Somerset
- See Somerset (disambiguation) and Somerset County for places called Somerset in the United States.
See aslo article titled history of Somerset.
| Somerset | |
|---|---|
| |
| Geography | |
| † Administrative County ‡ Ceremonial County | |
| Region: | South West |
| Area: | †3,451 km² ‡4,171 km² |
| Admin HQ: | Taunton |
| ISO 3166: | GB-SOM |
| ONS code: | 40 |
| NUTS 3: | UKK23 |
| ‡Borders on: | Bristol, Gloucestershire (cerem.), Wiltshire, Dorset, Devon |
| Demographics | |
| Population: (2002 est.) |
†503,424 ‡862,476 |
| Density: | †146 / km² ‡207 / km² |
| ‡Ethnicity: | 98.5% White |
| Politics | |
| Somerset County Council http://www.somerset.gov.uk/ | |
| Executive: | Liberal Democrat |
| ‡MPs: |
Brian Cotter |
| Districts | |
| |
Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. Its county town was historically Somerton but is today Taunton.
The traditional northern boundary of the county was the River Avon, but this has gradually crept southwards, with the creation and expansion of the City of Bristol. In 1974 a large chunk of northern Somerset was removed to form the southern half of the County of Avon. Avon has now been abolished, and North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset have reverted to Somerset for ceremonial purposes, but are now independent counties in their own right for local government purposes.
The name is pronounced as though spelt Summerset but some local people pronounce it Zummerzet with a distinct rolled R, showing two characteristics of the strong local accent.
Somerset adjoins Gloucestershire to the north east, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south east and Devon to the southwest. Much of its northern edge is the shoreline of the Bristol Channel. Somerton was the original county town, but in recent years that role has been transferred to Taunton. The only city is Wells, which is the smallest in England, with a population of around 10,000.
Other important towns include Bridgwater, Glastonbury and Yeovil. The latter town is important in the manufacture of helicopters. Glastonbury is famous for its open-air rock festivals and many mythical associations. Much of the county is very scenic and relatively unspoilt. The Cheddar Gorge is famous for caves open to visitors. Apple orchards were plentiful and to this day Somerset is linked to the production of strong cider, arguably more so than any other part of the world. Somerset contains England's oldest prison that is still in use, in the small town of Shepton Mallet.
Tourist attractions include its coastal towns, part of the Exmoor National Park, the West Somerset Railway (a heritage railway), and the museum of the Fleet Air Arm at RNAS Yeovilton.
Towns and villages
- Alcombe, Alford, Axbridge
- Blue Anchor Bridgwater, Broomfield, Burnham-on-Sea
- Chard, Chinnock, Crowcombe , Compton Dundon, Crewkerne
- Dean, Drayton, Dunster, Dulverton
- Easton
- Fulford
- Glastonbury
- Henley, Horton, Hurst
- Ilchester, Ilminster
- Laverton, Luxborough
- Maperton, Marston Magna, Maundown, Meare, Mells, Merriott, Minehead
- Nether Stowey
- Porlock
- Shepton Mallet, Somerton, Street
- Taunton
- Watchet, Wellington, Wells, Weston-super-Mare, Westonzoyland, Williton
- Yeovil
Places of interest
- Bath Abbey
- Bristol Channel
- Clifton Suspension Bridge - Isambard Kingdom Brunel's bridge over the Avon Gorge, between Somerset and Bristol.
- Dunster Castle
- Georgian Bath
- Glastonbury Abbey
- Glastonbury Tor
- Ham Hill
- Kennet and Avon Cannal
- Mendip Hills - Limestone hills.
- River Avon, Bristol - River in Bath and Bristol.
- Roman Baths, Bath
- Somerset and Dorset Railway - Disused railway.
- Somerset Levels - Wetlands.
- South Cadbury - Camelot (see Sites and places associated with Arthurian legend)
- Taunton Stop Line - World War 2 defensive line.
- Wells Cathedral
- West Somerset Railway - Heritage railway.