BOMKRSETBHTRB. 



SOMERSETSHIRE. 



Ik* Hy of BRISTOL, the paritomenUry boroughs of TAVXTOX, 

 WATik, UK) Fkom, and the following pUon, come of which are 

 nmntcir-1 bortmcbft, and nearly all market-towm AxBHrDos, Bnuroir, 

 Cm ED, CU.TTOK, CUWKUXE, DCLTBMOII, GuisromirnT, K.ET5S- 

 AM, Laoror, Riitrros MJLU.IT, WWJJXOTOS, WII.UTON, \\ ix 

 CAXTOS, and YEOVIL ; all of these ire noticed under their respective 

 titl<* Th other town., including Castle Can. Dnnater, BefaMtW, 

 Uilboroe Port, Mihrcrtoo, Uinehead, South Petherton, Somerton, 

 WatchcU, and Wiveltocombe, we notice here; the population* are 

 thoeeof 1M1: 



CkUl* Oury, population of th pariah 180, U about 26 mile* aaW. 

 Iran Bath. lie ewtle WM buflt or strengthened by William Oouel 

 de Prchval, in the reign of Stephen. The earthwork* alone remain. 

 The town to irregularly arrange.! ; the homes are neatly built. The 

 Tillage of Ahnaford it almost part of the town. Castle Cary church 

 to a handsome building on an elevated ait*. There are chapels for 

 Weal*yan Methodtot* and Independent*, National schools, and a 

 savings bank. Fbvx-milla afford some employment There are three 

 fkin and erven grrat cattle-markeU in the year. 



/tauter, population of the pariah 1184, ia 18 miles K.W. by W. 

 from Tannton. The Weet-Saxon kings had a fortress here. Dunster 

 rat members to parliament in the 34th and 38th Edward III. There 

 WM a Benedictine priory here, founded by the De Mohuns. Dunster 

 caatle to a building in the Elizabethan style, in a richly-wooded park. 

 The church is a spacious and handsome building, erected in the reign 

 of Henry VII. A tower in the centre rests on four pillars. There 

 an a chapel for Wealeyan Methodists, and an Endowed school. The 

 market to on Friday, and there ia a yearly fair on Whit-Monday. 



Ilckater, or Itclchdttr (from the river Ivel or Yeo, on which it 

 stands), population 889, to about 83 miles S.S.W. from Bath. This 

 town was an important Roman station, the Iscbalis of Ptolemoms, 

 who mentions it as one of the chief towns of the Belg;e. The Roman 

 town was defended by a wall and deep ditch, comprehending an 

 oblong quadrangle, through which the Fosse-way passed from north 

 to south. Roman hypocansts and baths, foundations of ancient 

 buildings, rast arches, tesaelated pavements, urns, lachrymatories, 

 patera?, fibula*, bracelets, and other relics of antiquity, have been dis- 

 covered, and medals, especially of Vespasian, Trajan, and Antoninus 

 Pius, t'nder the Saxons, who called the town Givelcestre, it was a 

 place or note. It sent members to parliament in the reigns of Edward I. 

 and Edward II., and with intervals subsequently till it was disfranchised 

 by the Reform Act. There were three religious establishments in the 

 town. The town lies in a rich valley, and consists of two parts 

 llchester proper and the village of Northover, which are separated by 

 the Yeo or Ivel, which is crossed by a stone bridge of two large 

 arches. The church is an ancient building, consisting of a nave, 

 chancel, and north aisle or chapel, with a low octagonal tower. There 

 are National schools. The county jail ia at Ilchester. It is a spacious 

 building of freestone. The town-hall is a neat modern building. 

 Ilchester was the birthplace of Roger Bacon. 



