eoi 



SOMERSETSHIRE. 



SOMERSETSHIRE. 



60i 



Barrow Down, aud has an elevation of 1663 feet. Slate is quarried 

 near Wiveliscombe. 



There are mineral springs at Bath, Glastonbury, Alford, near Castle 

 Cary, and Queen Camel, near Ilohester. 



Tiie coast from the mouth of the Avon runs about 15 or 16 miles 

 south-west to Sand Point. About half of this extent is occupied by 

 low cliffs, the remainder being chiefly marshy ground. From Sand 

 Point the coast runs southward to Brean Down, a hill of mountain 

 limestone, precipitous on every side, and surrounded by the sea, except 

 just at its eastern end, where a marshy flat connects it with the main- 

 land. On Uphill Bay, at the foot of Anchor Head Cliff, is the wateriug- 

 place of Westou-super-Mare. From Brean Down the coast runs about 

 seven miles southward, and then westward about seven or eight miles 

 along the south of Bridgewater Bay. The greater part of the shore of 

 the bay a formed by sand-hills, bounding the marshes which extend 

 between the Mendip Hills and the lower onsets of the Quantock 

 range. Towards the western extremity of the bay the coast is higher, 

 and is lined by lias cliffs. From the extremity of Bridgewater Bay 

 the coast runs westward 25 miles to the boundary of the county, and 

 consists of alternations of cliffs and low ground. The coast is lined, with 

 very little interruption, by sands, but except in Sand Bay, Uphill Bay, 

 and Bridgewater Bay, they have little breadth. These three bays are 

 filled up with sand, dry at low water, except in the channel of the 

 Parret. The only islands are, Stert Island, opposite Stert Point, aud 

 Penning'* Island, both at the mouth of the Parret ; and Flat Holm 

 and Steep Holm, in the midst of the Bristol Channel. These two 

 islands consist of limestone, and are both girt with cliffs : there is a 

 lighthouse on Flat Holm, and another on the shore near Burnham, 

 opposite Stert Island. The only harbours of any importance arc 

 formed by the rivers Avon and Parret. The roadstead of King's Road 

 a at the mouth of the Avon. 



Hydroyrapky, Communication!, itc. The Avon flows on or within 

 the northern border of the county for about 31 miles, and falls into 

 the seatuaiy of the Severn at King's Road, 10 miles below Bristol. 

 [Avox.] It is navigable up to Bath (where the Kennet and Avon 

 Canal locks into it) for barges, and to Bristol for sea-borne vessel*. 

 At the month of the Avon the spring-tides usually rite between 40 

 and SO feet The Avon receive* the Frame and the Hidford Brook 

 above Bath, and the Chew at Keynsham. The Frouie rises not far 

 from Bruton, flows northward past the town of Frouie, and joins the 

 Avon between Bradford and Bath ; its course (of about 20 miles) is 

 within or upon the border of Somersetshire. The Avon is connected 

 with the Thames by the Kennet and Avon Canal, which enters this 

 county by the Dundas aqueduct over the Avon, and then follows the 

 valley of that river to Bath. The SomeneUhire Coal Canal is cut 

 from the coal-works near Paulton into the Kennet and Avon Canal, on 

 the border of the county : it is 9J miles long. Connected with this 

 canal is a railway from the adjacent coal-works at Iladstoke. 



The Yea rise* at Coinpton Martin, on the northern slope of the 

 Mendip Hill*, and flows north-west 13 mile* between them and 

 Broad field Down into the Bristol Channel. The Axe rises in Wookey 

 Hole or Cavern, on the southern side of the same hilU, near Well*, 

 and flows north-west 21 mile*, through the flats at their foot, into the 

 Bristol Channel, at the eastern extremity of Brean Down. The Brut 

 rises on the slope of the chalk-marl and green-sand hills, on the border 

 of Somerset and Dorsetshire, and flows westward past Bruton and 

 Qlaetonbury, 35 miles through the marshy flat between the Mendip 

 and the Polden Hills into the (estuary of the Parret It has been 

 made navigable for about a mile from it* month to High Bridge, 

 whence the navigation is continued to QUstoubury (13 miles) by a 

 canal, that runs parallel to the Brue, and at some distance from its 

 left bank. 



