Portal:Somerset
The Somerset Portal
![caption=Somerset shown within England](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/EnglandSomerset.svg/100px-EnglandSomerset.svg.png)
Somerset (/ˈsʌmərsɪt, -sɛt/ SUM-ər-sit, -set; archaically Somersetshire /ˈsʌmərsɪt.ʃɪər, -sɛt-, -ʃər/ SUM-ər-sit-sheer, -set-, -shər) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east and the north-east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. The largest settlement is the city of Bath, and the county town is Taunton.
Somerset is a predominantly rural county, especially to the south and west, with an area of 4,171 km2 (1,610 sq mi) and a population of 965,424. After Bath (101,557), the largest settlements are Weston-super-Mare (82,418), Taunton (60,479), Yeovil (49,698) and Frome (28,559). Wells (12,000) is a city, the second-smallest by population in England. For local government purposes the county comprises three unitary authority areas: Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset, and Somerset. Bath and North East Somerset Council is a member of the West of England Combined Authority.
The centre of Somerset is dominated by the Levels, a coastal plain and wetland. The north-east contains part of the Cotswolds uplands and all of the Mendip Hills, which are both national landscapes; the west contains the Quantock Hills and part of the Blackdown Hills, which are also national landscapes, and most of Exmoor, a national park. The major rivers of the county are the Avon, which flows through Bath and then Bristol, and the Axe, Brue, and Parrett, which drain the Levels.
There is evidence of Paleolithic human occupation in Somerset, and the area was subsequently settled by the Celts, Romans and Anglo-Saxons. The county played a significant part in Alfred the Great's rise to power, and later the English Civil War and the Monmouth Rebellion. In the later medieval period its wealth allowed its monasteries and parish churches to be rebuilt in grand style; Glastonbury Abbey was particularly important, and claimed to house the tomb of King Arthur and Guinevere. The city of Bath is famous for its Georgian architecture, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The county is also the location of Glastonbury Festival, one of the UK's major music festivals. (Full article...)
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In Bath the canal separates from the river but follows its valley as far as Bradford on Avon. The ornate Bath Locks lead to a stretch through Limpley Stoke valley with few locks. The flight of locks at Devizes, including the Caen Hill Locks, raises the canal to its longest pound, which then ascends the 4 Wooton Rivers locks to the short summit pound which includes the Bruce Tunnel. Pumping stations are used to supply the canal with water. The canal continues through the rural landscape of Wiltshire and Berkshire before joining the River Kennet at Newbury and becoming a navigable river to Reading, where it flows into the River Thames.
In the later 19th century and early 20th century the canal fell into disuse following competition from the Great Western Railway, who owned the canal. Between 1970 and 1990 the canal was restored, largely by volunteers, and today is a popular heritage tourism destination, for boating, canoeing, fishing, walking and cycling. (Full article...)
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Districts of Somerset
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Somerset_numbered_districts_2023.svg/200px-Somerset_numbered_districts_2023.svg.png)
- Somerset (Unitary)
- North Somerset (Unitary)
- Bath and North East Somerset (Unitary)
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Co-ordinates 51°24′49″N 2°29′48″W / 51.4135°N 2.4968°W
Keynsham /ˈkeɪnʃəm/ is a town and civil parish between Bristol and Bath. It has a population of 15,533. It was listed in the Domesday Book as Cainesham, which is believed to mean the home of Saint Keyne.
The site of the town has been occupied since prehistoric times and is scattered with Roman remains. It became a medieval market town, after Keynsham Abbey was founded around 1170. It is situated at the confluence of the River Chew and River Avon and was subject to serious flooding before the creation of Chew Valley Lake and river level controls at Keynsham Lock. The Great Flood of 1968 inundated large parts of the town. It was home to the Cadbury's chocolate factory, Somerdale, which opened in 1935 as a major employer in the town.
It is home to Memorial Park, which is used for the annual town festival and several nature reserves. The town is served by Keynsham railway station on the London-Bristol and Bristol-Southampton trunk routes and is close to the A4 road which bypassed the town in the 1964. There are also a range of schools, religious sporting and cultural clubs and venues. (Full article...)
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's "Did You Know" archives:
- ... that Ham Hill Hillfort (pictured) is one of the largest hillforts in Britain, and is the only one with a pub in its interior?
- ... that the restoration of the Tithe Barn, Pilton in Somerset, England was supported by profits from the Glastonbury Festival?
- ... that the Iron Age Meare Lake Village was built on a peat bog on the Somerset Levels?
- ... that Montacute Priory was a dependency of Cluny Abbey from its foundation around 1100 until 1407?
- ... that the Old Orchard Street Theatre in Bath was built as a provincial theatre before becoming a Roman Catholic Church and since 1865 a Masonic Hall?
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Nearby projects: WikiProject Bristol, WikiProject Devon, WikiProject Dorset, WikiProject Wiltshire
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Herbie Hewett
Kennet and Avon Canal
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Lionel Palairet
Porlock Stone Circle
River Parrett
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Somerset County Cricket Club in 1891
Somerset County Cricket Club in 2009
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Wells Cathedral
Withypool Stone Circle
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List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Avon
List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset
List of Somerset County Cricket Club Twenty20 players
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List of Somerset County Cricket Club players with 100 or more first-class or List A appearances
List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in Southwest England
List of hillforts and ancient settlements in Somerset
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To Catch a Copper
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