Mtlborne Port, population of the parish 1746, is on the Dorsetshire 

 border, about 8 miles E. by N. from YeoviL It was a borough and 

 market-town at the time of the Domesday survey, and sent members 

 to parliament in the time of Edward I., after which it ceased to send 

 them till the reign of Charles I., when it regained the franchise, which 

 it fimlly lost by the Reform Act. The town is pleasantly situated 

 in a valley, and consists chiefly of detached houses. The ancient 

 town-hall has a curious Norman doorway. The church is a large 

 cruciform edifice, with a square tower : there are chapels for Wesleyan 

 MethodtoU and Independents, and National schools. Leather-dressing 

 and glove-making are carried on. 



Milrerion, population of the parish 2146, about 7 miles W. by N. 

 from Taunton, was a market-town at the Conquest. The churcb, 

 which occupies an elevated site in the centre of the town, Is a spacious 

 building of perpendicular character, 112 feet long by 60 feet broad : 

 there are meeting-houses for Quakers and Independents, and a school 

 for children of all denominations. Silk-throwing and the manu- 

 facture of flannel and woollen-cloth afford some employment to the 

 inhabitant*. The market to on Friday, and there are three yearly 

 fain. 



UiiuAtad, population of the parinh 1542, is on the shore of the 

 Brtotol Channel, about 23 miles N.W. by W. from Taunton. The 

 town wu incorporated by Queen Elizabeth, and returned two members 

 to parliament, until disfranchised by the Reform Act The town 

 imtihts of three parts : the upper town ; the lower town, which is the 

 principal part: and the Quay-town along the shore. The church, 

 which to in the upper town, to large and handsome, with an embattled 

 tower, 90 feet high, at the west end ; it contains an alabaster statue 

 of Queen Anne. The BapttoU have a chapel At Quay-town is a 

 quay, faced with masonry and with a parapet towards the sea : also 

 a ciutoni-hoiue. The herring-fishery to carried on along the coast 

 The market to on Wednesday, and there to a yearly fair. Minehead is 

 reaorted to by invalids on account of the mildness of the climate. 



Soutk PttMerlon, population of the town 2165, to about 16 miles 

 K&K. from Taunton. Wigborough, in the parish of South Pether- 

 ton, to supposed to have been the aite of a Roman town. The Anglo- 

 Saxon kings had a residence at South Petherton. In Domesday Book 

 the town to called Bud peret . The church to cruciform, with a lofty but 



plain octangular tower at the intersection. There are ohapels for 

 Independents and Wesleyan Methodists. Markets are held on Thurs- 

 day and Saturday ; a fair is held on July 6th. 



Somerton, population of the parish 2140, about 17 miles E. by N. 

 from Taunton, was a fortified town in the Saxon times. The West- 

 Saxon kings had a palace here. The town is called Summertone in 

 Domesday Book. It stands on a hill on the left bank of the river Cory, 

 over which to a stone bridge. The houses are built of blue lias from 

 quarries in the neighbourhood. The church, which to ancient, has an 

 octangular embattled tower on the south side. There are a chapel 

 for Independents, an Endowed Free school, and a range of almshousee. 

 The market to on Tuesday, and there are seven fairs in the year. 

 Alabaster and lias are quarried near the town. 



Watchett, population of the hamlet about 950, is on the shore of 

 the Bristol Channel, about 19 miles N.W. from Taunton. It was 

 twice taken by the Danes, and the last time entirely ruined, in tlu-ir 

 war with Ethelred II. The parish church of St. Deeuman's is in the 

 village of that name, about a mile S. from Watchett, and is a large 

 and handsome edifice. In Watchett are chapels for Baptists and 

 Wesleyan Methodista. There is here a small harbour, formed by a 

 pier, and some coasting trade is carried on ; coals are imported from 

 Wales, and lime and alabaster are exported. A market to held on 

 Saturday, and n fair on November 17th. 