The Parret, anciently the Pedred, the principal river in the county, 

 rise* at South 1'errot, near Beamiuster, in Dorsetshire. It reaches 

 the border of Somersetshire about a mile from its source, and flows 

 northward for 15 miles, passing South Pettier-ton and Langport, 

 between which towns it receives the Isle on it* left bank and the Yeo 

 on the right. From Langport the Parret flows north-west 12 miles, 

 through a manliy flat to Bridgewater, receiving midway between 

 that town and Langport the Tone on the left bank. Below Bridge- 

 water the Parret has a winding course of 16 miles into Bridgewater 

 Bay, receiving the Cary on its right bank, and uniting just at its 

 outfall with the Brue. The lilt rise* between Chard and Crewkerne, 

 and flows north and north-east 15 or 16 mile* into the Parret, through 

 marshes which cover the lias formation. It passes near Ilminster. 

 The Yeo or IveL, not to be confounded with the Yeo previously 

 described, rise* in Dorsetshire, and flow* first south-west and then 

 northward to Yeovil, receiving several streams from the Dorsetshire 

 chalk downs on the left bank. From Yeovil it flows in a circuitous 

 oonne north-north-west to Ilcheiter, and thence west-north-west 

 through marshes into the Parret, at Langport. The Tone rises in the 

 southern slope of Brendon Hill, north-west of Wiveliscombe, and flows 

 10 mile* south to the Devonshire border ; it then turns eastward aud 

 flows 23 miles through the vale and past the town of Taunton into 

 the Parret, on the north-western side of the We of Atheloey. The 

 Corjr rise* near Castle Cary, and flow* westward through the marshes, 

 SCTOM which it flows in an artificial bed, called the Sedgemoor Cut, 

 into the Parret ; its whole course is about 30 mile*. 



The navigation of this system of rivers commences at Ilcheater on 

 the Yeo, which is navigable for seven miles into the Parret at Lang- 

 port A little above Langport the navigation of the Parret commences, 

 and continues to the mouth of that river. Ships of 200 tons can get 

 up to Bridgewater. The Tone is navigable from Tauntoa to its 

 junction with the Parret. The Bridgewater and Taunton Canal runs 

 from the Parret, a little above Bridgewater, to Tauntou, a distance of 

 124 miles. Another canal unites Chard and Ilminster. 



In the fork between the Tone and the Parret is the Isle of Athelney, 

 in which Alfred the Great took refuge when the Danes overran 

 Wessex, and which still retains its name. It consists of a rising ground, 

 of about 100 miles in extent, and was anciently covered with alder- 

 wood. There is a farm-house on the isle. 



The Ex rises in Exmoor Forest, in the moat western part of tho 

 county, and flows first south-east and then south into Devonshire, 

 which it enters a little west of Bampton, having previously formed 

 the boundary between the two counties for about two miles. The 

 Barle, a considerable feeder of the Ex, also rises in the most western 

 part of Somersetshire, and flows south-westward past Dulverton into 

 the Ex, on the Devonshire border. 



The principal coach roads are those from London to Bristol, which 

 unite near Bath ; the road from Bath to Bristol through Keynsham ; 

 the road from London to Exeter through Salisbury, which passes 

 through Yeovil, Crewkerne, and Chard ; the Falmouth road, which runs 

 through Wincanton, Ilchester, and Ilminster; the road from Bristol 

 through Axbridge to Bridge .vater, whence one road runs along the 

 coast through Watchet, Dunster, and Porlock to Ilfracombe in Devon- 

 shire ; a second by Milverton aud Wiveliscombe to Barnstaple, 

 Devon; aud a third to Tauuton, whence there are two roads to 

 Exeter ; the road from Bath to Taunton, through Wells and Glastou- 

 bury ; the roads from Bristol and Bath, which unite at Shepton 

 Mallet ; and two roads leading westward from Frome, one to Shepton 

 Mallet, Glaatonbury, and Tauntou, and the other to Bruton, Castle 

 Cary, aud Ilcheiter. 



