Somerset is a historic county in thesouth west of England. There is evidence of human occupation sinceprehistoric times with hand axes and flint points from thePalaeolithic andMesolithic eras, and a range ofburial mounds,hill forts and otherartefacts dating from theNeolithic,Bronze andIron Ages. The oldest dated human road work inGreat Britain is theSweet Track, constructed across the Somerset Levels with wooden planks in the 39th century BCE.
Following theRoman Empire's invasion of southern Britain, the mining of lead and silver in theMendip Hills provided a basis for local industry and commerce.Bath became the site of a major Roman fort and city, the remains of which can still be seen. During theEarly Medieval period Somerset was the scene of battles between theAnglo-Saxons and first the Britons and later the Danes. In this period it was ruled first by various kings of Wessex, and later by kings of England. Following the defeat of the Anglo-Saxon monarchy by theNormans in 1066,castles were built in Somerset.
Expansion of the population andsettlements in the county continued during theTudor and more recent periods. Agriculture and coal mining expanded until the 18th century, although other industries declined during the industrial revolution. Inmodern times the population has grown, particularly in the seaside towns, notablyWeston-super-Mare. Agriculture continues to be a major business, if no longer a major employer because ofmechanisation. Light industries are based in towns such asBridgwater andYeovil. The towns ofTaunton andShepton Mallet manufacturecider, although the acreage of appleorchards is less than it once was.
ThePalaeolithic andMesolithic periods saw hunter-gatherers move into the region of Somerset. There is evidence fromflintartefacts in a quarry atWestbury that an ancestor of modern man, possiblyHomo heidelbergensis, was present in the area from around 500,000 years ago.[1] There is still some doubt about whether the artefacts are of human origin but they have been dated within Oxygen Isotope Stage 13 (524,000 – 478,000BP).[2] Other experts suggest that "many of the bone-richMiddle Pleistocene deposits belong to a single but climatically variable interglacial that succeeded theCromerian, perhaps about 500,000 years ago. Detailed analysis of the origin and modification of the flint artefacts leads to the conclusion that the assemblage was probably a product of geomorphological processes rather than human work, but a single cut-marked bone suggests a human presence."[3] Animal bones and artefacts unearthed in the 1980s at Westbury-sub-Mendip, in Somerset, have shown evidence of early human activity approximately 700,000 years ago.[4][5]
Homo sapiens sapiens, or modern man, came to Somerset during the Early Upper Palaeolithic. There is evidence of occupation of four Mendip caves 35,000 to 30,000 years ago.[6] During the Last Glacial Maximum, about 25,000 to 15,000 years ago, it is probable that Somerset was deserted as the area experienced tundra conditions. Evidence was found inGough's Cave of deposits of human bone dating from around 12,500 years ago. The bones were defleshed and probably ritually buried though perhaps related tocannibalism being practised in the area at the time or makingskull cups or storage containers.[7] Somerset was one of the first areas of future England settled following the end ofYounger Dryas phase of thelast ice age c. 8000 BC.Cheddar Man is the name given to the remains of a human male found inGough's Cave inCheddar Gorge. He is Britain's oldest complete humanskeleton. The remains date from about7150 BC, and it appears that he died aviolent death. Somerset is thought to have been occupied byMesolithichunter-gatherers from about 6000 BCE; Mesolithic artefacts have been found in more than 70 locations. Mendip caves were used as burial places, with between 50 and 100 skeletons being found inAveline's Hole. In theNeolithic era, from about 3500 BCE, there is evidence of farming.[8]
At the end of thelast ice age theBristol Channel was dry land. However, the sea level later rose, particularly between 1220 and 900 BC and between 800 and 470 BCE, resulting in major coastal changes. TheSomerset Levels became flooded, but thedry points such asGlastonbury andBrent Knoll have a long history of settlement, and are known to have been occupied byMesolithic hunters.[9][10] The county has prehistoricburial mounds (such asStoney Littleton Long Barrow),stone rows (such as the circles atStanton Drew andPriddy) and settlement sites. Evidence of Mesolithic occupation has come both from the upland areas, such as inMendip caves, and from the low land areas such as theSomerset Levels. Dry points in the latter such asGlastonbury Tor andBrent Knoll, have a long history of settlement withwoodentrackways between them. There were also "lake villages" in the marsh such as those atGlastonbury Lake Village andMeare. One of the oldest dated human road work in Britain is theSweet Track, constructed across the Somerset Levels with wooden planks in the 39th century BC,[9][11][12][13][14] partially on the route of the even earlierPost Track.[15]
