Somerset

A west country county with a population of around 500,000, and an area of 1,333 square miles (3,453 sq km), located in South West England, on the Bristol Channel. The county seat is Taunton.

In Somerset there are the popular towns of  Street, Bath, Axbridge, Wells, Yatton, Glastonbury, Badminton, Midsomer Norton, Wincanton, Yeovil, Yatton, Long Ashton, Bridgwater, Bristol, Winscombe, Clevedon, Banwell, Cheddar and  Castle Cary.

 

Geography

The terrain is level in the centre, with the Mendip Hills to the east and Exmoor National Park and the Quantock Hills to the west. The principal rivers are the Bristol Avon, the Exe, and the Parrett and tributaries, whose fertile valleys are devoted to agriculture.

 

Industry

Dairy farming and the famous cheddar cheese are products of this county which was always famous for its cider production which has now sadly declined. Leather goods are still produced together with shoes. Taunton also has a range of industries and manufacturing. Coal and limestone were once extracted but are no longer of importance. The area was once a series of marshes around the Somerset level but these have been largely drained and are an area of highly fertile farm land. Peat is extracted in some quantity from the former levels.

 

History

There are prehistoric remains at Cheddar and Glastonbury, which has an ancient abbey where King Arthur is reputed to be buried. The area became part of the Kingdom of Wessex at an early stage in that Kingdom's growth and King Alfred fled to the marshes to escape capture by the invading Danes. From the island Athlney, he re-organised his forces and drove out the invaders. Bath, with its spa, was an important centre for the Romans and the original baths still survive.