The Great Western railway enters the county near Bath, and runs 

 by Bath to Bristol, where it is connected with the Bristol aud Exeter 

 railway, which run* past Bridgewater, Taunton, aud Wellington into 

 Devonshire. Short branch lines connect Clevedon and Weaton-super- 

 Mare with the Bristol and Exeter railway. The Wilts, Somerset, and 

 Weymouth railway, which leaves the Great Western at the Corsham 

 station, is open thence to Frome oa the east of this county. All these 

 railways are on the broad gauge, which system is carried northward 

 by the Bristol and Birmingham line. 



S<jil, Climate, and Agriculture. The county of Somerset possesses a 

 soil and climate well suited to the growth of wheat aud all the agricul- 

 tural produce usually raised in England. There is a fair proportion 

 of woodland without any extensive forests. In some of the vales, 

 such as the extensive vale of Taunton, the soil is of a rich nature, aud 

 the wheat grown there is of superior quality. Excellent butter and 

 cheese are made on the best pasture lands. The Cheddar cheese is 

 famous for its quality. The cows are mostly of the Devon breed, but 

 there ar: also many short-horns. The oxen fatted are either Devoua 

 or Herefords and short-horns. The state of agriculture has greatly 

 improved of late years. The sheep on the best lands are of the 

 Leicester or South Down breeds, with crosses between these and the 

 Cotswold sheep. Many hogs are fatted, and very good bacon is cured. 

 There are a few hop-gardens, and same good cider orchards. 



Divitiont, Towia, <tc. The county is divided into 40 hundreds, 

 which we enumerate, commencing with the eastern division at the 

 mouth of the Avon : 1, Portbury : 2, Hartcliffe and Bedminster : 3, 

 Keynsham : 4, Bath-Forum, in which is the city of Bath : 5, Hampton 

 and Claverton : 6, Wellow, on the eastern border : 7, Chew : 8, 

 Frome: 9, Kilmersdon : 10, Chewton : 11, Winterstoke : 12, Wells- 

 Forum, containing the city of Wells : 13, Whitstone : 14, Bruton : 

 15, Norton-Ferris : 16, Horethorne, the most south-eastern part of the 

 county, including the town of Milborne Port: 17, Catsash: 18, 

 Glaaton-twelve-hides, in which is the town of Glastonbury : 19, Bemp- 

 stone : 20, Brent-with-Wrington, along the east coast of Bridgewater 

 Bay to the Brue, which river in the lower part of its course separates 

 the eastern from the western division of Somersetshire. 



In the western division are : 1, Uuntspill and Puriton : 2, North 

 Petberton, in which is the town of Bridgewater : 3, Whitley : 4, 

 Soraerton : 5, Pitney : 6, Tiutinhull, which contains the town of 

 Ilchester : 7, Martock : 8, Stone, on the southern border, containing 

 Yeovil: 9, Houndsborough, Barwick, and Coker: 10, Crewkerne, also 

 on the southern border, containing the town of Crewkerne : 11, South 

 Petherton, which comprises the most southern part of the county, and 

 extends west of Crewkerne up to the Parret : 12, East and West 

 Kingsbury, consisting of several unconnected portions, and containing 

 the towns of Chard, Wellington, and Wiveliscombe : 13, Abtiick and 

 Bulstone, containing the town of Ilminster: 14, Taunton and Tuunton 

 Dean, which includes the vale of Taunton and the greater part of the 

 basin of the Tone: 15, North Curry: 16, Andersfield, including the 

 isle of Athelney: 17, Canniugton : 18, Williton and Freemanners : 

 19, Carliampton, which includes all the coast beyond Watchettto the 

 Devonshire border: and 20, Milverton, which lies on the Devonshire 

 border, and contains the town of Milverton. 



Somersetshire contaiua the cities of BATH and WELLS, a part of 



