, and are known to have been occupied by Mesolithic hunters. The county has prehistoric burial mounds (such as Stoney Littleton Long Barrow), stone rows (such as the circles at Stanton Drew and Priddy) and settlement sites. Evidence of Mesolithic occupation has come both from the upland areas, such as in Mendip caves, and from the low land areas such as the Somerset Levels. Dry points in the latter such as Glastonbury Tor and Brent Knoll, have a long history of settlement with wooden trackways between them. There were also "lake villages" in the marsh such as those at Glastonbury Lake Village and Meare. One of the oldest dated human road work in Britain is the Sweet Track, constructed across the Somerset Levels with wooden planks in the 39th century BC, partially on the route of the even earlier Post Track.

 

There is evidence of Exmoor's human occupation from Mesolithic times onwards. In the Neolithic period people started to manage animals and grow crops on farms cleared from the woodland, rather than act purely as hunter gatherers. It is also likely that extraction and smelting of mineral ores to make tools, weapons, containers and ornaments in bronze and then iron started in the late Neolithic and into the Bronze and Iron Ages.

 

The caves of the Mendip Hills were settled during the Neolithic period and contain extensive archaeological sites such as those at Cheddar Gorge. There are numerous Iron Age Hill Forts, which were later reused in the Dark Ages, such as Cadbury Castle, Worlebury Camp and Ham Hill. The age of the henge monument at Stanton Drew stone circles is unknown, but is believed to be from the Neolithic period. There is evidence of mining on the Mendip Hills back into the late Bronze Age when there were technological changes in metal working indicated by the use of lead. There are numerous "hill forts", such as Small Down Knoll, Solsbury Hill, Dolebury Warren and Burledge Hill, which seem to have had domestic purposes, not just a defensive role. They generally seem to have been occupied intermittently from the Bronze Age onward, some, such as Cadbury Camp at South Cadbury, being refurbished during different eras. Battlegore Burial Chamber is a Bronze Age burial chamber at Williton which is composed of three round barrows and possibly a long, chambered barrow.

 

The Iron Age tribes of later Somerset were the Dobunni in north Somerset, Durotriges in south Somerset and Dumnonii in west Somerset. The first and second produced coins, the finds of which allows their tribal areas to be suggested, but the latter did not. All three had a Celtic culture and language. However, Ptolemy stated that Bath was in the territory of the Belgae, but this may be a mistake. The Celtic gods were worshipped at the temple of Sulis at Bath and possibly the temple on Brean Down. Iron Age sites on the Quantock Hills, include major hill forts at Dowsborough and Ruborough, as well as smaller earthwork enclosures, such as Trendle Ring, Elworthy Barrows and Plainsfield Camp.

 

Somerset was part of the Roman Empire from 47 AD to about 409 AD. However, the end was not abrupt and elements of Romanitas lingered on for perhaps a century.

 

Somerset was invaded from the south-east by the Second Legion Augusta, under the future emperor Vespasian. The hillforts of the Durotriges at Ham Hill and Cadbury Castle were captured. Ham Hill probably had a temporary Roman occupation. The massacre at Cadbury Castle seems to have been associated with the later Boudiccan Revolt of 60–61 AD. The county remained part of the Roman Empire until around 409 AD.

 

The Roman invasion, and possibly the preceding period of involvement in the internal affairs of the south of England, was inspired in part by the potential of the Mendip Hills. A great deal of the attraction of the lead mines may have been the potential for the extraction of silver.

 

Forts were set up at Bath and Ilchester. The lead and silver mines at Charterhouse in the Mendip Hills were run by the military. The Romans established a defensive boundary along the new military road known the Fosse Way (from the Latin fossa meaning ditch). The Fosse Way ran through Bath, Shepton Mallet, Ilchester and south-west towards Axminster. The road from Dorchester ran through Yeovil to meet the Fosse Way at Ilchester. Small towns and trading ports were set up, such as Camerton and Combwich. The larger towns decayed in the latter part of the period, though the smaller ones appear to have decayed less. In the latter part of the period, Ilchester seems to have been a "civitas" capital and Bath may also have been one. Particularly to the east of the River Parrett, villas were constructed. However, only a few Roman sites have been found to the west of the river. The villas have produced important mosaics and artifacts. Cemeteries have been found outside the Roman towns of Somerset and by Roman temples such as that at Lamyatt. Romano-British farming settlements, such as those at Catsgore and Sigwells, have been found in Somerset. There was salt production on the Somerset Levels near Highbridge and quarrying took place near Bath, where the Roman Baths gave their name to Bath.

 

Excavations carried out before the flooding of Chew Valley Lake also uncovered Roman remains, indicating agricultural and industrial activity from the second half of the 1st century until the 3rd century AD. The finds included a moderately large villa at Chew Park, where wooden writing tablets (the first in the UK) with ink writing were found. There is also evidence from the Pagans Hill Roman Temple at Chew Stoke. In October 2001 the West Bagborough Hoard of 4th century Roman silver was discovered in West Bagborough. The 681 coins included two denarii from the early 2nd century and 8 Miliarense and 671 Siliqua all dating to the period AD 337 – 367. The majority were struck in the reigns of emperors Constantius II and Julian and derive from a range of mints including Arles and Lyons in France, Trier in Germany and Rome.

 

In April 2010, the Frome Hoard, one of the largest-ever hoards of Roman coins discovered in Britain, was found by a metal detectorist. The hoard of 52,500 coins dated from the 3rd century AD and was found buried in a field near Frome, in a jar 14 inches (36 cm) below the surface. The coins were excavated by archaeologists from the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

 

This is the period from about 409 AD to the start of Saxon political control, which was mainly in the late 7th century, though they are said to have captured the Bath area in 577 AD. Initially the Britons of Somerset seem to have continued much as under the Romans but without the imperial taxation and markets. There was then a period of civil war in Britain though it is not known how this affected Somerset. The Western Wandsdyke may have been constructed in this period but archaeological data shows that it was probably built during the 5th or 6th century. This area became the border between the Romano-British Celts and the West Saxons following the Battle of Deorham in 577 AD. The ditch is on the north side, so presumably it was used by the Celts as a defence against Saxons encroaching from the upper Thames Valley. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the Saxon Cenwalh achieved a breakthrough against the British Celtic tribes, with victories at Bradford-on-Avon (in the Avon Gap in the Wansdyke) in 652 AD, and further south at the Battle of Peonnum (at Penselwood) in 658 AD, followed by an advance west through the Polden Hills to the River Parrett.

 

The Saxon advance from the east seems to have been halted by battles between the British and Saxons, for example; at the siege of Badon Mons Badonicus (which may have been in the Bath region e.g. at Solsbury Hill), or Bathampton Down. During the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries, Somerset was probably partly in the Kingdom of Dumnonia, partly in the land of the Durotriges and partly in that of the Dobunni. The boundaries between these is largely unknown, but may have been similar to those in the Iron Age. Various "tyrants" seem to have controlled territories from reoccupied hill forts. There is evidence of an elite at hill forts such as Cadbury Castle and Cadbury Camp; for example, there is imported pottery. Cemeteries are an important source of evidence for the period and large ones have been found in Somerset, such as that at Cannington, which was used from the Roman to the Saxon period. The towns of Somerset seem to have been little used during that period but there continued to be farming on the villa sites and at the Romano-British villages.

 

There may have been effects from plague and volcanic eruption during this period as well as marine transgression into the Levels.

 

The language spoken during this period is thought to be Southwestern Brythonic, but only one or two inscribed stones survive in Somerset from this period. However, a couple of curse tablets found in the baths at Bath may be in this language. Some place names in Somerset seem to be Celtic in origin and may be from this period or earlier, e.g. Tarnock. Some river names, such as Parrett, may be Celtic or pre-Celtic. The religion of the people of Somerset in this period is thought to be Christian but it was isolated from Rome until after the Council of Hertford in 673 AD when Aldhelm was asked to write a letter to Geraint of Dumnonia and his bishops. Some church sites in Somerset are thought to date from this period, e.g., Llantokay Street.

 

Most of what is known of the history of this period comes from Gildas's On the Ruin of Britain, which is thought to have been written in Durotrigan territory, possibly at Glastonbury.

 

The earliest fortification of Taunton started for King Ine of Wessex and Æthelburg, in or about the year 710 AD. However, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle this was destroyed 12 years later.

 

This is the period from the late 7th century (for most of Somerset) to 1066, though for part of the 10th and 11th centuries England was under Danish control. Somerset, like Dorset to the south, held the West Saxon advance from Wiltshire/Hampshire back for over a century, remaining a frontier between the Saxons and the Romano-British Celts.

 

The Saxons conquered Bath following the Battle of Deorham in 577, and the border was probably established along the line of the Wansdyke to the north of the Mendip Hills. Then Cenwalh of Wessex broke through at Bradford-on-Avon in 652, and the Battle of Peonnum possibly at Penselwood in 658, advancing west through the Polden Hills to the River Parrett. In 661 the Saxons may have advanced into what is now Devon as a result of a battle fought at Postesburh, possibly Posbury near Crediton.

 

Then in the period 681–85 Centwine of Wessex conquered King Cadwaladr and "advanced as far as the sea", but it is not clear where this was. It is assumed that the Saxons occupied the rest of Somerset about this time. The Saxon rule was consolidated under King Ine, who established a fort at Taunton, demolished by his wife in 722. It is sometimes said that he built palaces at Somerton and South Petherton but this does not seem to be the case. He fought against Geraint in 710. In 705 the diocese of Sherborne was formed, taking in Wessex west of Selwood. Saxon kings granted land in Somerset by charter from the 7th century onward. The way and extent to which the Britons survived under the Saxons is a debatable matter. However, King Ine's laws make provision for Britons. Somerset originally formed part of Wessex and latter became a separate "shire". Somersetshire seems to have been formed within Wessex during the 8th century though it is not recorded as a name until later. Mints were set up at times in various places in Somerset in the Saxon period, e.g., Watchet.

 

Somerset played an important part in defeating the spread of the Danes in the 9th century. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that in 845 Alderman Eanwulf, with the men of Somersetshire (Sumorsǣte), and Bishop Ealstan, and Alderman Osric, with the men of Dorsetshire, conquered the Danish army at the mouth of the Parret. This was the first known use of the name Somersæte. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports that in January 878 the King Alfred the Great fled into the marshes of Somerset from the Viking's invasion and made a fort at Athelney. From the fort Alfred was able to organize a resistance using the local militias from Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire.

 

Viking raids took place for instance in 987 and 997 at Watchet and the Battle of Cynwit. King Alfred was driven to seek refuge from the Danes at Athelney before defeating them at the Battle of Ethandun in 878, usually considered to be near Edington, Wiltshire, but possibly the village of Edington in Somerset. Alfred established a series of forts and lookout posts linked by a military road, or Herepath, so his army could cover Viking movements at sea. The Herepath has a characteristic form which is familiar on the Quantocks: a regulation 20 m wide track between avenues of trees growing from hedge laying embankments. The Herepath ran from the ford on the River Parrett at Combwich, past Cannington hill fort to Over Stowey, where it climbed the Quantocks along the line of the current Stowey road, to Crowcombe Park Gate. Then it went south along the ridge, to Triscombe Stone. One branch may have led past Lydeard Hill and Buncombe Hill, back to Alfred's base at Athelney. The main branch descended the hills at Triscombe, then along the avenue to Red Post Cross, and west to the Brendon Hills and Exmoor. A peace treaty with the Danes was signed at Wedmore and the Danish king Guthrum the Old was baptised at Aller. Burhs (fortified places) had been set up by 919, such as Lyng. The Alfred Jewel, an object about 2.5 inch long, made of filigree gold, cloisonné-enamelled and with a rock crystal covering, was found in 1693 at Petherton Park, North Petherton. Believed to have been owned by Alfred the Great it is thought to have been the handle for a pointer that would have fit into the hole at its base and been used while reading a book.

 

Monasteries and minster churches were set up all over Somerset, with daughter churches from the minsters in manors. There was a royal palace at Cheddar, which was used at times in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot, and there is likely to have been a "central place" at Somerton, Bath, Glastonbury and Frome since the kings visited them. The towns of Somerset seem to have been in occupation in this period though evidence for this is limited because of subsequent buildings on top of remains from this period. Agriculture flourished in this period, with a re-organisation into centralised villages in the latter part in the east of the county.

 

In the period before the Norman Conquest, Somerset came under the control of Godwin, Earl of Wessex, and his family. There seems to have been some Danish settlement at Thurloxton and Spaxton, judging from the place-names. After the Norman Conquest, the county was divided into 700 fiefs, and large areas were owned by the crown, with fortifications such as Dunster Castle used for control and defence.

 

This period of Somerset's history is well documented, for example in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and Asser's Life of Alfred.

 

This is the period from 1066 to around 1500. Following the defeat of the Saxons by the Normans in 1066, various castles were set up in Somerset by the new lords such as that at Dunster, and the manors was awarded to followers of William the Conqueror such as William de Moyon and Walter of Douai. Somerset does not seem to have played much part in the civil war in King Stephen's time, but Somerset lords were main players in the murder of Thomas Becket.

 

A good picture of the county in 1086 is given by Domesday Book, though there is some difficulty in identifying the various places since the hundreds are not specified. The total population given for the county, which had different boundaries to those today, was 13,399, however this only included the heads of households, so with their families this may have been around 67,000. Farming seems to have prospered for the next three centuries but was severely hit by the Black Death which in 1348 arrived in Dorset and quickly spread through Somerset, causing widespread mortality, perhaps as much as 50% in places. It re-occurred, resulting in a change in feudal practices since the manpower was no longer so available.

 

Reclamation of land from marsh in the Somerset Levels increased, largely under monastic influence. Crafts and industries also flourished, the Somerset woollen industry being one of the largest in England at this time. "New towns" were founded in this period in Somerset, i.e. Newport, but were not successful. Coal mining on the Mendips was an important source of wealth while quarrying also took place, an example is near Bath.

 

The towns grew, again often by monastic instigation, during this period and fairs were started. The church was very powerful at this period, particularly Glastonbury Abbey. After their church burnt down, the monks there "discovered" the tomb of "King Arthur" and were able rebuild their church. There were over 20 monasteries in Somerset at this period including the priory at Hinton Charterhouse which was founded in 1232 by Ela, Countess of Salisbury who also founded Lacock Abbey. Many parish churches were re-built in this period. Between 1107 and 1129 William Giffard the Chancellor of King Henry I, converted the bishop's hall in Taunton into Taunton Castle. Bridgwater Castle was built in 1202 by William Brewer. It passed to the king in 1233 and in 1245 repairs were ordered to its motte and towers. During the 11th century Second Barons' War against Henry III, Bridgwater was held by the barons against the King. In the English Civil War the town and the castle were held by the Royalists under Colonel Sir Francis Wyndham. Eventually, with many buildings destroyed in the town, the castle and its valuable contents were surrendered to the Parliamentarians. The castle itself was deliberately destroyed in 1645.

 

During the Middle Ages sheep farming for the wool trade came to dominate the economy of Exmoor. The wool was spun into thread on isolated farms and collected by merchants to be woven, fulled, dyed and finished in thriving towns such as Dunster. The land started to be enclosed and from the 17th century onwards larger estates developed, leading to establishment of areas of large regular shaped fields. During this period a Royal Forest and hunting ground was established, administered by the Warden. The Royal Forest was sold off in 1818.

 

In the medieval period the River Parrett was used to transport Hamstone from the quarry at Ham Hill, Bridgwater was part of the Port of Bristol until the Port of Bridgwater was created in 1348, covering 80 miles (130 km) of the Somerset coast line, from the Devon border to the mouth of the River Axe. Historically, the main port on the river was at Bridgwater; the river being bridged at this point, with the first bridge being constructed in 1200 AD. Quays were built in 1424; with another quay, the Langport slip, being built in 1488 upstream of the Town Bridge. A Customs House was sited at Bridgwater, on West Quay; and a dry dock, launching slips and a boat yard on East Quay. The river was navigable, with care, to Bridgwater Town Bridge by 400 to 500 tonnes (440 to 550 tons) vessels. By trans-shipping into barges at the Town Bridge the Parrett was navigable as far as Langport and (via the River Yeo) to Ilchester.

 

This is the period from around 1500 to 1800. In the 1530s, the monasteries were dissolved and their lands bought from the king by various important families in Somerset. By 1539, Glastonbury Abbey was the only monastery left, its abbot Richard Whiting was then arrested and executed on the orders of Thomas Cromwell. From the Tudor to the Georgian times, farming specialised and techniques improved, leading to increases in population, although no new towns seem to have been founded. Large country houses such as at Hinton St George and Montacute House were built at this time.

 

The Bristol Channel floods of 1607 are believed to have affected large parts of the Somerset Levels with flooding up to 8 feet (2 m) above sea level. In 1625, a House of Correction was established in Shepton Mallet and, today, HMP Shepton Mallet is England's oldest prison still in use.

 

During the English Civil War, Somerset was largely Parliamentarian, although Dunster was a Royalist stronghold. The county was the site of important battles between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians, notably the Battle of Lansdowne in 1643 and the Battle of Langport in 1645. The castle changed hands several times during 1642–45 along with the town. During the Siege of Taunton it was defended by Robert Blake, from July 1644 to July 1645. This war resulted in castles being destroyed to prevent their re-use.

 

In 1685, the Duke of Monmouth led the Monmouth Rebellion in which Somerset people fought against James II. The rebels landed at Lyme Regis and travelled north hoping to capture Bristol and Bath, puritan soldiers damaged the west front of Wells Cathedral, tore lead from the roof to make bullets, broke the windows, smashed the organ and the furnishings, and for a time stabled their horses in the nave. They were defeated in the Battle of Sedgemoor at Westonzoyland, the last battle fought on English soil. The Bloody Assizes which followed saw the losers being sentenced to death or transportation.

 

The Society of Friends established itself in Street in the mid-17th century, and among the close-knit group of Quaker families were the Clarks: Cyrus started a business in sheepskin rugs, later joined by his brother James, who introduced the production of woollen slippers and, later, boots and shoes. C&J Clark still has its headquarters in Street, but shoes are no longer manufactured there. Instead, in 1993, redundant factory buildings were converted to form Clarks Village, the first purpose-built factory outlet in the United Kingdom.

 

The 18th century was largely one of peace and declining industrial prosperity in Somerset. The Industrial Revolution in the Midlands and Northern England spelt the end for most of Somerset's cottage industries. However, farming continued to flourish, with the Bath and West of England Agricultural Society being founded in 1777 to improve methods. John Billingsley conducted a survey of the county's agriculture in 1795 but found that methods could still be improved.

 

Arthur Wellesley took his title, Duke of Wellington from the town of Wellington. He is commemorated on a nearby hill with a large, spotlit obelisk, known as the Wellington Monument.

 

In north Somerset, mining in the Somerset coalfield was an important industry, and in an effort to reduce the cost of transporting the coal the Somerset Coal Canal was built; part of it was later converted into a railway. Other canals included the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, Westport Canal, Grand Western Canal, Glastonbury Canal and Chard Canal.[9] The Dorset and Somerset Canal was proposed, but very little of it was ever constructed.

 

The 19th century saw improvements to Somerset's roads with the introduction of turnpikes and the building of canals and railways. The usefulness of the canals was short-lived, though they have now been restored for recreation. The railways were nationalised after the Second World War, but continued until 1965, when smaller lines were scrapped; two were transferred back to private ownership as "heritage" lines.

 

In 1889, Somerset County Council was created, replacing the administrative functions of the Quarter Sessions.

 

The population of Somerset has continued to grow since 1800, when it was 274,000, particularly in the seaside towns such as Weston-super-Mare. Some population decline occurred earlier in the period in the villages, but this has now been reversed, and by 1951 the population of Somerset was 551,000.

 

Chard claims to be the birthplace of powered flight, as it was here in 1848 that the Victorian aeronautical pioneer John Stringfellow first demonstrated that engine-powered flight was possible through his work on the Aerial Steam Carriage. North Petherton was the first town in England (and one of the few ever) to be lit by acetylene gas lighting, supplied by the North Petherton Rosco Acetylene Company. Street lights were provided in 1906. Acetylene was replaced in 1931 by coal gas produced in Bridgwater, as well as by the provision of an electricity supply.

 

Around the 1860s, at the height of the iron and steel era, a pier and a deep-water dock were built, at Portishead, by the Bristol & Portishead Pier and Railway to accommodate the large ships that had difficulty in reaching Bristol Harbour. The Portishead power stations were coal-fed power stations built next to the dock. Construction work started on Portishead "A" power station in 1926. It began generating electricity in 1929 for the Bristol Corporation's Electricity Department. In 1951, Albright and Wilson built a chemical works on the opposite side of the dock from the power stations. The chemical works produced white phosphorus from phosphate rock imported, through the docks, into the UK. The onset of new generating capacity at Pembroke (oil-fired) and Didcot (coal-fired) in the mid-1970s brought about the closure of the older, less efficient "A" Station. The newer of the two power stations ("B" Station) was converted to burn oil when the Somerset coalfields closed. Industrial activities ceased in the dock with the closure of the power stations. The Port of Bristol Authority finally closed the dock in 1992, and it has now been developed into a marina and residential area.

 

During the First World War hundreds of Somerset soldiers were killed, and war memorials were put up in most of the towns and villages; only a few villages escaped casualties. There were also casualties – though much fewer – during the Second World War, who were added to the memorials. The county was a base for troops preparing for the 1944 D-Day landings, and some Somerset hospitals still date partly from that time. The Royal Ordnance Factory ROF Bridgwater was constructed early in World War II for the Ministry of Supply. It was designed as an Explosive ROF, to produce RDX, which was then a new experimental high-explosive. It obtained water supplies from two sources via the Somerset Levels: the artificial Huntspill River which was dug during the construction of the factory and also from the King's Sedgemoor Drain, which was widened at the same time. The Taunton Stop Line was set up to resist a potential German invasion, and the remains of its pill boxes can still be seen, as well as others along the coast. A decoy town was constructed on Black Down, intended to represent the blazing lights of a town which had neglected to follow the black-out regulations. Sites in the county housed Prisoner of War camps including: Norton Fitzwarren, Barwick, Brockley, Goathurst and Wells. Various airfields were built or converted from civilian use including: RNAS Charlton Horethorne (HMS Heron II), RAF Weston-super-Mare, RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Yeovil/Westland Airport, RAF Weston Zoyland, RAF Merryfield, RAF Culmhead and RAF Charmy Down.

 

Exmoor was one of the first British National Parks, designated in 1954, under the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act. and is named after its main river. It was expanded in 1991 and in 1993 Exmoor was designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area. The Quantock Hills were designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1956, the first such designation in England under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. The Mendip Hills followed with AONB designation in 1972.

 

Hinkley Point A nuclear power station was a Magnox power station constructed between 1957 and 1962 and operating until ceasing generation in 2000. Hinkley Point B is an Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) which was designed to generate 1250 MW of electricity (MWe). Construction of Hinkley Point B started in 1967. In September 2008 it was announced, by Électricité de France (EDF), that a third, twin-unit European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) power station known as Hinkley Point C is planned, to replace Hinkley Point B which was due for closure in 2016, but has now has its life extended until 2022.

 

Somerset today has only two small cities, Bath and Wells, and only small towns in comparison with other areas of England. Tourism is a major source of employment along the coast, and in Bath and Cheddar for example. Other attractions include Exmoor, West Somerset Railway, Haynes Motor Museum and the Fleet Air Arm Museum as well as the churches and the various National Trust and English Heritage properties in Somerset.

 

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 number of apple orchards has reduced.

 

In the late 19th century the boundaries of Somerset were slightly altered, but the main change came in 1974 when the county of Avon was set up. The northern part of Somerset was removed from the administrative control of Somerset County Council. On abolition of the county of Avon in 1996, these areas became separate administrative authorities, "North Somerset" and "Bath and North East Somerset". The Department for Communities and Local Government was considering a proposal by Somerset County Council to change Somerset's administrative structure by abolishing the five districts to create a Somerset unitary authority. The changes were planned to be implemented no later than 1 April 2009. However, support for the county council's bid was not guaranteed and opposition among the district council and local population was strong; 82% of people responding to a referendum organised by the five district councils rejected the proposals. It was confirmed in July 2007 that the government had rejected the proposals for unitary authorities in Somerset, and that the present two-tier arrangements of Somerset County Council and the district councils will remain.

Cheddar is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Somerset. It is situated on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills, 9 miles (14 km) north-west of Wells, 11 miles (18 km) south-east of Weston-super-Mare and 18 miles (29 km) south-west of Bristol. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Nyland and Bradley Cross. The parish had a population of 5,755 in 2011 and an acreage of 8,592 acres (3,477 ha) as of 1961.

 

Cheddar Gorge, on the northern edge of the village, is the largest gorge in the United Kingdom and includes several show caves, including Gough's Cave. The gorge has been a centre of human settlement since Neolithic times, including a Saxon palace. It has a temperate climate and provides a unique geological and biological environment that has been recognised by the designation of several Sites of Special Scientific Interest. It is also the site of several limestone quarries. The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese and has been a centre for strawberry growing. The crop was formerly transported on the Cheddar Valley rail line, which closed in the late 1960s and is now a cycle path. The village is now a major tourist destination with several cultural and community facilities, including the Cheddar Show Caves Museum.

 

The village supports a variety of community groups including religious, sporting and cultural organisations. Several of these are based on the site of the Kings of Wessex Academy, which is the largest educational establishment.

 

The name Cheddar comes from the Old English word ceodor, meaning deep dark cavity or pouch.

 

There is evidence of occupation from the Neolithic period in Cheddar. Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be 9,000 years old, was found in Cheddar Gorge in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. There is some evidence of a Bronze Age field system at the Batts Combe quarry site. There is also evidence of Bronze Age barrows at the mound in the Longwood valley, which if man-made it is likely to be a field system. The remains of a Roman villa have been excavated in the grounds of the current vicarage.

 

The village of Cheddar had been important during the Roman and Saxon eras. There was a royal palace at Cheddar during the Saxon period, which was used on three occasions in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot. The ruins of the palace were excavated in the 1960s. They are located on the grounds of the Kings of Wessex Academy, together with a 14th-century chapel dedicated to St. Columbanus. Roman remains have also been uncovered at the site. Cheddar was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Ceder, meaning "Shear Water", from the Old English scear and Old Welsh dŵr. An alternative spelling in earlier documents, common through the 1850s is Chedder.

 

As early as 1130 AD, the Cheddar Gorge was recognised as one of the "Four wonders of England". Historically, Cheddar's source of wealth was farming and cheese making for which it was famous as early as 1170 AD. The parish was part of the Winterstoke Hundred.

 

The manor of Cheddar was deforested in 1337 and Bishop Ralph was granted a licence by the King to create a hunting forest.

 

As early as 1527 there are records of watermills on the river. In the 17th and 18th centuries, there were several watermills which ground corn and made paper, with 13 mills on the Yeo at the peak, declining to seven by 1791 and just three by 1915. In the Victorian era it also became a centre for the production of clothing. The last mill, used as a shirt factory, closed in the early 1950s.

 

William Wilberforce saw the poor conditions of the locals when he visited Cheddar in 1789. He inspired Hannah More in her work to improve the conditions of the Mendip miners and agricultural workers. In 1801, 4,400 acres (18 km2) of common land were enclosed under the Inclosure Acts.

 

Tourism of the Cheddar gorge and caves began with the opening of the Cheddar Valley Railway in 1869.

 

Cheddar, its surrounding villages and specifically the gorge has been subject to flooding. In the Chew Stoke flood of 1968 the flow of water washed large boulders down the gorge, washed away cars, and damaged the cafe and the entrance to Gough's Cave.

 

Cheddar is recognised as a village. The adjacent settlement of Axbridge, although only about a third the population of Cheddar, is a town. This apparently illogical situation is explained by the relative importance of the two places in historic times. While Axbridge grew in importance as a centre for cloth manufacturing in the Tudor period and gained a charter from King John, Cheddar remained a more dispersed mining and dairy-farming village. Its population grew with the arrival of the railways in the Victorian era and the advent of tourism.

 

The parish council, which has 15 members who are elected for four years, is responsible 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 evaluates local planning applications and works with the police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, 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 the responsibility of the council.

 

The village is in the 'Cheddar and Shipham' electoral ward. After including Shipham the total population of the ward taken at the 2011 census is 6,842.

 

For local government purposes, since 1 April 2023, the village comes under the unitary authority of Somerset Council. Prior to this, it was part of the non-metropolitan district of Sedgemoor, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Axbridge Rural District. Fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the South Western Ambulance Service.

 

It is also part of the Wells county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. Prior to Brexit in 2020, it was part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.

 

Cheddar is twinned with Felsberg, Germany and Vernouillet, France, and it has an active programme of exchange visits. Initially, Cheddar twinned with Felsberg in 1984. In 2000, Cheddar twinned with Vernouillet, which had also been twinned with Felsberg. Cheddar also has a friendship link with Ocho Rios in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica.

 

It is also twinned with the commune of Descartes in the Indre-et-Loire department.

 

The area is underlain by Black Rock slate, Burrington Oolite and Clifton Down Limestone of the Carboniferous Limestone Series, which contain ooliths and fossil debris on top of Old Red Sandstone, and by Dolomitic Conglomerate of the Keuper. Evidence for Variscan orogeny is seen in the sheared rock and cleaved shales. In many places weathering of these strata has resulted in the formation of immature calcareous soils.

 

Cheddar Gorge, which is located on the edge of the village, is the largest gorge in the United Kingdom. The gorge is the site of the Cheddar Caves, where Cheddar Man was found in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. The caves, produced by the activity of an underground river, contain stalactites and stalagmites. Gough's Cave, which was discovered in 1903, leads around 400 m (437 yd) into the rock-face, and contains a variety of large rock chambers and formations. Cox's Cave, discovered in 1837, is smaller but contains many intricate formations. A further cave houses a children's entertainment walk known as the "Crystal Quest".

 

Cheddar Gorge, including Cox's Cave, Gough's Cave and other attractions, has become a tourist destination, attracting about 500,000 visitors per year. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, following its appearance on the 2005 television programme Seven Natural Wonders, Cheddar Gorge was named as the second greatest natural wonder in Britain, surpassed only by the Dan yr Ogof caves.

 

There are several large and unique Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) around the village.

 

Cheddar Reservoir is a near-circular artificial reservoir operated by Bristol Water. Dating from the 1930s, it has a capacity of 135 million gallons (614,000 cubic metres). The reservoir is supplied with water taken from the Cheddar Yeo, which rises in Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge and is a tributary of the River Axe. The inlet grate for the 54-inch (1.4 m) water pipe that is used to transport the water can be seen next to the sensory garden in Cheddar Gorge. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its wintering waterfowl populations.

 

Cheddar Wood and the smaller Macall's Wood form a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest from what remains of the wood of the Bishops of Bath and Wells in the 13th century and of King Edmund the Magnificent's wood in the 10th. During the 19th century, its lower fringes were grubbed out to make strawberry fields. Most of these have been allowed to revert to woodland. The wood was coppiced until 1917. This site compromises a wide range of habitats which include ancient and secondary semi-natural broadleaved woodland, unimproved neutral grassland, and a complex mosaic of calcareous grassland and acidic dry dwarf-shrub heath. Cheddar Wood is one of only a few English stations for starved wood-sedge (Carex depauperata). Purple gromwell (Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum), a nationally rare plant, also grows in the wood. Butterflies include silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia), dark green fritillary (Argynnis aglaja), pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne), holly blue (Celastrina argiolus) and brown argus (Aricia agestis). The slug Arion fasciatus, which has a restricted distribution in the south of England, and the soldier beetle Cantharis fusca also occur.

 

By far the largest of the SSSIs is called Cheddar Complex and covers 441.3 hectares (1,090.5 acres) of the gorge, caves and the surrounding area. It is important because of both biological and geological features. It includes four SSSIs, formerly known as Cheddar Gorge SSSI, August Hole/Longwood Swallet SSSI, GB Cavern Charterhouse SSSI and Charterhouse on-Mendip SSSI. It is partly owned by the National Trust who acquired it in 1910 and partly managed by the Somerset Wildlife Trust.

 

Close to the village and gorge are Batts Combe quarry and Callow Rock quarry, two of the active Quarries of the Mendip Hills where limestone is still extracted. Operating since the early 20th century, Batts Combe is owned and operated by Hanson Aggregates. The output in 2005 was around 4,000 tonnes of limestone per day, one third of which was supplied to an on-site lime kiln, which closed in 2009; the remainder was sold as coated or dusted aggregates. The limestone at this site is close to 99 percent carbonate of calcium and magnesium (dolomite).

 

The Chelmscombe Quarry finished its work as a limestone quarry in the 1950s and was then used by the Central Electricity Generating Board as a tower testing station. During the 1970s and 1980s it was also used to test the ability of containers of radioactive material to withstand impacts and other accidents.

 

Along with the rest of South West England, Cheddar has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country. The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50.0 °F). Seasonal temperature variation is less extreme than most of the United Kingdom because of the adjacent sea, which moderates temperature. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately 21 °C (69.8 °F). In winter mean minimum temperatures of 1 °C (33.8 °F) or 2 °C (35.6 °F) are common. In the summer the Azores high-pressure system affects the south-west of England. Convective cloud sometimes forms inland, reducing the number of hours of sunshine; annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600 hours. Most of the rainfall in the south-west is caused by Atlantic depressions or by convection. Most of the rainfall in autumn and winter is caused by the Atlantic depressions, which are most active during those seasons. In summer, a large proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. Average rainfall is around 700 mm (28 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall per year is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west.

 

The parish has a population in 2011 of 5,093, with a mean age of 43 years. Residents lived in 2,209 households. The vast majority of households (2,183) gave their ethnic status at the 2001 census as white.

 

The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese, which is the most popular type of cheese in the United Kingdom. The cheese is now made and consumed worldwide, and only one producer remains in the village.

 

Since the 1880s, Cheddar's other main produce has been the strawberry, which is grown on the south-facing lower slopes of the Mendip hills. As a consequence of its use for transporting strawberries to market, the since-closed Cheddar Valley line became known as The Strawberry Line after it opened in 1869. The line ran from Yatton to Wells. When the rest of the line was closed and all passenger services ceased, the section of the line between Cheddar and Yatton remained open for goods traffic. It provided a fast link with the main markets for the strawberries in Birmingham and London, but finally closed in 1964, becoming part of the Cheddar Valley Railway Nature Reserve.

 

Cheddar Ales is a small brewery based in the village, producing beer for local public houses.

 

Tourism is a significant source of employment. Around 15 percent of employment in Sedgemoor is provided by tourism, but within Cheddar it is estimated to employ as many as 1,000 people. The village also has a youth hostel, and a number of camping and caravan sites.

