| Wedmore | |
|---|---|
 The junction between Church Street and The Borough, in the centre of Wedmore | |
  Wedmore Location withinSomerset | |
| Population | 3,318 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | ST4347 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WEDMORE |
| Postcode district | BS28 |
| Dialling code | 01934 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°13′34″N2°48′36″W / 51.226°N 2.810°W /51.226; -2.810 | |
Wedmore is a large village andcivil parish in the county ofSomerset, England.[1] It is situated on raised ground, in theSomerset Levels between theRiver Axe andRiver Brue, often called theIsle of Wedmore. The parish consists of three main villages: Wedmore, Blackford and Theale, with the 17 hamlets of Bagley, Blakeway, Clewer, Crickham, Cocklake, Heath House, Latcham, Little Ireland, Middle Stoughton, Mudgley, Panborough, Sand, Stoughton Cross, Washbrook, West End, West Ham and West Stoughton. The parish of Wedmore has a population of 3,318 according to the 2011 census.[2]
Its facilities include a medical and dental practice, pharmacy, butcher's, a village store with off licence, threepubs, restaurant, café and several other local shops. It is 4 miles (6 km) south ofCheddar, 7 miles (11 km) west of the city ofWells and 7 miles (11 km) north west ofGlastonbury.
Iron Age remains have been found in the Wedmore area,[3] and there are a number ofRoman sites in the district.
The nameWedmore inOld English is thought to mean "hunting lodge" or "hunting moor"[4] and there was aSaxon royal estate in the area.Centwine gained control of the area in 682 and named it 'Vadomaer' after one of the Saxon leaders, Vado the famous.[5] After winning theBattle of Ethandun, Alfred the Great caused the Viking leaderGuthrum and his followers to be baptised atAller and then celebrated at Wedmore. After this the Vikings withdrew to East Anglia.
TheTreaty of Wedmore is a term used by some historians inferred for the events in theAnglo-Saxon Chronicle, outlining how in 878 theViking leader Guthrum was baptised and acceptedAlfred the Great as his godfather.[6] No such treaty still exists but there is a document that is not specifically linked to Wedmore that is aTreaty of Alfred and Guthrum.[7] Alfred then left Wedmore in his will to his sonEdward the Elder.[8]
Wedmore was part of thehundred ofBempstone.[9]Earthworks from a complex of buildings, including a hall and chapel, surrounded by a moat, have been identified. The site is believed to have been a bishop's palace demolished byJohn Harewel in the 1380s.[10]
In 1853 a hoard of 200 silver coins dating from the Saxon period was found in the churchyard. In 1988 a Saxon ring, made ofcopper alloy with a unique knot design and dating from the 6th or 7th century, was found in the village by Tim Purnell. It has been authenticated by theBritish Museum and a modern copy made by localjeweller Erica Sharpe.[11]
According to the 1086Domesday Book,Wedmore/Wetmore was one of the holdings of theBishop of Wells with 18 cottagers, woodlands, pasture and two fisheries.
In themedieval period, Wedmore was the centre for the surrounding agricultural area, with weekly markets as well as a larger annual one. Themarket cross dates from the 14th century.[12]
In the 17th century Dr John Westover built a mental hospital to which patients came from all over theWest Country.[13] This is believed to have been England's first private lunatic asylum. The doctor is thought to have treated his patients compassionately, ensuring that they had luxuries such as playing cards and tobacco. He kept a record of the ailments of Wedmore people over a period of 15 years.[14]
The original post office in Church Street opposite the church itself, dates fromGeorgian times,[15] while the Old Vicarage was built at the end of the 15th century.[16] The George Hotel was a 16th-centurycoaching inn.[17] John Tonkin built a fashionable house, in theItalianate style, which is now the pharmacy.[8][18]
In 1799Hannah More established a Sunday school for children in Wedmore in the face of opposition from the vicar and local gentry.[19]
Wedmore's market cross was moved roughly 100 yards along The Borough in the 1830s to allow widening of the high street.
Between 1881 and 1898 the Reverend Hervey produced theWedmore Chronicle which gives a picture of the people and area at the time.[20]
In late 2018, Strongvox Homes commissioned the development of 35 new houses to the east ofWedmore First School Academy on Blackford Road, with a completion date of early 2020. The scheme comes in the wake of a previous application to build 60 homes opposite the school and 18 opposite Westholme Farm, also on Blackford Road. The development plans were called "ludicrous" and "unnecessary" by residents concerned about the strain placed on infrastructure in the Wedmore region. Wedmore Parish Council supported the development, saying "The neighbourhood plan will provide an element of affordable housing, which is much-needed in the village."[21]
Theparish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, andneighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council.
Forlocal government purposes, since 1 April 2023, the village comes under theunitary authority ofSomerset Council. Prior to this, it was part of thenon-metropolitan district ofSedgemoor, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under theLocal Government Act 1972, having previously been part ofAxbridge Rural District.
The village is in the Wedmore and Markelectoral ward. Although Wedmore is the most populous area, the ward stretches east toMark. Wedmore is part of theUK Parliament constituency ofWells and Mendip Hills.
