| Shipham | |
|---|---|
 The Square in Shipham with the War Memorial in the foreground | |
  Shipham Location withinSomerset | |
| Population | 1,087 [1] |
| OS grid reference | ST445575 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WINSCOMBE |
| Postcode district | BS25 |
| Dialling code | 01934 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°18′50″N2°47′46″W / 51.314°N 2.796°W /51.314; -2.796 | |
Shipham (grid referenceST445575) is a village andcivil parish inSomerset, England. It is on the western edge of theMendip Hills near theA38, approximately 15 miles (24 km) south ofBristol. The parish includes the village ofRowberrow and thehamlet ofStar. The parish population, according to the 2011 census, is 1,087.[1]
Shipham was listed in theDomesday Book of 1086 asSipeham, meaning 'The sheep home' from theOld Englishscip andham. Thetenant-in-chief is shown as being Roger de Courcelles.[2]
The parish was part of theWinterstokeHundred.[3]
Shiphamparish council, which was established in 1894, 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 also 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. In 2008, Shipham Parish Council won the communications category of the Calor Somerset Village of the Year competition.[4]
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.[5]
It is also part of theWells and Mendip Hillscounty constituency represented in theHouse of Commons of theParliament of the United Kingdom. It elects oneMember of Parliament (MP) by thefirst past the post system of election.
Shipham Hill is one of the highest points in the Mendips at 1,066 feet (325 m). The village has a panorama overWeston-super-Mare and theBristol Channel which is mentioned inThe Secret Places of the Heart byH. G. Wells:But the loveliness of the weather did not fail, and the whole day was set in Severn landscapes. They first saw the great river like a sea with the Welsh mountains hanging in the sky behind as they came over the Mendip crest above Shipham.[6]
Near to the village isGB Cave.
The 36 miles (58 km)Limestone Link Path runs from Shipham toCold Ashton inGloucestershire.[7]
Thesubstrata contain rich mineral deposits and so there werezinc andlead mines in the area. The Singing River Mine was worked in the 18th and 19th centuries forcalamine (zinc carbonate),blende (zinc sulphide) andgalena (lead sulphide).[8]In the 1920s it was used as an undergroundreservoir by the water authorities. A small stream flows through the mine in parts. The entrance is actually in the back garden of a private house but access is allowed forpotholers.[9] The 5-metre high 19th-century calamine processor is a Grade IIlisted building.[10]
The present landscape shows the piecemeal nature of the mining. Although the lead industry began to decline in the late 17th century, it revived in the mid 19th century when tips were re-worked. Its mining history has given rise to street names such as Hind Pits Lane, Hollow Road, and Comrade Avenue. The old mines have also meant that the soil is heavily contaminated by heavy metals such ascadmium. This was investigated in 1979. Concentrations of cadmium, lead and zinc in local crops were higher than would normally be expected.Copper concentrations were normal, and the results formercury showed that mercury translocation from soil to crops was very low. Dietary copper intakes at Shipham were a little lower than national average intakes. Four participants in the duplicate diet study, or 6% of the study population, had cadmium intakes higher than 0.4 mg per week.[11]
There is some evidence of field cultivation by the miners during themedieval period.[12]
The Anglican parish church of St Leonard was built in 1843 byJames Wilson ofBath and is a Grade IIlisted building.Stained glass in the north window of the nave commemoratesHannah More,[13] who as part of her work to 'civilise' the people ofCheddar and the surrounding villages, particularly the lead-miners of Shipham, established Shipham Church of England Voluntary Controlled School. A chesttomb to Amelia Day in the churchyard, 5 metres (16 ft) south of the nave, is also a listed building.[14]
Near Shipham for over 40 years has flourished the ¼-mile tarmac race track ofMendips Raceway, high on the Mendips. The venue is in the bowl of an old abandoned reservoir, and features the British sport ofstock-car racing.The race track is perched on the edge ofBatts Combe quarry with views from the edge, acrossCheddar, the Cheddar Valley towardsGlastonbury Tor and theBristol Channel.
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