 

Cheddar has a number of active service clubs including Cheddar Vale Lions Club, Mendip Rotary and Mendip Inner Wheel Club. The clubs raise money for projects in the local community and hold annual events such as a fireworks display, duck races in the Gorge, a dragon boat race on the reservoir and concerts on the grounds of the nearby St Michael's Cheshire Home.

 

Several notable people have been born or lived in Cheddar. Musician Jack Bessant, the bass guitarist with the band Reef grew up on his parents' strawberry farm, and Matt Goss and Luke Goss, former members of Bros, lived in Cheddar for nine months as children. Trina Gulliver, ten-time World Professional Darts Champion, previously lived in Cheddar until 2017. The comedian Richard Herring grew up in Cheddar. His 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, The Headmaster's Son is based on his time at The Kings of Wessex School, where his father Keith was the headmaster. The final performance of this show was held at the school in November 2009. He also visited the school in March 2010 to perform his show Hitler Moustache. In May 2013, a community radio station called Pulse was launched.

 

The market cross in Bath Street dates from the 15th century, with the shelter having been rebuilt in 1834. It has a central octagonal pier, a socket raised on four steps, a hexagonal shelter with six arched four-centred openings, shallow two-stage buttresses at each angle, and an embattled parapet. The shaft is crowned by an abacus with figures in niches, probably from the late 19th century, although the cross is now missing. It was rebuilt by Thomas, Marquess of Bath. It is a scheduled monument (Somerset County No 21) and Grade II* listed building.

 

In January 2000, the cross was seriously damaged in a traffic accident. By 2002, the cross had been rebuilt and the area around it was redesigned to protect and enhance its appearance. The cross was badly damaged again in March 2012, when a taxi crashed into it late at night demolishing two sides. Repair work, which included the addition of wooden-clad steel posts to protect against future crashes, was completed in November 2012 at a cost of £60,000.

 

Hannah More, a philanthropist and educator, founded a school in the village in the late 18th century for the children of miners. Her first school was located in a 17th-century house. Now named "Hannah More's Cottage", the Grade II-listed building is used by the local community as a meeting place.

 

The village is situated on the A371 road which runs from Wincanton, to Weston-super-Mare. It is approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) from the route of the M5 motorway with around a 10 miles (16 km) drive to junction 22.

 

It was on the Cheddar Valley line, a railway line that was opened in 1869 and closed in 1963. It became known as The Strawberry Line because of the large volume of locally-grown strawberries that it carried. It ran from Yatton railway station through Cheddar to Wells (Tucker Street) railway station and joined the East Somerset Railway to make a through route via Shepton Mallet (High Street) railway station to Witham. Sections of the now-disused railway have been opened as the Strawberry Line Trail, which currently runs from Yatton to Cheddar. The Cheddar Valley line survived until the "Beeching Axe". Towards the end of its life there were so few passengers that diesel railcars were sometimes used. The Cheddar branch closed to passengers on 9 September 1963 and to goods in 1964. The line closed in the 1960s, when it became part of the Cheddar Valley Railway Nature Reserve, and part of the National Cycle Network route 26. The cycle route also intersects with the West Mendip Way and various other footpaths.

 

The principal bus route is hourly service 126 between Weston-super-Mare and Wells operated by First West of England. Other bus routes include the service 668 from Shipham to Street which runs every couple of hours operated by Libra Travel, as well as the college bus service 66 which runs from Axbridge to the Bridgwater Campus of Bridgwater and Taunton College in the mornings and evenings of college term times and is operated by Bakers Dolphin.

 

The first school in Cheddar was set up by Hannah More during the 18th Century, however now Cheddar has three schools belonging to the Cheddar Valley Group of Schools, twelve schools that provide Cheddar Valley's three-tier education system. Cheddar First School has ten classes for children between 4 and 9 years. Fairlands Middle School, a middle school categorised as a middle-deemed-secondary school, has 510 pupils between 9 and 13. Fairlands takes children moving up from Cheddar First School as well as other first schools in the Cheddar Valley. The Kings of Wessex Academy, a coeducational comprehensive school, has been rated as "good" by Ofsted. It has 1,176 students aged 13 to 18, including 333 in the sixth form. Kings is a faith school linked to the Church of England. It was awarded the specialist status of Technology College in 2001, enabling it to develop its Information Technology (IT) facilities and improve courses in science, mathematics and design technology. In 2007 it became a foundation school, giving it more control over its own finances. The academy owns and runs a sports centre and swimming pool, Kings Fitness & Leisure, with facilities that are used by students as well as residents. It has since November 2016 been a part of the Wessex Learning Trust which incorporates eight academies from the surrounding area.

 

The Church of St Andrew dates from the 14th century. It was restored in 1873 by William Butterfield. It is a Grade I listed building and contains some 15th-century stained glass and an altar table of 1631. The chest tomb in the chancel is believed to contain the remains of Sir Thomas Cheddar and is dated 1442. The tower, which rises to 100 feet (30 m), contains a bell dating from 1759 made by Thomas Bilbie of the Bilbie family. The graveyard contains the grave of the hymn writer William Chatterton Dix.

 

There are also churches for Roman Catholic, Methodist and other denominations, including Cheddar Valley Community Church, who not only meet at the Kings of Wessex School on Sunday, but also have their own site on Tweentown for meeting during the week. The Baptist chapel was built in 1831.

 

Kings Fitness & Leisure, situated on the grounds of the Kings of Wessex School, provides a venue for various sports and includes a 20-metre swimming pool, racket sport courts, a sports hall, dance studios and a gym. A youth sports festival was held on Sharpham Road Playing Fields in 2009. In 2010 a skatepark was built in the village, funded by the Cheddar Local Action Team.

 

Cheddar A.F.C., founded in 1892 and nicknamed "The Cheesemen",[111] play in the Western Football League Division One. In 2009 plans were revealed to move the club from its present home at Bowdens Park on Draycott Road to a new larger site.

 

Cheddar Cricket Club was formed in the late 19th century and moved to Sharpham Road Playing Fields in 1964. They now play in the West of England Premier League Somerset Division. Cheddar Rugby Club, who own part of the Sharpham playing fields, was formed in 1836. The club organises an annual Cheddar Rugby Tournament. Cheddar Lawn Tennis Club, was formed in 1924, and play in the North Somerset League and also has social tennis and coaching. Cheddar Running Club organised an annual half marathon until 2009.

 

The village is both on the route of the West Mendip Way and Samaritans Way South West.

 

Somerset 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.

 

The centre of Somerset is dominated by the Levels, a coastal plain and wetland, and the north-east and west of the county are hilly. The north-east contains part of the Cotswolds AONB, all of the Mendip Hills AONB, and a small part of Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB; the west contains the Quantock Hills AONB, a majority of Exmoor National Park, and part of the Blackdown Hills AONB. The main rivers in 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.

 

Somerset is a historic county in the south west of England. There is evidence of human occupation since prehistoric times with hand axes and flint points from the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic eras, and a range of burial mounds, hill forts and other artefacts dating from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. The oldest dated human road work in Great Britain is the Sweet Track, constructed across the Somerset Levels with wooden planks in the 39th century BCE.

 

Following the Roman Empire's invasion of southern 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 Early Medieval period Somerset was the scene of battles between the Anglo-Saxons and first the Britons and later the Danes. In this period it was ruled first by various kings of Wessex, and later by kings of England. Following the defeat of the Anglo-Saxon monarchy 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 are based 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.

 

The Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods saw hunter-gatherers move into the region of Somerset. There is evidence from flint artefacts in a quarry at Westbury that an ancestor of modern man, possibly Homo heidelbergensis, was present in the area from around 500,000 years ago. There is still some doubt about whether the artefacts are of human origin but they have been dated within Oxygen Isotope Stage 13 (524,000 – 478,000 BP). Other experts suggest that "many of the bone-rich Middle Pleistocene deposits belong to a single but climatically variable interglacial that succeeded the Cromerian, perhaps about 500,000 years ago. Detailed analysis of the origin and modification of the flint artefacts leads to the conclusion that the assemblage was probably a product of geomorphological processes rather than human work, but a single cut-marked bone suggests a human presence." Animal bones and artefacts unearthed in the 1980s at Westbury-sub-Mendip, in Somerset, have shown evidence of early human activity approximately 700,000 years ago.

 

Homo sapiens sapiens, or modern man, came to Somerset during the Early Upper Palaeolithic. There is evidence of occupation of four Mendip caves 35,000 to 30,000 years ago. During the Last Glacial Maximum, about 25,000 to 15,000 years ago, it is probable that Somerset was deserted as the area experienced tundra conditions. Evidence was found in Gough's Cave of deposits of human bone dating from around 12,500 years ago. The bones were defleshed and probably ritually buried though perhaps related to cannibalism being practised in the area at the time or making skull cups or storage containers. Somerset was one of the first areas of future England settled following the end of Younger Dryas phase of the last ice age c. 8000 BC. Cheddar Man is the name given to the remains of a human male found in Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge. He is Britain's oldest complete human skeleton. The remains date from about 7150 BC, and it appears that he died a violent death. Somerset is thought to have been occupied by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers from about 6000 BCE; Mesolithic artefacts have been found in more than 70 locations. Mendip caves were used as burial places, with between 50 and 100 skeletons being found in Aveline's Hole. In the Neolithic era, from about 3500 BCE, there is evidence of farming.

 

At the end of the last ice age the Bristol Channel was dry land, but later the sea level rose, particularly between 1220 and 900 BC and between 800 and 470 BCE, resulting in major coastal changes. The Somerset Levels became flooded, but the dry points such as Glastonbury and Brent Knoll have a long history of settlement, and are known to have been occupied by Mesolithic hunters. The county has prehistoric burial mounds (such as Stoney Littleton Long Barrow), stone rows (such as the circles at Stanton Drew and Priddy) and settlement sites. Evidence of Mesolithic occupation has come both from the upland areas, such as in Mendip caves, and from the low land areas such as the Somerset Levels. Dry points in the latter such as Glastonbury Tor and Brent Knoll, have a long history of settlement with wooden trackways between them. There were also "lake villages" in the marsh such as those at Glastonbury Lake Village and Meare. One of the oldest dated human road work in Britain is the Sweet Track, constructed across the Somerset Levels with wooden planks in the 39th century BC, partially on the route of the even earlier Post Track.

 

There is evidence of Exmoor's human occupation from Mesolithic times onwards. In the Neolithic period people started to manage animals and grow crops on farms cleared from the woodland, rather than act purely as hunter gatherers. It is also likely that extraction and smelting of mineral ores to make tools, weapons, containers and ornaments in bronze and then iron started in the late Neolithic and into the Bronze and Iron Ages.

 

The caves of the Mendip Hills were settled during the Neolithic period and contain extensive archaeological sites such as those at Cheddar Gorge. There are numerous Iron Age Hill Forts, which were later reused in the Dark Ages, such as Cadbury Castle, Worlebury Camp and Ham Hill. The age of the henge monument at Stanton Drew stone circles is unknown, but is believed to be from the Neolithic period. There is evidence of mining on the Mendip Hills back into the late Bronze Age when there were technological changes in metal working indicated by the use of lead. There are numerous "hill forts", such as Small Down Knoll, Solsbury Hill, Dolebury Warren and Burledge Hill, which seem to have had domestic purposes, not just a defensive role. They generally seem to have been occupied intermittently from the Bronze Age onward, some, such as Cadbury Camp at South Cadbury, being refurbished during different eras. Battlegore Burial Chamber is a Bronze Age burial chamber at Williton which is composed of three round barrows and possibly a long, chambered barrow.

 

The Iron Age tribes of later Somerset were the Dobunni in north Somerset, Durotriges in south Somerset and Dumnonii in west Somerset. The first and second produced coins, the finds of which allows their tribal areas to be suggested, but the latter did not. All three had a Celtic culture and language. However, Ptolemy stated that Bath was in the territory of the Belgae, but this may be a mistake. The Celtic gods were worshipped at the temple of Sulis at Bath and possibly the temple on Brean Down. Iron Age sites on the Quantock Hills, include major hill forts at Dowsborough and Ruborough, as well as smaller earthwork enclosures, such as Trendle Ring, Elworthy Barrows and Plainsfield Camp.

 

Somerset was part of the Roman Empire from 47 AD to about 409 AD. However, the end was not abrupt and elements of Romanitas lingered on for perhaps a century.

 

Somerset was invaded from the south-east by the Second Legion Augusta, under the future emperor Vespasian. The hillforts of the Durotriges at Ham Hill and Cadbury Castle were captured. Ham Hill probably had a temporary Roman occupation. The massacre at Cadbury Castle seems to have been associated with the later Boudiccan Revolt of 60–61 AD. The county remained part of the Roman Empire until around 409 AD.

 

The Roman invasion, and possibly the preceding period of involvement in the internal affairs of the south of England, was inspired in part by the potential of the Mendip Hills. A great deal of the attraction of the lead mines may have been the potential for the extraction of silver.

 

Forts were set up at Bath and Ilchester. The lead and silver mines at Charterhouse in the Mendip Hills were run by the military. The Romans established a defensive boundary along the new military road known the Fosse Way (from the Latin fossa meaning ditch). The Fosse Way ran through Bath, Shepton Mallet, Ilchester and south-west towards Axminster. The road from Dorchester ran through Yeovil to meet the Fosse Way at Ilchester. Small towns and trading ports were set up, such as Camerton and Combwich. The larger towns decayed in the latter part of the period, though the smaller ones appear to have decayed less. In the latter part of the period, Ilchester seems to have been a "civitas" capital and Bath may also have been one. Particularly to the east of the River Parrett, villas were constructed. However, only a few Roman sites have been found to the west of the river. The villas have produced important mosaics and artifacts. Cemeteries have been found outside the Roman towns of Somerset and by Roman temples such as that at Lamyatt. Romano-British farming settlements, such as those at Catsgore and Sigwells, have been found in Somerset. There was salt production on the Somerset Levels near Highbridge and quarrying took place near Bath, where the Roman Baths gave their name to Bath.

 

Excavations carried out before the flooding of Chew Valley Lake also uncovered Roman remains, indicating agricultural and industrial activity from the second half of the 1st century until the 3rd century AD. The finds included a moderately large villa at Chew Park, where wooden writing tablets (the first in the UK) with ink writing were found. There is also evidence from the Pagans Hill Roman Temple at Chew Stoke. In October 2001 the West Bagborough Hoard of 4th century Roman silver was discovered in West Bagborough. The 681 coins included two denarii from the early 2nd century and 8 Miliarense and 671 Siliqua all dating to the period AD 337 – 367. The majority were struck in the reigns of emperors Constantius II and Julian and derive from a range of mints including Arles and Lyons in France, Trier in Germany and Rome.

 

In April 2010, the Frome Hoard, one of the largest-ever hoards of Roman coins discovered in Britain, was found by a metal detectorist. The hoard of 52,500 coins dated from the 3rd century AD and was found buried in a field near Frome, in a jar 14 inches (36 cm) below the surface. The coins were excavated by archaeologists from the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

 

This is the period from about 409 AD to the start of Saxon political control, which was mainly in the late 7th century, though they are said to have captured the Bath area in 577 AD. Initially the Britons of Somerset seem to have continued much as under the Romans but without the imperial taxation and markets. There was then a period of civil war in Britain though it is not known how this affected Somerset. The Western Wandsdyke may have been constructed in this period but archaeological data shows that it was probably built during the 5th or 6th century. This area became the border between the Romano-British Celts and the West Saxons following the Battle of Deorham in 577 AD. The ditch is on the north side, so presumably it was used by the Celts as a defence against Saxons encroaching from the upper Thames Valley. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the Saxon Cenwalh achieved a breakthrough against the British Celtic tribes, with victories at Bradford-on-Avon (in the Avon Gap in the Wansdyke) in 652 AD, and further south at the Battle of Peonnum (at Penselwood) in 658 AD, followed by an advance west through the Polden Hills to the River Parrett.

 

The Saxon advance from the east seems to have been halted by battles between the British and Saxons, for example; at the siege of Badon Mons Badonicus (which may have been in the Bath region e.g. at Solsbury Hill), or Bathampton Down. During the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries, Somerset was probably partly in the Kingdom of Dumnonia, partly in the land of the Durotriges and partly in that of the Dobunni. The boundaries between these is largely unknown, but may have been similar to those in the Iron Age. Various "tyrants" seem to have controlled territories from reoccupied hill forts. There is evidence of an elite at hill forts such as Cadbury Castle and Cadbury Camp; for example, there is imported pottery. Cemeteries are an important source of evidence for the period and large ones have been found in Somerset, such as that at Cannington, which was used from the Roman to the Saxon period. The towns of Somerset seem to have been little used during that period but there continued to be farming on the villa sites and at the Romano-British villages.

 

There may have been effects from plague and volcanic eruption during this period as well as marine transgression into the Levels.

 

The language spoken during this period is thought to be Southwestern Brythonic, but only one or two inscribed stones survive in Somerset from this period. However, a couple of curse tablets found in the baths at Bath may be in this language. Some place names in Somerset seem to be Celtic in origin and may be from this period or earlier, e.g. Tarnock. Some river names, such as Parrett, may be Celtic or pre-Celtic. The religion of the people of Somerset in this period is thought to be Christian but it was isolated from Rome until after the Council of Hertford in 673 AD when Aldhelm was asked to write a letter to Geraint of Dumnonia and his bishops. Some church sites in Somerset are thought to date from this period, e.g., Llantokay Street.

 

Most of what is known of the history of this period comes from Gildas's On the Ruin of Britain, which is thought to have been written in Durotrigan territory, possibly at Glastonbury.

 

The earliest fortification of Taunton started for King Ine of Wessex and Æthelburg, in or about the year 710 AD. However, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle this was destroyed 12 years later.

 

This is the period from the late 7th century (for most of Somerset) to 1066, though for part of the 10th and 11th centuries England was under Danish control. Somerset, like Dorset to the south, held the West Saxon advance from Wiltshire/Hampshire back for over a century, remaining a frontier between the Saxons and the Romano-British Celts.

 

The Saxons conquered Bath following the Battle of Deorham in 577, and the border was probably established along the line of the Wansdyke to the north of the Mendip Hills. Then Cenwalh of Wessex broke through at Bradford-on-Avon in 652, and the Battle of Peonnum possibly at Penselwood in 658, advancing west through the Polden Hills to the River Parrett. In 661 the Saxons may have advanced into what is now Devon as a result of a battle fought at Postesburh, possibly Posbury near Crediton.

 

Then in the period 681–85 Centwine of Wessex conquered King Cadwaladr and "advanced as far as the sea", but it is not clear where this was. It is assumed that the Saxons occupied the rest of Somerset about this time. The Saxon rule was consolidated under King Ine, who established a fort at Taunton, demolished by his wife in 722. It is sometimes said that he built palaces at Somerton and South Petherton but this does not seem to be the case. He fought against Geraint in 710. In 705 the diocese of Sherborne was formed, taking in Wessex west of Selwood. Saxon kings granted land in Somerset by charter from the 7th century onward. The way and extent to which the Britons survived under the Saxons is a debatable matter. However, King Ine's laws make provision for Britons. Somerset originally formed part of Wessex and latter became a separate "shire". Somersetshire seems to have been formed within Wessex during the 8th century though it is not recorded as a name until later. Mints were set up at times in various places in Somerset in the Saxon period, e.g., Watchet.

 

Somerset played an important part in defeating the spread of the Danes in the 9th century. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that in 845 Alderman Eanwulf, with the men of Somersetshire (Sumorsǣte), and Bishop Ealstan, and Alderman Osric, with the men of Dorsetshire, conquered the Danish army at the mouth of the Parret. This was the first known use of the name Somersæte. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports that in January 878 the King Alfred the Great fled into the marshes of Somerset from the Viking's invasion and made a fort at Athelney. From the fort Alfred was able to organize a resistance using the local militias from Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire.

 

Viking raids took place for instance in 987 and 997 at Watchet and the Battle of Cynwit. King Alfred was driven to seek refuge from the Danes at Athelney before defeating them at the Battle of Ethandun in 878, usually considered to be near Edington, Wiltshire, but possibly the village of Edington in Somerset. Alfred established a series of forts and lookout posts linked by a military road, or Herepath, so his army could cover Viking movements at sea. The Herepath has a characteristic form which is familiar on the Quantocks: a regulation 20 m wide track between avenues of trees growing from hedge laying embankments. The Herepath ran from the ford on the River Parrett at Combwich, past Cannington hill fort to Over Stowey, where it climbed the Quantocks along the line of the current Stowey road, to Crowcombe Park Gate. Then it went south along the ridge, to Triscombe Stone. One branch may have led past Lydeard Hill and Buncombe Hill, back to Alfred's base at Athelney. The main branch descended the hills at Triscombe, then along the avenue to Red Post Cross, and west to the Brendon Hills and Exmoor. A peace treaty with the Danes was signed at Wedmore and the Danish king Guthrum the Old was baptised at Aller. Burhs (fortified places) had been set up by 919, such as Lyng. The Alfred Jewel, an object about 2.5 inch long, made of filigree gold, cloisonné-enamelled and with a rock crystal covering, was found in 1693 at Petherton Park, North Petherton. Believed to have been owned by Alfred the Great it is thought to have been the handle for a pointer that would have fit into the hole at its base and been used while reading a book.

 

Monasteries and minster churches were set up all over Somerset, with daughter churches from the minsters in manors. There was a royal palace at Cheddar, which was used at times in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot, and there is likely to have been a "central place" at Somerton, Bath, Glastonbury and Frome since the kings visited them. The towns of Somerset seem to have been in occupation in this period though evidence for this is limited because of subsequent buildings on top of remains from this period. Agriculture flourished in this period, with a re-organisation into centralised villages in the latter part in the east of the county.

 

In the period before the Norman Conquest, Somerset came under the control of Godwin, Earl of Wessex, and his family. There seems to have been some Danish settlement at Thurloxton and Spaxton, judging from the place-names. After the Norman Conquest, the county was divided into 700 fiefs, and large areas were owned by the crown, with fortifications such as Dunster Castle used for control and defence.

 

This period of Somerset's history is well documented, for example in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and Asser's Life of Alfred.

 

This is the period from 1066 to around 1500. Following the defeat of the Saxons by the Normans in 1066, various castles were set up in Somerset by the new lords such as that at Dunster, and the manors was awarded to followers of William the Conqueror such as William de Moyon and Walter of Douai. Somerset does not seem to have played much part in the civil war in King Stephen's time, but Somerset lords were main players in the murder of Thomas Becket.

 

A good picture of the county in 1086 is given by Domesday Book, though there is some difficulty in identifying the various places since the hundreds are not specified. The total population given for the county, which had different boundaries to those today, was 13,399, however this only included the heads of households, so with their families this may have been around 67,000. Farming seems to have prospered for the next three centuries but was severely hit by the Black Death which in 1348 arrived in Dorset and quickly spread through Somerset, causing widespread mortality, perhaps as much as 50% in places. It re-occurred, resulting in a change in feudal practices since the manpower was no longer so available.

 

Reclamation of land from marsh in the Somerset Levels increased, largely under monastic influence. Crafts and industries also flourished, the Somerset woollen industry being one of the largest in England at this time. "New towns" were founded in this period in Somerset, i.e. Newport, but were not successful. Coal mining on the Mendips was an important source of wealth while quarrying also took place, an example is near Bath.

 

The towns grew, again often by monastic instigation, during this period and fairs were started. The church was very powerful at this period, particularly Glastonbury Abbey. After their church burnt down, the monks there "discovered" the tomb of "King Arthur" and were able rebuild their church. There were over 20 monasteries in Somerset at this period including the priory at Hinton Charterhouse which was founded in 1232 by Ela, Countess of Salisbury who also founded Lacock Abbey. Many parish churches were re-built in this period. Between 1107 and 1129 William Giffard the Chancellor of King Henry I, converted the bishop's hall in Taunton into Taunton Castle. Bridgwater Castle was built in 1202 by William Brewer. It passed to the king in 1233 and in 1245 repairs were ordered to its motte and towers. During the 11th century Second Barons' War against Henry III, Bridgwater was held by the barons against the King. In the English Civil War the town and the castle were held by the Royalists under Colonel Sir Francis Wyndham. Eventually, with many buildings destroyed in the town, the castle and its valuable contents were surrendered to the Parliamentarians. The castle itself was deliberately destroyed in 1645.

 

During the Middle Ages sheep farming for the wool trade came to dominate the economy of Exmoor. The wool was spun into thread on isolated farms and collected by merchants to be woven, fulled, dyed and finished in thriving towns such as Dunster. The land started to be enclosed and from the 17th century onwards larger estates developed, leading to establishment of areas of large regular shaped fields. During this period a Royal Forest and hunting ground was established, administered by the Warden. The Royal Forest was sold off in 1818.

 

In the medieval period the River Parrett was used to transport Hamstone from the quarry at Ham Hill, Bridgwater was part of the Port of Bristol until the Port of Bridgwater was created in 1348, covering 80 miles (130 km) of the Somerset coast line, from the Devon border to the mouth of the River Axe. Historically, the main port on the river was at Bridgwater; the river being bridged at this point, with the first bridge being constructed in 1200 AD. Quays were built in 1424; with another quay, the Langport slip, being built in 1488 upstream of the Town Bridge. A Customs House was sited at Bridgwater, on West Quay; and a dry dock, launching slips and a boat yard on East Quay. The river was navigable, with care, to Bridgwater Town Bridge by 400 to 500 tonnes (440 to 550 tons) vessels. By trans-shipping into barges at the Town Bridge the Parrett was navigable as far as Langport and (via the River Yeo) to Ilchester.

 

This is the period from around 1500 to 1800. In the 1530s, the monasteries were dissolved and their lands bought from the king by various important families in Somerset. By 1539, Glastonbury Abbey was the only monastery left, its abbot Richard Whiting was then arrested and executed on the orders of Thomas Cromwell. From the Tudor to the Georgian times, farming specialised and techniques improved, leading to increases in population, although no new towns seem to have been founded. Large country houses such as at Hinton St George and Montacute House were built at this time.

 

The Bristol Channel floods of 1607 are believed to have affected large parts of the Somerset Levels with flooding up to 8 feet (2 m) above sea level. In 1625, a House of Correction was established in Shepton Mallet and, today, HMP Shepton Mallet is England's oldest prison still in use.

 

During the English Civil War, Somerset was largely Parliamentarian, although Dunster was a Royalist stronghold. The county was the site of important battles between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians, notably the Battle of Lansdowne in 1643 and the Battle of Langport in 1645. The castle changed hands several times during 1642–45 along with the town. During the Siege of Taunton it was defended by Robert Blake, from July 1644 to July 1645. This war resulted in castles being destroyed to prevent their re-use.

 

In 1685, the Duke of Monmouth led the Monmouth Rebellion in which Somerset people fought against James II. The rebels landed at Lyme Regis and travelled north hoping to capture Bristol and Bath, puritan soldiers damaged the west front of Wells Cathedral, tore lead from the roof to make bullets, broke the windows, smashed the organ and the furnishings, and for a time stabled their horses in the nave. They were defeated in the Battle of Sedgemoor at Westonzoyland, the last battle fought on English soil. The Bloody Assizes which followed saw the losers being sentenced to death or transportation.

 

The Society of Friends established itself in Street in the mid-17th century, and among the close-knit group of Quaker families were the Clarks: Cyrus started a business in sheepskin rugs, later joined by his brother James, who introduced the production of woollen slippers and, later, boots and shoes. C&J Clark still has its headquarters in Street, but shoes are no longer manufactured there. Instead, in 1993, redundant factory buildings were converted to form Clarks Village, the first purpose-built factory outlet in the United Kingdom.

 

The 18th century was largely one of peace and declining industrial prosperity in Somerset. The Industrial Revolution in the Midlands and Northern England spelt the end for most of Somerset's cottage industries. However, farming continued to flourish, with the Bath and West of England Agricultural Society being founded in 1777 to improve methods. John Billingsley conducted a survey of the county's agriculture in 1795 but found that methods could still be improved.

 

Arthur Wellesley took his title, Duke of Wellington from the town of Wellington. He is commemorated on a nearby hill with a large, spotlit obelisk, known as the Wellington Monument.

 

In north Somerset, mining in the Somerset coalfield was an important industry, and in an effort to reduce the cost of transporting the coal the Somerset Coal Canal was built; part of it was later converted into a railway. Other canals included the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, Westport Canal, Grand Western Canal, Glastonbury Canal and Chard Canal.[9] The Dorset and Somerset Canal was proposed, but very little of it was ever constructed.

 

The 19th century saw improvements to Somerset's roads with the introduction of turnpikes and the building of canals and railways. The usefulness of the canals was short-lived, though they have now been restored for recreation. The railways were nationalised after the Second World War, but continued until 1965, when smaller lines were scrapped; two were transferred back to private ownership as "heritage" lines.

 

In 1889, Somerset County Council was created, replacing the administrative functions of the Quarter Sessions.

 

The population of Somerset has continued to grow since 1800, when it was 274,000, particularly in the seaside towns such as Weston-super-Mare. Some population decline occurred earlier in the period in the villages, but this has now been reversed, and by 1951 the population of Somerset was 551,000.

 

Chard claims to be the birthplace of powered flight, as it was here in 1848 that the Victorian aeronautical pioneer John Stringfellow first demonstrated that engine-powered flight was possible through his work on the Aerial Steam Carriage. North Petherton was the first town in England (and one of the few ever) to be lit by acetylene gas lighting, supplied by the North Petherton Rosco Acetylene Company. Street lights were provided in 1906. Acetylene was replaced in 1931 by coal gas produced in Bridgwater, as well as by the provision of an electricity supply.

 

Around the 1860s, at the height of the iron and steel era, a pier and a deep-water dock were built, at Portishead, by the Bristol & Portishead Pier and Railway to accommodate the large ships that had difficulty in reaching Bristol Harbour. The Portishead power stations were coal-fed power stations built next to the dock. Construction work started on Portishead "A" power station in 1926. It began generating electricity in 1929 for the Bristol Corporation's Electricity Department. In 1951, Albright and Wilson built a chemical works on the opposite side of the dock from the power stations. The chemical works produced white phosphorus from phosphate rock imported, through the docks, into the UK. The onset of new generating capacity at Pembroke (oil-fired) and Didcot (coal-fired) in the mid-1970s brought about the closure of the older, less efficient "A" Station. The newer of the two power stations ("B" Station) was converted to burn oil when the Somerset coalfields closed. Industrial activities ceased in the dock with the closure of the power stations. The Port of Bristol Authority finally closed the dock in 1992, and it has now been developed into a marina and residential area.

 

During the First World War hundreds of Somerset soldiers were killed, and war memorials were put up in most of the towns and villages; only a few villages escaped casualties. There were also casualties – though much fewer – during the Second World War, who were added to the memorials. The county was a base for troops preparing for the 1944 D-Day landings, and some Somerset hospitals still date partly from that time. The Royal Ordnance Factory ROF Bridgwater was constructed early in World War II for the Ministry of Supply. It was designed as an Explosive ROF, to produce RDX, which was then a new experimental high-explosive. It obtained water supplies from two sources via the Somerset Levels: the artificial Huntspill River which was dug during the construction of the factory and also from the King's Sedgemoor Drain, which was widened at the same time. The Taunton Stop Line was set up to resist a potential German invasion, and the remains of its pill boxes can still be seen, as well as others along the coast. A decoy town was constructed on Black Down, intended to represent the blazing lights of a town which had neglected to follow the black-out regulations. Sites in the county housed Prisoner of War camps including: Norton Fitzwarren, Barwick, Brockley, Goathurst and Wells. Various airfields were built or converted from civilian use including: RNAS Charlton Horethorne (HMS Heron II), RAF Weston-super-Mare, RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Yeovil/Westland Airport, RAF Weston Zoyland, RAF Merryfield, RAF Culmhead and RAF Charmy Down.

 

Exmoor was one of the first British National Parks, designated in 1954, under the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act. and is named after its main river. It was expanded in 1991 and in 1993 Exmoor was designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area. The Quantock Hills were designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1956, the first such designation in England under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. The Mendip Hills followed with AONB designation in 1972.

 

Hinkley Point A nuclear power station was a Magnox power station constructed between 1957 and 1962 and operating until ceasing generation in 2000. Hinkley Point B is an Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) which was designed to generate 1250 MW of electricity (MWe). Construction of Hinkley Point B started in 1967. In September 2008 it was announced, by Électricité de France (EDF), that a third, twin-unit European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) power station known as Hinkley Point C is planned, to replace Hinkley Point B which was due for closure in 2016, but has now has its life extended until 2022.

 

Somerset today has only two small cities, Bath and Wells, and only small towns in comparison with other areas of England. Tourism is a major source of employment along the coast, and in Bath and Cheddar for example. Other attractions include Exmoor, West Somerset Railway, Haynes Motor Museum and the Fleet Air Arm Museum as well as the churches and the various National Trust and English Heritage properties in Somerset.

 

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 number of apple orchards has reduced.

 

In the late 19th century the boundaries of Somerset were slightly altered, but the main change came in 1974 when the county of Avon was set up. The northern part of Somerset was removed from the administrative control of Somerset County Council. On abolition of the county of Avon in 1996, these areas became separate administrative authorities, "North Somerset" and "Bath and North East Somerset". The Department for Communities and Local Government was considering a proposal by Somerset County Council to change Somerset's administrative structure by abolishing the five districts to create a Somerset unitary authority. The changes were planned to be implemented no later than 1 April 2009. However, support for the county council's bid was not guaranteed and opposition among the district council and local population was strong; 82% of people responding to a referendum organised by the five district councils rejected the proposals. It was confirmed in July 2007 that the government had rejected the proposals for unitary authorities in Somerset, and that the present two-tier arrangements of Somerset County Council and the district councils will remain.

Cheddar is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Somerset. It is situated on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills, 9 miles (14 km) north-west of Wells, 11 miles (18 km) south-east of Weston-super-Mare and 18 miles (29 km) south-west of Bristol. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Nyland and Bradley Cross. The parish had a population of 5,755 in 2011 and an acreage of 8,592 acres (3,477 ha) as of 1961.

 

Cheddar Gorge, on the northern edge of the village, is the largest gorge in the United Kingdom and includes several show caves, including Gough's Cave. The gorge has been a centre of human settlement since Neolithic times, including a Saxon palace. It has a temperate climate and provides a unique geological and biological environment that has been recognised by the designation of several Sites of Special Scientific Interest. It is also the site of several limestone quarries. The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese and has been a centre for strawberry growing. The crop was formerly transported on the Cheddar Valley rail line, which closed in the late 1960s and is now a cycle path. The village is now a major tourist destination with several cultural and community facilities, including the Cheddar Show Caves Museum.

 

The village supports a variety of community groups including religious, sporting and cultural organisations. Several of these are based on the site of the Kings of Wessex Academy, which is the largest educational establishment.

 

The name Cheddar comes from the Old English word ceodor, meaning deep dark cavity or pouch.