Wedmore has been twinned withSaint-Médard-de-Guizières inAquitaine, France, since 1975. A piece ofpublic art was given as a gift to the people of Wedmore in 1995 by the citizens of Saint-Médard-de-Guizières, named the "Grape Press", to mark the twentieth anniversary of the twinning. The press is maintained by theTwinning Association and is part of the display that enabled theWedmore in Bloom initiative achieve a Gold Award in 2009. In exchange, Wedmore gave the French town aBritish red phone box.[4]
Wedmore is situated on raised ground, in theSomerset Levels between theRiver Axe andRiver Brue, often called the Isle of Wedmore, which is composed ofBlue Lias andmarl.[22]
South of Wedmore are theTealham and Tadham Moors, abiological Site of Special Scientific Interest which form part of the extensive grazing marsh and ditch systems of theSomerset Levels and Moors. The water table is high throughout the greater part of the year with winter flooding occurring annually, by over-topping of theRiver Brue. 113aquatic and banksidevascular plant species have been recorded from the field ditches,rhynes and deep arterial watercourses. A diverseinvertebratefauna is associated in particular with ditches that have a good submerged plant community. The water beetle fauna is exceptionally rich, with the nationally rare speciesHydrophilus piceus andHydrochara caraboides together with the raresoldier fliesStratiomys furcata andOdontomyia ornata. Good numbers ofdragonflies anddamselflies occur including theHairy Dragonfly (Brachytron pratense) and theVariable Damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum).[23]
Along with the rest ofSouth West England, Wedmore has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country.[24] 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.[24] In the summer theAzores high pressure affects the south-west of England; however,convective 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.[24] 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.[24]
The population of Wedmore, recorded in the2011 census, is 3,318. Since Wedmore has a higher level of residents born in the UK than the national average and a lower rate of residents either born in otherEU countries or outside the EU, it does not have a significant immigrant population.[25]
The educational system in the Cheddar Valley consists offirst schools for children between the ages of 4 and 9, twomiddle schools (ages 9 to 13) and a secondary school for pupils up to the age of 18 years.
Established in 1876 asWedmore First School, and upgrading to academy status in July 2011, the first school built for Wedmore has 211 pupils, with a capacity of 210, aged from four to nine. On 1 September 2016, it became part of a multi-academy trust known as the Wessex Learning Trust. The trust comprises eight schools within the Cheddar Valley geographic area who together offer educational provision from ages 2–19.
Hugh Sexey is amiddle school and specialistTechnology College in Blackford named after royal auditorHugh Sexey (1556–1619). The school had 620 pupils in June 2012, who join aged 9 in Year 5 and stay until age 13 in Year 8, after which they go toThe Kings of Wessex Academy in Cheddar.[26][27] Hugh Sexey is also a Wessex Learning Trust member.
I.T. for the Terrified was started in Wedmore in 1999,[28] as a community project so that volunteers could share their computer skills with the local community in a user-friendly and informal setting. In 2001 it moved to the rear of The George Hotel, and in 2009 it moved to a converted cow barn in the grounds of The Kings of Wessex Academy in Cheddar.[29]
Historically, and apart from school services, Wedmore has been poorly served. The first regularly timed daily bus service began in the mid-1980—a regular service between Wells to the east and Burnham-on-Sea to the west. There is also a service between Glastonbury to the south-east andShipham via Cheddar to the north.
The Isle of Wedmore Rural Transport Association, known locally as the Wedmore Community Bus, consists of a voluntary committee which runs a community bus service in conjunction with Somerset County Council.Established in the late 1970s,[30] it currently operates a return service from Wedmore toBridgwater,Taunton, Glastonbury andWeston-super-Mare, each town being served on one day per week. Each service is timed to leave Wedmore at about 9:30 am, reaching Wedmore on the return in the early afternoon.Occasional services are also run to Cribbs Causeway shopping centre, near Bristol.
TheChurch of St Mary is predominantly from the 15th century, although some 12th- and 13th-century work survives. The tower, which was built around 1400,[31] with its set-back buttresses, includes triple two-light bell chamber windows; those to the centre are louvred, those to each side blank. The gardens that surround the church are best viewed from the top of this tower.[32] St Mary's Church is a Grade Ilisted building.[33]
Wedmore Methodist Church, on Sand Road, was built in 1817 replacing an earlier chapel which was built in 1795 on the site of the present Village Hall. It is a Grade II listed building built of local Wedmore stone.[34][35] The Sunday School Room was built in 1896 and the church was refurbished in 1901 when a porch was added. In 2008 the vestry was completely refurbished and new furniture installed.[36]
Wedmore Baptist Church had been open since 1857 on Grants Lane, but closed to parishioners in March 2010 due to a limited number of people attending services. A church committee member put this down to an increase in numbers at the nearby Bagley Baptist Church, also in the Wedmore parish, which has livelier services that attract young people.[37]
The village of Theale is served byChrist Church, built in 1826–28, and Blackford is served byHoly Trinity, built in 1821–23. Both churches were designed byRichard Carver.[38][39]
Wedmore has a number of annual festivals including the Arts Festival, a summer street fair, Wedmore by Lamplight street fair at Christmas, and a largeHarvest Home and village parade on the playing field each year. Wedmore Playing Fields also offer sporting facilities for tennis, football, cricket and bowls.
Arts events are held at Wedmore Village Hall, both those produced locally and national tours. Wedmore Opera stages large-scale classic opera in a specially designed and constructed marquee venue and also in Wedmore Village Hall.[40] The group were founded in 1988 "around a kitchen table"[41] and to date have staged more than 60 performances of 18 productions.[42] They recently performedGilbert and Sullivan'sPirates of Penzance, and in 2018 they aim to stageVerdi'sLa Traviata to mark their 30th anniversary, as this was their first production.[43] Wedmore Theatre[44] is the longest standing arts organisation in Wedmore and has put on many productions over the past 40 years.
Local people created and host the originalTurnip Prize, a parody of theTurner Prize. This competition (celebrating the worst of bad modern art) takes place annually at The New Inn.[45]
There is an annual Wedmore Real Ale Festival in September.
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