There is evidence ofExmoor's human occupation fromMesolithic times onwards. In the Neolithic period people started to manage animals and grow crops on farms cleared from the woodland, rather than act purely as hunter gatherers.[16] It is also likely that extraction and smelting of mineralores to make tools, weapons, containers and ornaments inbronze and then iron started in the late Neolithic and into theBronze andIron Ages.[17]
The caves of theMendip Hills were settled during theNeolithic period and contain extensivearchaeological sites such as those atCheddar Gorge. There are numerousIron AgeHill Forts, which were later reused in theDark Ages, such asCadbury Castle,[18]Worlebury Camp[19] andHam Hill. The age of thehenge monument atStanton Drew stone circles is unknown, but is believed to be from the Neolithic period.[20] There is evidence of mining on theMendip Hills back into the lateBronze Age when there were technological changes in metal working indicated by the use of lead. There are numerous "hill forts", such asSmall Down Knoll,Solsbury Hill,Dolebury Warren andBurledge Hill, which seem to have had domestic purposes, not just a defensive role. They generally seem to have been occupied intermittently from theBronze Age onward, some, such asCadbury Camp atSouth Cadbury, being refurbished during different eras.Battlegore Burial Chamber is a Bronze Age burial chamber atWilliton which is composed of three roundbarrows and possibly a long, chambered barrow.[21]
TheIron Age tribes of later Somerset were theDobunni in north Somerset,Durotriges in south Somerset andDumnonii in west Somerset. The first and second producedcoins, the finds of which allows their tribal areas to be suggested, but the latter did not. All three had aCeltic culture andlanguage. However,Ptolemy stated thatBath was in the territory of theBelgae,[22] but this may be a mistake.[23] The Celtic gods were worshipped at the temple ofSulis atBath and possibly the temple onBrean Down. Iron Age sites on theQuantock Hills, include majorhill forts atDowsborough andRuborough, as well as smaller earthwork enclosures, such asTrendle Ring,Elworthy Barrows andPlainsfield Camp.
Somerset was part of theRoman Empire from 47 AD to about 409 AD. However, the end was not abrupt and elements ofRomanitas lingered on for perhaps a century.
Somerset was invaded from the south-east by theSecond LegionAugusta, under the future emperorVespasian. Thehillforts of theDurotriges atHam Hill andCadbury Castle were captured. Ham Hill probably had a temporary Roman occupation.The massacre atCadbury Castle seems to have been associated with the laterBoudiccan Revolt of 60–61 AD.[9] The county remained part of theRoman Empire until around 409 AD.[24]
The Roman invasion, and possibly the preceding period of involvement in the internal affairs of the south of England, was inspired in part by the potential of theMendip Hills. A great deal of the attraction of the lead mines may have been the potential for the extraction of silver.[25][26]
Forts were set up atBath andIlchester. The lead and silvermines atCharterhouse in theMendip Hills were run by the military. The Romans established a defensive boundary along the new military road known theFosse Way (from theLatinfossa meaningditch). The Fosse Way ran throughBath,Shepton Mallet,Ilchester and south-west towardsAxminster. The road fromDorchester ran throughYeovil to meet the Fosse Way atIlchester. Small towns and trading ports were set up, such asCamerton andCombwich. The larger townsdecayed in the latter part of the period, though the smaller ones appear to have decayed less. In the latter part of the period,Ilchester seems to have been a "civitas" capital and Bath may also have been one.[26] Particularly to the east of theRiver Parrett,villas were constructed. However, only a few Roman sites have been found to the west of the river. The villas have produced important mosaics and artifacts.Cemeteries have been found outside the Roman towns of Somerset and byRoman temples such as that atLamyatt.[9] Romano-British farming settlements, such as those at Catsgore andSigwells, have been found in Somerset. There was salt production on theSomerset Levels nearHighbridge andquarrying took place near Bath, where theRoman Baths gave their name toBath.[27]