 

There is evidence of occupation from the Neolithic period in Cheddar. Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be 9,000 years old, was found in Cheddar Gorge in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. There is some evidence of a Bronze Age field system at the Batts Combe quarry site. There is also evidence of Bronze Age barrows at the mound in the Longwood valley, which if man-made it is likely to be a field system. The remains of a Roman villa have been excavated in the grounds of the current vicarage.

 

The village of Cheddar had been important during the Roman and Saxon eras. There was a royal palace at Cheddar during the Saxon period, which was used on three occasions in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot. The ruins of the palace were excavated in the 1960s. They are located on the grounds of the Kings of Wessex Academy, together with a 14th-century chapel dedicated to St. Columbanus. Roman remains have also been uncovered at the site. Cheddar was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Ceder, meaning "Shear Water", from the Old English scear and Old Welsh dŵr. An alternative spelling in earlier documents, common through the 1850s is Chedder.

 

As early as 1130 AD, the Cheddar Gorge was recognised as one of the "Four wonders of England". Historically, Cheddar's source of wealth was farming and cheese making for which it was famous as early as 1170 AD. The parish was part of the Winterstoke Hundred.

 

The manor of Cheddar was deforested in 1337 and Bishop Ralph was granted a licence by the King to create a hunting forest.

 

As early as 1527 there are records of watermills on the river. In the 17th and 18th centuries, there were several watermills which ground corn and made paper, with 13 mills on the Yeo at the peak, declining to seven by 1791 and just three by 1915. In the Victorian era it also became a centre for the production of clothing. The last mill, used as a shirt factory, closed in the early 1950s.

 

William Wilberforce saw the poor conditions of the locals when he visited Cheddar in 1789. He inspired Hannah More in her work to improve the conditions of the Mendip miners and agricultural workers. In 1801, 4,400 acres (18 km2) of common land were enclosed under the Inclosure Acts.

 

Tourism of the Cheddar gorge and caves began with the opening of the Cheddar Valley Railway in 1869.

 

Cheddar, its surrounding villages and specifically the gorge has been subject to flooding. In the Chew Stoke flood of 1968 the flow of water washed large boulders down the gorge, washed away cars, and damaged the cafe and the entrance to Gough's Cave.

 

Cheddar is recognised as a village. The adjacent settlement of Axbridge, although only about a third the population of Cheddar, is a town. This apparently illogical situation is explained by the relative importance of the two places in historic times. While Axbridge grew in importance as a centre for cloth manufacturing in the Tudor period and gained a charter from King John, Cheddar remained a more dispersed mining and dairy-farming village. Its population grew with the arrival of the railways in the Victorian era and the advent of tourism.

 

The parish council, which has 15 members who are elected for four years, is responsible 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 evaluates local planning applications and works with the police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, 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 the responsibility of the council.

 

The village is in the 'Cheddar and Shipham' electoral ward. After including Shipham the total population of the ward taken at the 2011 census is 6,842.

 

For local government purposes, since 1 April 2023, the village comes under the unitary authority of Somerset Council. Prior to this, it was part of the non-metropolitan district of Sedgemoor, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Axbridge Rural District. Fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the South Western Ambulance Service.

 

It is also part of the Wells county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. Prior to Brexit in 2020, it was part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.

 

Cheddar is twinned with Felsberg, Germany and Vernouillet, France, and it has an active programme of exchange visits. Initially, Cheddar twinned with Felsberg in 1984. In 2000, Cheddar twinned with Vernouillet, which had also been twinned with Felsberg. Cheddar also has a friendship link with Ocho Rios in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica.

 

It is also twinned with the commune of Descartes in the Indre-et-Loire department.

 

The area is underlain by Black Rock slate, Burrington Oolite and Clifton Down Limestone of the Carboniferous Limestone Series, which contain ooliths and fossil debris on top of Old Red Sandstone, and by Dolomitic Conglomerate of the Keuper. Evidence for Variscan orogeny is seen in the sheared rock and cleaved shales. In many places weathering of these strata has resulted in the formation of immature calcareous soils.

 

Cheddar Gorge, which is located on the edge of the village, is the largest gorge in the United Kingdom. The gorge is the site of the Cheddar Caves, where Cheddar Man was found in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. The caves, produced by the activity of an underground river, contain stalactites and stalagmites. Gough's Cave, which was discovered in 1903, leads around 400 m (437 yd) into the rock-face, and contains a variety of large rock chambers and formations. Cox's Cave, discovered in 1837, is smaller but contains many intricate formations. A further cave houses a children's entertainment walk known as the "Crystal Quest".

 

Cheddar Gorge, including Cox's Cave, Gough's Cave and other attractions, has become a tourist destination, attracting about 500,000 visitors per year. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, following its appearance on the 2005 television programme Seven Natural Wonders, Cheddar Gorge was named as the second greatest natural wonder in Britain, surpassed only by the Dan yr Ogof caves.

 

There are several large and unique Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) around the village.

 

Cheddar Reservoir is a near-circular artificial reservoir operated by Bristol Water. Dating from the 1930s, it has a capacity of 135 million gallons (614,000 cubic metres). The reservoir is supplied with water taken from the Cheddar Yeo, which rises in Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge and is a tributary of the River Axe. The inlet grate for the 54-inch (1.4 m) water pipe that is used to transport the water can be seen next to the sensory garden in Cheddar Gorge. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its wintering waterfowl populations.

 

Cheddar Wood and the smaller Macall's Wood form a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest from what remains of the wood of the Bishops of Bath and Wells in the 13th century and of King Edmund the Magnificent's wood in the 10th. During the 19th century, its lower fringes were grubbed out to make strawberry fields. Most of these have been allowed to revert to woodland. The wood was coppiced until 1917. This site compromises a wide range of habitats which include ancient and secondary semi-natural broadleaved woodland, unimproved neutral grassland, and a complex mosaic of calcareous grassland and acidic dry dwarf-shrub heath. Cheddar Wood is one of only a few English stations for starved wood-sedge (Carex depauperata). Purple gromwell (Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum), a nationally rare plant, also grows in the wood. Butterflies include silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia), dark green fritillary (Argynnis aglaja), pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne), holly blue (Celastrina argiolus) and brown argus (Aricia agestis). The slug Arion fasciatus, which has a restricted distribution in the south of England, and the soldier beetle Cantharis fusca also occur.

 

By far the largest of the SSSIs is called Cheddar Complex and covers 441.3 hectares (1,090.5 acres) of the gorge, caves and the surrounding area. It is important because of both biological and geological features. It includes four SSSIs, formerly known as Cheddar Gorge SSSI, August Hole/Longwood Swallet SSSI, GB Cavern Charterhouse SSSI and Charterhouse on-Mendip SSSI. It is partly owned by the National Trust who acquired it in 1910 and partly managed by the Somerset Wildlife Trust.

 

Close to the village and gorge are Batts Combe quarry and Callow Rock quarry, two of the active Quarries of the Mendip Hills where limestone is still extracted. Operating since the early 20th century, Batts Combe is owned and operated by Hanson Aggregates. The output in 2005 was around 4,000 tonnes of limestone per day, one third of which was supplied to an on-site lime kiln, which closed in 2009; the remainder was sold as coated or dusted aggregates. The limestone at this site is close to 99 percent carbonate of calcium and magnesium (dolomite).

 

The Chelmscombe Quarry finished its work as a limestone quarry in the 1950s and was then used by the Central Electricity Generating Board as a tower testing station. During the 1970s and 1980s it was also used to test the ability of containers of radioactive material to withstand impacts and other accidents.

 

Along with the rest of South West England, Cheddar has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country. The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50.0 °F). Seasonal temperature variation is less extreme than most of the United Kingdom because of the adjacent sea, which moderates temperature. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately 21 °C (69.8 °F). In winter mean minimum temperatures of 1 °C (33.8 °F) or 2 °C (35.6 °F) are common. In the summer the Azores high-pressure system affects the south-west of England. Convective cloud sometimes forms inland, reducing the number of hours of sunshine; annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600 hours. Most of the rainfall in the south-west is caused by Atlantic depressions or by convection. Most of the rainfall in autumn and winter is caused by the Atlantic depressions, which are most active during those seasons. In summer, a large proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. Average rainfall is around 700 mm (28 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall per year is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west.

 

The parish has a population in 2011 of 5,093, with a mean age of 43 years. Residents lived in 2,209 households. The vast majority of households (2,183) gave their ethnic status at the 2001 census as white.

 

The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese, which is the most popular type of cheese in the United Kingdom. The cheese is now made and consumed worldwide, and only one producer remains in the village.

 

Since the 1880s, Cheddar's other main produce has been the strawberry, which is grown on the south-facing lower slopes of the Mendip hills. As a consequence of its use for transporting strawberries to market, the since-closed Cheddar Valley line became known as The Strawberry Line after it opened in 1869. The line ran from Yatton to Wells. When the rest of the line was closed and all passenger services ceased, the section of the line between Cheddar and Yatton remained open for goods traffic. It provided a fast link with the main markets for the strawberries in Birmingham and London, but finally closed in 1964, becoming part of the Cheddar Valley Railway Nature Reserve.

 

Cheddar Ales is a small brewery based in the village, producing beer for local public houses.

 

Tourism is a significant source of employment. Around 15 percent of employment in Sedgemoor is provided by tourism, but within Cheddar it is estimated to employ as many as 1,000 people. The village also has a youth hostel, and a number of camping and caravan sites.

 

Cheddar has a number of active service clubs including Cheddar Vale Lions Club, Mendip Rotary and Mendip Inner Wheel Club. The clubs raise money for projects in the local community and hold annual events such as a fireworks display, duck races in the Gorge, a dragon boat race on the reservoir and concerts on the grounds of the nearby St Michael's Cheshire Home.

 

Several notable people have been born or lived in Cheddar. Musician Jack Bessant, the bass guitarist with the band Reef grew up on his parents' strawberry farm, and Matt Goss and Luke Goss, former members of Bros, lived in Cheddar for nine months as children. Trina Gulliver, ten-time World Professional Darts Champion, previously lived in Cheddar until 2017. The comedian Richard Herring grew up in Cheddar. His 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, The Headmaster's Son is based on his time at The Kings of Wessex School, where his father Keith was the headmaster. The final performance of this show was held at the school in November 2009. He also visited the school in March 2010 to perform his show Hitler Moustache. In May 2013, a community radio station called Pulse was launched.

 

The market cross in Bath Street dates from the 15th century, with the shelter having been rebuilt in 1834. It has a central octagonal pier, a socket raised on four steps, a hexagonal shelter with six arched four-centred openings, shallow two-stage buttresses at each angle, and an embattled parapet. The shaft is crowned by an abacus with figures in niches, probably from the late 19th century, although the cross is now missing. It was rebuilt by Thomas, Marquess of Bath. It is a scheduled monument (Somerset County No 21) and Grade II* listed building.

 

In January 2000, the cross was seriously damaged in a traffic accident. By 2002, the cross had been rebuilt and the area around it was redesigned to protect and enhance its appearance. The cross was badly damaged again in March 2012, when a taxi crashed into it late at night demolishing two sides. Repair work, which included the addition of wooden-clad steel posts to protect against future crashes, was completed in November 2012 at a cost of £60,000.

 

Hannah More, a philanthropist and educator, founded a school in the village in the late 18th century for the children of miners. Her first school was located in a 17th-century house. Now named "Hannah More's Cottage", the Grade II-listed building is used by the local community as a meeting place.

 

The village is situated on the A371 road which runs from Wincanton, to Weston-super-Mare. It is approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) from the route of the M5 motorway with around a 10 miles (16 km) drive to junction 22.

 

It was on the Cheddar Valley line, a railway line that was opened in 1869 and closed in 1963. It became known as The Strawberry Line because of the large volume of locally-grown strawberries that it carried. It ran from Yatton railway station through Cheddar to Wells (Tucker Street) railway station and joined the East Somerset Railway to make a through route via Shepton Mallet (High Street) railway station to Witham. Sections of the now-disused railway have been opened as the Strawberry Line Trail, which currently runs from Yatton to Cheddar. The Cheddar Valley line survived until the "Beeching Axe". Towards the end of its life there were so few passengers that diesel railcars were sometimes used. The Cheddar branch closed to passengers on 9 September 1963 and to goods in 1964. The line closed in the 1960s, when it became part of the Cheddar Valley Railway Nature Reserve, and part of the National Cycle Network route 26. The cycle route also intersects with the West Mendip Way and various other footpaths.

 

The principal bus route is hourly service 126 between Weston-super-Mare and Wells operated by First West of England. Other bus routes include the service 668 from Shipham to Street which runs every couple of hours operated by Libra Travel, as well as the college bus service 66 which runs from Axbridge to the Bridgwater Campus of Bridgwater and Taunton College in the mornings and evenings of college term times and is operated by Bakers Dolphin.

 

The first school in Cheddar was set up by Hannah More during the 18th Century, however now Cheddar has three schools belonging to the Cheddar Valley Group of Schools, twelve schools that provide Cheddar Valley's three-tier education system. Cheddar First School has ten classes for children between 4 and 9 years. Fairlands Middle School, a middle school categorised as a middle-deemed-secondary school, has 510 pupils between 9 and 13. Fairlands takes children moving up from Cheddar First School as well as other first schools in the Cheddar Valley. The Kings of Wessex Academy, a coeducational comprehensive school, has been rated as "good" by Ofsted. It has 1,176 students aged 13 to 18, including 333 in the sixth form. Kings is a faith school linked to the Church of England. It was awarded the specialist status of Technology College in 2001, enabling it to develop its Information Technology (IT) facilities and improve courses in science, mathematics and design technology. In 2007 it became a foundation school, giving it more control over its own finances. The academy owns and runs a sports centre and swimming pool, Kings Fitness & Leisure, with facilities that are used by students as well as residents. It has since November 2016 been a part of the Wessex Learning Trust which incorporates eight academies from the surrounding area.

 

The Church of St Andrew dates from the 14th century. It was restored in 1873 by William Butterfield. It is a Grade I listed building and contains some 15th-century stained glass and an altar table of 1631. The chest tomb in the chancel is believed to contain the remains of Sir Thomas Cheddar and is dated 1442. The tower, which rises to 100 feet (30 m), contains a bell dating from 1759 made by Thomas Bilbie of the Bilbie family. The graveyard contains the grave of the hymn writer William Chatterton Dix.

 

There are also churches for Roman Catholic, Methodist and other denominations, including Cheddar Valley Community Church, who not only meet at the Kings of Wessex School on Sunday, but also have their own site on Tweentown for meeting during the week. The Baptist chapel was built in 1831.

 

Kings Fitness & Leisure, situated on the grounds of the Kings of Wessex School, provides a venue for various sports and includes a 20-metre swimming pool, racket sport courts, a sports hall, dance studios and a gym. A youth sports festival was held on Sharpham Road Playing Fields in 2009. In 2010 a skatepark was built in the village, funded by the Cheddar Local Action Team.

 

Cheddar A.F.C., founded in 1892 and nicknamed "The Cheesemen",[111] play in the Western Football League Division One. In 2009 plans were revealed to move the club from its present home at Bowdens Park on Draycott Road to a new larger site.

 

Cheddar Cricket Club was formed in the late 19th century and moved to Sharpham Road Playing Fields in 1964. They now play in the West of England Premier League Somerset Division. Cheddar Rugby Club, who own part of the Sharpham playing fields, was formed in 1836. The club organises an annual Cheddar Rugby Tournament. Cheddar Lawn Tennis Club, was formed in 1924, and play in the North Somerset League and also has social tennis and coaching. Cheddar Running Club organised an annual half marathon until 2009.

 

The village is both on the route of the West Mendip Way and Samaritans Way South West.

 

Somerset 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.

 

The centre of Somerset is dominated by the Levels, a coastal plain and wetland, and the north-east and west of the county are hilly. The north-east contains part of the Cotswolds AONB, all of the Mendip Hills AONB, and a small part of Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB; the west contains the Quantock Hills AONB, a majority of Exmoor National Park, and part of the Blackdown Hills AONB. The main rivers in 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.

 

Somerset is a historic county in the south west of England. There is evidence of human occupation since prehistoric times with hand axes and flint points from the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic eras, and a range of burial mounds, hill forts and other artefacts dating from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. The oldest dated human road work in Great Britain is the Sweet Track, constructed across the Somerset Levels with wooden planks in the 39th century BCE.

 

Following the Roman Empire's invasion of southern 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 Early Medieval period Somerset was the scene of battles between the Anglo-Saxons and first the Britons and later the Danes. In this period it was ruled first by various kings of Wessex, and later by kings of England. Following the defeat of the Anglo-Saxon monarchy 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 are based 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.

 

The Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods saw hunter-gatherers move into the region of Somerset. There is evidence from flint artefacts in a quarry at Westbury that an ancestor of modern man, possibly Homo heidelbergensis, was present in the area from around 500,000 years ago. There is still some doubt about whether the artefacts are of human origin but they have been dated within Oxygen Isotope Stage 13 (524,000 – 478,000 BP). Other experts suggest that "many of the bone-rich Middle Pleistocene deposits belong to a single but climatically variable interglacial that succeeded the Cromerian, perhaps about 500,000 years ago. Detailed analysis of the origin and modification of the flint artefacts leads to the conclusion that the assemblage was probably a product of geomorphological processes rather than human work, but a single cut-marked bone suggests a human presence." Animal bones and artefacts unearthed in the 1980s at Westbury-sub-Mendip, in Somerset, have shown evidence of early human activity approximately 700,000 years ago.

 

Homo sapiens sapiens, or modern man, came to Somerset during the Early Upper Palaeolithic. There is evidence of occupation of four Mendip caves 35,000 to 30,000 years ago. During the Last Glacial Maximum, about 25,000 to 15,000 years ago, it is probable that Somerset was deserted as the area experienced tundra conditions. Evidence was found in Gough's Cave of deposits of human bone dating from around 12,500 years ago. The bones were defleshed and probably ritually buried though perhaps related to cannibalism being practised in the area at the time or making skull cups or storage containers. Somerset was one of the first areas of future England settled following the end of Younger Dryas phase of the last ice age c. 8000 BC. Cheddar Man is the name given to the remains of a human male found in Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge. He is Britain's oldest complete human skeleton. The remains date from about 7150 BC, and it appears that he died a violent death. Somerset is thought to have been occupied by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers from about 6000 BCE; Mesolithic artefacts have been found in more than 70 locations. Mendip caves were used as burial places, with between 50 and 100 skeletons being found in Aveline's Hole. In the Neolithic era, from about 3500 BCE, there is evidence of farming.

 

At the end of the last ice age the Bristol Channel was dry land, but later the sea level rose, particularly between 1220 and 900 BC and between 800 and 470 BCE, resulting in major coastal changes. The Somerset Levels became flooded, but the dry points such as Glastonbury and Brent Knoll have a long history of settlement, and are known to have been occupied by Mesolithic hunters. The county has prehistoric burial mounds (such as Stoney Littleton Long Barrow), stone rows (such as the circles at Stanton Drew and Priddy) and settlement sites. Evidence of Mesolithic occupation has come both from the upland areas, such as in Mendip caves, and from the low land areas such as the Somerset Levels. Dry points in the latter such as Glastonbury Tor and Brent Knoll, have a long history of settlement with wooden trackways between them. There were also "lake villages" in the marsh such as those at Glastonbury Lake Village and Meare. One of the oldest dated human road work in Britain is the Sweet Track, constructed across the Somerset Levels with wooden planks in the 39th century BC, partially on the route of the even earlier Post Track.

 

There is evidence of Exmoor's human occupation from Mesolithic times onwards. In the Neolithic period people started to manage animals and grow crops on farms cleared from the woodland, rather than act purely as hunter gatherers. It is also likely that extraction and smelting of mineral ores to make tools, weapons, containers and ornaments in bronze and then iron started in the late Neolithic and into the Bronze and Iron Ages.

 

The caves of the Mendip Hills were settled during the Neolithic period and contain extensive archaeological sites such as those at Cheddar Gorge. There are numerous Iron Age Hill Forts, which were later reused in the Dark Ages, such as Cadbury Castle, Worlebury Camp and Ham Hill. The age of the henge monument at Stanton Drew stone circles is unknown, but is believed to be from the Neolithic period. There is evidence of mining on the Mendip Hills back into the late Bronze Age when there were technological changes in metal working indicated by the use of lead. There are numerous "hill forts", such as Small Down Knoll, Solsbury Hill, Dolebury Warren and Burledge Hill, which seem to have had domestic purposes, not just a defensive role. They generally seem to have been occupied intermittently from the Bronze Age onward, some, such as Cadbury Camp at South Cadbury, being refurbished during different eras. Battlegore Burial Chamber is a Bronze Age burial chamber at Williton which is composed of three round barrows and possibly a long, chambered barrow.

 

The Iron Age tribes of later Somerset were the Dobunni in north Somerset, Durotriges in south Somerset and Dumnonii in west Somerset. The first and second produced coins, the finds of which allows their tribal areas to be suggested, but the latter did not. All three had a Celtic culture and language. However, Ptolemy stated that Bath was in the territory of the Belgae, but this may be a mistake. The Celtic gods were worshipped at the temple of Sulis at Bath and possibly the temple on Brean Down. Iron Age sites on the Quantock Hills, include major hill forts at Dowsborough and Ruborough, as well as smaller earthwork enclosures, such as Trendle Ring, Elworthy Barrows and Plainsfield Camp.

 

Somerset was part of the Roman Empire from 47 AD to about 409 AD. However, the end was not abrupt and elements of Romanitas lingered on for perhaps a century.

 

Somerset was invaded from the south-east by the Second Legion Augusta, under the future emperor Vespasian. The hillforts of the Durotriges at Ham Hill and Cadbury Castle were captured. Ham Hill probably had a temporary Roman occupation. The massacre at Cadbury Castle seems to have been associated with the later Boudiccan Revolt of 60–61 AD. The county remained part of the Roman Empire until around 409 AD.

 

The Roman invasion, and possibly the preceding period of involvement in the internal affairs of the south of England, was inspired in part by the potential of the Mendip Hills. A great deal of the attraction of the lead mines may have been the potential for the extraction of silver.

 

Forts were set up at Bath and Ilchester. The lead and silver mines at Charterhouse in the Mendip Hills were run by the military. The Romans established a defensive boundary along the new military road known the Fosse Way (from the Latin fossa meaning ditch). The Fosse Way ran through Bath, Shepton Mallet, Ilchester and south-west towards Axminster. The road from Dorchester ran through Yeovil to meet the Fosse Way at Ilchester. Small towns and trading ports were set up, such as Camerton and Combwich. The larger towns decayed in the latter part of the period, though the smaller ones appear to have decayed less. In the latter part of the period, Ilchester seems to have been a "civitas" capital and Bath may also have been one. Particularly to the east of the River Parrett, villas were constructed. However, only a few Roman sites have been found to the west of the river. The villas have produced important mosaics and artifacts. Cemeteries have been found outside the Roman towns of Somerset and by Roman temples such as that at Lamyatt. Romano-British farming settlements, such as those at Catsgore and Sigwells, have been found in Somerset. There was salt production on the Somerset Levels near Highbridge and quarrying took place near Bath, where the Roman Baths gave their name to Bath.

 

Excavations carried out before the flooding of Chew Valley Lake also uncovered Roman remains, indicating agricultural and industrial activity from the second half of the 1st century until the 3rd century AD. The finds included a moderately large villa at Chew Park, where wooden writing tablets (the first in the UK) with ink writing were found. There is also evidence from the Pagans Hill Roman Temple at Chew Stoke. In October 2001 the West Bagborough Hoard of 4th century Roman silver was discovered in West Bagborough. The 681 coins included two denarii from the early 2nd century and 8 Miliarense and 671 Siliqua all dating to the period AD 337 – 367. The majority were struck in the reigns of emperors Constantius II and Julian and derive from a range of mints including Arles and Lyons in France, Trier in Germany and Rome.

 

In April 2010, the Frome Hoard, one of the largest-ever hoards of Roman coins discovered in Britain, was found by a metal detectorist. The hoard of 52,500 coins dated from the 3rd century AD and was found buried in a field near Frome, in a jar 14 inches (36 cm) below the surface. The coins were excavated by archaeologists from the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

 

This is the period from about 409 AD to the start of Saxon political control, which was mainly in the late 7th century, though they are said to have captured the Bath area in 577 AD. Initially the Britons of Somerset seem to have continued much as under the Romans but without the imperial taxation and markets. There was then a period of civil war in Britain though it is not known how this affected Somerset. The Western Wandsdyke may have been constructed in this period but archaeological data shows that it was probably built during the 5th or 6th century. This area became the border between the Romano-British Celts and the West Saxons following the Battle of Deorham in 577 AD. The ditch is on the north side, so presumably it was used by the Celts as a defence against Saxons encroaching from the upper Thames Valley. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the Saxon Cenwalh achieved a breakthrough against the British Celtic tribes, with victories at Bradford-on-Avon (in the Avon Gap in the Wansdyke) in 652 AD, and further south at the Battle of Peonnum (at Penselwood) in 658 AD, followed by an advance west through the Polden Hills to the River Parrett.

 

The Saxon advance from the east seems to have been halted by battles between the British and Saxons, for example; at the siege of Badon Mons Badonicus (which may have been in the Bath region e.g. at Solsbury Hill), or Bathampton Down. During the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries, Somerset was probably partly in the Kingdom of Dumnonia, partly in the land of the Durotriges and partly in that of the Dobunni. The boundaries between these is largely unknown, but may have been similar to those in the Iron Age. Various "tyrants" seem to have controlled territories from reoccupied hill forts. There is evidence of an elite at hill forts such as Cadbury Castle and Cadbury Camp; for example, there is imported pottery. Cemeteries are an important source of evidence for the period and large ones have been found in Somerset, such as that at Cannington, which was used from the Roman to the Saxon period. The towns of Somerset seem to have been little used during that period but there continued to be farming on the villa sites and at the Romano-British villages.

 

There may have been effects from plague and volcanic eruption during this period as well as marine transgression into the Levels.

 

The language spoken during this period is thought to be Southwestern Brythonic, but only one or two inscribed stones survive in Somerset from this period. However, a couple of curse tablets found in the baths at Bath may be in this language. Some place names in Somerset seem to be Celtic in origin and may be from this period or earlier, e.g. Tarnock. Some river names, such as Parrett, may be Celtic or pre-Celtic. The religion of the people of Somerset in this period is thought to be Christian but it was isolated from Rome until after the Council of Hertford in 673 AD when Aldhelm was asked to write a letter to Geraint of Dumnonia and his bishops. Some church sites in Somerset are thought to date from this period, e.g., Llantokay Street.

 

Most of what is known of the history of this period comes from Gildas's On the Ruin of Britain, which is thought to have been written in Durotrigan territory, possibly at Glastonbury.

 

The earliest fortification of Taunton started for King Ine of Wessex and Æthelburg, in or about the year 710 AD. However, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle this was destroyed 12 years later.

 

This is the period from the late 7th century (for most of Somerset) to 1066, though for part of the 10th and 11th centuries England was under Danish control. Somerset, like Dorset to the south, held the West Saxon advance from Wiltshire/Hampshire back for over a century, remaining a frontier between the Saxons and the Romano-British Celts.

 

The Saxons conquered Bath following the Battle of Deorham in 577, and the border was probably established along the line of the Wansdyke to the north of the Mendip Hills. Then Cenwalh of Wessex broke through at Bradford-on-Avon in 652, and the Battle of Peonnum possibly at Penselwood in 658, advancing west through the Polden Hills to the River Parrett. In 661 the Saxons may have advanced into what is now Devon as a result of a battle fought at Postesburh, possibly Posbury near Crediton.

 

Then in the period 681–85 Centwine of Wessex conquered King Cadwaladr and "advanced as far as the sea", but it is not clear where this was. It is assumed that the Saxons occupied the rest of Somerset about this time. The Saxon rule was consolidated under King Ine, who established a fort at Taunton, demolished by his wife in 722. It is sometimes said that he built palaces at Somerton and South Petherton but this does not seem to be the case. He fought against Geraint in 710. In 705 the diocese of Sherborne was formed, taking in Wessex west of Selwood. Saxon kings granted land in Somerset by charter from the 7th century onward. The way and extent to which the Britons survived under the Saxons is a debatable matter. However, King Ine's laws make provision for Britons. Somerset originally formed part of Wessex and latter became a separate "shire". Somersetshire seems to have been formed within Wessex during the 8th century though it is not recorded as a name until later. Mints were set up at times in various places in Somerset in the Saxon period, e.g., Watchet.

 

Somerset played an important part in defeating the spread of the Danes in the 9th century. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that in 845 Alderman Eanwulf, with the men of Somersetshire (Sumorsǣte), and Bishop Ealstan, and Alderman Osric, with the men of Dorsetshire, conquered the Danish army at the mouth of the Parret. This was the first known use of the name Somersæte. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports that in January 878 the King Alfred the Great fled into the marshes of Somerset from the Viking's invasion and made a fort at Athelney. From the fort Alfred was able to organize a resistance using the local militias from Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire.

 

Viking raids took place for instance in 987 and 997 at Watchet and the Battle of Cynwit. King Alfred was driven to seek refuge from the Danes at Athelney before defeating them at the Battle of Ethandun in 878, usually considered to be near Edington, Wiltshire, but possibly the village of Edington in Somerset. Alfred established a series of forts and lookout posts linked by a military road, or Herepath, so his army could cover Viking movements at sea. The Herepath has a characteristic form which is familiar on the Quantocks: a regulation 20 m wide track between avenues of trees growing from hedge laying embankments. The Herepath ran from the ford on the River Parrett at Combwich, past Cannington hill fort to Over Stowey, where it climbed the Quantocks along the line of the current Stowey road, to Crowcombe Park Gate. Then it went south along the ridge, to Triscombe Stone. One branch may have led past Lydeard Hill and Buncombe Hill, back to Alfred's base at Athelney. The main branch descended the hills at Triscombe, then along the avenue to Red Post Cross, and west to the Brendon Hills and Exmoor. A peace treaty with the Danes was signed at Wedmore and the Danish king Guthrum the Old was baptised at Aller. Burhs (fortified places) had been set up by 919, such as Lyng. The Alfred Jewel, an object about 2.5 inch long, made of filigree gold, cloisonné-enamelled and with a rock crystal covering, was found in 1693 at Petherton Park, North Petherton. Believed to have been owned by Alfred the Great it is thought to have been the handle for a pointer that would have fit into the hole at its base and been used while reading a book.

 

Monasteries and minster churches were set up all over Somerset, with daughter churches from the minsters in manors. There was a royal palace at Cheddar, which was used at times in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot, and there is likely to have been a "central place" at Somerton, Bath, Glastonbury and Frome since the kings visited them. The towns of Somerset seem to have been in occupation in this period though evidence for this is limited because of subsequent buildings on top of remains from this period. Agriculture flourished in this period, with a re-organisation into centralised villages in the latter part in the east of the county.

 

In the period before the Norman Conquest, Somerset came under the control of Godwin, Earl of Wessex, and his family. There seems to have been some Danish settlement at Thurloxton and Spaxton, judging from the place-names. After the Norman Conquest, the county was divided into 700 fiefs, and large areas were owned by the crown, with fortifications such as Dunster Castle used for control and defence.

 

This period of Somerset's history is well documented, for example in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and Asser's Life of Alfred.

 

This is the period from 1066 to around 1500. Following the defeat of the Saxons by the Normans in 1066, various castles were set up in Somerset by the new lords such as that at Dunster, and the manors was awarded to followers of William the Conqueror such as William de Moyon and Walter of Douai. Somerset does not seem to have played much part in the civil war in King Stephen's time, but Somerset lords were main players in the murder of Thomas Becket.

 

A good picture of the county in 1086 is given by Domesday Book, though there is some difficulty in identifying the various places since the hundreds are not specified. The total population given for the county, which had different boundaries to those today, was 13,399, however this only included the heads of households, so with their families this may have been around 67,000. Farming seems to have prospered for the next three centuries but was severely hit by the Black Death which in 1348 arrived in Dorset and quickly spread through Somerset, causing widespread mortality, perhaps as much as 50% in places. It re-occurred, resulting in a change in feudal practices since the manpower was no longer so available.

 

Reclamation of land from marsh in the Somerset Levels increased, largely under monastic influence. Crafts and industries also flourished, the Somerset woollen industry being one of the largest in England at this time. "New towns" were founded in this period in Somerset, i.e. Newport, but were not successful. Coal mining on the Mendips was an important source of wealth while quarrying also took place, an example is near Bath.

 

The towns grew, again often by monastic instigation, during this period and fairs were started. The church was very powerful at this period, particularly Glastonbury Abbey. After their church burnt down, the monks there "discovered" the tomb of "King Arthur" and were able rebuild their church. There were over 20 monasteries in Somerset at this period including the priory at Hinton Charterhouse which was founded in 1232 by Ela, Countess of Salisbury who also founded Lacock Abbey. Many parish churches were re-built in this period. Between 1107 and 1129 William Giffard the Chancellor of King Henry I, converted the bishop's hall in Taunton into Taunton Castle. Bridgwater Castle was built in 1202 by William Brewer. It passed to the king in 1233 and in 1245 repairs were ordered to its motte and towers. During the 11th century Second Barons' War against Henry III, Bridgwater was held by the barons against the King. In the English Civil War the town and the castle were held by the Royalists under Colonel Sir Francis Wyndham. Eventually, with many buildings destroyed in the town, the castle and its valuable contents were surrendered to the Parliamentarians. The castle itself was deliberately destroyed in 1645.

 

During the Middle Ages sheep farming for the wool trade came to dominate the economy of Exmoor. The wool was spun into thread on isolated farms and collected by merchants to be woven, fulled, dyed and finished in thriving towns such as Dunster. The land started to be enclosed and from the 17th century onwards larger estates developed, leading to establishment of areas of large regular shaped fields. During this period a Royal Forest and hunting ground was established, administered by the Warden. The Royal Forest was sold off in 1818.

 

In the medieval period the River Parrett was used to transport Hamstone from the quarry at Ham Hill, Bridgwater was part of the Port of Bristol until the Port of Bridgwater was created in 1348, covering 80 miles (130 km) of the Somerset coast line, from the Devon border to the mouth of the River Axe. Historically, the main port on the river was at Bridgwater; the river being bridged at this point, with the first bridge being constructed in 1200 AD. Quays were built in 1424; with another quay, the Langport slip, being built in 1488 upstream of the Town Bridge. A Customs House was sited at Bridgwater, on West Quay; and a dry dock, launching slips and a boat yard on East Quay. The river was navigable, with care, to Bridgwater Town Bridge by 400 to 500 tonnes (440 to 550 tons) vessels. By trans-shipping into barges at the Town Bridge the Parrett was navigable as far as Langport and (via the River Yeo) to Ilchester.

