| Ilminster | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Ilminster Location withinSomerset | |
| Population | 5,808 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | ST359145 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ILMINSTER |
| Postcode district | TA19 |
| Dialling code | 01460 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
| 50°55′34″N2°54′41″W / 50.9262°N 2.9114°W /50.9262; -2.9114 | |
Ilminster is amarket town andcivil parish inSomerset, England, with a population of 5,808.[1] Bypassed in 1988, the town now lies just east of the junction of theA303 (London toExeter) and theA358 (Taunton toChard andAxminster). The parish includes thehamlet ofSea.
Ilminster is mentioned in documents dating from 725 and in a Charter granted toMuchelney Abbey (10 miles (16 km) to the north) byÆthelred the Unready in 995. Ilminster is also mentioned in theDomesday Book of 1086 as ‘Ileminstre’, meaning 'The church on the River Isle' from the Old English ysle and mynster. By this period Ilminster was a flourishing community and was granted the right to hold a weekly market, which it still does.
Ilminster was part of thehundred ofAbdick and Bulstone.[2][3]
In 1645 during theEnglish Civil War Ilminster was the scene of a skirmish between parliamentary troops underEdward Massie and Royalist forces underLord Goring, who fought for control of the bridges prior to theBattle of Langport.[4]
The town contains the buildings of a sixteenth-centurygrammar school, the Ilminster Meeting House, which acts as the town'sart gallery andconcert hall. There is also aGospel Hall.
Canal Way in the town refers to the long abandoned and never completedChard Canal which connected the town to the River Parrett.
There are two tiers of local government covering Ilminster, atparish (town) andunitary authority level: Ilminster Town Council andSomerset Council. The town council is based at the Old Magistrates Court on East Street in the town centre.[5]
Ilminster was anancient parish. When elected parish and district councils were created in 1894 it was given a parish council and included in theChard Rural District. In 1899, Ilminster was elevated to become anurban district, removing it from the rural district.[6] The urban district council built itself a headquarters at 4 North Street in 1935. The urban district was abolished in 1974, becoming part of the new district ofSouth Somerset. Asuccessor parish was created covering the former urban district, with its parish council taking the name Ilminster Town Council.[7] The town council continued to be based at 4 North Street until 2022 when it moved to the formermagistrates' court on East Street.[8]
South Somerset was in turn abolished in 2023, with its functions passing to Somerset County Council, which re-branded itself as Somerset Council on becoming a unitary authority.[9]
For parliamentary elections, Ilminster is part of theYeovil constituency.
Ilminster is close to theRiver Isle and theA303 road.
Along with the rest ofSouth West England, Ilminster has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country.[10] The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50.0 °F).Seasonal temperature variation is less extreme than most of the United Kingdom because of the adjacent sea temperatures.
The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately 21 °C (69.8 °F). In winter mean minimum temperatures of 1 °C (33.8 °F) or 2 °C (35.6 °F) are common.[10] In the summer theAzores high pressure affects the south-west of England, howeverconvective cloud sometimes forms inland, reducing the number of hours of sunshine.
Annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600 hours.[10] In December 1998 there were 20 days without sun recorded at Yeovilton. Most of the rainfall in the south-west is caused byAtlantic depressions or byconvection. Most of the rainfall in autumn and winter is caused by the Atlantic depressions, which is when they are most active. In summer, a large proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. Average rainfall is around 700 mm (28 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west.[10]
Ilminster takes its name from theRiver Isle and its largechurch of St Mary, which is known asThe Minster. TheHamstone building dates from the 15th century, but was refurbished in 1825 by William Burgess and the chancel restored in 1883. Further restoration took place in 1887-89 and 1902. Among the principal features are the Wadham tombs; those of Sir William Wadham and his mother, dated 1452 andNicholas andDorothy Wadham 1609 and 1618.