Excavations carried out before theflooding ofChew Valley Lake also uncovered Roman remains, indicating agricultural and industrial activity from the second half of the 1st century until the 3rd century AD. The finds included a moderately largevilla at Chew Park,[28] where wooden writing tablets (the first in the UK) with ink writing were found. There is also evidence from thePagans Hill Roman Temple atChew Stoke.[28][29] In October 2001 theWest Bagborough Hoard of 4th centuryRoman silver was discovered inWest Bagborough. The 681 coins included twodenarii from the early 2nd century and 8Miliarense and 671Siliqua all dating to the period AD 337 – 367. The majority were struck in the reigns of emperorsConstantius II andJulian and derive from a range of mints includingArles andLyons in France,Trier in Germany and Rome.[30]
In April 2010, theFrome Hoard, one of the largest-ever hoards ofRoman coins discovered in Britain, was found by a metal detectorist. The hoard of 52,500 coins dated from the 3rd century AD and was found buried in a field nearFrome, in a jar 14 inches (36 cm) below the surface.[31] The coins were excavated by archaeologists from thePortable Antiquities Scheme.[32]
This is the period from about 409 AD to the start ofSaxon political control, which was mainly in the late 7th century, though they are said to have captured the Bath area in 577 AD.[33] Initially the Britons of Somerset seem to have continued much as under the Romans but without the imperial taxation and markets. There was then a period of civil war in Britain though it is not known how this affected Somerset. The WesternWandsdyke may have been constructed in this period but archaeological data shows that it was probably built during the 5th or 6th century. This area became the border between theRomano-BritishCelts and theWest Saxons following theBattle of Deorham in 577 AD.[34] The ditch is on the north side, so presumably it was used by theCelts as a defence againstSaxons encroaching from the upperThames Valley. According to theAnglo-Saxon Chronicle, the SaxonCenwalh achieved a breakthrough against theBritish Celtic tribes, with victories atBradford-on-Avon (in theAvon Gap in the Wansdyke) in 652 AD,[35] and further south at theBattle of Peonnum (atPenselwood) in 658 AD,[36] followed by an advance west through thePolden Hills to theRiver Parrett.[37]
The Saxon advance from the east seems to have been halted by battles between the British and Saxons, for example; at the siege of BadonMons Badonicus (which may have been in the Bath region e.g. atSolsbury Hill),[38] orBathampton Down.[39] During the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries, Somerset was probably partly in the Kingdom ofDumnonia, partly in the land of theDurotriges and partly in that of theDobunni.[8] The boundaries between these is largely unknown, but may have been similar to those in theIron Age. Various "tyrants" seem to have controlled territories from reoccupied hill forts. There is evidence of an elite at hill forts such asCadbury Castle andCadbury Camp; for example, there is importedpottery. Cemeteries are an important source of evidence for the period and large ones have been found in Somerset, such as that atCannington, which was used from the Roman to the Saxon period. The towns of Somerset seem to have been little used during that period but there continued to be farming on the villa sites and at the Romano-British villages.
There may have been effects fromplague and volcanic eruption during this period as well as marine transgression into theLevels.
The language spoken during this period is thought to beSouthwestern Brythonic,[40] but only one or two inscribed stones survive in Somerset from this period. However, a couple ofcurse tablets found in the baths at Bath may be in this language. Some place names in Somerset seem to be Celtic in origin and may be from this period or earlier, e.g.Tarnock. Some river names, such as Parrett, may be Celtic or pre-Celtic. The religion of the people of Somerset in this period is thought to be Christian but it was isolated from Rome until after theCouncil of Hertford in 673 AD when Aldhelm was asked to write a letter toGeraint of Dumnonia and his bishops. Some church sites in Somerset are thought to date from this period, e.g., Llantokay Street.
Most of what is known of the history of this period comes fromGildas'sOn the Ruin of Britain,[41] which is thought to have been written in Durotrigan territory, possibly at Glastonbury.