 

This is the period from around 1500 to 1800. In the 1530s, the monasteries were dissolved and their lands bought from the king by various important families in Somerset. By 1539, Glastonbury Abbey was the only monastery left, its abbot Richard Whiting was then arrested and executed on the orders of Thomas Cromwell. From the Tudor to the Georgian times, farming specialised and techniques improved, leading to increases in population, although no new towns seem to have been founded. Large country houses such as at Hinton St George and Montacute House were built at this time.

 

The Bristol Channel floods of 1607 are believed to have affected large parts of the Somerset Levels with flooding up to 8 feet (2 m) above sea level. In 1625, a House of Correction was established in Shepton Mallet and, today, HMP Shepton Mallet is England's oldest prison still in use.

 

During the English Civil War, Somerset was largely Parliamentarian, although Dunster was a Royalist stronghold. The county was the site of important battles between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians, notably the Battle of Lansdowne in 1643 and the Battle of Langport in 1645. The castle changed hands several times during 1642–45 along with the town. During the Siege of Taunton it was defended by Robert Blake, from July 1644 to July 1645. This war resulted in castles being destroyed to prevent their re-use.

 

In 1685, the Duke of Monmouth led the Monmouth Rebellion in which Somerset people fought against James II. The rebels landed at Lyme Regis and travelled north hoping to capture Bristol and Bath, puritan soldiers damaged the west front of Wells Cathedral, tore lead from the roof to make bullets, broke the windows, smashed the organ and the furnishings, and for a time stabled their horses in the nave. They were defeated in the Battle of Sedgemoor at Westonzoyland, the last battle fought on English soil. The Bloody Assizes which followed saw the losers being sentenced to death or transportation.

 

The Society of Friends established itself in Street in the mid-17th century, and among the close-knit group of Quaker families were the Clarks: Cyrus started a business in sheepskin rugs, later joined by his brother James, who introduced the production of woollen slippers and, later, boots and shoes. C&J Clark still has its headquarters in Street, but shoes are no longer manufactured there. Instead, in 1993, redundant factory buildings were converted to form Clarks Village, the first purpose-built factory outlet in the United Kingdom.

 

The 18th century was largely one of peace and declining industrial prosperity in Somerset. The Industrial Revolution in the Midlands and Northern England spelt the end for most of Somerset's cottage industries. However, farming continued to flourish, with the Bath and West of England Agricultural Society being founded in 1777 to improve methods. John Billingsley conducted a survey of the county's agriculture in 1795 but found that methods could still be improved.

 

Arthur Wellesley took his title, Duke of Wellington from the town of Wellington. He is commemorated on a nearby hill with a large, spotlit obelisk, known as the Wellington Monument.

 

In north Somerset, mining in the Somerset coalfield was an important industry, and in an effort to reduce the cost of transporting the coal the Somerset Coal Canal was built; part of it was later converted into a railway. Other canals included the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, Westport Canal, Grand Western Canal, Glastonbury Canal and Chard Canal.[9] The Dorset and Somerset Canal was proposed, but very little of it was ever constructed.

 

The 19th century saw improvements to Somerset's roads with the introduction of turnpikes and the building of canals and railways. The usefulness of the canals was short-lived, though they have now been restored for recreation. The railways were nationalised after the Second World War, but continued until 1965, when smaller lines were scrapped; two were transferred back to private ownership as "heritage" lines.

 

In 1889, Somerset County Council was created, replacing the administrative functions of the Quarter Sessions.

 

The population of Somerset has continued to grow since 1800, when it was 274,000, particularly in the seaside towns such as Weston-super-Mare. Some population decline occurred earlier in the period in the villages, but this has now been reversed, and by 1951 the population of Somerset was 551,000.

 

Chard claims to be the birthplace of powered flight, as it was here in 1848 that the Victorian aeronautical pioneer John Stringfellow first demonstrated that engine-powered flight was possible through his work on the Aerial Steam Carriage. North Petherton was the first town in England (and one of the few ever) to be lit by acetylene gas lighting, supplied by the North Petherton Rosco Acetylene Company. Street lights were provided in 1906. Acetylene was replaced in 1931 by coal gas produced in Bridgwater, as well as by the provision of an electricity supply.

 

Around the 1860s, at the height of the iron and steel era, a pier and a deep-water dock were built, at Portishead, by the Bristol & Portishead Pier and Railway to accommodate the large ships that had difficulty in reaching Bristol Harbour. The Portishead power stations were coal-fed power stations built next to the dock. Construction work started on Portishead "A" power station in 1926. It began generating electricity in 1929 for the Bristol Corporation's Electricity Department. In 1951, Albright and Wilson built a chemical works on the opposite side of the dock from the power stations. The chemical works produced white phosphorus from phosphate rock imported, through the docks, into the UK. The onset of new generating capacity at Pembroke (oil-fired) and Didcot (coal-fired) in the mid-1970s brought about the closure of the older, less efficient "A" Station. The newer of the two power stations ("B" Station) was converted to burn oil when the Somerset coalfields closed. Industrial activities ceased in the dock with the closure of the power stations. The Port of Bristol Authority finally closed the dock in 1992, and it has now been developed into a marina and residential area.

 

During the First World War hundreds of Somerset soldiers were killed, and war memorials were put up in most of the towns and villages; only a few villages escaped casualties. There were also casualties – though much fewer – during the Second World War, who were added to the memorials. The county was a base for troops preparing for the 1944 D-Day landings, and some Somerset hospitals still date partly from that time. The Royal Ordnance Factory ROF Bridgwater was constructed early in World War II for the Ministry of Supply. It was designed as an Explosive ROF, to produce RDX, which was then a new experimental high-explosive. It obtained water supplies from two sources via the Somerset Levels: the artificial Huntspill River which was dug during the construction of the factory and also from the King's Sedgemoor Drain, which was widened at the same time. The Taunton Stop Line was set up to resist a potential German invasion, and the remains of its pill boxes can still be seen, as well as others along the coast. A decoy town was constructed on Black Down, intended to represent the blazing lights of a town which had neglected to follow the black-out regulations. Sites in the county housed Prisoner of War camps including: Norton Fitzwarren, Barwick, Brockley, Goathurst and Wells. Various airfields were built or converted from civilian use including: RNAS Charlton Horethorne (HMS Heron II), RAF Weston-super-Mare, RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Yeovil/Westland Airport, RAF Weston Zoyland, RAF Merryfield, RAF Culmhead and RAF Charmy Down.

 

Exmoor was one of the first British National Parks, designated in 1954, under the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act. and is named after its main river. It was expanded in 1991 and in 1993 Exmoor was designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area. The Quantock Hills were designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1956, the first such designation in England under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. The Mendip Hills followed with AONB designation in 1972.

 

Hinkley Point A nuclear power station was a Magnox power station constructed between 1957 and 1962 and operating until ceasing generation in 2000. Hinkley Point B is an Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) which was designed to generate 1250 MW of electricity (MWe). Construction of Hinkley Point B started in 1967. In September 2008 it was announced, by Électricité de France (EDF), that a third, twin-unit European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) power station known as Hinkley Point C is planned, to replace Hinkley Point B which was due for closure in 2016, but has now has its life extended until 2022.

 

Somerset today has only two small cities, Bath and Wells, and only small towns in comparison with other areas of England. Tourism is a major source of employment along the coast, and in Bath and Cheddar for example. Other attractions include Exmoor, West Somerset Railway, Haynes Motor Museum and the Fleet Air Arm Museum as well as the churches and the various National Trust and English Heritage properties in Somerset.

 

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 number of apple orchards has reduced.

 

In the late 19th century the boundaries of Somerset were slightly altered, but the main change came in 1974 when the county of Avon was set up. The northern part of Somerset was removed from the administrative control of Somerset County Council. On abolition of the county of Avon in 1996, these areas became separate administrative authorities, "North Somerset" and "Bath and North East Somerset". The Department for Communities and Local Government was considering a proposal by Somerset County Council to change Somerset's administrative structure by abolishing the five districts to create a Somerset unitary authority. The changes were planned to be implemented no later than 1 April 2009. However, support for the county council's bid was not guaranteed and opposition among the district council and local population was strong; 82% of people responding to a referendum organised by the five district councils rejected the proposals. It was confirmed in July 2007 that the government had rejected the proposals for unitary authorities in Somerset, and that the present two-tier arrangements of Somerset County Council and the district councils will remain.

Honda Race Results: The Winningest Team in History

   

Honda's racing legacy has driven the company to greatness since its inception. Over the 30-year history of AMA National motocross and later Supercross, Honda riders have won more races and championships than any other manufacturer.

   

American Honda won its first National motocross title in 1973 when Gary Jones raced their first production motocrosser, the CR250M Elsinore, to victory. Honda came back the following year to win a second 250cc title with Jones, and capture the first 125cc title with Marty Smith aboard Honda's first 125cc motocross bike, the CR125M Elsinore.

   

Since this amazing beginning, American Honda motocross teams have won a record 49 AMA National championships. Beyond that, Honda riders have won 15 of the last 21 AMA 250 Supercross championships, including nine Supercross titles in a row. No other team even comes close to Honda's impressive racing record.

   

250cc Supercross

 

1975 2nd-Marty Smith

 

1976 2nd-Pierre Karsmakers

 

1977 2nd-Jim Pomeroy

 

1978 2nd-Marty Tripes

 

1979 4th-Steve Wise

 

1980 3rd-Chuck Sun

 

1981 4th-Jim Gibson

 

1982 1st-Donnie Hansen, 3rd-Johnny O'Mara

 

1983 1st-David Bailey, 3rd-Bob Hannah

 

1984 1st-Johnny O'Mara, 3rd-David Bailey

 

1985 3rd-Ron Lechien

 

1986 1st-Rick Johnson, 2nd-David Bailey, 3rd-Johnny O'Mara

 

1987 2nd-Rick Johnson

 

1988 1st-Rick Johnson

 

1989 1st-Jeff Stanton, 3rd-Guy Cooper

 

1990 1st-Jeff Stanton, 2nd-Jean-Michel Bayle

 

1991 1st-Jean-Michel Bayle, 3rd-Jeff Stanton

 

1992 1st-Jeff Stanton, 3rd-Jean-Michel Bayle

 

1993 1st-Jeremy McGrath, 3rd-Jeff Stanton, 5th-Steve Lamson

 

1994 1st-Jeremy McGrath, 5th-Steve Lamson, 6th-Jeff Stanton

 

1995 1st-Jeremy McGrath, 5th-Doug Henry, 9th-Steve Lamson

 

1996 1st-Jeremy McGrath, 13th-Steve Lamson

 

1997 15th-Steve Lamson

 

1998 2nd-Ezra Lusk

 

1999 2nd-Ezra Lusk, 3rd-Mike Larocco, 4th-Mickael Pichon, 7th-Kevin Windham

 

2000 3rd-Mike LaRocco, 4th-Kevin Windham, 6th-Sebastien Tortelli

 

2001 3rd-Mike LaRocco, 5th-Ezra Lusk, 10th-Sebatien Tortelli

 

2002 1st-Ricky Carmichael, 6th-Nathan Ramsey, 7th-Ernesto Fonseca, 11th-Mike LaRocco, 12th-Kyle Lewis

 

2003 1st -Ricky Carmichael, 3rd-Ernesto Fonseca, 8th-Larry Ward, 13th-Michael Byrne, 14th-Mike LaRocco

   

125cc National

 

1974 1st-Marty Smith

 

1975 1st-Marty Smith

 

1977 4th-Warren Reid

 

1978 4th-Steve Wise

 

1979 4th-Warren Reid

 

1980 5th-Richard Coon

 

1981 2nd-Johnny O'Mara

 

1982 2nd-Johnny O'Mara, 3rd-Jim Gibson

 

1983 1st-Johnny O'Mara

 

1984 2nd-Johnny O'Mara

 

1985 2nd-Johnny O'Mara

 

1986 1st-Micky Dymond

 

1987 1st-Micky Dymond, 3rd-Guy Cooper

 

1988 1st-George Holland, 3rd-Guy Cooper

 

1989 1st-Mike Kiedrowski, 3rd-Guy Cooper

 

1990 2nd-Mike Kiedrowski

 

1993 1st-Doug Henry, 3rd-Jeremy McGrath

 

1994 1st-Doug Henry, 2nd-Steve Lamson

 

1995 1st-Steve Lamson

 

1996 1st-Steve Lamson

 

1997 3rd-Scott Sheak, 9th-Steve Lamson

 

1999 2nd-Brock Sellards, 3rd-Tallond Vohland

 

2000 4th-Brock Sellards, 5th-Steve Lamson

 

2002 4th-Ernesto Fonseca

 

2003 5th-Michael Byrne, 10th-Chris Gosselaar, 16th-Ryan Mills

   

250cc National

 

1973 1st-Gary Jones

 

1974 1st-Gary Jones

 

1975 2nd-Marty Smith

 

1976 2nd-Marty Smith

 

1977 2nd-Marty Smith

 

1978 2nd-Jimmy Ellis

 

1979 3rd-Marty Tripes

 

1980 3rd-Steve Wise

 

1981 3rd-Donnie Hansen

 

1982 1st-Donnie Hansen

 

1983 1st-David Bailey

 

1984 2nd-Ron Lechien

 

1985 2nd-Johnny O'Mara

 

1986 1st-Rick Johnson, 2nd-David Bailey, 3rd-Johnny O'Mara

 

1987 1st-Rick Johnson

 

1988 2nd-Rick Johnson

 

1989 1st-Jeff Stanton, 3rd-Rick Johnson

 

1990 1st-Jeff Stanton

 

1991 1st-Jean-Michel Bayle, 2nd-Jeff Stanton

 

1992 1st-Jeff Stanton, 3rd-Jean-Michel Bayle

 

1993 3rd-Steve Lamson, 7th-Jeff Stanton

 

1994 3rd-Jeremy McGrath, 6th-Jeff Stanton

 

1995 1st-Jeremy McGrath

 

1996 2nd-Jeremy McGrath

 

1997 6th-Ezra Lusk

 

1998 6th-Ezra Lusk

 

1999 2nd-Kevin Windham, 3rd-Mike Larocco, 4th-Ezra Lusk

 

2000 2nd-Sebastien Tortelli, 3rd-Kevin Windham, 5th-Mike LaRocco

 

2001 4th-Mike LaRocco, 6th-Sebastien Tortelli, 11th-Ezra Lusk

 

2002 1st-Ricky Carmichael, 4th-Sebastien Tortelli, 5th Kyle Lewis, 6th-Mike LaRocco, 10th-Nathan Ramsey

 

2003 1st-Ricky Carmichael, 5th-Mike LaRocco, 8th-Ernesto Fonseca, 9th-Larry Ward, 12th-Kyle Lewis, 13th-Clark Stiles, 15th-Nathan Ramsey

   

500cc National

 

1975 3rd-Pierre Karsmakers

 

1976 4th-Pierre Karsmakers

 

1977 1st-Marty Smith

 

1978 3rd-Marty Smith

 

1979 3rd-Gary Semics

 

1980 1st-Chuck Sun

 

1981 3rd-Chuck Sun

 

1982 1st-Darrell Shultz, 2nd-Chuck Sun

 

1983 3rd-Danny Chandler

 

1984 1st-David Bailey

 

1985 3rd-David Bailey

 

1986 1st-David Bailey, 2nd-Rick Johnson

 

1987 1st-Rick Johnson

 

1988 1st-Rick Johnson

 

1989 2nd-Jeff Stanton

 

1990 2nd-Jeff Stanton

 

1991 1st-Jean-Michel Bayle, 3rd-Jeff Stanton

 

1992 2nd-Jeff Stanton, 4th-Jean-Michel Bayle

 

1993 2nd-Jeff Stanton, 4th-Steve Lamson

 

1994 Series discontinued

   

Others:

 

1983 Wrangler Grand National Championship–D. Bailey

 

1984 Wrangler Grand National Championship–D. Bailey

 

1991 125cc Western Region Supercross Championship–J. McGrath

 

1992 125cc Western Region Supercross Championship–J. McGrath

 

1992 Supercross World Championship–J. Stanton

 

1993 125cc Eastern Region Supercross Championship–D. Henry

 

1994 Supercross World Championship–J. McGrath

 

1995 Supercross World Championship–J. McGrath

 

1999 FIM United States Grand Prix of Motocross–K. Windham, 1st

 

2000 Supercross World Championship–M. LaRocco

 

2001 U.S. Open of Supercross–R. Carmichael

 

2002 125 Western Regional Supercross Champion–T. Preston

 

2002 U.S. Open of Supercross–M. LaRocco

 

2003 Motocross des Nations moto winner - R. Carmichael

   

A record 50 AMA National championships.

 

--

 

Team Sponsors

   

Universal Studios

 

The 2004 season marks the fourth year of Honda’s unique sponsorship and exclusive representation agreement with Universal Studios Consumer Products Group (USCPG). The two industry leaders have formed an innovative motorsports partnership that creates a sponsorship featuring Universal Studio’s character Woody Woodpecker as team mascot for both the Honda Motocross Racing Team™ and the Honda Road Racing Team™. Additionally, Universal Studios represents the merchandising and promotional rights for the Honda Racing Teams’ properties.

   

Universal Studios Consumer Products Group and Universal Pictures are divisions of Universal Studios, a diversified entertainment company and worldwide leader in motion pictures, television, home and location-based entertainment. The Universal Studios Consumer Products Group is responsible for global licensing and retail strategies for the company and its operating divisions. Cross-licensing between entertainment and motorsports has been a very successful combination for Universal Studios Consumer Products Group. Programs have been established with NASCAR champions Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte, NHRA Funny Car champion John Force, and Formula 1 Champion Williams F1®.

   

Fox Racing

 

An icon in the sport of motocross, Fox Racing has been in the American motocross scene for three decades. 2004 marks its 11th year as a primary Team Honda sponsor. The company offers a huge variety of team-replica riding gear and sports-wear for sale under license from American Honda, perfectly in keeping with its acknowledged leadership in off-road racing and casual apparel.

   

Showa

 

Suspension components are of crucial importance in motocross, so it’s beneficial to have a strong, long-term relationship with your supplier. Honda and Showa have celebrated countless championships over the years and will continue to bank on decades of experience to aid the Red Riders in ’04. Showa is also an OE supplier of suspension to Honda and other manufacturers as well.

   

Pro Honda Oils and Chemicals

 

Pro Honda™ Oils and Chemicals have supported Honda’s motocross team for 23 years, supplying a full line of lubricant and motorcycle product. Only Pro Honda products are approved by Honda R & D, and they are available at Honda dealerships all across the country.

   

Honda Rider’s Club of America (HRCA)

 

For 11 years as a motocross team sponsor, the HRCA® has offered its Members a wide variety of activities and services, such as special appearances, autograph sessions, pit tours, VIP hospitality and even dinners with Honda’s racing teams. The HRCA boasts more than 550,000 Members and regularly offers Members an inside look at Honda racing through its bi-monthly Member publication, Honda Red Rider magazine, and Member-only Clubhouse web site.

   

Dunlop

 

A sponsor for almost two decades, Dunlop has contributed immeasurably to the motocross team’s record 50 National titles. Dunlop has an unequaled win record in virtually every form of motorcycle racing, and this experience guarantees the best possible tires for the Honda team. So does working hand-in-hand with Honda’s factory riders and technicians to develop cutting-edge tire technology for racers and casual off-road riders. Look for the bright yellow Dunlop logos that adorn each factory Honda race bike tire.

   

Renthal

 

Among manufacturers of handlebars and sprockets, only Renthal can boast more than 100 world and National championships. Naturally, American Honda’s motocross team won many of those championships with the 18-year sponsor.

   

D.I.D

 

Spokes, rims and drive chains take an unbelievable beating in the world of professional motocross. That’s why the Honda team puts its trust in D.I.D to provide components that can take the constant abuse-and more. D.I.D has been a longtime sponsor, and puts what it learns in competition into the OE products it supplies to Honda and other manufacturers.

   

NGK

 

They’re rarely thought about, because spark plugs have an almost appliance-like role in racing. Each one is expected to work perfectly in a horrifically hostile environment. NGK plugs, another long-time OE supplier, are more than up to the task, the product of decades of experience in all forms of motorsports competition.

   

VP Racing Fuel

 

In addition to its motocross and Supercross titles with Team Honda, VP Racing Fuel also boasts several NHRA Pro Stock titles, plus championships in off-shore, off-road, circle track and aviation competition. Although this year marks VP’s fourth year as a team sponsor, their experience in blending championship-winning fuels date back 27 successful years.

   

Throttle Jockey

 

Rarely do graphics hold up to the abuse of professional motocross, but Throttle Jockey has found a formula for stunning-looking motorcycle graphics that appear as fresh and smooth on the victory lap as they did on the parade lap. A family-owned firm in Kokomo, Indiana, Throttle Jockey has been a Honda team sponsor for five years and sells the same durable kits to the public.

   

Twin Air

 

Twin Air, one of the originators of oiled-foam air filters, has been racking up championships for more than 30 years. 2003 marked another winning year for Twin Air, raking in numerous titles from around the globe. The air filter company plans to garner more championships in 2004 as they enter their fifth year with Team Honda.

   

Mechanics Wear

 

Racers aren’t the only members of Team Honda that require protective gear, which is why the Red Rider wrenching crew relies on Mechanix Wear. As a second-year sponsor Mechanix Wear provides gloves, aprons and other important tools of the trade to keep the Honda team technicians unscathed. In addition to the motocross pits, Mechanix Wear can also be found in the paddock of the Indy Racing League.

   

VForce

 

Of all the parts on a motorcycle, the petals in a reed valve are among the most delicate. Of all the reed valve petals produced, VForce manufactures the most durable. How durable are they? They can withstand the operation of opening and closing 133 times per second at 8000 rpm. Team Honda demands such durability, not to mention performance from its engine’s intake tract, which is why VForce is a three-year team sponsor.

   

White Brothers

 

White Brothers is both a distributor and manufacturer of motorcycle, ATV, personal watercraft and mountain bike accessories, but dirt bike performance is where the Southern California-based company planted its roots. Well respected in the four-stroke arena, White Brothers is back for a third year as a team sponsor and will provide exhaust systems for Honda’s factory CRF450R and new CRF250R.

   

Hinson Racing

 

The massive power produced by Team Honda’s factory engines is a heavy load for a clutch to bear. Hinson Racing clutch components not only handle the load, they deliver the ultimate in off-road performance and reliability. In addition to the championships gained through their relationship with Honda, Hinson Racing has won titles in every major professional off-road series and expect to add more to their mantle with Honda in 2004.

   

Renton Coil Spring

 

Renton Coil Spring (RCS) titanium springs are quickly becoming the standard in racing circles ranging from Snocross to Formula 1 automobile racing and now motocross. As a first year sponsor of Team Honda, RCS will provide the Red Riders with the latest in titanium spring design and manufacturing technology. With more than 50 years of experience, RCS is more than qualified in supplying high performance springs for demanding applications.

    

Cheddar is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Somerset. It is situated on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills, 9 miles (14 km) north-west of Wells, 11 miles (18 km) south-east of Weston-super-Mare and 18 miles (29 km) south-west of Bristol. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Nyland and Bradley Cross. The parish had a population of 5,755 in 2011 and an acreage of 8,592 acres (3,477 ha) as of 1961.

 

Cheddar Gorge, on the northern edge of the village, is the largest gorge in the United Kingdom and includes several show caves, including Gough's Cave. The gorge has been a centre of human settlement since Neolithic times, including a Saxon palace. It has a temperate climate and provides a unique geological and biological environment that has been recognised by the designation of several Sites of Special Scientific Interest. It is also the site of several limestone quarries. The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese and has been a centre for strawberry growing. The crop was formerly transported on the Cheddar Valley rail line, which closed in the late 1960s and is now a cycle path. The village is now a major tourist destination with several cultural and community facilities, including the Cheddar Show Caves Museum.

 

The village supports a variety of community groups including religious, sporting and cultural organisations. Several of these are based on the site of the Kings of Wessex Academy, which is the largest educational establishment.

 

The name Cheddar comes from the Old English word ceodor, meaning deep dark cavity or pouch.

 

There is evidence of occupation from the Neolithic period in Cheddar. Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be 9,000 years old, was found in Cheddar Gorge in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. There is some evidence of a Bronze Age field system at the Batts Combe quarry site. There is also evidence of Bronze Age barrows at the mound in the Longwood valley, which if man-made it is likely to be a field system. The remains of a Roman villa have been excavated in the grounds of the current vicarage.

 

The village of Cheddar had been important during the Roman and Saxon eras. There was a royal palace at Cheddar during the Saxon period, which was used on three occasions in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot. The ruins of the palace were excavated in the 1960s. They are located on the grounds of the Kings of Wessex Academy, together with a 14th-century chapel dedicated to St. Columbanus. Roman remains have also been uncovered at the site. Cheddar was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Ceder, meaning "Shear Water", from the Old English scear and Old Welsh dŵr. An alternative spelling in earlier documents, common through the 1850s is Chedder.

 

As early as 1130 AD, the Cheddar Gorge was recognised as one of the "Four wonders of England". Historically, Cheddar's source of wealth was farming and cheese making for which it was famous as early as 1170 AD. The parish was part of the Winterstoke Hundred.

 

The manor of Cheddar was deforested in 1337 and Bishop Ralph was granted a licence by the King to create a hunting forest.

 

As early as 1527 there are records of watermills on the river. In the 17th and 18th centuries, there were several watermills which ground corn and made paper, with 13 mills on the Yeo at the peak, declining to seven by 1791 and just three by 1915. In the Victorian era it also became a centre for the production of clothing. The last mill, used as a shirt factory, closed in the early 1950s.

 

William Wilberforce saw the poor conditions of the locals when he visited Cheddar in 1789. He inspired Hannah More in her work to improve the conditions of the Mendip miners and agricultural workers. In 1801, 4,400 acres (18 km2) of common land were enclosed under the Inclosure Acts.

 

Tourism of the Cheddar gorge and caves began with the opening of the Cheddar Valley Railway in 1869.

 

Cheddar, its surrounding villages and specifically the gorge has been subject to flooding. In the Chew Stoke flood of 1968 the flow of water washed large boulders down the gorge, washed away cars, and damaged the cafe and the entrance to Gough's Cave.

 

Cheddar is recognised as a village. The adjacent settlement of Axbridge, although only about a third the population of Cheddar, is a town. This apparently illogical situation is explained by the relative importance of the two places in historic times. While Axbridge grew in importance as a centre for cloth manufacturing in the Tudor period and gained a charter from King John, Cheddar remained a more dispersed mining and dairy-farming village. Its population grew with the arrival of the railways in the Victorian era and the advent of tourism.

 

The parish council, which has 15 members who are elected for four years, is responsible 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 evaluates local planning applications and works with the police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, 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 the responsibility of the council.

 

The village is in the 'Cheddar and Shipham' electoral ward. After including Shipham the total population of the ward taken at the 2011 census is 6,842.

 

For local government purposes, since 1 April 2023, the village comes under the unitary authority of Somerset Council. Prior to this, it was part of the non-metropolitan district of Sedgemoor, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Axbridge Rural District. Fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the South Western Ambulance Service.

 

It is also part of the Wells county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. Prior to Brexit in 2020, it was part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.

 

Cheddar is twinned with Felsberg, Germany and Vernouillet, France, and it has an active programme of exchange visits. Initially, Cheddar twinned with Felsberg in 1984. In 2000, Cheddar twinned with Vernouillet, which had also been twinned with Felsberg. Cheddar also has a friendship link with Ocho Rios in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica.

 

It is also twinned with the commune of Descartes in the Indre-et-Loire department.

 

The area is underlain by Black Rock slate, Burrington Oolite and Clifton Down Limestone of the Carboniferous Limestone Series, which contain ooliths and fossil debris on top of Old Red Sandstone, and by Dolomitic Conglomerate of the Keuper. Evidence for Variscan orogeny is seen in the sheared rock and cleaved shales. In many places weathering of these strata has resulted in the formation of immature calcareous soils.

 

Cheddar Gorge, which is located on the edge of the village, is the largest gorge in the United Kingdom. The gorge is the site of the Cheddar Caves, where Cheddar Man was found in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. The caves, produced by the activity of an underground river, contain stalactites and stalagmites. Gough's Cave, which was discovered in 1903, leads around 400 m (437 yd) into the rock-face, and contains a variety of large rock chambers and formations. Cox's Cave, discovered in 1837, is smaller but contains many intricate formations. A further cave houses a children's entertainment walk known as the "Crystal Quest".

 

Cheddar Gorge, including Cox's Cave, Gough's Cave and other attractions, has become a tourist destination, attracting about 500,000 visitors per year. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, following its appearance on the 2005 television programme Seven Natural Wonders, Cheddar Gorge was named as the second greatest natural wonder in Britain, surpassed only by the Dan yr Ogof caves.

 

There are several large and unique Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) around the village.

 

Cheddar Reservoir is a near-circular artificial reservoir operated by Bristol Water. Dating from the 1930s, it has a capacity of 135 million gallons (614,000 cubic metres). The reservoir is supplied with water taken from the Cheddar Yeo, which rises in Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge and is a tributary of the River Axe. The inlet grate for the 54-inch (1.4 m) water pipe that is used to transport the water can be seen next to the sensory garden in Cheddar Gorge. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its wintering waterfowl populations.

 

Cheddar Wood and the smaller Macall's Wood form a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest from what remains of the wood of the Bishops of Bath and Wells in the 13th century and of King Edmund the Magnificent's wood in the 10th. During the 19th century, its lower fringes were grubbed out to make strawberry fields. Most of these have been allowed to revert to woodland. The wood was coppiced until 1917. This site compromises a wide range of habitats which include ancient and secondary semi-natural broadleaved woodland, unimproved neutral grassland, and a complex mosaic of calcareous grassland and acidic dry dwarf-shrub heath. Cheddar Wood is one of only a few English stations for starved wood-sedge (Carex depauperata). Purple gromwell (Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum), a nationally rare plant, also grows in the wood. Butterflies include silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia), dark green fritillary (Argynnis aglaja), pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne), holly blue (Celastrina argiolus) and brown argus (Aricia agestis). The slug Arion fasciatus, which has a restricted distribution in the south of England, and the soldier beetle Cantharis fusca also occur.

 

By far the largest of the SSSIs is called Cheddar Complex and covers 441.3 hectares (1,090.5 acres) of the gorge, caves and the surrounding area. It is important because of both biological and geological features. It includes four SSSIs, formerly known as Cheddar Gorge SSSI, August Hole/Longwood Swallet SSSI, GB Cavern Charterhouse SSSI and Charterhouse on-Mendip SSSI. It is partly owned by the National Trust who acquired it in 1910 and partly managed by the Somerset Wildlife Trust.

 

Close to the village and gorge are Batts Combe quarry and Callow Rock quarry, two of the active Quarries of the Mendip Hills where limestone is still extracted. Operating since the early 20th century, Batts Combe is owned and operated by Hanson Aggregates. The output in 2005 was around 4,000 tonnes of limestone per day, one third of which was supplied to an on-site lime kiln, which closed in 2009; the remainder was sold as coated or dusted aggregates. The limestone at this site is close to 99 percent carbonate of calcium and magnesium (dolomite).

 

The Chelmscombe Quarry finished its work as a limestone quarry in the 1950s and was then used by the Central Electricity Generating Board as a tower testing station. During the 1970s and 1980s it was also used to test the ability of containers of radioactive material to withstand impacts and other accidents.

 

Along with the rest of South West England, Cheddar has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country. The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50.0 °F). Seasonal temperature variation is less extreme than most of the United Kingdom because of the adjacent sea, which moderates temperature. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately 21 °C (69.8 °F). In winter mean minimum temperatures of 1 °C (33.8 °F) or 2 °C (35.6 °F) are common. In the summer the Azores high-pressure system affects the south-west of England. Convective cloud sometimes forms inland, reducing the number of hours of sunshine; annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600 hours. Most of the rainfall in the south-west is caused by Atlantic depressions or by convection. Most of the rainfall in autumn and winter is caused by the Atlantic depressions, which are most active during those seasons. In summer, a large proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. Average rainfall is around 700 mm (28 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall per year is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west.

 

The parish has a population in 2011 of 5,093, with a mean age of 43 years. Residents lived in 2,209 households. The vast majority of households (2,183) gave their ethnic status at the 2001 census as white.

 

The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese, which is the most popular type of cheese in the United Kingdom. The cheese is now made and consumed worldwide, and only one producer remains in the village.

 

Since the 1880s, Cheddar's other main produce has been the strawberry, which is grown on the south-facing lower slopes of the Mendip hills. As a consequence of its use for transporting strawberries to market, the since-closed Cheddar Valley line became known as The Strawberry Line after it opened in 1869. The line ran from Yatton to Wells. When the rest of the line was closed and all passenger services ceased, the section of the line between Cheddar and Yatton remained open for goods traffic. It provided a fast link with the main markets for the strawberries in Birmingham and London, but finally closed in 1964, becoming part of the Cheddar Valley Railway Nature Reserve.

 

Cheddar Ales is a small brewery based in the village, producing beer for local public houses.

 

Tourism is a significant source of employment. Around 15 percent of employment in Sedgemoor is provided by tourism, but within Cheddar it is estimated to employ as many as 1,000 people. The village also has a youth hostel, and a number of camping and caravan sites.

 

Cheddar has a number of active service clubs including Cheddar Vale Lions Club, Mendip Rotary and Mendip Inner Wheel Club. The clubs raise money for projects in the local community and hold annual events such as a fireworks display, duck races in the Gorge, a dragon boat race on the reservoir and concerts on the grounds of the nearby St Michael's Cheshire Home.

 

Several notable people have been born or lived in Cheddar. Musician Jack Bessant, the bass guitarist with the band Reef grew up on his parents' strawberry farm, and Matt Goss and Luke Goss, former members of Bros, lived in Cheddar for nine months as children. Trina Gulliver, ten-time World Professional Darts Champion, previously lived in Cheddar until 2017. The comedian Richard Herring grew up in Cheddar. His 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, The Headmaster's Son is based on his time at The Kings of Wessex School, where his father Keith was the headmaster. The final performance of this show was held at the school in November 2009. He also visited the school in March 2010 to perform his show Hitler Moustache. In May 2013, a community radio station called Pulse was launched.

 

The market cross in Bath Street dates from the 15th century, with the shelter having been rebuilt in 1834. It has a central octagonal pier, a socket raised on four steps, a hexagonal shelter with six arched four-centred openings, shallow two-stage buttresses at each angle, and an embattled parapet. The shaft is crowned by an abacus with figures in niches, probably from the late 19th century, although the cross is now missing. It was rebuilt by Thomas, Marquess of Bath. It is a scheduled monument (Somerset County No 21) and Grade II* listed building.

 

In January 2000, the cross was seriously damaged in a traffic accident. By 2002, the cross had been rebuilt and the area around it was redesigned to protect and enhance its appearance. The cross was badly damaged again in March 2012, when a taxi crashed into it late at night demolishing two sides. Repair work, which included the addition of wooden-clad steel posts to protect against future crashes, was completed in November 2012 at a cost of £60,000.