Wivelitcombt, population of the parish 2861, is about 12 miles W. 

 by N. from Taunton. On a hill a mile east of the town is a Roman 

 camp. The town is in a valley or combe, inclosed by hills on all 

 siilea except the south-east The church consists of a nave and side 

 aisles, with a western tower and spire. There are Independent and 

 Wesleyan Methodist chapels, National and Infant schools, an infirmary, 

 and the ruins of an old residence of the bishops of Wells. The 

 woollen manufacture is carried on. The markets are on Tuesday and 

 Saturday ; the former is a considerable corn-market, and the market 

 on the last Tuesday in February is also a great cattle-market There 

 are two yearly fairs. 



The following are a few of the principal villages, with the population 

 of each parish in 1851 : 



Long Ashton, population 1921, including 322 inmates of Bedmiuster 

 Union workhouse, about 3 miles S.W. from Bristol, has several iron- 

 works and collieries. The parish church is a neat edifice in the per- 

 pendicular style. There arc National schools partly endowed. In the 

 parish are two remarkable camps, on the hills overlooking the river 

 Avon, opposite Clifton. Backvsell, population 1074, about 7 miles 

 S.W. by W. from Bristol, is situated just under Broadfield Down. 

 There are here the parish chnrch and National schools. Several 

 collieries in the parish afford employment Sanwelf, population 1878, 

 about 15 miles S.W. from Bristol, is pleasantly situated under the 

 northern slope of the Mendip Hills. The parish church is a fine 

 building with windows of stained glass. The Wesleyan Methodists 

 have a chapel, and there is a Free school. Fairs are held in January 

 and July for cattle and sheep, and for cheese. Two remarkable 

 caverns have been discovered here, one filled with diluvium, in which 

 were embedded various fossil bones, the other covered with beautiful 

 stalactites. During the existence of the West Saxon kingdom there 

 was an abbey at Banwell, of which the abbacy was given by Alfred to 

 his friend Asser. There are remains of an episcopal palace of the 

 bishops of Bath aud Wells, now a private residence. Bath Eation, 

 population 1795, is on the right bank of the river Avon, about 3 miles 

 N.E. from Bath. The parish church, a fine gothic structure, has at 

 its west end a handsome embattled tower, 100 feet high ; there are 

 National and lufant schools. A silk-mill affords some employment. 

 Bathwick, population 5162, ia a suburb of the city of Bath, with 

 which it has communication by Pulteney-bridge over the Avon. The 

 Kennet and Avon Canal and the Great Western railway run through 

 the parish. Many Roman antiquities have been found here. Beckiny- 

 ton, population 1 173, to about 3 miles N.N.E. from Frome. The 

 woollen manufactures of Frome give employment to a considerable 

 number of the inhabitants. The Baptists have a chapel here. Bum- 

 ham, population 1701, on the Bristol Channel, near the mouth of the 

 river Parret, 9 miles N. from Bridgewater, has n church whose lofty 

 tower is <iseful as a sea-mark, and a lighthouse. The altar-piece of 

 the church, sculptured in white marble, was designed by luigo Jonee. 

 Camerlon, population 1543, is about 7 miles S.W. by S. from Bath ; 

 many of the inhabitants find employment at the coal-pits of the 

 Mendip coal-field. The Somerset Coal Canal passes through the 

 parish. There are two Endowed schools. Chew Magna, population 

 2141, about 6 miles S. from Bristol, is chiefly dependent upon the 

 coal-mines in the Mendip coal-field. In ancient times Chew Magna 

 was a borough, and possessed a good woollen manufacture. There 

 are National schools. Old Cleece, population 1550, about 16 miles 

 N.W. from Taunton, possesses extensive remains of an ancient Cister- 

 cian monastery. An old cross with four steps, the pedestal and 

 pillar almost entire, stands in the churchyard of the parish church. 

 There to here a National school supported chiefly by the vicar. The 

 li.imlet of Slue Anchor in this parish is resorted to as a bathing-place. 

 Clevcdon, population 1905, on the shore of the Bristol Channel, 12 

 miles W. by S. from Bristol, is visited for bathing in the summer. 

 Tlic shore here is rocky, and tho cliffs rise to a considerable height. 

 The parish church to situated on a lofty rock. There are here a 