The earliest fortification ofTaunton started for KingIne of Wessex andÆthelburg, in or about the year 710 AD. However, according to theAnglo-Saxon Chronicle this was destroyed 12 years later.[42]
This is the period from the late 7th century (for most of Somerset) to 1066, though for part of the 10th and 11th centuries England was underDanish control. Somerset, likeDorset to the south, held the West Saxon advance from Wiltshire/Hampshire back for over a century, remaining a frontier between the Saxons and the Romano-British Celts.[43]
TheSaxons conqueredBath following theBattle of Deorham in 577, and the border was probably established along the line of theWansdyke to the north of theMendip Hills. ThenCenwalh of Wessex broke through atBradford-on-Avon in 652, and theBattle of Peonnum possibly atPenselwood in 658, advancing west through thePolden Hills to theRiver Parrett.[44] In 661 the Saxons may have advanced into what is now Devon as a result of a battle fought atPostesburh, possiblyPosbury near Crediton.[45]
Then in the period 681–85Centwine of Wessex conqueredKing Cadwaladr and "advanced as far as the sea", but it is not clear where this was. It is assumed that the Saxons occupied the rest of Somerset about this time. The Saxon rule was consolidated underKing Ine, who established a fort atTaunton, demolished by his wife in 722. It is sometimes said that he built palaces atSomerton andSouth Petherton but this does not seem to be the case. He fought againstGeraint in 710. In 705 the diocese ofSherborne was formed, taking inWessex west ofSelwood. Saxon kings granted land in Somerset by charter from the 7th century onward. The way and extent to which the Britons survived under the Saxons is a debatable matter. However,King Ine's laws make provision for Britons. Somerset originally formed part of Wessex and latter became a separate "shire". Somersetshire seems to have been formed within Wessex during the 8th century though it is not recorded as a name until later. Mints were set up at times in various places in Somerset in the Saxon period, e.g.,Watchet.[46]
Somerset played an important part in defeating the spread of the Danes in the 9th century. TheAnglo-Saxon Chronicle records that in 845 Alderman Eanwulf, with the men of Somersetshire (Sumorsǣte), and Bishop Ealstan, and Alderman Osric, with the men of Dorsetshire, conquered the Danish army at the mouth of the Parret. This was the first known use of the name Somersæte. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports that in January 878 the KingAlfred the Great fled into the marshes of Somerset from the Viking's invasion and made a fort atAthelney. From the fort Alfred was able to organize a resistance using the local militias from Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire.[47]
Viking raids took place for instance in 987 and 997 atWatchet[48] and theBattle of Cynwit. KingAlfred was driven to seek refuge from the Danes atAthelney before defeating them at theBattle of Ethandun in 878, usually considered to be nearEdington, Wiltshire, but possibly the village ofEdington in Somerset. Alfred established a series of forts and lookout posts linked by a military road, orHerepath, so his army could cover Viking movements at sea. The Herepath has a characteristic form which is familiar on the Quantocks: a regulation 20 m wide track between avenues of trees growing fromhedge laying embankments. The Herepath ran from the ford on theRiver Parrett atCombwich, pastCannington hill fort toOver Stowey, where it climbed the Quantocks along the line of the current Stowey road, toCrowcombe Park Gate. Then it went south along the ridge, toTriscombe Stone. One branch may have led past Lydeard Hill and Buncombe Hill, back to Alfred's base at Athelney. The main branch descended the hills at Triscombe, then along the avenue to Red Post Cross, and west to theBrendon Hills andExmoor.[49] A peace treaty with the Danes was signed atWedmore and the Danish kingGuthrum the Old was baptised atAller.Burhs (fortified places) had been set up by 919, such asLyng. TheAlfred Jewel, an object about 2.5 inch long, made of filigree gold,cloisonné-enamelled and with a rock crystal covering, was found in 1693 atPetherton Park,North Petherton.[50] Believed to have been owned byAlfred the Great[51] it is thought to have been the handle for a pointer that would have fit into the hole at its base and been used while reading a book.
Monasteries andminster churches were set up all over Somerset, with daughter churches from the minsters in manors. There was a royal palace atCheddar, which was used at times in the 10th century to host theWitenagemot,[52] and there is likely to have been a "central place" atSomerton, Bath, Glastonbury andFrome since the kings visited them. The towns of Somerset seem to have been in occupation in this period though evidence for this is limited because of subsequent buildings on top of remains from this period. Agriculture flourished in this period, with a re-organisation into centralised villages in the latter part in the east of the county.
In the period before theNorman Conquest, Somerset came under the control ofGodwin, Earl of Wessex, and his family. There seems to have been some Danish settlement atThurloxton andSpaxton, judging from the place-names. After the Norman Conquest, the county was divided into 700fiefs, and large areas were owned by the crown,[53] with fortifications such asDunster Castle used for control and defence.
This period of Somerset's history is well documented, for example in theAnglo-Saxon Chronicle andAsser'sLife of Alfred.[54]
This is the period from 1066 to around 1500. Following the defeat of theSaxons by theNormans in 1066, variouscastles were set up in Somerset by the new lords such as that atDunster, and the manors was awarded to followers ofWilliam the Conqueror such asWilliam de Moyon andWalter of Douai.[55] Somerset does not seem to have played much part in the civil war in KingStephen's time, but Somerset lords were main players in the murder ofThomas Becket.