 

Hannah More, a philanthropist and educator, founded a school in the village in the late 18th century for the children of miners. Her first school was located in a 17th-century house. Now named "Hannah More's Cottage", the Grade II-listed building is used by the local community as a meeting place.

 

The village is situated on the A371 road which runs from Wincanton, to Weston-super-Mare. It is approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) from the route of the M5 motorway with around a 10 miles (16 km) drive to junction 22.

 

It was on the Cheddar Valley line, a railway line that was opened in 1869 and closed in 1963. It became known as The Strawberry Line because of the large volume of locally-grown strawberries that it carried. It ran from Yatton railway station through Cheddar to Wells (Tucker Street) railway station and joined the East Somerset Railway to make a through route via Shepton Mallet (High Street) railway station to Witham. Sections of the now-disused railway have been opened as the Strawberry Line Trail, which currently runs from Yatton to Cheddar. The Cheddar Valley line survived until the "Beeching Axe". Towards the end of its life there were so few passengers that diesel railcars were sometimes used. The Cheddar branch closed to passengers on 9 September 1963 and to goods in 1964. The line closed in the 1960s, when it became part of the Cheddar Valley Railway Nature Reserve, and part of the National Cycle Network route 26. The cycle route also intersects with the West Mendip Way and various other footpaths.

 

The principal bus route is hourly service 126 between Weston-super-Mare and Wells operated by First West of England. Other bus routes include the service 668 from Shipham to Street which runs every couple of hours operated by Libra Travel, as well as the college bus service 66 which runs from Axbridge to the Bridgwater Campus of Bridgwater and Taunton College in the mornings and evenings of college term times and is operated by Bakers Dolphin.

 

The first school in Cheddar was set up by Hannah More during the 18th Century, however now Cheddar has three schools belonging to the Cheddar Valley Group of Schools, twelve schools that provide Cheddar Valley's three-tier education system. Cheddar First School has ten classes for children between 4 and 9 years. Fairlands Middle School, a middle school categorised as a middle-deemed-secondary school, has 510 pupils between 9 and 13. Fairlands takes children moving up from Cheddar First School as well as other first schools in the Cheddar Valley. The Kings of Wessex Academy, a coeducational comprehensive school, has been rated as "good" by Ofsted. It has 1,176 students aged 13 to 18, including 333 in the sixth form. Kings is a faith school linked to the Church of England. It was awarded the specialist status of Technology College in 2001, enabling it to develop its Information Technology (IT) facilities and improve courses in science, mathematics and design technology. In 2007 it became a foundation school, giving it more control over its own finances. The academy owns and runs a sports centre and swimming pool, Kings Fitness & Leisure, with facilities that are used by students as well as residents. It has since November 2016 been a part of the Wessex Learning Trust which incorporates eight academies from the surrounding area.

 

The Church of St Andrew dates from the 14th century. It was restored in 1873 by William Butterfield. It is a Grade I listed building and contains some 15th-century stained glass and an altar table of 1631. The chest tomb in the chancel is believed to contain the remains of Sir Thomas Cheddar and is dated 1442. The tower, which rises to 100 feet (30 m), contains a bell dating from 1759 made by Thomas Bilbie of the Bilbie family. The graveyard contains the grave of the hymn writer William Chatterton Dix.

 

There are also churches for Roman Catholic, Methodist and other denominations, including Cheddar Valley Community Church, who not only meet at the Kings of Wessex School on Sunday, but also have their own site on Tweentown for meeting during the week. The Baptist chapel was built in 1831.

 

Kings Fitness & Leisure, situated on the grounds of the Kings of Wessex School, provides a venue for various sports and includes a 20-metre swimming pool, racket sport courts, a sports hall, dance studios and a gym. A youth sports festival was held on Sharpham Road Playing Fields in 2009. In 2010 a skatepark was built in the village, funded by the Cheddar Local Action Team.

 

Cheddar A.F.C., founded in 1892 and nicknamed "The Cheesemen",[111] play in the Western Football League Division One. In 2009 plans were revealed to move the club from its present home at Bowdens Park on Draycott Road to a new larger site.

 

Cheddar Cricket Club was formed in the late 19th century and moved to Sharpham Road Playing Fields in 1964. They now play in the West of England Premier League Somerset Division. Cheddar Rugby Club, who own part of the Sharpham playing fields, was formed in 1836. The club organises an annual Cheddar Rugby Tournament. Cheddar Lawn Tennis Club, was formed in 1924, and play in the North Somerset League and also has social tennis and coaching. Cheddar Running Club organised an annual half marathon until 2009.

 

The village is both on the route of the West Mendip Way and Samaritans Way South West.

 

Somerset 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.

 

The centre of Somerset is dominated by the Levels, a coastal plain and wetland, and the north-east and west of the county are hilly. The north-east contains part of the Cotswolds AONB, all of the Mendip Hills AONB, and a small part of Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB; the west contains the Quantock Hills AONB, a majority of Exmoor National Park, and part of the Blackdown Hills AONB. The main rivers in 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.

 

Somerset is a historic county in the south west of England. There is evidence of human occupation since prehistoric times with hand axes and flint points from the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic eras, and a range of burial mounds, hill forts and other artefacts dating from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. The oldest dated human road work in Great Britain is the Sweet Track, constructed across the Somerset Levels with wooden planks in the 39th century BCE.

 

Following the Roman Empire's invasion of southern 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 Early Medieval period Somerset was the scene of battles between the Anglo-Saxons and first the Britons and later the Danes. In this period it was ruled first by various kings of Wessex, and later by kings of England. Following the defeat of the Anglo-Saxon monarchy 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 are based 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.

 

The Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods saw hunter-gatherers move into the region of Somerset. There is evidence from flint artefacts in a quarry at Westbury that an ancestor of modern man, possibly Homo heidelbergensis, was present in the area from around 500,000 years ago. There is still some doubt about whether the artefacts are of human origin but they have been dated within Oxygen Isotope Stage 13 (524,000 – 478,000 BP). Other experts suggest that "many of the bone-rich Middle Pleistocene deposits belong to a single but climatically variable interglacial that succeeded the Cromerian, perhaps about 500,000 years ago. Detailed analysis of the origin and modification of the flint artefacts leads to the conclusion that the assemblage was probably a product of geomorphological processes rather than human work, but a single cut-marked bone suggests a human presence." Animal bones and artefacts unearthed in the 1980s at Westbury-sub-Mendip, in Somerset, have shown evidence of early human activity approximately 700,000 years ago.

 

Homo sapiens sapiens, or modern man, came to Somerset during the Early Upper Palaeolithic. There is evidence of occupation of four Mendip caves 35,000 to 30,000 years ago. During the Last Glacial Maximum, about 25,000 to 15,000 years ago, it is probable that Somerset was deserted as the area experienced tundra conditions. Evidence was found in Gough's Cave of deposits of human bone dating from around 12,500 years ago. The bones were defleshed and probably ritually buried though perhaps related to cannibalism being practised in the area at the time or making skull cups or storage containers. Somerset was one of the first areas of future England settled following the end of Younger Dryas phase of the last ice age c. 8000 BC. Cheddar Man is the name given to the remains of a human male found in Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge. He is Britain's oldest complete human skeleton. The remains date from about 7150 BC, and it appears that he died a violent death. Somerset is thought to have been occupied by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers from about 6000 BCE; Mesolithic artefacts have been found in more than 70 locations. Mendip caves were used as burial places, with between 50 and 100 skeletons being found in Aveline's Hole. In the Neolithic era, from about 3500 BCE, there is evidence of farming.

 

At the end of the last ice age the Bristol Channel was dry land, but later the sea level rose, particularly between 1220 and 900 BC and between 800 and 470 BCE, resulting in major coastal changes. The Somerset Levels became flooded, but the dry points such as Glastonbury and Brent Knoll have a long history of settlement, and are known to have been occupied by Mesolithic hunters. The county has prehistoric burial mounds (such as Stoney Littleton Long Barrow), stone rows (such as the circles at Stanton Drew and Priddy) and settlement sites. Evidence of Mesolithic occupation has come both from the upland areas, such as in Mendip caves, and from the low land areas such as the Somerset Levels. Dry points in the latter such as Glastonbury Tor and Brent Knoll, have a long history of settlement with wooden trackways between them. There were also "lake villages" in the marsh such as those at Glastonbury Lake Village and Meare. One of the oldest dated human road work in Britain is the Sweet Track, constructed across the Somerset Levels with wooden planks in the 39th century BC, partially on the route of the even earlier Post Track.

 

There is evidence of Exmoor's human occupation from Mesolithic times onwards. In the Neolithic period people started to manage animals and grow crops on farms cleared from the woodland, rather than act purely as hunter gatherers. It is also likely that extraction and smelting of mineral ores to make tools, weapons, containers and ornaments in bronze and then iron started in the late Neolithic and into the Bronze and Iron Ages.

 

The caves of the Mendip Hills were settled during the Neolithic period and contain extensive archaeological sites such as those at Cheddar Gorge. There are numerous Iron Age Hill Forts, which were later reused in the Dark Ages, such as Cadbury Castle, Worlebury Camp and Ham Hill. The age of the henge monument at Stanton Drew stone circles is unknown, but is believed to be from the Neolithic period. There is evidence of mining on the Mendip Hills back into the late Bronze Age when there were technological changes in metal working indicated by the use of lead. There are numerous "hill forts", such as Small Down Knoll, Solsbury Hill, Dolebury Warren and Burledge Hill, which seem to have had domestic purposes, not just a defensive role. They generally seem to have been occupied intermittently from the Bronze Age onward, some, such as Cadbury Camp at South Cadbury, being refurbished during different eras. Battlegore Burial Chamber is a Bronze Age burial chamber at Williton which is composed of three round barrows and possibly a long, chambered barrow.

 

The Iron Age tribes of later Somerset were the Dobunni in north Somerset, Durotriges in south Somerset and Dumnonii in west Somerset. The first and second produced coins, the finds of which allows their tribal areas to be suggested, but the latter did not. All three had a Celtic culture and language. However, Ptolemy stated that Bath was in the territory of the Belgae, but this may be a mistake. The Celtic gods were worshipped at the temple of Sulis at Bath and possibly the temple on Brean Down. Iron Age sites on the Quantock Hills, include major hill forts at Dowsborough and Ruborough, as well as smaller earthwork enclosures, such as Trendle Ring, Elworthy Barrows and Plainsfield Camp.

 

Somerset was part of the Roman Empire from 47 AD to about 409 AD. However, the end was not abrupt and elements of Romanitas lingered on for perhaps a century.

 

Somerset was invaded from the south-east by the Second Legion Augusta, under the future emperor Vespasian. The hillforts of the Durotriges at Ham Hill and Cadbury Castle were captured. Ham Hill probably had a temporary Roman occupation. The massacre at Cadbury Castle seems to have been associated with the later Boudiccan Revolt of 60–61 AD. The county remained part of the Roman Empire until around 409 AD.

 

The Roman invasion, and possibly the preceding period of involvement in the internal affairs of the south of England, was inspired in part by the potential of the Mendip Hills. A great deal of the attraction of the lead mines may have been the potential for the extraction of silver.

 

Forts were set up at Bath and Ilchester. The lead and silver mines at Charterhouse in the Mendip Hills were run by the military. The Romans established a defensive boundary along the new military road known the Fosse Way (from the Latin fossa meaning ditch). The Fosse Way ran through Bath, Shepton Mallet, Ilchester and south-west towards Axminster. The road from Dorchester ran through Yeovil to meet the Fosse Way at Ilchester. Small towns and trading ports were set up, such as Camerton and Combwich. The larger towns decayed in the latter part of the period, though the smaller ones appear to have decayed less. In the latter part of the period, Ilchester seems to have been a "civitas" capital and Bath may also have been one. Particularly to the east of the River Parrett, villas were constructed. However, only a few Roman sites have been found to the west of the river. The villas have produced important mosaics and artifacts. Cemeteries have been found outside the Roman towns of Somerset and by Roman temples such as that at Lamyatt. Romano-British farming settlements, such as those at Catsgore and Sigwells, have been found in Somerset. There was salt production on the Somerset Levels near Highbridge and quarrying took place near Bath, where the Roman Baths gave their name to Bath.

 

Excavations carried out before the flooding of Chew Valley Lake also uncovered Roman remains, indicating agricultural and industrial activity from the second half of the 1st century until the 3rd century AD. The finds included a moderately large villa at Chew Park, where wooden writing tablets (the first in the UK) with ink writing were found. There is also evidence from the Pagans Hill Roman Temple at Chew Stoke. In October 2001 the West Bagborough Hoard of 4th century Roman silver was discovered in West Bagborough. The 681 coins included two denarii from the early 2nd century and 8 Miliarense and 671 Siliqua all dating to the period AD 337 – 367. The majority were struck in the reigns of emperors Constantius II and Julian and derive from a range of mints including Arles and Lyons in France, Trier in Germany and Rome.

 

In April 2010, the Frome Hoard, one of the largest-ever hoards of Roman coins discovered in Britain, was found by a metal detectorist. The hoard of 52,500 coins dated from the 3rd century AD and was found buried in a field near Frome, in a jar 14 inches (36 cm) below the surface. The coins were excavated by archaeologists from the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

 

This is the period from about 409 AD to the start of Saxon political control, which was mainly in the late 7th century, though they are said to have captured the Bath area in 577 AD. Initially the Britons of Somerset seem to have continued much as under the Romans but without the imperial taxation and markets. There was then a period of civil war in Britain though it is not known how this affected Somerset. The Western Wandsdyke may have been constructed in this period but archaeological data shows that it was probably built during the 5th or 6th century. This area became the border between the Romano-British Celts and the West Saxons following the Battle of Deorham in 577 AD. The ditch is on the north side, so presumably it was used by the Celts as a defence against Saxons encroaching from the upper Thames Valley. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the Saxon Cenwalh achieved a breakthrough against the British Celtic tribes, with victories at Bradford-on-Avon (in the Avon Gap in the Wansdyke) in 652 AD, and further south at the Battle of Peonnum (at Penselwood) in 658 AD, followed by an advance west through the Polden Hills to the River Parrett.

 

The Saxon advance from the east seems to have been halted by battles between the British and Saxons, for example; at the siege of Badon Mons Badonicus (which may have been in the Bath region e.g. at Solsbury Hill), or Bathampton Down. During the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries, Somerset was probably partly in the Kingdom of Dumnonia, partly in the land of the Durotriges and partly in that of the Dobunni. The boundaries between these is largely unknown, but may have been similar to those in the Iron Age. Various "tyrants" seem to have controlled territories from reoccupied hill forts. There is evidence of an elite at hill forts such as Cadbury Castle and Cadbury Camp; for example, there is imported pottery. Cemeteries are an important source of evidence for the period and large ones have been found in Somerset, such as that at Cannington, which was used from the Roman to the Saxon period. The towns of Somerset seem to have been little used during that period but there continued to be farming on the villa sites and at the Romano-British villages.

 

There may have been effects from plague and volcanic eruption during this period as well as marine transgression into the Levels.

 

The language spoken during this period is thought to be Southwestern Brythonic, but only one or two inscribed stones survive in Somerset from this period. However, a couple of curse tablets found in the baths at Bath may be in this language. Some place names in Somerset seem to be Celtic in origin and may be from this period or earlier, e.g. Tarnock. Some river names, such as Parrett, may be Celtic or pre-Celtic. The religion of the people of Somerset in this period is thought to be Christian but it was isolated from Rome until after the Council of Hertford in 673 AD when Aldhelm was asked to write a letter to Geraint of Dumnonia and his bishops. Some church sites in Somerset are thought to date from this period, e.g., Llantokay Street.

 

Most of what is known of the history of this period comes from Gildas's On the Ruin of Britain, which is thought to have been written in Durotrigan territory, possibly at Glastonbury.

 

The earliest fortification of Taunton started for King Ine of Wessex and Æthelburg, in or about the year 710 AD. However, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle this was destroyed 12 years later.

 

This is the period from the late 7th century (for most of Somerset) to 1066, though for part of the 10th and 11th centuries England was under Danish control. Somerset, like Dorset to the south, held the West Saxon advance from Wiltshire/Hampshire back for over a century, remaining a frontier between the Saxons and the Romano-British Celts.

 

The Saxons conquered Bath following the Battle of Deorham in 577, and the border was probably established along the line of the Wansdyke to the north of the Mendip Hills. Then Cenwalh of Wessex broke through at Bradford-on-Avon in 652, and the Battle of Peonnum possibly at Penselwood in 658, advancing west through the Polden Hills to the River Parrett. In 661 the Saxons may have advanced into what is now Devon as a result of a battle fought at Postesburh, possibly Posbury near Crediton.

 

Then in the period 681–85 Centwine of Wessex conquered King Cadwaladr and "advanced as far as the sea", but it is not clear where this was. It is assumed that the Saxons occupied the rest of Somerset about this time. The Saxon rule was consolidated under King Ine, who established a fort at Taunton, demolished by his wife in 722. It is sometimes said that he built palaces at Somerton and South Petherton but this does not seem to be the case. He fought against Geraint in 710. In 705 the diocese of Sherborne was formed, taking in Wessex west of Selwood. Saxon kings granted land in Somerset by charter from the 7th century onward. The way and extent to which the Britons survived under the Saxons is a debatable matter. However, King Ine's laws make provision for Britons. Somerset originally formed part of Wessex and latter became a separate "shire". Somersetshire seems to have been formed within Wessex during the 8th century though it is not recorded as a name until later. Mints were set up at times in various places in Somerset in the Saxon period, e.g., Watchet.

 

Somerset played an important part in defeating the spread of the Danes in the 9th century. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that in 845 Alderman Eanwulf, with the men of Somersetshire (Sumorsǣte), and Bishop Ealstan, and Alderman Osric, with the men of Dorsetshire, conquered the Danish army at the mouth of the Parret. This was the first known use of the name Somersæte. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports that in January 878 the King Alfred the Great fled into the marshes of Somerset from the Viking's invasion and made a fort at Athelney. From the fort Alfred was able to organize a resistance using the local militias from Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire.

 

Viking raids took place for instance in 987 and 997 at Watchet and the Battle of Cynwit. King Alfred was driven to seek refuge from the Danes at Athelney before defeating them at the Battle of Ethandun in 878, usually considered to be near Edington, Wiltshire, but possibly the village of Edington in Somerset. Alfred established a series of forts and lookout posts linked by a military road, or Herepath, so his army could cover Viking movements at sea. The Herepath has a characteristic form which is familiar on the Quantocks: a regulation 20 m wide track between avenues of trees growing from hedge laying embankments. The Herepath ran from the ford on the River Parrett at Combwich, past Cannington hill fort to Over Stowey, where it climbed the Quantocks along the line of the current Stowey road, to Crowcombe Park Gate. Then it went south along the ridge, to Triscombe Stone. One branch may have led past Lydeard Hill and Buncombe Hill, back to Alfred's base at Athelney. The main branch descended the hills at Triscombe, then along the avenue to Red Post Cross, and west to the Brendon Hills and Exmoor. A peace treaty with the Danes was signed at Wedmore and the Danish king Guthrum the Old was baptised at Aller. Burhs (fortified places) had been set up by 919, such as Lyng. The Alfred Jewel, an object about 2.5 inch long, made of filigree gold, cloisonné-enamelled and with a rock crystal covering, was found in 1693 at Petherton Park, North Petherton. Believed to have been owned by Alfred the Great it is thought to have been the handle for a pointer that would have fit into the hole at its base and been used while reading a book.

 

Monasteries and minster churches were set up all over Somerset, with daughter churches from the minsters in manors. There was a royal palace at Cheddar, which was used at times in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot, and there is likely to have been a "central place" at Somerton, Bath, Glastonbury and Frome since the kings visited them. The towns of Somerset seem to have been in occupation in this period though evidence for this is limited because of subsequent buildings on top of remains from this period. Agriculture flourished in this period, with a re-organisation into centralised villages in the latter part in the east of the county.

 

In the period before the Norman Conquest, Somerset came under the control of Godwin, Earl of Wessex, and his family. There seems to have been some Danish settlement at Thurloxton and Spaxton, judging from the place-names. After the Norman Conquest, the county was divided into 700 fiefs, and large areas were owned by the crown, with fortifications such as Dunster Castle used for control and defence.

 

This period of Somerset's history is well documented, for example in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and Asser's Life of Alfred.

 

This is the period from 1066 to around 1500. Following the defeat of the Saxons by the Normans in 1066, various castles were set up in Somerset by the new lords such as that at Dunster, and the manors was awarded to followers of William the Conqueror such as William de Moyon and Walter of Douai. Somerset does not seem to have played much part in the civil war in King Stephen's time, but Somerset lords were main players in the murder of Thomas Becket.

 

A good picture of the county in 1086 is given by Domesday Book, though there is some difficulty in identifying the various places since the hundreds are not specified. The total population given for the county, which had different boundaries to those today, was 13,399, however this only included the heads of households, so with their families this may have been around 67,000. Farming seems to have prospered for the next three centuries but was severely hit by the Black Death which in 1348 arrived in Dorset and quickly spread through Somerset, causing widespread mortality, perhaps as much as 50% in places. It re-occurred, resulting in a change in feudal practices since the manpower was no longer so available.

 

Reclamation of land from marsh in the Somerset Levels increased, largely under monastic influence. Crafts and industries also flourished, the Somerset woollen industry being one of the largest in England at this time. "New towns" were founded in this period in Somerset, i.e. Newport, but were not successful. Coal mining on the Mendips was an important source of wealth while quarrying also took place, an example is near Bath.

 

The towns grew, again often by monastic instigation, during this period and fairs were started. The church was very powerful at this period, particularly Glastonbury Abbey. After their church burnt down, the monks there "discovered" the tomb of "King Arthur" and were able rebuild their church. There were over 20 monasteries in Somerset at this period including the priory at Hinton Charterhouse which was founded in 1232 by Ela, Countess of Salisbury who also founded Lacock Abbey. Many parish churches were re-built in this period. Between 1107 and 1129 William Giffard the Chancellor of King Henry I, converted the bishop's hall in Taunton into Taunton Castle. Bridgwater Castle was built in 1202 by William Brewer. It passed to the king in 1233 and in 1245 repairs were ordered to its motte and towers. During the 11th century Second Barons' War against Henry III, Bridgwater was held by the barons against the King. In the English Civil War the town and the castle were held by the Royalists under Colonel Sir Francis Wyndham. Eventually, with many buildings destroyed in the town, the castle and its valuable contents were surrendered to the Parliamentarians. The castle itself was deliberately destroyed in 1645.

 

During the Middle Ages sheep farming for the wool trade came to dominate the economy of Exmoor. The wool was spun into thread on isolated farms and collected by merchants to be woven, fulled, dyed and finished in thriving towns such as Dunster. The land started to be enclosed and from the 17th century onwards larger estates developed, leading to establishment of areas of large regular shaped fields. During this period a Royal Forest and hunting ground was established, administered by the Warden. The Royal Forest was sold off in 1818.

 

In the medieval period the River Parrett was used to transport Hamstone from the quarry at Ham Hill, Bridgwater was part of the Port of Bristol until the Port of Bridgwater was created in 1348, covering 80 miles (130 km) of the Somerset coast line, from the Devon border to the mouth of the River Axe. Historically, the main port on the river was at Bridgwater; the river being bridged at this point, with the first bridge being constructed in 1200 AD. Quays were built in 1424; with another quay, the Langport slip, being built in 1488 upstream of the Town Bridge. A Customs House was sited at Bridgwater, on West Quay; and a dry dock, launching slips and a boat yard on East Quay. The river was navigable, with care, to Bridgwater Town Bridge by 400 to 500 tonnes (440 to 550 tons) vessels. By trans-shipping into barges at the Town Bridge the Parrett was navigable as far as Langport and (via the River Yeo) to Ilchester.

 

This is the period from around 1500 to 1800. In the 1530s, the monasteries were dissolved and their lands bought from the king by various important families in Somerset. By 1539, Glastonbury Abbey was the only monastery left, its abbot Richard Whiting was then arrested and executed on the orders of Thomas Cromwell. From the Tudor to the Georgian times, farming specialised and techniques improved, leading to increases in population, although no new towns seem to have been founded. Large country houses such as at Hinton St George and Montacute House were built at this time.

 

The Bristol Channel floods of 1607 are believed to have affected large parts of the Somerset Levels with flooding up to 8 feet (2 m) above sea level. In 1625, a House of Correction was established in Shepton Mallet and, today, HMP Shepton Mallet is England's oldest prison still in use.

 

During the English Civil War, Somerset was largely Parliamentarian, although Dunster was a Royalist stronghold. The county was the site of important battles between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians, notably the Battle of Lansdowne in 1643 and the Battle of Langport in 1645. The castle changed hands several times during 1642–45 along with the town. During the Siege of Taunton it was defended by Robert Blake, from July 1644 to July 1645. This war resulted in castles being destroyed to prevent their re-use.

 

In 1685, the Duke of Monmouth led the Monmouth Rebellion in which Somerset people fought against James II. The rebels landed at Lyme Regis and travelled north hoping to capture Bristol and Bath, puritan soldiers damaged the west front of Wells Cathedral, tore lead from the roof to make bullets, broke the windows, smashed the organ and the furnishings, and for a time stabled their horses in the nave. They were defeated in the Battle of Sedgemoor at Westonzoyland, the last battle fought on English soil. The Bloody Assizes which followed saw the losers being sentenced to death or transportation.

 

The Society of Friends established itself in Street in the mid-17th century, and among the close-knit group of Quaker families were the Clarks: Cyrus started a business in sheepskin rugs, later joined by his brother James, who introduced the production of woollen slippers and, later, boots and shoes. C&J Clark still has its headquarters in Street, but shoes are no longer manufactured there. Instead, in 1993, redundant factory buildings were converted to form Clarks Village, the first purpose-built factory outlet in the United Kingdom.

 

The 18th century was largely one of peace and declining industrial prosperity in Somerset. The Industrial Revolution in the Midlands and Northern England spelt the end for most of Somerset's cottage industries. However, farming continued to flourish, with the Bath and West of England Agricultural Society being founded in 1777 to improve methods. John Billingsley conducted a survey of the county's agriculture in 1795 but found that methods could still be improved.

 

Arthur Wellesley took his title, Duke of Wellington from the town of Wellington. He is commemorated on a nearby hill with a large, spotlit obelisk, known as the Wellington Monument.

 

In north Somerset, mining in the Somerset coalfield was an important industry, and in an effort to reduce the cost of transporting the coal the Somerset Coal Canal was built; part of it was later converted into a railway. Other canals included the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, Westport Canal, Grand Western Canal, Glastonbury Canal and Chard Canal.[9] The Dorset and Somerset Canal was proposed, but very little of it was ever constructed.

 

The 19th century saw improvements to Somerset's roads with the introduction of turnpikes and the building of canals and railways. The usefulness of the canals was short-lived, though they have now been restored for recreation. The railways were nationalised after the Second World War, but continued until 1965, when smaller lines were scrapped; two were transferred back to private ownership as "heritage" lines.

 

In 1889, Somerset County Council was created, replacing the administrative functions of the Quarter Sessions.

 

The population of Somerset has continued to grow since 1800, when it was 274,000, particularly in the seaside towns such as Weston-super-Mare. Some population decline occurred earlier in the period in the villages, but this has now been reversed, and by 1951 the population of Somerset was 551,000.

 

Chard claims to be the birthplace of powered flight, as it was here in 1848 that the Victorian aeronautical pioneer John Stringfellow first demonstrated that engine-powered flight was possible through his work on the Aerial Steam Carriage. North Petherton was the first town in England (and one of the few ever) to be lit by acetylene gas lighting, supplied by the North Petherton Rosco Acetylene Company. Street lights were provided in 1906. Acetylene was replaced in 1931 by coal gas produced in Bridgwater, as well as by the provision of an electricity supply.

 

Around the 1860s, at the height of the iron and steel era, a pier and a deep-water dock were built, at Portishead, by the Bristol & Portishead Pier and Railway to accommodate the large ships that had difficulty in reaching Bristol Harbour. The Portishead power stations were coal-fed power stations built next to the dock. Construction work started on Portishead "A" power station in 1926. It began generating electricity in 1929 for the Bristol Corporation's Electricity Department. In 1951, Albright and Wilson built a chemical works on the opposite side of the dock from the power stations. The chemical works produced white phosphorus from phosphate rock imported, through the docks, into the UK. The onset of new generating capacity at Pembroke (oil-fired) and Didcot (coal-fired) in the mid-1970s brought about the closure of the older, less efficient "A" Station. The newer of the two power stations ("B" Station) was converted to burn oil when the Somerset coalfields closed. Industrial activities ceased in the dock with the closure of the power stations. The Port of Bristol Authority finally closed the dock in 1992, and it has now been developed into a marina and residential area.

 

During the First World War hundreds of Somerset soldiers were killed, and war memorials were put up in most of the towns and villages; only a few villages escaped casualties. There were also casualties – though much fewer – during the Second World War, who were added to the memorials. The county was a base for troops preparing for the 1944 D-Day landings, and some Somerset hospitals still date partly from that time. The Royal Ordnance Factory ROF Bridgwater was constructed early in World War II for the Ministry of Supply. It was designed as an Explosive ROF, to produce RDX, which was then a new experimental high-explosive. It obtained water supplies from two sources via the Somerset Levels: the artificial Huntspill River which was dug during the construction of the factory and also from the King's Sedgemoor Drain, which was widened at the same time. The Taunton Stop Line was set up to resist a potential German invasion, and the remains of its pill boxes can still be seen, as well as others along the coast. A decoy town was constructed on Black Down, intended to represent the blazing lights of a town which had neglected to follow the black-out regulations. Sites in the county housed Prisoner of War camps including: Norton Fitzwarren, Barwick, Brockley, Goathurst and Wells. Various airfields were built or converted from civilian use including: RNAS Charlton Horethorne (HMS Heron II), RAF Weston-super-Mare, RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Yeovil/Westland Airport, RAF Weston Zoyland, RAF Merryfield, RAF Culmhead and RAF Charmy Down.

 

Exmoor was one of the first British National Parks, designated in 1954, under the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act. and is named after its main river. It was expanded in 1991 and in 1993 Exmoor was designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area. The Quantock Hills were designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1956, the first such designation in England under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. The Mendip Hills followed with AONB designation in 1972.

 

Hinkley Point A nuclear power station was a Magnox power station constructed between 1957 and 1962 and operating until ceasing generation in 2000. Hinkley Point B is an Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) which was designed to generate 1250 MW of electricity (MWe). Construction of Hinkley Point B started in 1967. In September 2008 it was announced, by Électricité de France (EDF), that a third, twin-unit European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) power station known as Hinkley Point C is planned, to replace Hinkley Point B which was due for closure in 2016, but has now has its life extended until 2022.

 

Somerset today has only two small cities, Bath and Wells, and only small towns in comparison with other areas of England. Tourism is a major source of employment along the coast, and in Bath and Cheddar for example. Other attractions include Exmoor, West Somerset Railway, Haynes Motor Museum and the Fleet Air Arm Museum as well as the churches and the various National Trust and English Heritage properties in Somerset.

 

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 number of apple orchards has reduced.

 

In the late 19th century the boundaries of Somerset were slightly altered, but the main change came in 1974 when the county of Avon was set up. The northern part of Somerset was removed from the administrative control of Somerset County Council. On abolition of the county of Avon in 1996, these areas became separate administrative authorities, "North Somerset" and "Bath and North East Somerset". The Department for Communities and Local Government was considering a proposal by Somerset County Council to change Somerset's administrative structure by abolishing the five districts to create a Somerset unitary authority. The changes were planned to be implemented no later than 1 April 2009. However, support for the county council's bid was not guaranteed and opposition among the district council and local population was strong; 82% of people responding to a referendum organised by the five district councils rejected the proposals. It was confirmed in July 2007 that the government had rejected the proposals for unitary authorities in Somerset, and that the present two-tier arrangements of Somerset County Council and the district councils will remain.

#E1D-1-2, Autographed White Limo by 18 signers, Daryl Hannah, Roger Ebert, The Late Bob Keeshan, (Captain Kangaroo).and 15 others,

 

1) Daryl Hannah, Hollywood, Splash, Kill Bill,

2) Ron Riveria, Chicago Bears, NFL, Football,

3) Milu Murry, WSCR Radio, Chicago,

4)Jay Hilenburg, Chicago Bears,

5) Nick Firestone, INDY, Grandson of Mr. Firestone Tire,

6) Trace Armstong, Chicago Bears,

7) Dick Biondi, WLS Radio, Chicago,

8) Bob Christansan, Chicago Bears,

9) The Late Bob Keeshan, Captain Kangaroo,

10) The Late Ed (Big Daddy) Roth, Creator of Rat Fink,

11) Austin St. John, The Red, Power Ranger,

12) David Kaplin, Sports, A Piece Of The Game,

13) Brain Jones, Sports Radio,

14) The Late Roger Ebert, Movie Credit, At The Movies,

15) Ron Magers, Ch. 5 News, Anchor,

16) Chris Zorch, Chicago Bears,

17) The Late Bill (Maverick) Golden, The Little Red Wagon, NHRA,

18) Erik Estrada, TV show, Chips, (2 Pictures)

 

Majorette, 1/32 scale, White Limo, Die cast, with 18 Picture Proof Autographs (P.P.A.),

#1A-5, Muti Colored Autographed NASCAR Lamp Box signed The Late Jim Sauter, The Late Kevin Grubbs, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, and 38 Other Drivers, with Picture Proof Photos, (P.P.P.),

 

1) Ray Dunlap, ESPN, Lt. Green,

2) Ted Musgrave, #1, Mopar Performance, Pink,

3) Kevin LaPage, #37, Timber Wolf , Pink,

4) Randy LaJoie, #7, Kleenex, Lt. Green,

5) Larry McRenolds, FOX, Pink,

6) David Star, #75, Spears, Green,

7) Tom Powers, #55, U Of N.W. Ohio, Lt. Green,

8) Hank Parker Jr., #36, GNC Live Well, Lt. Green,

9) Dana White, #86, Coverall Car Parts, L Green,

10) Casey Mears, #66, Phillips 66, Orange,

11) Ashton Lewis, #46, Civil Air Patrol, Pink,

12) Phil Bonfield, #52, Means Racing, Brown,

13) Lon Richman, #N/A, Did Not Qualify, Green,

14) Bobby Dotter, #08, People Against Drugs, Orange,

15) Carlos Contreras, #43, Hot Wheels, Blue,

16) Steve Portengay, #39, Rotor Rooter, Lt. Blue,

17) Jason Schuller, #73, Met-Rx, Orange,

18) Tony Raises, #33, Bace Motorsports, Brown,

19) Mike Bliss, #16, IWX Motorfrieght, Orange,

20) Jeff Hammond, FOX, Blue,

21) Jay Sauter, #21, Rockwell Automat, Pink,

22) Bill Lester, #8, Dodge Motorsports, Orange,

23) Matt Crafton, #88, MENARD, Blue,

24) Lance Norwick, #90, Express Persona, Lt. Blue,

25) Randy McDonald #72, Bussiness Driver, Green,

26) CARL EDWARDS, #63, Mittler Brothers, Orange,

27) Stacy Compton, #59, Kingsford, Lt. Green,

28) Larry Foyt, #14, Hannah's Casino, Pink,

29) Jack Sprauge, #24, Net Zero, Very Lt. Green,

30) N/A, #90, N/A, Orange,

31) The Late Jim Sauter, #29, Advance Rockwell, Lt Green,

32) Scott Riggs, #10, Nestle NesQuik, Brown,

33) The Late Kevin Grubbs, #54, Toys R US, Pink,

34) N/A, N/A, N/A, Orange,

35) Mark Green, #38, Great Clips, Orange,

36) GREG BIFFLE, #60, Grainger, Brown,

37) Amy Earl, ESPN, Pink,

38) Tim Fedewa, #n/a, N/A, Blue,

39) Steve N/A, N/A, N/A, Lt. Green,

40) Kenny Schrader, #52, Federated Auto Parts, Blue,

41) Shane Hall, #63, Greased Lightning, Lt. Blue,

42) Jimmy Means, #52, Alka Selzer, Brown,

 

#E1D-1-2, Autographed White Limo by 18 signers, Daryl Hannah, Roger Ebert, The Late Bob Keeshan, (Captain Kangaroo).and 15 others,

 

1) Daryl Hannah, Hollywood, Splash, Kill Bill,

2) Ron Riveria, Chicago Bears, NFL, Football,

3) Milu Murry, WSCR Radio, Chicago,

4)Jay Hilenburg, Chicago Bears,

5) Nick Firestone, INDY, Grandson of Mr. Firestone Tire,

6) Trace Armstong, Chicago Bears,

7) Dick Biondi, WLS Radio, Chicago,

8) Bob Christansan, Chicago Bears,

9) The Late Bob Keeshan, Captain Kangaroo,

10) The Late Ed (Big Daddy) Roth, Creator of Rat Fink,

11) Austin St. John, The Red, Power Ranger,

12) David Kaplin, Sports, A Piece Of The Game,

13) Brain Jones, Sports Radio,

14) The Late Roger Ebert, Movie Credit, At The Movies,

15) Ron Magers, Ch. 5 News, Anchor,

16) Chris Zorch, Chicago Bears,

17) The Late Bill (Maverick) Golden, The Little Red Wagon, NHRA,

18) Erik Estrada, TV show, Chips, (2 Pictures)

 

Majorette, 1/32 scale, White Limo, Die cast, with 18 Picture Proof Autographs (P.P.A.),

26th January 2020 at Grand Hall, City Halls, Glasgow,

 

The Big Six-O Birthday Bash, Celtic Connections Festival, www.celticconnections.com/.

