Somerset

I

Introduction

Somerset, county, south-western England, bordered on the north by the Bristol Channel and by North Somerset and Bath and North-East Somerset unitary authorities, on the east by the county of Wiltshire, on the south-east by the county of Dorset, and on the south-west and west by the county of Devon. Prior to the local government reforms of 1974, Somerset included the region lying north of the Mendip Hills, including the city of Bath. Between 1974 and April 1, 1996, this area formed part of the county of Avon. As a result of the local government reforms implemented on the latter date, Avon was abolished and replaced by four unitary authorities, of which Bath and North-East Somerset and North Somerset comprise the land that was part of pre-1974 Somerset. For ceremonial and related occasions these two unitary authorities form part of Somerset, whose historical boundaries have been restored for such purposes. The area of the administrative county is 3,458 sq km (1,335 sq mi); that of the ceremonial county is 4,178 sq mi (1,613 sq mi). Taunton is the county town.

Glastonbury Abbey is the earliest Christian foundation in England, leading to Somerset often being described as the cradle of early English Christianity. According to legend, Camelot, the court of King Arthur, was in Somerset. The rediscovery in the 18th century of hot springs, well known to the Romans, brought fame and prosperity to Bath. Society life there in the 18th and early 19th centuries is vividly portrayed in the plays of Richard Brinsley Sheridan and in the novels of Tobias Smollett and Jane Austen. The writer Richard Doddridge Blackmore used Hoccombe Combe, on the north-eastern edge of Exmoor, as the setting for his classic novel Lorna Doone, with the result that this area has come to be known as “Doone Country”. Traditionally an agricultural county, Somerset today has a flourishing tourist industry, principally along the coast and at celebrated beauty spots such as Cheddar Gorge.

II

Land and Resources

The general aspect of Somerset is one of well-wooded, green undulating country. It consists mainly of a flat Triassic basin surrounded on three sides by hills, and on the fourth by the Bristol Channel. To the north-east, the limestone Mendip Hills (slightly more than 300 m/1,000 ft at the highest point), are dissected by spectacularly deep narrow valleys, known as “combes”. The gorge at Cheddar is the most famous of these. In this region there are numerous caves, with stalactites and stalagmites, hollowed out of the limestone over many centuries and once inhabited by prehistoric people; Wookey Hole and the labyrinth of caverns at Cheddar Gorge are the best known.

The red sandstone Quantock Hills, to the west, are an outcrop of Exmoor and Devon moorland, and in 1957 became the first area in England to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In the north-west, wild moorland merges into the low Brendon Hills. The Blackdown Hills lie to the south. In the east of the basin is the marshy area of Sedgemoor, dominated by another low range, the Polden Hills. A curiously shaped conical hill, Glastonbury Tor, rises from the marshland close to Glastonbury. There are spectacular cliffs and coves along the coast from the Devonshire-Somerset border to Porlock, where Exmoor meets the sea. The eastern region of Exmoor is less wild and rugged than the central moor, but reaches its highest point (519 m/1,704 ft) at Dunkery Beacon. The principal rivers are the Exe and the Parrett, and the county is well drained by a network of lesser rivers and streams. For much of its north-westerly course towards the Bristol Channel, the Parrett flows through a flat reedy area, drained for cultivation and known as the Somerset Levels. The Levels are extremely important habitats for waterfowl during the winter.

The county is renowned for its mineral springs, which occur principally in the region of Bath and Wells. The Romans mined lead in the Mendips. Coal was mined around Radstock and Midsomer Norton until 1973. There is an abundance of local stone for building, and clay from the Bridgwater area was much used for tile and brick-making. Peat, from the Glastonbury region, is another local resource, although much of its extraction is being phased out for conservation reasons. Wild ponies, red deer, and horned sheep roam Exmoor. Buzzards are often sighted.

Somerset's climate is tempered by the sea, and winters are generally mild. The annual rainfall averages 760-1,000 mm (30-40 in).

III

Population and Administration

The population of Somerset was estimated in 2001 at 498,093. Taunton (population, 1993 estimate, 60,300) is the seat of the county council and the main market town for Somerset. The other main towns include the cathedral city of Wells (1991, 9,763); Bridgwater (1991, 34,610), Glastonbury (1993 estimate, 8,100), and Yeovil (1993 estimate, 35,000). Minehead (1991, 9,158) is the main seaside resort.

In addition to the county council, Somerset has five district councils: Mendip, Sedgemoor, South Somerset, Taunton Deane, and West Somerset. The police authority is the Avon and Somerset Constabulary, whose headquarters is at Portishead, Bristol. A Crown Court sits at Taunton.

IV

Education and Culture

The Roman Catholic boys' public school, Downside School, at Stratton-on-the-Fosse, near Radstock (founded 1607) is run by the Benedictine monks of Downside Abbey. Other notable schools include Wells Cathedral School (1180), Wellington School (1837), and Millfield School (1935). The Somerset College of Agriculture and Horticulture is at Canningham, near Bridgwater.

The 18th-century novelist Henry Fielding was born at Sharpham Park, near Glastonbury. Poet T. S. Eliot is buried in the village of East Coker, near Yeovil. Another famous native of Somerset is John Pym, the 17th-century Parliamentary leader, who was born near Bridgwater. The 20th-century politician Ernest Bevin was born at Winsford.

The Glastonbury Festival (see Rock Festivals), first held in 1970, has become the foremost summer festival of rock and contemporary music in Great Britain. The Exford Horse Show takes place every August at the Royal Bath and West Showground, which is a venue for many major events.