A good picture of the county in 1086 is given byDomesday Book, though there is some difficulty in identifying the various places since thehundreds are not specified.[56][57] The total population given for the county, which had different boundaries to those today, was 13,399, however this only included the heads of households, so with their families this may have been around 67,000.[25] Farming seems to have prospered for the next three centuries but was severely hit by theBlack Death which in 1348 arrived inDorset and quickly spread through Somerset, causing widespread mortality, perhaps as much as 50% in places. It re-occurred, resulting in a change in feudal practices since the manpower was no longer so available.
Reclamation of land from marsh in theSomerset Levels increased, largely under monastic influence. Crafts and industries also flourished, the Somerset woollen industry being one of the largest in England at this time.[58] "New towns" were founded in this period in Somerset, i.e. Newport, but were not successful. Coal mining on theMendips was an important source of wealth whilequarrying also took place, an example is near Bath.
The towns grew, again often by monastic instigation, during this period and fairs were started. The church was very powerful at this period, particularlyGlastonbury Abbey. After their church burnt down, the monks there "discovered" the tomb of "King Arthur" and were able rebuild their church. There were over 20 monasteries in Somerset at this period including the priory atHinton Charterhouse which was founded in 1232 by Ela, Countess of Salisbury who also foundedLacock Abbey.[59] Many parish churches were re-built in this period. Between 1107 and 1129William Giffard the Chancellor of KingHenry I, converted the bishop's hall in Taunton intoTaunton Castle.Bridgwater Castle was built in 1202 byWilliam Brewer. It passed to the king in 1233[60] and in 1245 repairs were ordered to itsmotte and towers. During the 11th centurySecond Barons' War againstHenry III, Bridgwater was held by the barons against the King. In theEnglish Civil War the town and the castle were held by theRoyalists under Colonel Sir Francis Wyndham. Eventually, with many buildings destroyed in the town, the castle and its valuable contents were surrendered to theParliamentarians. The castle itself was deliberately destroyed in 1645.
During theMiddle Ages sheep farming for the wool trade came to dominate the economy of Exmoor. The wool was spun into thread on isolated farms and collected by merchants to be woven, fulled, dyed and finished in thriving towns such asDunster. The land started to be enclosed and from the 17th century onwards larger estates developed, leading to establishment of areas of large regular shaped fields. During this period aRoyal Forest and hunting ground was established, administered by the Warden. The Royal Forest was sold off in 1818.[17]
In the medieval period theRiver Parrett was used to transportHamstone from the quarry atHam Hill,[61] Bridgwater was part of thePort of Bristol until the Port of Bridgwater was created in 1348,[48] covering 80 miles (130 km) of the Somerset coast line, from theDevon border to the mouth of theRiver Axe.[62][63] Historically, the main port on the river was at Bridgwater; the river being bridged at this point, with the first bridge being constructed in 1200 AD.[64]Quays were built in 1424; with another quay, theLangport slip, being built in 1488 upstream of the Town Bridge.[64] ACustoms House was sited at Bridgwater, on West Quay; and adry dock, launching slips and a boat yard on East Quay.[65] The river was navigable, with care, to Bridgwater Town Bridge by 400 to 500 tonnes (440 to 550 tons) vessels.[66] By trans-shipping into barges at the Town Bridge the Parrett was navigable as far asLangport and (via theRiver Yeo) toIlchester.
This is the period from around 1500 to 1800. In the 1530s, the monasteries weredissolved and their lands bought from the king by various important families in Somerset. By 1539,Glastonbury Abbey was the only monastery left, its abbotRichard Whiting was then arrested and executed on the orders ofThomas Cromwell. From theTudor to theGeorgian times, farming specialised and techniques improved, leading to increases in population, although no new towns seem to have been founded. Large country houses such as atHinton St George andMontacute House were built at this time.