 

Country: Britain - Scotland. Style: Traditional Scottish Folk.

 

Lineup: Phil Cunningham (piano accordion/p/whistle), Aly Bain (fiddle), John McCusker (fiddle/whistle), Ktis Drever (g/mandolin/v). Ian Carr (g), Kevin McGuire (b), James Mackintosh (d/percussion), Sarah Allen (flute), Kate St John (oboe), Greg Lawson (violin), Su-a Lee (cello) & two others in the string section, and guests: Hannah Rarity (v) & Ryan MacKenzie (p); April MacAulay (fiddle) & Myles MacAulay (piano accordion), Duncan Chisholm (fiddle), Brian Finnegan (whistle/flute), Karen Matheson (v) & Donald Shaw (p), Cherish the Ladies [Joannie Madden (flute/whistle),Mary Coogan (g), Mirellla Murray (piano accordion), Kathleen Boyle (p)], Flook [Brian Finnegan (whistle/flute), Sarah Allen (flute), Ed Boyd (g), John Joe Kelly (bodhrán)], Eddi Reader (v), Jarlath Henderson (uilleann pipes) & John Ashton Thomas (p).

 

I knew that Phil Cunningham started his musical career early (joining Silly Wizard at 16) but was a bit surprised to discover that this birthday was only his 60th. There were plenty of accompanying and guest musicans, many of whom had joined him on a Christmas tour before the festival. New to me were 10 and 11 year old April and Myles MacAulay from Glasgow who first performed with Cunningham and Aly Bain at a charity event three years ago. I have taken photos before of Cunningham in his duo with Aly Bain and as part of Transatlantic Sessions (www.flickr.com/photos/kmlivemusic/tags/philcunningham,-th...). Also of most of the other musicians elsewhere (to view click on their names in my tags).

More information: www.facebook.com/Phil-Cunningham-193128854038811/.

 

Cheddar is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Somerset. It is situated on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills, 9 miles (14 km) north-west of Wells, 11 miles (18 km) south-east of Weston-super-Mare and 18 miles (29 km) south-west of Bristol. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Nyland and Bradley Cross. The parish had a population of 5,755 in 2011 and an acreage of 8,592 acres (3,477 ha) as of 1961.

 

Cheddar Gorge, on the northern edge of the village, is the largest gorge in the United Kingdom and includes several show caves, including Gough's Cave. The gorge has been a centre of human settlement since Neolithic times, including a Saxon palace. It has a temperate climate and provides a unique geological and biological environment that has been recognised by the designation of several Sites of Special Scientific Interest. It is also the site of several limestone quarries. The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese and has been a centre for strawberry growing. The crop was formerly transported on the Cheddar Valley rail line, which closed in the late 1960s and is now a cycle path. The village is now a major tourist destination with several cultural and community facilities, including the Cheddar Show Caves Museum.

 

The village supports a variety of community groups including religious, sporting and cultural organisations. Several of these are based on the site of the Kings of Wessex Academy, which is the largest educational establishment.

 

The name Cheddar comes from the Old English word ceodor, meaning deep dark cavity or pouch.

 

There is evidence of occupation from the Neolithic period in Cheddar. Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be 9,000 years old, was found in Cheddar Gorge in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. There is some evidence of a Bronze Age field system at the Batts Combe quarry site. There is also evidence of Bronze Age barrows at the mound in the Longwood valley, which if man-made it is likely to be a field system. The remains of a Roman villa have been excavated in the grounds of the current vicarage.

 

The village of Cheddar had been important during the Roman and Saxon eras. There was a royal palace at Cheddar during the Saxon period, which was used on three occasions in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot. The ruins of the palace were excavated in the 1960s. They are located on the grounds of the Kings of Wessex Academy, together with a 14th-century chapel dedicated to St. Columbanus. Roman remains have also been uncovered at the site. Cheddar was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Ceder, meaning "Shear Water", from the Old English scear and Old Welsh dŵr. An alternative spelling in earlier documents, common through the 1850s is Chedder.

 

As early as 1130 AD, the Cheddar Gorge was recognised as one of the "Four wonders of England". Historically, Cheddar's source of wealth was farming and cheese making for which it was famous as early as 1170 AD. The parish was part of the Winterstoke Hundred.

 

The manor of Cheddar was deforested in 1337 and Bishop Ralph was granted a licence by the King to create a hunting forest.

 

As early as 1527 there are records of watermills on the river. In the 17th and 18th centuries, there were several watermills which ground corn and made paper, with 13 mills on the Yeo at the peak, declining to seven by 1791 and just three by 1915. In the Victorian era it also became a centre for the production of clothing. The last mill, used as a shirt factory, closed in the early 1950s.

 

William Wilberforce saw the poor conditions of the locals when he visited Cheddar in 1789. He inspired Hannah More in her work to improve the conditions of the Mendip miners and agricultural workers. In 1801, 4,400 acres (18 km2) of common land were enclosed under the Inclosure Acts.

 

Tourism of the Cheddar gorge and caves began with the opening of the Cheddar Valley Railway in 1869.

 

Cheddar, its surrounding villages and specifically the gorge has been subject to flooding. In the Chew Stoke flood of 1968 the flow of water washed large boulders down the gorge, washed away cars, and damaged the cafe and the entrance to Gough's Cave.

 

Cheddar is recognised as a village. The adjacent settlement of Axbridge, although only about a third the population of Cheddar, is a town. This apparently illogical situation is explained by the relative importance of the two places in historic times. While Axbridge grew in importance as a centre for cloth manufacturing in the Tudor period and gained a charter from King John, Cheddar remained a more dispersed mining and dairy-farming village. Its population grew with the arrival of the railways in the Victorian era and the advent of tourism.

 

The parish council, which has 15 members who are elected for four years, is responsible 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 evaluates local planning applications and works with the police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, 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 the responsibility of the council.

 

The village is in the 'Cheddar and Shipham' electoral ward. After including Shipham the total population of the ward taken at the 2011 census is 6,842.

 

For local government purposes, since 1 April 2023, the village comes under the unitary authority of Somerset Council. Prior to this, it was part of the non-metropolitan district of Sedgemoor, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Axbridge Rural District. Fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the South Western Ambulance Service.

 

It is also part of the Wells county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. Prior to Brexit in 2020, it was part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.

 

Cheddar is twinned with Felsberg, Germany and Vernouillet, France, and it has an active programme of exchange visits. Initially, Cheddar twinned with Felsberg in 1984. In 2000, Cheddar twinned with Vernouillet, which had also been twinned with Felsberg. Cheddar also has a friendship link with Ocho Rios in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica.

 

It is also twinned with the commune of Descartes in the Indre-et-Loire department.

 

The area is underlain by Black Rock slate, Burrington Oolite and Clifton Down Limestone of the Carboniferous Limestone Series, which contain ooliths and fossil debris on top of Old Red Sandstone, and by Dolomitic Conglomerate of the Keuper. Evidence for Variscan orogeny is seen in the sheared rock and cleaved shales. In many places weathering of these strata has resulted in the formation of immature calcareous soils.

 

Cheddar Gorge, which is located on the edge of the village, is the largest gorge in the United Kingdom. The gorge is the site of the Cheddar Caves, where Cheddar Man was found in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. The caves, produced by the activity of an underground river, contain stalactites and stalagmites. Gough's Cave, which was discovered in 1903, leads around 400 m (437 yd) into the rock-face, and contains a variety of large rock chambers and formations. Cox's Cave, discovered in 1837, is smaller but contains many intricate formations. A further cave houses a children's entertainment walk known as the "Crystal Quest".

 

Cheddar Gorge, including Cox's Cave, Gough's Cave and other attractions, has become a tourist destination, attracting about 500,000 visitors per year. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, following its appearance on the 2005 television programme Seven Natural Wonders, Cheddar Gorge was named as the second greatest natural wonder in Britain, surpassed only by the Dan yr Ogof caves.

 

There are several large and unique Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) around the village.

 

Cheddar Reservoir is a near-circular artificial reservoir operated by Bristol Water. Dating from the 1930s, it has a capacity of 135 million gallons (614,000 cubic metres). The reservoir is supplied with water taken from the Cheddar Yeo, which rises in Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge and is a tributary of the River Axe. The inlet grate for the 54-inch (1.4 m) water pipe that is used to transport the water can be seen next to the sensory garden in Cheddar Gorge. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its wintering waterfowl populations.

 

Cheddar Wood and the smaller Macall's Wood form a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest from what remains of the wood of the Bishops of Bath and Wells in the 13th century and of King Edmund the Magnificent's wood in the 10th. During the 19th century, its lower fringes were grubbed out to make strawberry fields. Most of these have been allowed to revert to woodland. The wood was coppiced until 1917. This site compromises a wide range of habitats which include ancient and secondary semi-natural broadleaved woodland, unimproved neutral grassland, and a complex mosaic of calcareous grassland and acidic dry dwarf-shrub heath. Cheddar Wood is one of only a few English stations for starved wood-sedge (Carex depauperata). Purple gromwell (Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum), a nationally rare plant, also grows in the wood. Butterflies include silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia), dark green fritillary (Argynnis aglaja), pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne), holly blue (Celastrina argiolus) and brown argus (Aricia agestis). The slug Arion fasciatus, which has a restricted distribution in the south of England, and the soldier beetle Cantharis fusca also occur.

 

By far the largest of the SSSIs is called Cheddar Complex and covers 441.3 hectares (1,090.5 acres) of the gorge, caves and the surrounding area. It is important because of both biological and geological features. It includes four SSSIs, formerly known as Cheddar Gorge SSSI, August Hole/Longwood Swallet SSSI, GB Cavern Charterhouse SSSI and Charterhouse on-Mendip SSSI. It is partly owned by the National Trust who acquired it in 1910 and partly managed by the Somerset Wildlife Trust.

 

Close to the village and gorge are Batts Combe quarry and Callow Rock quarry, two of the active Quarries of the Mendip Hills where limestone is still extracted. Operating since the early 20th century, Batts Combe is owned and operated by Hanson Aggregates. The output in 2005 was around 4,000 tonnes of limestone per day, one third of which was supplied to an on-site lime kiln, which closed in 2009; the remainder was sold as coated or dusted aggregates. The limestone at this site is close to 99 percent carbonate of calcium and magnesium (dolomite).

 

The Chelmscombe Quarry finished its work as a limestone quarry in the 1950s and was then used by the Central Electricity Generating Board as a tower testing station. During the 1970s and 1980s it was also used to test the ability of containers of radioactive material to withstand impacts and other accidents.

 

Along with the rest of South West England, Cheddar has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country. The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50.0 °F). Seasonal temperature variation is less extreme than most of the United Kingdom because of the adjacent sea, which moderates temperature. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately 21 °C (69.8 °F). In winter mean minimum temperatures of 1 °C (33.8 °F) or 2 °C (35.6 °F) are common. In the summer the Azores high-pressure system affects the south-west of England. Convective cloud sometimes forms inland, reducing the number of hours of sunshine; annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600 hours. Most of the rainfall in the south-west is caused by Atlantic depressions or by convection. Most of the rainfall in autumn and winter is caused by the Atlantic depressions, which are most active during those seasons. In summer, a large proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. Average rainfall is around 700 mm (28 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall per year is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west.

 

The parish has a population in 2011 of 5,093, with a mean age of 43 years. Residents lived in 2,209 households. The vast majority of households (2,183) gave their ethnic status at the 2001 census as white.

 

The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese, which is the most popular type of cheese in the United Kingdom. The cheese is now made and consumed worldwide, and only one producer remains in the village.

 

Since the 1880s, Cheddar's other main produce has been the strawberry, which is grown on the south-facing lower slopes of the Mendip hills. As a consequence of its use for transporting strawberries to market, the since-closed Cheddar Valley line became known as The Strawberry Line after it opened in 1869. The line ran from Yatton to Wells. When the rest of the line was closed and all passenger services ceased, the section of the line between Cheddar and Yatton remained open for goods traffic. It provided a fast link with the main markets for the strawberries in Birmingham and London, but finally closed in 1964, becoming part of the Cheddar Valley Railway Nature Reserve.

 

Cheddar Ales is a small brewery based in the village, producing beer for local public houses.

 

Tourism is a significant source of employment. Around 15 percent of employment in Sedgemoor is provided by tourism, but within Cheddar it is estimated to employ as many as 1,000 people. The village also has a youth hostel, and a number of camping and caravan sites.

 

Cheddar has a number of active service clubs including Cheddar Vale Lions Club, Mendip Rotary and Mendip Inner Wheel Club. The clubs raise money for projects in the local community and hold annual events such as a fireworks display, duck races in the Gorge, a dragon boat race on the reservoir and concerts on the grounds of the nearby St Michael's Cheshire Home.

 

Several notable people have been born or lived in Cheddar. Musician Jack Bessant, the bass guitarist with the band Reef grew up on his parents' strawberry farm, and Matt Goss and Luke Goss, former members of Bros, lived in Cheddar for nine months as children. Trina Gulliver, ten-time World Professional Darts Champion, previously lived in Cheddar until 2017. The comedian Richard Herring grew up in Cheddar. His 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, The Headmaster's Son is based on his time at The Kings of Wessex School, where his father Keith was the headmaster. The final performance of this show was held at the school in November 2009. He also visited the school in March 2010 to perform his show Hitler Moustache. In May 2013, a community radio station called Pulse was launched.

 

The market cross in Bath Street dates from the 15th century, with the shelter having been rebuilt in 1834. It has a central octagonal pier, a socket raised on four steps, a hexagonal shelter with six arched four-centred openings, shallow two-stage buttresses at each angle, and an embattled parapet. The shaft is crowned by an abacus with figures in niches, probably from the late 19th century, although the cross is now missing. It was rebuilt by Thomas, Marquess of Bath. It is a scheduled monument (Somerset County No 21) and Grade II* listed building.

 

In January 2000, the cross was seriously damaged in a traffic accident. By 2002, the cross had been rebuilt and the area around it was redesigned to protect and enhance its appearance. The cross was badly damaged again in March 2012, when a taxi crashed into it late at night demolishing two sides. Repair work, which included the addition of wooden-clad steel posts to protect against future crashes, was completed in November 2012 at a cost of £60,000.

 

Hannah More, a philanthropist and educator, founded a school in the village in the late 18th century for the children of miners. Her first school was located in a 17th-century house. Now named "Hannah More's Cottage", the Grade II-listed building is used by the local community as a meeting place.

 

The village is situated on the A371 road which runs from Wincanton, to Weston-super-Mare. It is approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) from the route of the M5 motorway with around a 10 miles (16 km) drive to junction 22.

 

It was on the Cheddar Valley line, a railway line that was opened in 1869 and closed in 1963. It became known as The Strawberry Line because of the large volume of locally-grown strawberries that it carried. It ran from Yatton railway station through Cheddar to Wells (Tucker Street) railway station and joined the East Somerset Railway to make a through route via Shepton Mallet (High Street) railway station to Witham. Sections of the now-disused railway have been opened as the Strawberry Line Trail, which currently runs from Yatton to Cheddar. The Cheddar Valley line survived until the "Beeching Axe". Towards the end of its life there were so few passengers that diesel railcars were sometimes used. The Cheddar branch closed to passengers on 9 September 1963 and to goods in 1964. The line closed in the 1960s, when it became part of the Cheddar Valley Railway Nature Reserve, and part of the National Cycle Network route 26. The cycle route also intersects with the West Mendip Way and various other footpaths.

 

The principal bus route is hourly service 126 between Weston-super-Mare and Wells operated by First West of England. Other bus routes include the service 668 from Shipham to Street which runs every couple of hours operated by Libra Travel, as well as the college bus service 66 which runs from Axbridge to the Bridgwater Campus of Bridgwater and Taunton College in the mornings and evenings of college term times and is operated by Bakers Dolphin.

 

The first school in Cheddar was set up by Hannah More during the 18th Century, however now Cheddar has three schools belonging to the Cheddar Valley Group of Schools, twelve schools that provide Cheddar Valley's three-tier education system. Cheddar First School has ten classes for children between 4 and 9 years. Fairlands Middle School, a middle school categorised as a middle-deemed-secondary school, has 510 pupils between 9 and 13. Fairlands takes children moving up from Cheddar First School as well as other first schools in the Cheddar Valley. The Kings of Wessex Academy, a coeducational comprehensive school, has been rated as "good" by Ofsted. It has 1,176 students aged 13 to 18, including 333 in the sixth form. Kings is a faith school linked to the Church of England. It was awarded the specialist status of Technology College in 2001, enabling it to develop its Information Technology (IT) facilities and improve courses in science, mathematics and design technology. In 2007 it became a foundation school, giving it more control over its own finances. The academy owns and runs a sports centre and swimming pool, Kings Fitness & Leisure, with facilities that are used by students as well as residents. It has since November 2016 been a part of the Wessex Learning Trust which incorporates eight academies from the surrounding area.

 

The Church of St Andrew dates from the 14th century. It was restored in 1873 by William Butterfield. It is a Grade I listed building and contains some 15th-century stained glass and an altar table of 1631. The chest tomb in the chancel is believed to contain the remains of Sir Thomas Cheddar and is dated 1442. The tower, which rises to 100 feet (30 m), contains a bell dating from 1759 made by Thomas Bilbie of the Bilbie family. The graveyard contains the grave of the hymn writer William Chatterton Dix.

 

There are also churches for Roman Catholic, Methodist and other denominations, including Cheddar Valley Community Church, who not only meet at the Kings of Wessex School on Sunday, but also have their own site on Tweentown for meeting during the week. The Baptist chapel was built in 1831.

 

Kings Fitness & Leisure, situated on the grounds of the Kings of Wessex School, provides a venue for various sports and includes a 20-metre swimming pool, racket sport courts, a sports hall, dance studios and a gym. A youth sports festival was held on Sharpham Road Playing Fields in 2009. In 2010 a skatepark was built in the village, funded by the Cheddar Local Action Team.

 

Cheddar A.F.C., founded in 1892 and nicknamed "The Cheesemen",[111] play in the Western Football League Division One. In 2009 plans were revealed to move the club from its present home at Bowdens Park on Draycott Road to a new larger site.

 

Cheddar Cricket Club was formed in the late 19th century and moved to Sharpham Road Playing Fields in 1964. They now play in the West of England Premier League Somerset Division. Cheddar Rugby Club, who own part of the Sharpham playing fields, was formed in 1836. The club organises an annual Cheddar Rugby Tournament. Cheddar Lawn Tennis Club, was formed in 1924, and play in the North Somerset League and also has social tennis and coaching. Cheddar Running Club organised an annual half marathon until 2009.

 

The village is both on the route of the West Mendip Way and Samaritans Way South West.

 

Somerset 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.

 

The centre of Somerset is dominated by the Levels, a coastal plain and wetland, and the north-east and west of the county are hilly. The north-east contains part of the Cotswolds AONB, all of the Mendip Hills AONB, and a small part of Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB; the west contains the Quantock Hills AONB, a majority of Exmoor National Park, and part of the Blackdown Hills AONB. The main rivers in 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.

 

Somerset is a historic county in the south west of England. There is evidence of human occupation since prehistoric times with hand axes and flint points from the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic eras, and a range of burial mounds, hill forts and other artefacts dating from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. The oldest dated human road work in Great Britain is the Sweet Track, constructed across the Somerset Levels with wooden planks in the 39th century BCE.

 

Following the Roman Empire's invasion of southern 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 Early Medieval period Somerset was the scene of battles between the Anglo-Saxons and first the Britons and later the Danes. In this period it was ruled first by various kings of Wessex, and later by kings of England. Following the defeat of the Anglo-Saxon monarchy 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 are based 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.

 

The Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods saw hunter-gatherers move into the region of Somerset. There is evidence from flint artefacts in a quarry at Westbury that an ancestor of modern man, possibly Homo heidelbergensis, was present in the area from around 500,000 years ago. There is still some doubt about whether the artefacts are of human origin but they have been dated within Oxygen Isotope Stage 13 (524,000 – 478,000 BP). Other experts suggest that "many of the bone-rich Middle Pleistocene deposits belong to a single but climatically variable interglacial that succeeded the Cromerian, perhaps about 500,000 years ago. Detailed analysis of the origin and modification of the flint artefacts leads to the conclusion that the assemblage was probably a product of geomorphological processes rather than human work, but a single cut-marked bone suggests a human presence." Animal bones and artefacts unearthed in the 1980s at Westbury-sub-Mendip, in Somerset, have shown evidence of early human activity approximately 700,000 years ago.

 

Homo sapiens sapiens, or modern man, came to Somerset during the Early Upper Palaeolithic. There is evidence of occupation of four Mendip caves 35,000 to 30,000 years ago. During the Last Glacial Maximum, about 25,000 to 15,000 years ago, it is probable that Somerset was deserted as the area experienced tundra conditions. Evidence was found in Gough's Cave of deposits of human bone dating from around 12,500 years ago. The bones were defleshed and probably ritually buried though perhaps related to cannibalism being practised in the area at the time or making skull cups or storage containers. Somerset was one of the first areas of future England settled following the end of Younger Dryas phase of the last ice age c. 8000 BC. Cheddar Man is the name given to the remains of a human male found in Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge. He is Britain's oldest complete human skeleton. The remains date from about 7150 BC, and it appears that he died a violent death. Somerset is thought to have been occupied by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers from about 6000 BCE; Mesolithic artefacts have been found in more than 70 locations. Mendip caves were used as burial places, with between 50 and 100 skeletons being found in Aveline's Hole. In the Neolithic era, from about 3500 BCE, there is evidence of farming.

 

At the end of the last ice age the Bristol Channel was dry land, but later the sea level rose, particularly between 1220 and 900 BC and between 800 and 470 BCE, resulting in major coastal changes. The Somerset Levels became flooded, but the dry points such as Glastonbury and Brent Knoll have a long history of settlement, and are known to have been occupied by Mesolithic hunters. The county has prehistoric burial mounds (such as Stoney Littleton Long Barrow), stone rows (such as the circles at Stanton Drew and Priddy) and settlement sites. Evidence of Mesolithic occupation has come both from the upland areas, such as in Mendip caves, and from the low land areas such as the Somerset Levels. Dry points in the latter such as Glastonbury Tor and Brent Knoll, have a long history of settlement with wooden trackways between them. There were also "lake villages" in the marsh such as those at Glastonbury Lake Village and Meare. One of the oldest dated human road work in Britain is the Sweet Track, constructed across the Somerset Levels with wooden planks in the 39th century BC, partially on the route of the even earlier Post Track.

 

There is evidence of Exmoor's human occupation from Mesolithic times onwards. In the Neolithic period people started to manage animals and grow crops on farms cleared from the woodland, rather than act purely as hunter gatherers. It is also likely that extraction and smelting of mineral ores to make tools, weapons, containers and ornaments in bronze and then iron started in the late Neolithic and into the Bronze and Iron Ages.

 

The caves of the Mendip Hills were settled during the Neolithic period and contain extensive archaeological sites such as those at Cheddar Gorge. There are numerous Iron Age Hill Forts, which were later reused in the Dark Ages, such as Cadbury Castle, Worlebury Camp and Ham Hill. The age of the henge monument at Stanton Drew stone circles is unknown, but is believed to be from the Neolithic period. There is evidence of mining on the Mendip Hills back into the late Bronze Age when there were technological changes in metal working indicated by the use of lead. There are numerous "hill forts", such as Small Down Knoll, Solsbury Hill, Dolebury Warren and Burledge Hill, which seem to have had domestic purposes, not just a defensive role. They generally seem to have been occupied intermittently from the Bronze Age onward, some, such as Cadbury Camp at South Cadbury, being refurbished during different eras. Battlegore Burial Chamber is a Bronze Age burial chamber at Williton which is composed of three round barrows and possibly a long, chambered barrow.

 

The Iron Age tribes of later Somerset were the Dobunni in north Somerset, Durotriges in south Somerset and Dumnonii in west Somerset. The first and second produced coins, the finds of which allows their tribal areas to be suggested, but the latter did not. All three had a Celtic culture and language. However, Ptolemy stated that Bath was in the territory of the Belgae, but this may be a mistake. The Celtic gods were worshipped at the temple of Sulis at Bath and possibly the temple on Brean Down. Iron Age sites on the Quantock Hills, include major hill forts at Dowsborough and Ruborough, as well as smaller earthwork enclosures, such as Trendle Ring, Elworthy Barrows and Plainsfield Camp.

 

Somerset was part of the Roman Empire from 47 AD to about 409 AD. However, the end was not abrupt and elements of Romanitas lingered on for perhaps a century.

 

Somerset was invaded from the south-east by the Second Legion Augusta, under the future emperor Vespasian. The hillforts of the Durotriges at Ham Hill and Cadbury Castle were captured. Ham Hill probably had a temporary Roman occupation. The massacre at Cadbury Castle seems to have been associated with the later Boudiccan Revolt of 60–61 AD. The county remained part of the Roman Empire until around 409 AD.

 

The Roman invasion, and possibly the preceding period of involvement in the internal affairs of the south of England, was inspired in part by the potential of the Mendip Hills. A great deal of the attraction of the lead mines may have been the potential for the extraction of silver.

 

Forts were set up at Bath and Ilchester. The lead and silver mines at Charterhouse in the Mendip Hills were run by the military. The Romans established a defensive boundary along the new military road known the Fosse Way (from the Latin fossa meaning ditch). The Fosse Way ran through Bath, Shepton Mallet, Ilchester and south-west towards Axminster. The road from Dorchester ran through Yeovil to meet the Fosse Way at Ilchester. Small towns and trading ports were set up, such as Camerton and Combwich. The larger towns decayed in the latter part of the period, though the smaller ones appear to have decayed less. In the latter part of the period, Ilchester seems to have been a "civitas" capital and Bath may also have been one. Particularly to the east of the River Parrett, villas were constructed. However, only a few Roman sites have been found to the west of the river. The villas have produced important mosaics and artifacts. Cemeteries have been found outside the Roman towns of Somerset and by Roman temples such as that at Lamyatt. Romano-British farming settlements, such as those at Catsgore and Sigwells, have been found in Somerset. There was salt production on the Somerset Levels near Highbridge and quarrying took place near Bath, where the Roman Baths gave their name to Bath.

 

Excavations carried out before the flooding of Chew Valley Lake also uncovered Roman remains, indicating agricultural and industrial activity from the second half of the 1st century until the 3rd century AD. The finds included a moderately large villa at Chew Park, where wooden writing tablets (the first in the UK) with ink writing were found. There is also evidence from the Pagans Hill Roman Temple at Chew Stoke. In October 2001 the West Bagborough Hoard of 4th century Roman silver was discovered in West Bagborough. The 681 coins included two denarii from the early 2nd century and 8 Miliarense and 671 Siliqua all dating to the period AD 337 – 367. The majority were struck in the reigns of emperors Constantius II and Julian and derive from a range of mints including Arles and Lyons in France, Trier in Germany and Rome.

 

In April 2010, the Frome Hoard, one of the largest-ever hoards of Roman coins discovered in Britain, was found by a metal detectorist. The hoard of 52,500 coins dated from the 3rd century AD and was found buried in a field near Frome, in a jar 14 inches (36 cm) below the surface. The coins were excavated by archaeologists from the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

 

This is the period from about 409 AD to the start of Saxon political control, which was mainly in the late 7th century, though they are said to have captured the Bath area in 577 AD. Initially the Britons of Somerset seem to have continued much as under the Romans but without the imperial taxation and markets. There was then a period of civil war in Britain though it is not known how this affected Somerset. The Western Wandsdyke may have been constructed in this period but archaeological data shows that it was probably built during the 5th or 6th century. This area became the border between the Romano-British Celts and the West Saxons following the Battle of Deorham in 577 AD. The ditch is on the north side, so presumably it was used by the Celts as a defence against Saxons encroaching from the upper Thames Valley. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the Saxon Cenwalh achieved a breakthrough against the British Celtic tribes, with victories at Bradford-on-Avon (in the Avon Gap in the Wansdyke) in 652 AD, and further south at the Battle of Peonnum (at Penselwood) in 658 AD, followed by an advance west through the Polden Hills to the River Parrett.

 

The Saxon advance from the east seems to have been halted by battles between the British and Saxons, for example; at the siege of Badon Mons Badonicus (which may have been in the Bath region e.g. at Solsbury Hill), or Bathampton Down. During the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries, Somerset was probably partly in the Kingdom of Dumnonia, partly in the land of the Durotriges and partly in that of the Dobunni. The boundaries between these is largely unknown, but may have been similar to those in the Iron Age. Various "tyrants" seem to have controlled territories from reoccupied hill forts. There is evidence of an elite at hill forts such as Cadbury Castle and Cadbury Camp; for example, there is imported pottery. Cemeteries are an important source of evidence for the period and large ones have been found in Somerset, such as that at Cannington, which was used from the Roman to the Saxon period. The towns of Somerset seem to have been little used during that period but there continued to be farming on the villa sites and at the Romano-British villages.

 

There may have been effects from plague and volcanic eruption during this period as well as marine transgression into the Levels.

 

The language spoken during this period is thought to be Southwestern Brythonic, but only one or two inscribed stones survive in Somerset from this period. However, a couple of curse tablets found in the baths at Bath may be in this language. Some place names in Somerset seem to be Celtic in origin and may be from this period or earlier, e.g. Tarnock. Some river names, such as Parrett, may be Celtic or pre-Celtic. The religion of the people of Somerset in this period is thought to be Christian but it was isolated from Rome until after the Council of Hertford in 673 AD when Aldhelm was asked to write a letter to Geraint of Dumnonia and his bishops. Some church sites in Somerset are thought to date from this period, e.g., Llantokay Street.

 

Most of what is known of the history of this period comes from Gildas's On the Ruin of Britain, which is thought to have been written in Durotrigan territory, possibly at Glastonbury.

 

The earliest fortification of Taunton started for King Ine of Wessex and Æthelburg, in or about the year 710 AD. However, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle this was destroyed 12 years later.

 

This is the period from the late 7th century (for most of Somerset) to 1066, though for part of the 10th and 11th centuries England was under Danish control. Somerset, like Dorset to the south, held the West Saxon advance from Wiltshire/Hampshire back for over a century, remaining a frontier between the Saxons and the Romano-British Celts.

 

The Saxons conquered Bath following the Battle of Deorham in 577, and the border was probably established along the line of the Wansdyke to the north of the Mendip Hills. Then Cenwalh of Wessex broke through at Bradford-on-Avon in 652, and the Battle of Peonnum possibly at Penselwood in 658, advancing west through the Polden Hills to the River Parrett. In 661 the Saxons may have advanced into what is now Devon as a result of a battle fought at Postesburh, possibly Posbury near Crediton.

 

Then in the period 681–85 Centwine of Wessex conquered King Cadwaladr and "advanced as far as the sea", but it is not clear where this was. It is assumed that the Saxons occupied the rest of Somerset about this time. The Saxon rule was consolidated under King Ine, who established a fort at Taunton, demolished by his wife in 722. It is sometimes said that he built palaces at Somerton and South Petherton but this does not seem to be the case. He fought against Geraint in 710. In 705 the diocese of Sherborne was formed, taking in Wessex west of Selwood. Saxon kings granted land in Somerset by charter from the 7th century onward. The way and extent to which the Britons survived under the Saxons is a debatable matter. However, King Ine's laws make provision for Britons. Somerset originally formed part of Wessex and latter became a separate "shire". Somersetshire seems to have been formed within Wessex during the 8th century though it is not recorded as a name until later. Mints were set up at times in various places in Somerset in the Saxon period, e.g., Watchet.

 

Somerset played an important part in defeating the spread of the Danes in the 9th century. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that in 845 Alderman Eanwulf, with the men of Somersetshire (Sumorsǣte), and Bishop Ealstan, and Alderman Osric, with the men of Dorsetshire, conquered the Danish army at the mouth of the Parret. This was the first known use of the name Somersæte. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports that in January 878 the King Alfred the Great fled into the marshes of Somerset from the Viking's invasion and made a fort at Athelney. From the fort Alfred was able to organize a resistance using the local militias from Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire.