The tower rises two storeys above the nave. It has three bays, with a stair turret to the north-west corner. The bays are articulated by slender buttresses withcrocketed finials above the castellated parapet. Each bay on both stages contains a tall two-light mullioned-and-transomed window with tracery. The lights to the top are filled with pierced stonework; those to the base are solid. The stair turret hasstring courses coinciding with those on the tower, and a spirelet with aweathervane. It contains a bell dating from 1732 made by Thomas Bilbie and another from 1790 made by William Bilbie of theBilbie family.[11] The church has been designated byEnglish Heritage as a Grade Ilisted building.[12]
The town has a selection of shops including antique shops, home design, estate agents, hairdressers and several cafes and restaurants, many reminiscent of the style of earlier Edwardian and Victorian years, such as traditionalEdwardian-style clothing and soft furnishings store, the Ilminster Emporium, Frame of Mind, an antiques and gifts shop and in the 15C Market Square, the Temperly store in the Phoenix Studios. ATesco superstore is also located in the town centre.
In November the town celebrates the lighting of theChristmas lights with a Victorian evening. In earlier days celebrations were normally accompanied by the staff of local shops dressing in Victorian costume and serving rum and cakes and other refreshments ..participation by shops offering hospitality in these days is now much reduced although there is still a convivial atmosphere while visitors are enjoying their shopping.
Ilminster MidSummer Experience
Every year the three-day town festival, the Ilminster MidSummer Experience (IMEx), takes place on the second weekend in June. It is a community festival open free to all, organised by Experience Ilminster CIC, and includes many events and activities by local groups including the Ilminster Classic Vehicle Show, the Family Dog Show and the Ilminster Town Council Scarecrow Competition. A Food & Craft Street Market takes place on the Saturday in the town's main street together with a Suitcase Market in the Market House.
The Flag Festival forms a major part of the Ilminster Midsummer Experience. The town’s medieval road layout, which hugs closely to the 15th century Minster church, dramatically emphasises the effect of the more than 110 flags, flying from each of the town centre business premises, bringing vibrancy and colour to the town.
The Flag Festival grew out of an idea from one of the town’s artists from which a flag-maker was commissioned to work with children from Herne View Primary School (formerly Greenfylde School) to design the original 20 flags.
The 'Ilminster Literary Festival', launched in 2016, has become and established annual celebration which is usually held in early Summer.[13]
Victorian Evening at the Christmas FestivaL..the festive Victorian Evening and switch-on of the Christmas Lights in November is part of the Ilminster Christmas Festival, organised by the Ilminster Chamber of Commerce..The Evening includes the switching on of the Christmas Lights in Ilminster’s town centre, with shops and stalls staying open throughout the evening to offer goodwill and good cheer to all, with the staff of many shops dressed up as Victorians and offering mulled wine and eats.
TheIlminster Town Crier competition andBritain's Disabled Strongman events also take place every year, supported by Experience Ilminster CIC, with the Town Crier Event also hosting the Wessex Championship Cup covering six counties of the west of England.
TheWarehouse Theatre puts on several stage performances every year and throughout the year and theIlminster Arts Centre provides music, art exhibitions and arts and crafts events together with a crafts shop.
Dillington House, at the entrance to Ilminster from the east, is an arts venue with accommodation managed by Somerset County Council. It dates to the sixteenth century, was the home ofPrime Minister Lord North and is rated Grade 2* by English Heritage.
Television signals are received from either theMendip orStockland Hill TV transmitters.[14][15]
Local radio stations areBBC Radio Somerset on 95.5 FM,Heart West on 97.1 FM, Greatest Hits Radio South West (formerlyThe Breeze) on 106.6 FM and Radio Ninesprings, a community based station which broadcast to the town on 104.6 FM.[16]
The town is served by the local newspapers, Chard and Ilminster News, Somerset County Gazette,Somerset Guardian and Standard and Somerset Live.
Ilminster railway station on theChard Branch Line closed in 1962. There were also some sidings, to allow trains going in opposite directions to pass each other.[17] The nearest running railway station is located atCrewkerne.[18]
There are multiple bus services that run through the town, includingBuses of Somerset[19] and an express service toLondon operated byBerrys Coaches.[20]
Ilminster lies just east of the junction of theA303 (London toExeter) and theA358 (Taunton toChard andAxminster). The B3168 runs through the middle of the town. There have been concerns of the safety of roads in Ilminster,[21] however schemes were announced bySomerset County Council in 2014[22] to make local roads safer for pedestrians and drivers.
Ilminster is linked to Chard via the Chard to Ilminster Cycle Path. The path is part of the Wessex Way Cycle Route[23]
Ilminster istwinned withRiec-sur-Belon in France.[24]
See alsoCategory:People from Ilminster
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