TheBristol Channel floods of 1607 are believed to have affected large parts of theSomerset Levels with flooding up to 8 feet (2 m) above sea level.[67][68] In 1625, a House of Correction was established inShepton Mallet and, today,HMP Shepton Mallet is England's oldest prison still in use.[69][70]
During theEnglish Civil War, Somerset was largelyParliamentarian, althoughDunster was a Royalist stronghold. The county was the site of important battles between theRoyalists and theParliamentarians, notably theBattle of Lansdowne in 1643 and theBattle of Langport in 1645.[71] The castle changed hands several times during 1642–45 along with the town.[72] During theSiege of Taunton it was defended byRobert Blake, from July 1644 to July 1645. This war resulted in castles being destroyed to prevent their re-use.[73]
In 1685,the Duke of Monmouth led theMonmouth Rebellion in which Somerset people fought againstJames II. The rebels landed atLyme Regis and travelled north hoping to captureBristol andBath, puritan soldiers damaged the west front ofWells Cathedral, tore lead from the roof to make bullets, broke the windows, smashed the organ and the furnishings, and for a time stabled their horses in the nave.[74] They were defeated in theBattle of Sedgemoor atWestonzoyland, the last battle fought on English soil.[75] TheBloody Assizes which followed saw the losers being sentenced to death ortransportation.[76]
TheSociety of Friends established itself inStreet in the mid-17th century, and among the close-knit group of Quaker families were the Clarks:Cyrus started a business in sheepskin rugs, later joined by his brother James, who introduced the production of woollenslippers and, later,boots and shoes.[77]C&J Clark still has its headquarters in Street, but shoes are no longer manufactured there. Instead, in 1993, redundant factory buildings were converted to formClarks Village, the first purpose-built factory outlet in the United Kingdom.[78]
The 18th century was largely one of peace and declining industrial prosperity in Somerset. TheIndustrial Revolution in the Midlands and Northern England spelt the end for most of Somerset's cottage industries. However, farming continued to flourish, with theBath and West of England Agricultural Society being founded in 1777 to improve methods.John Billingsley conducted a survey of the county's agriculture in 1795 but found that methods could still be improved.[79]
Arthur Wellesley took his title,Duke of Wellington from the town ofWellington. He is commemorated on a nearby hill with a large, spotlit obelisk, known as theWellington Monument.
In north Somerset, mining in theSomerset coalfield was an important industry, and in an effort to reduce the cost of transporting the coal theSomerset Coal Canal was built; part of it was later converted into a railway.[80] Other canals included theBridgwater and Taunton Canal,Westport Canal,Grand Western Canal,Glastonbury Canal andChard Canal.[9] TheDorset and Somerset Canal was proposed, but very little of it was ever constructed.
The 19th century saw improvements to Somerset's roads with the introduction ofturnpikes and the building of canals and railways. The usefulness of the canals was short-lived, though they have now been restored for recreation. The railways were nationalised after theSecond World War, but continued until 1965, when smaller lines were scrapped; two were transferred back to private ownership as "heritage" lines.
In 1889,Somerset County Council was created, replacing the administrative functions of theQuarter Sessions.
The population of Somerset has continued to grow since 1800, when it was 274,000,[25] particularly in the seaside towns such asWeston-super-Mare. Some population decline occurred earlier in the period in the villages, but this has now been reversed, and by 1951 the population of Somerset was 551,000.[25]
Chard claims to be the birthplace ofpowered flight, as it was here in 1848 that theVictorian aeronautical pioneerJohn Stringfellow first demonstrated that engine-powered flight was possible through his work on theAerial Steam Carriage.[81][82]North Petherton was the first town in England (and one of the few ever) to be lit byacetylene gas lighting, supplied by theNorth Petherton Rosco Acetylene Company. Street lights were provided in 1906. Acetylene was replaced in 1931 bycoal gas produced in Bridgwater, as well as by the provision of an electricity supply.[83]
Around the 1860s, at the height of the iron and steel era, apier and a deep-waterdock were built, atPortishead, by theBristol & Portishead Pier and Railway to accommodate the large ships that had difficulty in reachingBristol Harbour.[84][85] ThePortishead power stations were coal-fedpower stations built next to the dock. Construction work started on Portishead "A" power station in 1926. It began generating electricity in 1929 for theBristol Corporation's Electricity Department.[86][87] In 1951,Albright and Wilson built a chemical works on the opposite side of the dock from the power stations. The chemical works produced whitephosphorus fromphosphate rock imported, through the docks, into the UK.[88] The onset of new generating capacity atPembroke (oil-fired) andDidcot (coal-fired) in the mid-1970s brought about the closure of the older, less efficient "A" Station. The newer of the two power stations ("B" Station) was converted to burn oil when the Somerset coalfields closed.[87] Industrial activities ceased in the dock with the closure of the power stations. The Port of Bristol Authority finally closed the dock in 1992,[89] and it has now been developed into a marina and residential area.