 

Viking raids took place for instance in 987 and 997 at Watchet and the Battle of Cynwit. King Alfred was driven to seek refuge from the Danes at Athelney before defeating them at the Battle of Ethandun in 878, usually considered to be near Edington, Wiltshire, but possibly the village of Edington in Somerset. Alfred established a series of forts and lookout posts linked by a military road, or Herepath, so his army could cover Viking movements at sea. The Herepath has a characteristic form which is familiar on the Quantocks: a regulation 20 m wide track between avenues of trees growing from hedge laying embankments. The Herepath ran from the ford on the River Parrett at Combwich, past Cannington hill fort to Over Stowey, where it climbed the Quantocks along the line of the current Stowey road, to Crowcombe Park Gate. Then it went south along the ridge, to Triscombe Stone. One branch may have led past Lydeard Hill and Buncombe Hill, back to Alfred's base at Athelney. The main branch descended the hills at Triscombe, then along the avenue to Red Post Cross, and west to the Brendon Hills and Exmoor. A peace treaty with the Danes was signed at Wedmore and the Danish king Guthrum the Old was baptised at Aller. Burhs (fortified places) had been set up by 919, such as Lyng. The Alfred Jewel, an object about 2.5 inch long, made of filigree gold, cloisonné-enamelled and with a rock crystal covering, was found in 1693 at Petherton Park, North Petherton. Believed to have been owned by Alfred the Great it is thought to have been the handle for a pointer that would have fit into the hole at its base and been used while reading a book.

 

Monasteries and minster churches were set up all over Somerset, with daughter churches from the minsters in manors. There was a royal palace at Cheddar, which was used at times in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot, and there is likely to have been a "central place" at Somerton, Bath, Glastonbury and Frome since the kings visited them. The towns of Somerset seem to have been in occupation in this period though evidence for this is limited because of subsequent buildings on top of remains from this period. Agriculture flourished in this period, with a re-organisation into centralised villages in the latter part in the east of the county.

 

In the period before the Norman Conquest, Somerset came under the control of Godwin, Earl of Wessex, and his family. There seems to have been some Danish settlement at Thurloxton and Spaxton, judging from the place-names. After the Norman Conquest, the county was divided into 700 fiefs, and large areas were owned by the crown, with fortifications such as Dunster Castle used for control and defence.

 

This period of Somerset's history is well documented, for example in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and Asser's Life of Alfred.

 

This is the period from 1066 to around 1500. Following the defeat of the Saxons by the Normans in 1066, various castles were set up in Somerset by the new lords such as that at Dunster, and the manors was awarded to followers of William the Conqueror such as William de Moyon and Walter of Douai. Somerset does not seem to have played much part in the civil war in King Stephen's time, but Somerset lords were main players in the murder of Thomas Becket.

 

A good picture of the county in 1086 is given by Domesday Book, though there is some difficulty in identifying the various places since the hundreds are not specified. The total population given for the county, which had different boundaries to those today, was 13,399, however this only included the heads of households, so with their families this may have been around 67,000. Farming seems to have prospered for the next three centuries but was severely hit by the Black Death which in 1348 arrived in Dorset and quickly spread through Somerset, causing widespread mortality, perhaps as much as 50% in places. It re-occurred, resulting in a change in feudal practices since the manpower was no longer so available.

 

Reclamation of land from marsh in the Somerset Levels increased, largely under monastic influence. Crafts and industries also flourished, the Somerset woollen industry being one of the largest in England at this time. "New towns" were founded in this period in Somerset, i.e. Newport, but were not successful. Coal mining on the Mendips was an important source of wealth while quarrying also took place, an example is near Bath.

 

The towns grew, again often by monastic instigation, during this period and fairs were started. The church was very powerful at this period, particularly Glastonbury Abbey. After their church burnt down, the monks there "discovered" the tomb of "King Arthur" and were able rebuild their church. There were over 20 monasteries in Somerset at this period including the priory at Hinton Charterhouse which was founded in 1232 by Ela, Countess of Salisbury who also founded Lacock Abbey. Many parish churches were re-built in this period. Between 1107 and 1129 William Giffard the Chancellor of King Henry I, converted the bishop's hall in Taunton into Taunton Castle. Bridgwater Castle was built in 1202 by William Brewer. It passed to the king in 1233 and in 1245 repairs were ordered to its motte and towers. During the 11th century Second Barons' War against Henry III, Bridgwater was held by the barons against the King. In the English Civil War the town and the castle were held by the Royalists under Colonel Sir Francis Wyndham. Eventually, with many buildings destroyed in the town, the castle and its valuable contents were surrendered to the Parliamentarians. The castle itself was deliberately destroyed in 1645.

 

During the Middle Ages sheep farming for the wool trade came to dominate the economy of Exmoor. The wool was spun into thread on isolated farms and collected by merchants to be woven, fulled, dyed and finished in thriving towns such as Dunster. The land started to be enclosed and from the 17th century onwards larger estates developed, leading to establishment of areas of large regular shaped fields. During this period a Royal Forest and hunting ground was established, administered by the Warden. The Royal Forest was sold off in 1818.

 

In the medieval period the River Parrett was used to transport Hamstone from the quarry at Ham Hill, Bridgwater was part of the Port of Bristol until the Port of Bridgwater was created in 1348, covering 80 miles (130 km) of the Somerset coast line, from the Devon border to the mouth of the River Axe. Historically, the main port on the river was at Bridgwater; the river being bridged at this point, with the first bridge being constructed in 1200 AD. Quays were built in 1424; with another quay, the Langport slip, being built in 1488 upstream of the Town Bridge. A Customs House was sited at Bridgwater, on West Quay; and a dry dock, launching slips and a boat yard on East Quay. The river was navigable, with care, to Bridgwater Town Bridge by 400 to 500 tonnes (440 to 550 tons) vessels. By trans-shipping into barges at the Town Bridge the Parrett was navigable as far as Langport and (via the River Yeo) to Ilchester.

 

This is the period from around 1500 to 1800. In the 1530s, the monasteries were dissolved and their lands bought from the king by various important families in Somerset. By 1539, Glastonbury Abbey was the only monastery left, its abbot Richard Whiting was then arrested and executed on the orders of Thomas Cromwell. From the Tudor to the Georgian times, farming specialised and techniques improved, leading to increases in population, although no new towns seem to have been founded. Large country houses such as at Hinton St George and Montacute House were built at this time.

 

The Bristol Channel floods of 1607 are believed to have affected large parts of the Somerset Levels with flooding up to 8 feet (2 m) above sea level. In 1625, a House of Correction was established in Shepton Mallet and, today, HMP Shepton Mallet is England's oldest prison still in use.

 

During the English Civil War, Somerset was largely Parliamentarian, although Dunster was a Royalist stronghold. The county was the site of important battles between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians, notably the Battle of Lansdowne in 1643 and the Battle of Langport in 1645. The castle changed hands several times during 1642–45 along with the town. During the Siege of Taunton it was defended by Robert Blake, from July 1644 to July 1645. This war resulted in castles being destroyed to prevent their re-use.

 

In 1685, the Duke of Monmouth led the Monmouth Rebellion in which Somerset people fought against James II. The rebels landed at Lyme Regis and travelled north hoping to capture Bristol and Bath, puritan soldiers damaged the west front of Wells Cathedral, tore lead from the roof to make bullets, broke the windows, smashed the organ and the furnishings, and for a time stabled their horses in the nave. They were defeated in the Battle of Sedgemoor at Westonzoyland, the last battle fought on English soil. The Bloody Assizes which followed saw the losers being sentenced to death or transportation.

 

The Society of Friends established itself in Street in the mid-17th century, and among the close-knit group of Quaker families were the Clarks: Cyrus started a business in sheepskin rugs, later joined by his brother James, who introduced the production of woollen slippers and, later, boots and shoes. C&J Clark still has its headquarters in Street, but shoes are no longer manufactured there. Instead, in 1993, redundant factory buildings were converted to form Clarks Village, the first purpose-built factory outlet in the United Kingdom.

 

The 18th century was largely one of peace and declining industrial prosperity in Somerset. The Industrial Revolution in the Midlands and Northern England spelt the end for most of Somerset's cottage industries. However, farming continued to flourish, with the Bath and West of England Agricultural Society being founded in 1777 to improve methods. John Billingsley conducted a survey of the county's agriculture in 1795 but found that methods could still be improved.

 

Arthur Wellesley took his title, Duke of Wellington from the town of Wellington. He is commemorated on a nearby hill with a large, spotlit obelisk, known as the Wellington Monument.

 

In north Somerset, mining in the Somerset coalfield was an important industry, and in an effort to reduce the cost of transporting the coal the Somerset Coal Canal was built; part of it was later converted into a railway. Other canals included the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, Westport Canal, Grand Western Canal, Glastonbury Canal and Chard Canal.[9] The Dorset and Somerset Canal was proposed, but very little of it was ever constructed.

 

The 19th century saw improvements to Somerset's roads with the introduction of turnpikes and the building of canals and railways. The usefulness of the canals was short-lived, though they have now been restored for recreation. The railways were nationalised after the Second World War, but continued until 1965, when smaller lines were scrapped; two were transferred back to private ownership as "heritage" lines.

 

In 1889, Somerset County Council was created, replacing the administrative functions of the Quarter Sessions.

 

The population of Somerset has continued to grow since 1800, when it was 274,000, particularly in the seaside towns such as Weston-super-Mare. Some population decline occurred earlier in the period in the villages, but this has now been reversed, and by 1951 the population of Somerset was 551,000.

 

Chard claims to be the birthplace of powered flight, as it was here in 1848 that the Victorian aeronautical pioneer John Stringfellow first demonstrated that engine-powered flight was possible through his work on the Aerial Steam Carriage. North Petherton was the first town in England (and one of the few ever) to be lit by acetylene gas lighting, supplied by the North Petherton Rosco Acetylene Company. Street lights were provided in 1906. Acetylene was replaced in 1931 by coal gas produced in Bridgwater, as well as by the provision of an electricity supply.

 

Around the 1860s, at the height of the iron and steel era, a pier and a deep-water dock were built, at Portishead, by the Bristol & Portishead Pier and Railway to accommodate the large ships that had difficulty in reaching Bristol Harbour. The Portishead power stations were coal-fed power stations built next to the dock. Construction work started on Portishead "A" power station in 1926. It began generating electricity in 1929 for the Bristol Corporation's Electricity Department. In 1951, Albright and Wilson built a chemical works on the opposite side of the dock from the power stations. The chemical works produced white phosphorus from phosphate rock imported, through the docks, into the UK. The onset of new generating capacity at Pembroke (oil-fired) and Didcot (coal-fired) in the mid-1970s brought about the closure of the older, less efficient "A" Station. The newer of the two power stations ("B" Station) was converted to burn oil when the Somerset coalfields closed. Industrial activities ceased in the dock with the closure of the power stations. The Port of Bristol Authority finally closed the dock in 1992, and it has now been developed into a marina and residential area.

 

During the First World War hundreds of Somerset soldiers were killed, and war memorials were put up in most of the towns and villages; only a few villages escaped casualties. There were also casualties – though much fewer – during the Second World War, who were added to the memorials. The county was a base for troops preparing for the 1944 D-Day landings, and some Somerset hospitals still date partly from that time. The Royal Ordnance Factory ROF Bridgwater was constructed early in World War II for the Ministry of Supply. It was designed as an Explosive ROF, to produce RDX, which was then a new experimental high-explosive. It obtained water supplies from two sources via the Somerset Levels: the artificial Huntspill River which was dug during the construction of the factory and also from the King's Sedgemoor Drain, which was widened at the same time. The Taunton Stop Line was set up to resist a potential German invasion, and the remains of its pill boxes can still be seen, as well as others along the coast. A decoy town was constructed on Black Down, intended to represent the blazing lights of a town which had neglected to follow the black-out regulations. Sites in the county housed Prisoner of War camps including: Norton Fitzwarren, Barwick, Brockley, Goathurst and Wells. Various airfields were built or converted from civilian use including: RNAS Charlton Horethorne (HMS Heron II), RAF Weston-super-Mare, RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Yeovil/Westland Airport, RAF Weston Zoyland, RAF Merryfield, RAF Culmhead and RAF Charmy Down.

 

Exmoor was one of the first British National Parks, designated in 1954, under the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act. and is named after its main river. It was expanded in 1991 and in 1993 Exmoor was designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area. The Quantock Hills were designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1956, the first such designation in England under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. The Mendip Hills followed with AONB designation in 1972.

 

Hinkley Point A nuclear power station was a Magnox power station constructed between 1957 and 1962 and operating until ceasing generation in 2000. Hinkley Point B is an Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) which was designed to generate 1250 MW of electricity (MWe). Construction of Hinkley Point B started in 1967. In September 2008 it was announced, by Électricité de France (EDF), that a third, twin-unit European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) power station known as Hinkley Point C is planned, to replace Hinkley Point B which was due for closure in 2016, but has now has its life extended until 2022.

 

Somerset today has only two small cities, Bath and Wells, and only small towns in comparison with other areas of England. Tourism is a major source of employment along the coast, and in Bath and Cheddar for example. Other attractions include Exmoor, West Somerset Railway, Haynes Motor Museum and the Fleet Air Arm Museum as well as the churches and the various National Trust and English Heritage properties in Somerset.

 

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 number of apple orchards has reduced.

 

In the late 19th century the boundaries of Somerset were slightly altered, but the main change came in 1974 when the county of Avon was set up. The northern part of Somerset was removed from the administrative control of Somerset County Council. On abolition of the county of Avon in 1996, these areas became separate administrative authorities, "North Somerset" and "Bath and North East Somerset". The Department for Communities and Local Government was considering a proposal by Somerset County Council to change Somerset's administrative structure by abolishing the five districts to create a Somerset unitary authority. The changes were planned to be implemented no later than 1 April 2009. However, support for the county council's bid was not guaranteed and opposition among the district council and local population was strong; 82% of people responding to a referendum organised by the five district councils rejected the proposals. It was confirmed in July 2007 that the government had rejected the proposals for unitary authorities in Somerset, and that the present two-tier arrangements of Somerset County Council and the district councils will remain.

Hannah & Alec

Charlotte, NC

 

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26th January 2020 at Grand Hall, City Halls, Glasgow,

 

The Big Six-O Birthday Bash, Celtic Connections Festival, www.celticconnections.com/.

 

Country:Britain- Scotland. Style: Traditional Scottish Folk.

 

Lineup: Phil Cunningham (piano accordion/p/whistle), Aly Bain (fiddle), John McCusker (fiddle/whistle), Ktis Drever (g/mandolin/v). Ian Carr (g), Kevin McGuire (b), James Mackintosh (d/percussion), Sarah Allen (flute), Kate St John (oboe), Greg Lawson (violin), Su-a Lee (cello) & two others in the string section, and guests: Hannah Rarity (v) & Ryan MacKenzie (p); April MacAulay (fiddle) & Myles MacAulay (piano accordion), Duncan Chisholm (fiddle), Brian Finnegan (whistle/flute), Karen Matheson (v) & Donald Shaw (p), Cherish the Ladies [Joannie Madden (flute/whistle),Mary Coogan (g), Mirellla Murray (piano accordion), Kathleen Boyle (p)], Flook [Brian Finnegan (whistle/flute), Sarah Allen (flute), Ed Boyd (g), John Joe Kelly (bodhrán)], Eddi Reader (v), Jarlath Henderson (uilleann pipes) & John Ashton Thomas (p).

 

I knew that Phil Cunningham started his musical career early (joining Silly Wizard at 16) but was a bit surprised to discover that this birthday was only his 60th. There were plenty of accompanying and guest musicans, many of whom had joined him on a Christmas tour before the festival. New to me were 10 and 11 year old April and Myles MacAulay from Glasgow who first performed with Cunningham and Aly Bain at a charity event three years ago. I have taken photos before of Cunningham in his duo with Aly Bain and as part of Transatlantic Sessions (www.flickr.com/photos/kmlivemusic/tags/philcunningham,-th...). Also of most of the other musicians elsewhere (to view click on their names in my tags).

More information: www.facebook.com/Phil-Cunningham-193128854038811/.

 

This is the Council House in Dudley, dating from around 1934-5.

 

It is the home of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.

 

It was Grade II listed in 2010.

 

Civic building including council chamber, committee rooms and offices for various departments of Dudley Borough Council. Built in 1934-5 to the designs of W. Alexander Harvey FRIBA and H. Graham Wicks ARIBA and constructed by John Dallow & sons, contractors, with sculptural decoration by Walter Gilbert and William Bloye.

 

MATERIALS: The building has walling of brindle-coloured brick laid in English bond with ashlar dressings and a hipped slate roof with lead flashings.

 

PLAN: The building is of two-storeys with a semi-basement. It fronts onto Priory Street, where its south-eastern corner connects to the old police building, and Priory Road. At the centre of the Priory Road front is an entrance which leads to a lobby and staircase hall leading up to a semi-circular hall at first floor level. The council chamber projects in a wing to the south-west of this and wide, central corridors lead to further rooms and offices.

 

EXTERIOR: The building faces north-east to Priory Street and north-west onto Priory Road. Mullioned and transomed windows with ashlar surrounds are used across the building. There is a slightly recessed quadrant corner of three widely spaced bays joining the two fronts. To the centre of the quadrant is a doorway with an ashlar surround which has stylised Corinthian columns supporting pine cones and a shaped overthrow bearing a vase finial. To the tympanum above the door is an arched panel showing Dudley Priory and Castle and figures of a monk and warrior, carved by William Bloye. At either side are porthole windows with decorative metal grilles. To the left of this is the Priory Street front of five closely-set bays. To the right of the quadrant is the Priory Road front which has 22 bays arranged in a rhythm of 6:3:3:3:7. The ground slopes downwards to the right which means that the arched, basement windows are gradually exposed. The central three bays project forward and above the rest of the facade and the block has chamfered corners. At ground floor level is a loggia of three round arches which is approached by a flight of steps. The circular drums are supported on octagonal bases and have cushion capitals which have figurehead carvings to their corners. To the rear and side of the loggia are windows with bronze frames and a pair of doors which are decorated with panels showing emblems indicative of the trades and manufacturing carried out in Dudley and designed by Walter Gilbert. Above the loggia, at first floor level are three tall mullioned and transomed windows with balconies. The central balcony projects, supported on carved brackets and columns to either side with a shaped overthrow which bears the arms of Dudley.

 

The rear of the range of buildings faces the courtyard at the centre of the island site which is now principally used as a car park. The consistent motif of mullioned and transomed windows is continued here, but the architectural treatment is plainer than on the outward-facing sides. To its centre is the mass of the council chamber block which has a pair of panelled doors to its centre at basement level with a decorative stone surround and overthrow, which is largely masked by the later linking corridor to the town hall block. The flanks of this block have pilaster buttresses dividing the bays and decorative shaped heads to these and to the heads of the long, council chamber windows. At either side of this block there are large brick relieving arches above clustered, arched lights. The parapet to the tops of the walls is ramped

 

INTERIOR: Both entrances, at the quadrant and at the centre of the Priory Road front, lead into staircase halls and the internal plan of the building is built around these and the wide corridors which lead through the building on each floor. The Priory Street entrance leads into a semi-circular hall with the borough coat of arms carved in the centre of the floor. From here pairs of quadrant staircases, placed against the wall, lead down to the basement level and up to the council chamber landing. At either side a wall screens the staircases leading downwards, but this is pierced by a circular opening into which carved stone plant troughs have been set which take the form of a Neo-Classical sarcophagi. The ascending staircases have wrought iron handrails and are set behind screens of columns which have shafts of black marble and limestone capitals which are carved with simplified acanthus leaves and a ring of egg-and-dart ornament (a type which is seen throughout the building). At first floor level similar, taller columns are set away from the wall and above them is a clerestory with decorative, leaded glazing. Double doors to the south of this landing lead to the council chamber and to the north they lead to the principal committee room (or reception room). Above both of these doors is a plaster semi-circular panel which shows views from the Wren's Nest district of the borough in the C19 (over the Council Chamber door) and in 1935 (over the committee room door).

 

The council chamber is entered through the division lobby which is below the gallery and has panelled walls. The chamber has paired octagonal columns to each side with stylized Corinthian capitals. The heavy beams of the ceiling are closely set and painted with richly-coloured patterns. A set of benches of light oak with leather seats form a horseshoe shape, facing the dais which has a central chair for the mayor with a high back, above which is a suspended awning On this upper floor the principal committee room has a panelled ceiling and the members' sitting room and dining room both have fireplaces carved of local stone.

 

The corridors which link the council house building to the office block at the corner of Priory Road and Ednam Street and to the rear of the town hall block are not included as part of this item.

 

HISTORY: The Council House was the last in a series of municipal buildings designed for Dudley in the inter-war period. The architects were W. Alexander Harvey and H. Graham Wicks, who had previously designed a complex to the south-east corner of the island site, fronting onto St. James's Road and Priory Street and including the Town Hall, Brooke Robinson Museum, Coroner's Court and Sessions Court and the Memorial Tower which incorporated a monument to the dead of the First World War. The complex was awarded an RIBA medal in 1934.

 

The large Council House building seems to have been put up with remarkable speed. Detailed drawings bear the date 1933 and the foundation stone for the Council House was laid by the Earl of Dudley in June 1934. The building was opened a little over a year later in July 1935 and officially opened by the Duke of Kent in December 1935.

 

According to the Builder of December 1935 (see SOURCES) the building housed the departments of the Town Clerk, Borough Engineer and Surveyor, Borough Treasurer and Rates Office, Medical Officer, Sanitary Inspector and Housing Officer, a council chamber to seat sixty aldermen and councillors with a gallery for the use of the public, committee and reception rooms, mayor's parlour and members' room and accommodation for a caretaker.

 

The site occupied by the council house building had formerly been the location of the earlier Town Hall, designed by Henry Rowe in a Tudor Gothic style and opened in 1858. Also part of the site for the new building was a close of police houses, opening onto Priory Road.

 

SOURCES:

Bennett,J., Dudley Metropolitan Borough Public Art Guide, Dudley MBC(1990),28-31.

Chandler, G. and Hannah, I.C., Dudley: As it was and as it is to-day(1949), 164-5,174-175,177

The Builder, December 20, 1935, 1101-1103, 1110 & 1118.

Images of England, Dudley, David Clare, 75, 106, 107.

  

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The Council House, Dudley is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Architectural: this building, by the noted practice of Harvey and Wicks, has distinct quality and presence. It is well suited to its site and is carefully detailed and combines several different styles including Tudor Gothic, Neo-Classical and contemporary Swedish architecture into a well-considered and inspired whole.

* Intactness: The building contains a notable quantity of its original fittings and the plan has been little altered.

* Planning: The principal public areas are planned to give a legible and dramatic flow of space connecting a series of impressive interiors.

* Decoration: Decorative and symbolic elements which are integral to the building and its design include sculpture and carvings by Walter Gilbert and William Bloye.

 

Council House, Dudley - British Listed Buildings

 

Coat of arms on the Council House by William Bloye. Also a balcony.

 

Shots taken on Priory Road.

This is the Council House in Dudley, dating from around 1934-5.

 

It is the home of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.

 

It was Grade II listed in 2010.

 

Civic building including council chamber, committee rooms and offices for various departments of Dudley Borough Council. Built in 1934-5 to the designs of W. Alexander Harvey FRIBA and H. Graham Wicks ARIBA and constructed by John Dallow & sons, contractors, with sculptural decoration by Walter Gilbert and William Bloye.

 

MATERIALS: The building has walling of brindle-coloured brick laid in English bond with ashlar dressings and a hipped slate roof with lead flashings.

 

PLAN: The building is of two-storeys with a semi-basement. It fronts onto Priory Street, where its south-eastern corner connects to the old police building, and Priory Road. At the centre of the Priory Road front is an entrance which leads to a lobby and staircase hall leading up to a semi-circular hall at first floor level. The council chamber projects in a wing to the south-west of this and wide, central corridors lead to further rooms and offices.

 

EXTERIOR: The building faces north-east to Priory Street and north-west onto Priory Road. Mullioned and transomed windows with ashlar surrounds are used across the building. There is a slightly recessed quadrant corner of three widely spaced bays joining the two fronts. To the centre of the quadrant is a doorway with an ashlar surround which has stylised Corinthian columns supporting pine cones and a shaped overthrow bearing a vase finial. To the tympanum above the door is an arched panel showing Dudley Priory and Castle and figures of a monk and warrior, carved by William Bloye. At either side are porthole windows with decorative metal grilles. To the left of this is the Priory Street front of five closely-set bays. To the right of the quadrant is the Priory Road front which has 22 bays arranged in a rhythm of 6:3:3:3:7. The ground slopes downwards to the right which means that the arched, basement windows are gradually exposed. The central three bays project forward and above the rest of the facade and the block has chamfered corners. At ground floor level is a loggia of three round arches which is approached by a flight of steps. The circular drums are supported on octagonal bases and have cushion capitals which have figurehead carvings to their corners. To the rear and side of the loggia are windows with bronze frames and a pair of doors which are decorated with panels showing emblems indicative of the trades and manufacturing carried out in Dudley and designed by Walter Gilbert. Above the loggia, at first floor level are three tall mullioned and transomed windows with balconies. The central balcony projects, supported on carved brackets and columns to either side with a shaped overthrow which bears the arms of Dudley.

 

The rear of the range of buildings faces the courtyard at the centre of the island site which is now principally used as a car park. The consistent motif of mullioned and transomed windows is continued here, but the architectural treatment is plainer than on the outward-facing sides. To its centre is the mass of the council chamber block which has a pair of panelled doors to its centre at basement level with a decorative stone surround and overthrow, which is largely masked by the later linking corridor to the town hall block. The flanks of this block have pilaster buttresses dividing the bays and decorative shaped heads to these and to the heads of the long, council chamber windows. At either side of this block there are large brick relieving arches above clustered, arched lights. The parapet to the tops of the walls is ramped

 

INTERIOR: Both entrances, at the quadrant and at the centre of the Priory Road front, lead into staircase halls and the internal plan of the building is built around these and the wide corridors which lead through the building on each floor. The Priory Street entrance leads into a semi-circular hall with the borough coat of arms carved in the centre of the floor. From here pairs of quadrant staircases, placed against the wall, lead down to the basement level and up to the council chamber landing. At either side a wall screens the staircases leading downwards, but this is pierced by a circular opening into which carved stone plant troughs have been set which take the form of a Neo-Classical sarcophagi. The ascending staircases have wrought iron handrails and are set behind screens of columns which have shafts of black marble and limestone capitals which are carved with simplified acanthus leaves and a ring of egg-and-dart ornament (a type which is seen throughout the building). At first floor level similar, taller columns are set away from the wall and above them is a clerestory with decorative, leaded glazing. Double doors to the south of this landing lead to the council chamber and to the north they lead to the principal committee room (or reception room). Above both of these doors is a plaster semi-circular panel which shows views from the Wren's Nest district of the borough in the C19 (over the Council Chamber door) and in 1935 (over the committee room door).

 

The council chamber is entered through the division lobby which is below the gallery and has panelled walls. The chamber has paired octagonal columns to each side with stylized Corinthian capitals. The heavy beams of the ceiling are closely set and painted with richly-coloured patterns. A set of benches of light oak with leather seats form a horseshoe shape, facing the dais which has a central chair for the mayor with a high back, above which is a suspended awning On this upper floor the principal committee room has a panelled ceiling and the members' sitting room and dining room both have fireplaces carved of local stone.

 

The corridors which link the council house building to the office block at the corner of Priory Road and Ednam Street and to the rear of the town hall block are not included as part of this item.

 

HISTORY: The Council House was the last in a series of municipal buildings designed for Dudley in the inter-war period. The architects were W. Alexander Harvey and H. Graham Wicks, who had previously designed a complex to the south-east corner of the island site, fronting onto St. James's Road and Priory Street and including the Town Hall, Brooke Robinson Museum, Coroner's Court and Sessions Court and the Memorial Tower which incorporated a monument to the dead of the First World War. The complex was awarded an RIBA medal in 1934.

 

The large Council House building seems to have been put up with remarkable speed. Detailed drawings bear the date 1933 and the foundation stone for the Council House was laid by the Earl of Dudley in June 1934. The building was opened a little over a year later in July 1935 and officially opened by the Duke of Kent in December 1935.

 

According to the Builder of December 1935 (see SOURCES) the building housed the departments of the Town Clerk, Borough Engineer and Surveyor, Borough Treasurer and Rates Office, Medical Officer, Sanitary Inspector and Housing Officer, a council chamber to seat sixty aldermen and councillors with a gallery for the use of the public, committee and reception rooms, mayor's parlour and members' room and accommodation for a caretaker.

 

The site occupied by the council house building had formerly been the location of the earlier Town Hall, designed by Henry Rowe in a Tudor Gothic style and opened in 1858. Also part of the site for the new building was a close of police houses, opening onto Priory Road.

 

SOURCES:

Bennett,J., Dudley Metropolitan Borough Public Art Guide, Dudley MBC(1990),28-31.

Chandler, G. and Hannah, I.C., Dudley: As it was and as it is to-day(1949), 164-5,174-175,177

The Builder, December 20, 1935, 1101-1103, 1110 & 1118.

Images of England, Dudley, David Clare, 75, 106, 107.

  

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The Council House, Dudley is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Architectural: this building, by the noted practice of Harvey and Wicks, has distinct quality and presence. It is well suited to its site and is carefully detailed and combines several different styles including Tudor Gothic, Neo-Classical and contemporary Swedish architecture into a well-considered and inspired whole.

* Intactness: The building contains a notable quantity of its original fittings and the plan has been little altered.

* Planning: The principal public areas are planned to give a legible and dramatic flow of space connecting a series of impressive interiors.

* Decoration: Decorative and symbolic elements which are integral to the building and its design include sculpture and carvings by Walter Gilbert and William Bloye.

 

Council House, Dudley - British Listed Buildings

 

Arched entrance - was waiting for this woman to move, but she got in the way, thought she went in on second shot.

 

Shots taken on Priory Road.

This is the Council House in Dudley, dating from around 1934-5.

 

It is the home of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.

 

It was Grade II listed in 2010.

 

Civic building including council chamber, committee rooms and offices for various departments of Dudley Borough Council. Built in 1934-5 to the designs of W. Alexander Harvey FRIBA and H. Graham Wicks ARIBA and constructed by John Dallow & sons, contractors, with sculptural decoration by Walter Gilbert and William Bloye.

 

MATERIALS: The building has walling of brindle-coloured brick laid in English bond with ashlar dressings and a hipped slate roof with lead flashings.

 

PLAN: The building is of two-storeys with a semi-basement. It fronts onto Priory Street, where its south-eastern corner connects to the old police building, and Priory Road. At the centre of the Priory Road front is an entrance which leads to a lobby and staircase hall leading up to a semi-circular hall at first floor level. The council chamber projects in a wing to the south-west of this and wide, central corridors lead to further rooms and offices.

 

EXTERIOR: The building faces north-east to Priory Street and north-west onto Priory Road. Mullioned and transomed windows with ashlar surrounds are used across the building. There is a slightly recessed quadrant corner of three widely spaced bays joining the two fronts. To the centre of the quadrant is a doorway with an ashlar surround which has stylised Corinthian columns supporting pine cones and a shaped overthrow bearing a vase finial. To the tympanum above the door is an arched panel showing Dudley Priory and Castle and figures of a monk and warrior, carved by William Bloye. At either side are porthole windows with decorative metal grilles. To the left of this is the Priory Street front of five closely-set bays. To the right of the quadrant is the Priory Road front which has 22 bays arranged in a rhythm of 6:3:3:3:7. The ground slopes downwards to the right which means that the arched, basement windows are gradually exposed. The central three bays project forward and above the rest of the facade and the block has chamfered corners. At ground floor level is a loggia of three round arches which is approached by a flight of steps. The circular drums are supported on octagonal bases and have cushion capitals which have figurehead carvings to their corners. To the rear and side of the loggia are windows with bronze frames and a pair of doors which are decorated with panels showing emblems indicative of the trades and manufacturing carried out in Dudley and designed by Walter Gilbert. Above the loggia, at first floor level are three tall mullioned and transomed windows with balconies. The central balcony projects, supported on carved brackets and columns to either side with a shaped overthrow which bears the arms of Dudley.

 

The rear of the range of buildings faces the courtyard at the centre of the island site which is now principally used as a car park. The consistent motif of mullioned and transomed windows is continued here, but the architectural treatment is plainer than on the outward-facing sides. To its centre is the mass of the council chamber block which has a pair of panelled doors to its centre at basement level with a decorative stone surround and overthrow, which is largely masked by the later linking corridor to the town hall block. The flanks of this block have pilaster buttresses dividing the bays and decorative shaped heads to these and to the heads of the long, council chamber windows. At either side of this block there are large brick relieving arches above clustered, arched lights. The parapet to the tops of the walls is ramped

 

INTERIOR: Both entrances, at the quadrant and at the centre of the Priory Road front, lead into staircase halls and the internal plan of the building is built around these and the wide corridors which lead through the building on each floor. The Priory Street entrance leads into a semi-circular hall with the borough coat of arms carved in the centre of the floor. From here pairs of quadrant staircases, placed against the wall, lead down to the basement level and up to the council chamber landing. At either side a wall screens the staircases leading downwards, but this is pierced by a circular opening into which carved stone plant troughs have been set which take the form of a Neo-Classical sarcophagi. The ascending staircases have wrought iron handrails and are set behind screens of columns which have shafts of black marble and limestone capitals which are carved with simplified acanthus leaves and a ring of egg-and-dart ornament (a type which is seen throughout the building). At first floor level similar, taller columns are set away from the wall and above them is a clerestory with decorative, leaded glazing. Double doors to the south of this landing lead to the council chamber and to the north they lead to the principal committee room (or reception room). Above both of these doors is a plaster semi-circular panel which shows views from the Wren's Nest district of the borough in the C19 (over the Council Chamber door) and in 1935 (over the committee room door).

 

The council chamber is entered through the division lobby which is below the gallery and has panelled walls. The chamber has paired octagonal columns to each side with stylized Corinthian capitals. The heavy beams of the ceiling are closely set and painted with richly-coloured patterns. A set of benches of light oak with leather seats form a horseshoe shape, facing the dais which has a central chair for the mayor with a high back, above which is a suspended awning On this upper floor the principal committee room has a panelled ceiling and the members' sitting room and dining room both have fireplaces carved of local stone.

 

The corridors which link the council house building to the office block at the corner of Priory Road and Ednam Street and to the rear of the town hall block are not included as part of this item.

 

HISTORY: The Council House was the last in a series of municipal buildings designed for Dudley in the inter-war period. The architects were W. Alexander Harvey and H. Graham Wicks, who had previously designed a complex to the south-east corner of the island site, fronting onto St. James's Road and Priory Street and including the Town Hall, Brooke Robinson Museum, Coroner's Court and Sessions Court and the Memorial Tower which incorporated a monument to the dead of the First World War. The complex was awarded an RIBA medal in 1934.

 

The large Council House building seems to have been put up with remarkable speed. Detailed drawings bear the date 1933 and the foundation stone for the Council House was laid by the Earl of Dudley in June 1934. The building was opened a little over a year later in July 1935 and officially opened by the Duke of Kent in December 1935.

 

According to the Builder of December 1935 (see SOURCES) the building housed the departments of the Town Clerk, Borough Engineer and Surveyor, Borough Treasurer and Rates Office, Medical Officer, Sanitary Inspector and Housing Officer, a council chamber to seat sixty aldermen and councillors with a gallery for the use of the public, committee and reception rooms, mayor's parlour and members' room and accommodation for a caretaker.

 

The site occupied by the council house building had formerly been the location of the earlier Town Hall, designed by Henry Rowe in a Tudor Gothic style and opened in 1858. Also part of the site for the new building was a close of police houses, opening onto Priory Road.

 

SOURCES:

Bennett,J., Dudley Metropolitan Borough Public Art Guide, Dudley MBC(1990),28-31.

Chandler, G. and Hannah, I.C., Dudley: As it was and as it is to-day(1949), 164-5,174-175,177

The Builder, December 20, 1935, 1101-1103, 1110 & 1118.

Images of England, Dudley, David Clare, 75, 106, 107.

  

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The Council House, Dudley is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Architectural: this building, by the noted practice of Harvey and Wicks, has distinct quality and presence. It is well suited to its site and is carefully detailed and combines several different styles including Tudor Gothic, Neo-Classical and contemporary Swedish architecture into a well-considered and inspired whole.

* Intactness: The building contains a notable quantity of its original fittings and the plan has been little altered.

* Planning: The principal public areas are planned to give a legible and dramatic flow of space connecting a series of impressive interiors.

* Decoration: Decorative and symbolic elements which are integral to the building and its design include sculpture and carvings by Walter Gilbert and William Bloye.

 

Council House, Dudley - British Listed Buildings

 

Coat of arms on the Council House by William Bloye.

 

Shots taken on Priory Road.

This is the Council House in Dudley, dating from around 1934-5.

 

It is the home of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.

 

It was Grade II listed in 2010.

 

Civic building including council chamber, committee rooms and offices for various departments of Dudley Borough Council. Built in 1934-5 to the designs of W. Alexander Harvey FRIBA and H. Graham Wicks ARIBA and constructed by John Dallow & sons, contractors, with sculptural decoration by Walter Gilbert and William Bloye.

 

MATERIALS: The building has walling of brindle-coloured brick laid in English bond with ashlar dressings and a hipped slate roof with lead flashings.

 

PLAN: The building is of two-storeys with a semi-basement. It fronts onto Priory Street, where its south-eastern corner connects to the old police building, and Priory Road. At the centre of the Priory Road front is an entrance which leads to a lobby and staircase hall leading up to a semi-circular hall at first floor level. The council chamber projects in a wing to the south-west of this and wide, central corridors lead to further rooms and offices.

 

EXTERIOR: The building faces north-east to Priory Street and north-west onto Priory Road. Mullioned and transomed windows with ashlar surrounds are used across the building. There is a slightly recessed quadrant corner of three widely spaced bays joining the two fronts. To the centre of the quadrant is a doorway with an ashlar surround which has stylised Corinthian columns supporting pine cones and a shaped overthrow bearing a vase finial. To the tympanum above the door is an arched panel showing Dudley Priory and Castle and figures of a monk and warrior, carved by William Bloye. At either side are porthole windows with decorative metal grilles. To the left of this is the Priory Street front of five closely-set bays. To the right of the quadrant is the Priory Road front which has 22 bays arranged in a rhythm of 6:3:3:3:7. The ground slopes downwards to the right which means that the arched, basement windows are gradually exposed. The central three bays project forward and above the rest of the facade and the block has chamfered corners. At ground floor level is a loggia of three round arches which is approached by a flight of steps. The circular drums are supported on octagonal bases and have cushion capitals which have figurehead carvings to their corners. To the rear and side of the loggia are windows with bronze frames and a pair of doors which are decorated with panels showing emblems indicative of the trades and manufacturing carried out in Dudley and designed by Walter Gilbert. Above the loggia, at first floor level are three tall mullioned and transomed windows with balconies. The central balcony projects, supported on carved brackets and columns to either side with a shaped overthrow which bears the arms of Dudley.

 

The rear of the range of buildings faces the courtyard at the centre of the island site which is now principally used as a car park. The consistent motif of mullioned and transomed windows is continued here, but the architectural treatment is plainer than on the outward-facing sides. To its centre is the mass of the council chamber block which has a pair of panelled doors to its centre at basement level with a decorative stone surround and overthrow, which is largely masked by the later linking corridor to the town hall block. The flanks of this block have pilaster buttresses dividing the bays and decorative shaped heads to these and to the heads of the long, council chamber windows. At either side of this block there are large brick relieving arches above clustered, arched lights. The parapet to the tops of the walls is ramped

 

INTERIOR: Both entrances, at the quadrant and at the centre of the Priory Road front, lead into staircase halls and the internal plan of the building is built around these and the wide corridors which lead through the building on each floor. The Priory Street entrance leads into a semi-circular hall with the borough coat of arms carved in the centre of the floor. From here pairs of quadrant staircases, placed against the wall, lead down to the basement level and up to the council chamber landing. At either side a wall screens the staircases leading downwards, but this is pierced by a circular opening into which carved stone plant troughs have been set which take the form of a Neo-Classical sarcophagi. The ascending staircases have wrought iron handrails and are set behind screens of columns which have shafts of black marble and limestone capitals which are carved with simplified acanthus leaves and a ring of egg-and-dart ornament (a type which is seen throughout the building). At first floor level similar, taller columns are set away from the wall and above them is a clerestory with decorative, leaded glazing. Double doors to the south of this landing lead to the council chamber and to the north they lead to the principal committee room (or reception room). Above both of these doors is a plaster semi-circular panel which shows views from the Wren's Nest district of the borough in the C19 (over the Council Chamber door) and in 1935 (over the committee room door).

 

The council chamber is entered through the division lobby which is below the gallery and has panelled walls. The chamber has paired octagonal columns to each side with stylized Corinthian capitals. The heavy beams of the ceiling are closely set and painted with richly-coloured patterns. A set of benches of light oak with leather seats form a horseshoe shape, facing the dais which has a central chair for the mayor with a high back, above which is a suspended awning On this upper floor the principal committee room has a panelled ceiling and the members' sitting room and dining room both have fireplaces carved of local stone.

 

The corridors which link the council house building to the office block at the corner of Priory Road and Ednam Street and to the rear of the town hall block are not included as part of this item.

 

HISTORY: The Council House was the last in a series of municipal buildings designed for Dudley in the inter-war period. The architects were W. Alexander Harvey and H. Graham Wicks, who had previously designed a complex to the south-east corner of the island site, fronting onto St. James's Road and Priory Street and including the Town Hall, Brooke Robinson Museum, Coroner's Court and Sessions Court and the Memorial Tower which incorporated a monument to the dead of the First World War. The complex was awarded an RIBA medal in 1934.

 

The large Council House building seems to have been put up with remarkable speed. Detailed drawings bear the date 1933 and the foundation stone for the Council House was laid by the Earl of Dudley in June 1934. The building was opened a little over a year later in July 1935 and officially opened by the Duke of Kent in December 1935.

 

According to the Builder of December 1935 (see SOURCES) the building housed the departments of the Town Clerk, Borough Engineer and Surveyor, Borough Treasurer and Rates Office, Medical Officer, Sanitary Inspector and Housing Officer, a council chamber to seat sixty aldermen and councillors with a gallery for the use of the public, committee and reception rooms, mayor's parlour and members' room and accommodation for a caretaker.

 

The site occupied by the council house building had formerly been the location of the earlier Town Hall, designed by Henry Rowe in a Tudor Gothic style and opened in 1858. Also part of the site for the new building was a close of police houses, opening onto Priory Road.

 

SOURCES:

Bennett,J., Dudley Metropolitan Borough Public Art Guide, Dudley MBC(1990),28-31.

Chandler, G. and Hannah, I.C., Dudley: As it was and as it is to-day(1949), 164-5,174-175,177

The Builder, December 20, 1935, 1101-1103, 1110 & 1118.

Images of England, Dudley, David Clare, 75, 106, 107.

  

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The Council House, Dudley is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Architectural: this building, by the noted practice of Harvey and Wicks, has distinct quality and presence. It is well suited to its site and is carefully detailed and combines several different styles including Tudor Gothic, Neo-Classical and contemporary Swedish architecture into a well-considered and inspired whole.

* Intactness: The building contains a notable quantity of its original fittings and the plan has been little altered.

* Planning: The principal public areas are planned to give a legible and dramatic flow of space connecting a series of impressive interiors.

* Decoration: Decorative and symbolic elements which are integral to the building and its design include sculpture and carvings by Walter Gilbert and William Bloye.

 

Council House, Dudley - British Listed Buildings

 

Shots taken on Priory Road.

www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/sight-so....

 

FEATURES

 

Cover feature: BLACK RIDER

 

In Django Unchained the two strands of the spaghetti western – the blood-soaked revenge saga and the jokey pastiche – are twisted together by Quentin Tarantino, with a modern seasoning of racial politics. But unlike Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name, these westerners talk – a lot. By Kim Newman.

 

+ Tim Lucas on Django Unchained’s roots in a whole range of 1960s and 70s exploitation films dealing with race.

 

DUTY CALLS

 

Hollywood didn’t get to grips with the Vietnam War until years after the event. In our rolling-news age, Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty arrives only 18 months after the bin Laden kill mission it depicts. But is such haste at the expense of perspective? By Michael Atkinson.

 

MR FREEDOM

 

Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, the story of the president’s struggle to pass the abolition of slavery before the end of the Civil War, has attracted praise in the US – and criticism for its white perspective. But how does the film – the director’s first biopic – fit into the Spielberg oeuvre? By Graham Fuller.

 

BOOM AND BUST

 

Lenny Abrahamson’s two critically fêted films Adam & Paul and Garage examined the underside of Irish society. But What Richard Did, the director’s latest, sees him switch his attention to Dublin’s stockbroker belt to reflect on the fate of the Celtic Tiger.

 

POLANSKI AND THE GROTESQUE

 

Violence and humiliation, sexual excess and transvestism, absurd humour and the transgression of taboos – Roman Polanski’s films, showcased in a BFI Southbank season, are laced with grotesquerie. But their power relies on a carefully crafted sense of reality. By Philip Horne.

 

+ Michael Brook on Polanski in Poland and Charles Barr on his work with Kenneth Tynan.

 

DEEP FOCUS

 

21st CENTURY NOIR

 

The crucial elements of film noir – violence, sex, memory and identity – remain as germane to today’s leading filmmakers as to last century’s, argues Nick James.

 

RUSHES

 

Michael Koresky celebrates the tone of effortless ease at the heart of screwball.

 

Object Lesson: Hannah McGill on film’s troubled treatment of changes to gender.

 

First Sight: Anton Bitel talks to Jen and Sylvia Soska about American Mary.

 

Dispatches: Mark Cousins on the architecture of Amour.

 

THE INDUSTRY

 

Development Tale: Charles Gant on the long gestation of The Liability.

 

The Numbers: Charles Gant reviews the year’s arthouse fortunes.

 

How It Works: Ashley Clarke on Gone Too Far, an innovative inner-city British comedy.

 

Profile: Nick Roddick talks to Russian film ambassador Catherine Mtsitourisze.

 

FESTIVALS

 

Nick James on Morelia’s unique charms.

 

James Benn reports from Tokyo and Simon Merle from Rome.

 

WIDE ANGLE

 

Brian Dillon previews the first UK survey of video artist Gerard Byrne.

 

Soundings: Frances Morgan on the innovative soundtrack of Performance.

 

Primal Screen: Matthew Sweet pays tribute to the first four-legged film stars.

 

Gonzalo de Lucas celebrates the heartfelt film criticism of Serge Daney.

 

Carlos Losilla finds fascinating signposts to new directions at Seville.

 

Bradlands: Brad Stevens asks what musicians offer when they make films.

 

Lost and Found: Chris Darke on Chris Petit’s knowing neo-noir Chinese Boxes.

 

FORUM

 

Kieron Corless investigates the new currency of the newsreel format and hears from three filmmakers embracing its potential: Jem Cohen, Sylvain George and Alex Reuben.

 

PLUS: Rebecca Vick on the history of the newsreel; Letters.

 

FILMS OF THE MONTH

 

Antiviral

Bullhead

You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet

Zero Dark Thirty

 

Other new releases reviewed in this issue

 

American Mary

Ballroom Dancer

Bullet to the Head

Code Name: Geronimo

Django Unchained

Do Elephants Pray?

Everyday

Flight

Hitchcock

The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey

Hyde Park on Hudson

I Give It a Year

I Wish

Jack Reacher

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

The Liability

A Liar’s Autobiography The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman

Lincoln

May I Kill U?

Midnight Son

Les Misérables

Playing for Keeps

The Punk Syndrome

The Sessions

Song for Marion

So Undercover

UFO

V/H/S

What Richard Did

Wreck-It Ralph

 

DVD FEATURES

 

Philip Kemp on René Clément’s early promise.

 

Kate Stables discovers Pathé’s early colour ‘fairy film’ fantasias.

 

James Blackford has his appetite whetted by Zombie Flesh Eaters.

 

+ REVIEWS OF

 

Abraham Lincoln

Les Amants de Montparnasse

Dance Hall

Excision

The Funhouse

In the Mood for Love

Nowhere to Go

Purple Noon (Plein Soleil)

Ramrod, Red Dust

Rosemary’s Baby

Les Soeurs Brontë

Sunday Bloody Sunday

W+B Hein: Materialfilme 1968-1976

 

TELEVISION

 

Accused

Connie

Luck – Season 1

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

 

BOOKS

 

Kevin Jackson hails the loquacious charms of Richard Burton’s diaries.

 

Jasper Sharpe pries the lid off North Korean cinema culture.

 

Kim Newman assesses Taschen’s mammoth tome from the 007 files.

 

Ian Christie appraises a collection of essays on early cinema.

 

ENDINGS

 

David Jenkins on Big Night.

This is the Council House in Dudley, dating from around 1934-5.

 

It is the home of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.

 

This shot taken from Coronation Gardens.

 

It was Grade II listed in 2010.

 

Civic building including council chamber, committee rooms and offices for various departments of Dudley Borough Council. Built in 1934-5 to the designs of W. Alexander Harvey FRIBA and H. Graham Wicks ARIBA and constructed by John Dallow & sons, contractors, with sculptural decoration by Walter Gilbert and William Bloye.

 

MATERIALS: The building has walling of brindle-coloured brick laid in English bond with ashlar dressings and a hipped slate roof with lead flashings.

 

PLAN: The building is of two-storeys with a semi-basement. It fronts onto Priory Street, where its south-eastern corner connects to the old police building, and Priory Road. At the centre of the Priory Road front is an entrance which leads to a lobby and staircase hall leading up to a semi-circular hall at first floor level. The council chamber projects in a wing to the south-west of this and wide, central corridors lead to further rooms and offices.

 

EXTERIOR: The building faces north-east to Priory Street and north-west onto Priory Road. Mullioned and transomed windows with ashlar surrounds are used across the building. There is a slightly recessed quadrant corner of three widely spaced bays joining the two fronts. To the centre of the quadrant is a doorway with an ashlar surround which has stylised Corinthian columns supporting pine cones and a shaped overthrow bearing a vase finial. To the tympanum above the door is an arched panel showing Dudley Priory and Castle and figures of a monk and warrior, carved by William Bloye. At either side are porthole windows with decorative metal grilles. To the left of this is the Priory Street front of five closely-set bays. To the right of the quadrant is the Priory Road front which has 22 bays arranged in a rhythm of 6:3:3:3:7. The ground slopes downwards to the right which means that the arched, basement windows are gradually exposed. The central three bays project forward and above the rest of the facade and the block has chamfered corners. At ground floor level is a loggia of three round arches which is approached by a flight of steps. The circular drums are supported on octagonal bases and have cushion capitals which have figurehead carvings to their corners. To the rear and side of the loggia are windows with bronze frames and a pair of doors which are decorated with panels showing emblems indicative of the trades and manufacturing carried out in Dudley and designed by Walter Gilbert. Above the loggia, at first floor level are three tall mullioned and transomed windows with balconies. The central balcony projects, supported on carved brackets and columns to either side with a shaped overthrow which bears the arms of Dudley.

 

The rear of the range of buildings faces the courtyard at the centre of the island site which is now principally used as a car park. The consistent motif of mullioned and transomed windows is continued here, but the architectural treatment is plainer than on the outward-facing sides. To its centre is the mass of the council chamber block which has a pair of panelled doors to its centre at basement level with a decorative stone surround and overthrow, which is largely masked by the later linking corridor to the town hall block. The flanks of this block have pilaster buttresses dividing the bays and decorative shaped heads to these and to the heads of the long, council chamber windows. At either side of this block there are large brick relieving arches above clustered, arched lights. The parapet to the tops of the walls is ramped

 

INTERIOR: Both entrances, at the quadrant and at the centre of the Priory Road front, lead into staircase halls and the internal plan of the building is built around these and the wide corridors which lead through the building on each floor. The Priory Street entrance leads into a semi-circular hall with the borough coat of arms carved in the centre of the floor. From here pairs of quadrant staircases, placed against the wall, lead down to the basement level and up to the council chamber landing. At either side a wall screens the staircases leading downwards, but this is pierced by a circular opening into which carved stone plant troughs have been set which take the form of a Neo-Classical sarcophagi. The ascending staircases have wrought iron handrails and are set behind screens of columns which have shafts of black marble and limestone capitals which are carved with simplified acanthus leaves and a ring of egg-and-dart ornament (a type which is seen throughout the building). At first floor level similar, taller columns are set away from the wall and above them is a clerestory with decorative, leaded glazing. Double doors to the south of this landing lead to the council chamber and to the north they lead to the principal committee room (or reception room). Above both of these doors is a plaster semi-circular panel which shows views from the Wren's Nest district of the borough in the C19 (over the Council Chamber door) and in 1935 (over the committee room door).

 

The council chamber is entered through the division lobby which is below the gallery and has panelled walls. The chamber has paired octagonal columns to each side with stylized Corinthian capitals. The heavy beams of the ceiling are closely set and painted with richly-coloured patterns. A set of benches of light oak with leather seats form a horseshoe shape, facing the dais which has a central chair for the mayor with a high back, above which is a suspended awning On this upper floor the principal committee room has a panelled ceiling and the members' sitting room and dining room both have fireplaces carved of local stone.

 

The corridors which link the council house building to the office block at the corner of Priory Road and Ednam Street and to the rear of the town hall block are not included as part of this item.

 

HISTORY: The Council House was the last in a series of municipal buildings designed for Dudley in the inter-war period. The architects were W. Alexander Harvey and H. Graham Wicks, who had previously designed a complex to the south-east corner of the island site, fronting onto St. James's Road and Priory Street and including the Town Hall, Brooke Robinson Museum, Coroner's Court and Sessions Court and the Memorial Tower which incorporated a monument to the dead of the First World War. The complex was awarded an RIBA medal in 1934.

 

The large Council House building seems to have been put up with remarkable speed. Detailed drawings bear the date 1933 and the foundation stone for the Council House was laid by the Earl of Dudley in June 1934. The building was opened a little over a year later in July 1935 and officially opened by the Duke of Kent in December 1935.

 

According to the Builder of December 1935 (see SOURCES) the building housed the departments of the Town Clerk, Borough Engineer and Surveyor, Borough Treasurer and Rates Office, Medical Officer, Sanitary Inspector and Housing Officer, a council chamber to seat sixty aldermen and councillors with a gallery for the use of the public, committee and reception rooms, mayor's parlour and members' room and accommodation for a caretaker.

 

The site occupied by the council house building had formerly been the location of the earlier Town Hall, designed by Henry Rowe in a Tudor Gothic style and opened in 1858. Also part of the site for the new building was a close of police houses, opening onto Priory Road.

 

SOURCES:

Bennett,J., Dudley Metropolitan Borough Public Art Guide, Dudley MBC(1990),28-31.

Chandler, G. and Hannah, I.C., Dudley: As it was and as it is to-day(1949), 164-5,174-175,177

The Builder, December 20, 1935, 1101-1103, 1110 & 1118.

Images of England, Dudley, David Clare, 75, 106, 107.

  

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The Council House, Dudley is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Architectural: this building, by the noted practice of Harvey and Wicks, has distinct quality and presence. It is well suited to its site and is carefully detailed and combines several different styles including Tudor Gothic, Neo-Classical and contemporary Swedish architecture into a well-considered and inspired whole.

* Intactness: The building contains a notable quantity of its original fittings and the plan has been little altered.

* Planning: The principal public areas are planned to give a legible and dramatic flow of space connecting a series of impressive interiors.

* Decoration: Decorative and symbolic elements which are integral to the building and its design include sculpture and carvings by Walter Gilbert and William Bloye.

 

Council House, Dudley - British Listed Buildings

This is the Council House in Dudley, dating from around 1934-5.

 

It is the home of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.

 

It was Grade II listed in 2010.

 

Civic building including council chamber, committee rooms and offices for various departments of Dudley Borough Council. Built in 1934-5 to the designs of W. Alexander Harvey FRIBA and H. Graham Wicks ARIBA and constructed by John Dallow & sons, contractors, with sculptural decoration by Walter Gilbert and William Bloye.

 

MATERIALS: The building has walling of brindle-coloured brick laid in English bond with ashlar dressings and a hipped slate roof with lead flashings.

 

PLAN: The building is of two-storeys with a semi-basement. It fronts onto Priory Street, where its south-eastern corner connects to the old police building, and Priory Road. At the centre of the Priory Road front is an entrance which leads to a lobby and staircase hall leading up to a semi-circular hall at first floor level. The council chamber projects in a wing to the south-west of this and wide, central corridors lead to further rooms and offices.

 

EXTERIOR: The building faces north-east to Priory Street and north-west onto Priory Road. Mullioned and transomed windows with ashlar surrounds are used across the building. There is a slightly recessed quadrant corner of three widely spaced bays joining the two fronts. To the centre of the quadrant is a doorway with an ashlar surround which has stylised Corinthian columns supporting pine cones and a shaped overthrow bearing a vase finial. To the tympanum above the door is an arched panel showing Dudley Priory and Castle and figures of a monk and warrior, carved by William Bloye. At either side are porthole windows with decorative metal grilles. To the left of this is the Priory Street front of five closely-set bays. To the right of the quadrant is the Priory Road front which has 22 bays arranged in a rhythm of 6:3:3:3:7. The ground slopes downwards to the right which means that the arched, basement windows are gradually exposed. The central three bays project forward and above the rest of the facade and the block has chamfered corners. At ground floor level is a loggia of three round arches which is approached by a flight of steps. The circular drums are supported on octagonal bases and have cushion capitals which have figurehead carvings to their corners. To the rear and side of the loggia are windows with bronze frames and a pair of doors which are decorated with panels showing emblems indicative of the trades and manufacturing carried out in Dudley and designed by Walter Gilbert. Above the loggia, at first floor level are three tall mullioned and transomed windows with balconies. The central balcony projects, supported on carved brackets and columns to either side with a shaped overthrow which bears the arms of Dudley.

 

The rear of the range of buildings faces the courtyard at the centre of the island site which is now principally used as a car park. The consistent motif of mullioned and transomed windows is continued here, but the architectural treatment is plainer than on the outward-facing sides. To its centre is the mass of the council chamber block which has a pair of panelled doors to its centre at basement level with a decorative stone surround and overthrow, which is largely masked by the later linking corridor to the town hall block. The flanks of this block have pilaster buttresses dividing the bays and decorative shaped heads to these and to the heads of the long, council chamber windows. At either side of this block there are large brick relieving arches above clustered, arched lights. The parapet to the tops of the walls is ramped

 

INTERIOR: Both entrances, at the quadrant and at the centre of the Priory Road front, lead into staircase halls and the internal plan of the building is built around these and the wide corridors which lead through the building on each floor. The Priory Street entrance leads into a semi-circular hall with the borough coat of arms carved in the centre of the floor. From here pairs of quadrant staircases, placed against the wall, lead down to the basement level and up to the council chamber landing. At either side a wall screens the staircases leading downwards, but this is pierced by a circular opening into which carved stone plant troughs have been set which take the form of a Neo-Classical sarcophagi. The ascending staircases have wrought iron handrails and are set behind screens of columns which have shafts of black marble and limestone capitals which are carved with simplified acanthus leaves and a ring of egg-and-dart ornament (a type which is seen throughout the building). At first floor level similar, taller columns are set away from the wall and above them is a clerestory with decorative, leaded glazing. Double doors to the south of this landing lead to the council chamber and to the north they lead to the principal committee room (or reception room). Above both of these doors is a plaster semi-circular panel which shows views from the Wren's Nest district of the borough in the C19 (over the Council Chamber door) and in 1935 (over the committee room door).

 

The council chamber is entered through the division lobby which is below the gallery and has panelled walls. The chamber has paired octagonal columns to each side with stylized Corinthian capitals. The heavy beams of the ceiling are closely set and painted with richly-coloured patterns. A set of benches of light oak with leather seats form a horseshoe shape, facing the dais which has a central chair for the mayor with a high back, above which is a suspended awning On this upper floor the principal committee room has a panelled ceiling and the members' sitting room and dining room both have fireplaces carved of local stone.

 

The corridors which link the council house building to the office block at the corner of Priory Road and Ednam Street and to the rear of the town hall block are not included as part of this item.

 

HISTORY: The Council House was the last in a series of municipal buildings designed for Dudley in the inter-war period. The architects were W. Alexander Harvey and H. Graham Wicks, who had previously designed a complex to the south-east corner of the island site, fronting onto St. James's Road and Priory Street and including the Town Hall, Brooke Robinson Museum, Coroner's Court and Sessions Court and the Memorial Tower which incorporated a monument to the dead of the First World War. The complex was awarded an RIBA medal in 1934.

 

The large Council House building seems to have been put up with remarkable speed. Detailed drawings bear the date 1933 and the foundation stone for the Council House was laid by the Earl of Dudley in June 1934. The building was opened a little over a year later in July 1935 and officially opened by the Duke of Kent in December 1935.

 

According to the Builder of December 1935 (see SOURCES) the building housed the departments of the Town Clerk, Borough Engineer and Surveyor, Borough Treasurer and Rates Office, Medical Officer, Sanitary Inspector and Housing Officer, a council chamber to seat sixty aldermen and councillors with a gallery for the use of the public, committee and reception rooms, mayor's parlour and members' room and accommodation for a caretaker.

 

The site occupied by the council house building had formerly been the location of the earlier Town Hall, designed by Henry Rowe in a Tudor Gothic style and opened in 1858. Also part of the site for the new building was a close of police houses, opening onto Priory Road.

 

SOURCES:

Bennett,J., Dudley Metropolitan Borough Public Art Guide, Dudley MBC(1990),28-31.

Chandler, G. and Hannah, I.C., Dudley: As it was and as it is to-day(1949), 164-5,174-175,177

The Builder, December 20, 1935, 1101-1103, 1110 & 1118.

Images of England, Dudley, David Clare, 75, 106, 107.

  

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The Council House, Dudley is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Architectural: this building, by the noted practice of Harvey and Wicks, has distinct quality and presence. It is well suited to its site and is carefully detailed and combines several different styles including Tudor Gothic, Neo-Classical and contemporary Swedish architecture into a well-considered and inspired whole.

* Intactness: The building contains a notable quantity of its original fittings and the plan has been little altered.

* Planning: The principal public areas are planned to give a legible and dramatic flow of space connecting a series of impressive interiors.

* Decoration: Decorative and symbolic elements which are integral to the building and its design include sculpture and carvings by Walter Gilbert and William Bloye.

 

Council House, Dudley - British Listed Buildings

 

Arched entrance - was waiting for this woman to move, but she got in the way, thought she went in on second shot.

 

Shots taken on Priory Road.

This is the Council House in Dudley, dating from around 1934-5.

 

It is the home of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.

 

It was Grade II listed in 2010.

 

Civic building including council chamber, committee rooms and offices for various departments of Dudley Borough Council. Built in 1934-5 to the designs of W. Alexander Harvey FRIBA and H. Graham Wicks ARIBA and constructed by John Dallow & sons, contractors, with sculptural decoration by Walter Gilbert and William Bloye.

 

MATERIALS: The building has walling of brindle-coloured brick laid in English bond with ashlar dressings and a hipped slate roof with lead flashings.

 

PLAN: The building is of two-storeys with a semi-basement. It fronts onto Priory Street, where its south-eastern corner connects to the old police building, and Priory Road. At the centre of the Priory Road front is an entrance which leads to a lobby and staircase hall leading up to a semi-circular hall at first floor level. The council chamber projects in a wing to the south-west of this and wide, central corridors lead to further rooms and offices.

 

EXTERIOR: The building faces north-east to Priory Street and north-west onto Priory Road. Mullioned and transomed windows with ashlar surrounds are used across the building. There is a slightly recessed quadrant corner of three widely spaced bays joining the two fronts. To the centre of the quadrant is a doorway with an ashlar surround which has stylised Corinthian columns supporting pine cones and a shaped overthrow bearing a vase finial. To the tympanum above the door is an arched panel showing Dudley Priory and Castle and figures of a monk and warrior, carved by William Bloye. At either side are porthole windows with decorative metal grilles. To the left of this is the Priory Street front of five closely-set bays. To the right of the quadrant is the Priory Road front which has 22 bays arranged in a rhythm of 6:3:3:3:7. The ground slopes downwards to the right which means that the arched, basement windows are gradually exposed. The central three bays project forward and above the rest of the facade and the block has chamfered corners. At ground floor level is a loggia of three round arches which is approached by a flight of steps. The circular drums are supported on octagonal bases and have cushion capitals which have figurehead carvings to their corners. To the rear and side of the loggia are windows with bronze frames and a pair of doors which are decorated with panels showing emblems indicative of the trades and manufacturing carried out in Dudley and designed by Walter Gilbert. Above the loggia, at first floor level are three tall mullioned and transomed windows with balconies. The central balcony projects, supported on carved brackets and columns to either side with a shaped overthrow which bears the arms of Dudley.

 

The rear of the range of buildings faces the courtyard at the centre of the island site which is now principally used as a car park. The consistent motif of mullioned and transomed windows is continued here, but the architectural treatment is plainer than on the outward-facing sides. To its centre is the mass of the council chamber block which has a pair of panelled doors to its centre at basement level with a decorative stone surround and overthrow, which is largely masked by the later linking corridor to the town hall block. The flanks of this block have pilaster buttresses dividing the bays and decorative shaped heads to these and to the heads of the long, council chamber windows. At either side of this block there are large brick relieving arches above clustered, arched lights. The parapet to the tops of the walls is ramped

 

INTERIOR: Both entrances, at the quadrant and at the centre of the Priory Road front, lead into staircase halls and the internal plan of the building is built around these and the wide corridors which lead through the building on each floor. The Priory Street entrance leads into a semi-circular hall with the borough coat of arms carved in the centre of the floor. From here pairs of quadrant staircases, placed against the wall, lead down to the basement level and up to the council chamber landing. At either side a wall screens the staircases leading downwards, but this is pierced by a circular opening into which carved stone plant troughs have been set which take the form of a Neo-Classical sarcophagi. The ascending staircases have wrought iron handrails and are set behind screens of columns which have shafts of black marble and limestone capitals which are carved with simplified acanthus leaves and a ring of egg-and-dart ornament (a type which is seen throughout the building). At first floor level similar, taller columns are set away from the wall and above them is a clerestory with decorative, leaded glazing. Double doors to the south of this landing lead to the council chamber and to the north they lead to the principal committee room (or reception room). Above both of these doors is a plaster semi-circular panel which shows views from the Wren's Nest district of the borough in the C19 (over the Council Chamber door) and in 1935 (over the committee room door).

 

The council chamber is entered through the division lobby which is below the gallery and has panelled walls. The chamber has paired octagonal columns to each side with stylized Corinthian capitals. The heavy beams of the ceiling are closely set and painted with richly-coloured patterns. A set of benches of light oak with leather seats form a horseshoe shape, facing the dais which has a central chair for the mayor with a high back, above which is a suspended awning On this upper floor the principal committee room has a panelled ceiling and the members' sitting room and dining room both have fireplaces carved of local stone.

 

The corridors which link the council house building to the office block at the corner of Priory Road and Ednam Street and to the rear of the town hall block are not included as part of this item.

 

HISTORY: The Council House was the last in a series of municipal buildings designed for Dudley in the inter-war period. The architects were W. Alexander Harvey and H. Graham Wicks, who had previously designed a complex to the south-east corner of the island site, fronting onto St. James's Road and Priory Street and including the Town Hall, Brooke Robinson Museum, Coroner's Court and Sessions Court and the Memorial Tower which incorporated a monument to the dead of the First World War. The complex was awarded an RIBA medal in 1934.

 

The large Council House building seems to have been put up with remarkable speed. Detailed drawings bear the date 1933 and the foundation stone for the Council House was laid by the Earl of Dudley in June 1934. The building was opened a little over a year later in July 1935 and officially opened by the Duke of Kent in December 1935.

 

According to the Builder of December 1935 (see SOURCES) the building housed the departments of the Town Clerk, Borough Engineer and Surveyor, Borough Treasurer and Rates Office, Medical Officer, Sanitary Inspector and Housing Officer, a council chamber to seat sixty aldermen and councillors with a gallery for the use of the public, committee and reception rooms, mayor's parlour and members' room and accommodation for a caretaker.

 

The site occupied by the council house building had formerly been the location of the earlier Town Hall, designed by Henry Rowe in a Tudor Gothic style and opened in 1858. Also part of the site for the new building was a close of police houses, opening onto Priory Road.

 

SOURCES:

Bennett,J., Dudley Metropolitan Borough Public Art Guide, Dudley MBC(1990),28-31.

Chandler, G. and Hannah, I.C., Dudley: As it was and as it is to-day(1949), 164-5,174-175,177

The Builder, December 20, 1935, 1101-1103, 1110 & 1118.

Images of England, Dudley, David Clare, 75, 106, 107.

  

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The Council House, Dudley is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Architectural: this building, by the noted practice of Harvey and Wicks, has distinct quality and presence. It is well suited to its site and is carefully detailed and combines several different styles including Tudor Gothic, Neo-Classical and contemporary Swedish architecture into a well-considered and inspired whole.

* Intactness: The building contains a notable quantity of its original fittings and the plan has been little altered.

* Planning: The principal public areas are planned to give a legible and dramatic flow of space connecting a series of impressive interiors.

* Decoration: Decorative and symbolic elements which are integral to the building and its design include sculpture and carvings by Walter Gilbert and William Bloye.

 

Council House, Dudley - British Listed Buildings

 

Shots taken on Priory Road.