During theFirst World War hundreds of Somerset soldiers were killed, and war memorials were put up in most of the towns and villages; only a few villages escaped casualties. There were also casualties – though much fewer – during the Second World War, who were added to the memorials. The county was a base for troops preparing for the 1944D-Day landings, and some Somerset hospitals still date partly from that time. TheRoyal Ordnance FactoryROF Bridgwater was constructed early inWorld War II for theMinistry of Supply. It was designed as anExplosive ROF, to produceRDX, which was then a new experimentalhigh-explosive.[90] It obtained water supplies from two sources via theSomerset Levels: the artificialHuntspill River which was dug during the construction of the factory and also from theKing's Sedgemoor Drain, which was widened at the same time.[91] TheTaunton Stop Line was set up to resist a potential German invasion, and the remains of itspill boxes can still be seen, as well as others along the coast.[92] A decoy town was constructed onBlack Down, intended to represent the blazing lights of a town which had neglected to follow the black-out regulations.[1] Sites in the county housed Prisoner of War camps including:Norton Fitzwarren,Barwick,Brockley,Goathurst andWells. Various airfields were built or converted from civilian use including:RNAS Charlton Horethorne (HMS Heron II),RAF Weston-super-Mare,RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron),Yeovil/Westland Airport,RAF Weston Zoyland,RAF Merryfield,RAF Culmhead andRAF Charmy Down.[93]
Exmoor was one of the first British National Parks, designated in 1954, under the 1949National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act.[94] and is named after its main river. It was expanded in 1991 and in 1993 Exmoor was designated as anEnvironmentally Sensitive Area. TheQuantock Hills were designated as anArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1956, the first such designation in England under theNational Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. TheMendip Hills followed with AONB designation in 1972.[95]
Hinkley Point A nuclear power station was aMagnoxpower station constructed between 1957 and 1962 and operating until ceasing generation in 2000.[96]Hinkley Point B is anAdvanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) which was designed to generate 1250 MW of electricity (MWe). Construction of Hinkley Point B started in 1967. In September 2008 it was announced, byÉlectricité de France (EDF), that a third, twin-unitEuropean Pressurised Reactor (EPR) power station known asHinkley Point C is planned,[97] to replace Hinkley Point B which was due for closure in 2016,[98] but has now has its life extended until 2022.
Somerset today has only two small cities,Bath andWells, and only small towns in comparison with other areas of England. Tourism is a major source of employment along the coast, and in Bath and Cheddar for example. Other attractions includeExmoor,West Somerset Railway,Haynes Motor Museum and theFleet Air Arm Museum as well as the churches and the variousNational Trust andEnglish Heritage properties in Somerset.
Agriculture continues to be a major business, if no longer a major employer because of mechanisation. Light industries take place in towns such asBridgwater andYeovil. The towns ofTaunton andShepton Mallet manufacturecider, although the number of apple orchards has reduced.[citation needed]
In the late 19th century the boundaries of Somerset were slightly altered, but the main change came in 1974 when the county ofAvon was set up. The northern part of Somerset was removed from the administrative control ofSomerset County Council. On abolition of the county of Avon in 1996, these areas became separate administrative authorities, "North Somerset" and "Bath and North East Somerset".[99] TheDepartment for Communities and Local Government was considering a proposal by Somerset County Council to change Somerset's administrative structure by abolishing the five districts to create a Somerset unitary authority. The changes were planned to be implemented no later than 1 April 2009.[100] However, support for the county council's bid was not guaranteed and opposition among the district council and local population was strong; 82% of people responding to a referendum organised by the five district councils rejected the proposals.[101] It was confirmed in July 2007 that the government had rejected the proposals for unitary authorities in Somerset, and that the present two-tier arrangements of Somerset County Council and the district councils will remain.[101]
In 2025, Freddy Kalder became the Lord of Culversclyff and Watchet or Culvercliffe Watchet, St Decumans including Watchet and Williton Parish, Somerset, by rightful ownership of the lawful rights to the lordship. These rights are enshrined in the laws of England as incorporeal hereditaments and have been re-established through due legal process by a learned authority within the realm in compliance with theHonours (Prevention of Abuses) Act of 1925.[102]
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