Street
Church of the Holy Trinity, Street
Street Location withinSomerset
Population	11,805 [1]
OS grid reference	ST483366
Unitary authority	Somerset
Ceremonial county	Somerset
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	STREET
Postcode district	BA16
Dialling code	01458
Police	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Devon and Somerset
Ambulance	South Western
UK Parliament	Glastonbury and Somerton
Website	Parish Council
List of places UK England Somerset 51°07′37″N2°44′24″W / 51.127°N 2.740°W /51.127; -2.740

Street is a large village andcivil parish inSomerset, England, with a population of 12,709 in 2021.^[1] On a dry spot in theSomerset Levels, at the end of thePolden Hills, it is two miles (three kilometres) southwest ofGlastonbury. There is evidence of Roman occupation. Much of the history of the village is dominated byGlastonbury Abbey, and a 12th-century causeway from Glastonbury built to transport localBlue Lias stone to it.

TheSociety of Friends was established there by the mid-17th century. One Quaker family, the Clarks, started a business in sheepskin rugs, woollen slippers and, later, boots and shoes. This becameC&J Clark which still has its headquarters in Street. In 1993, redundant factory buildings were converted to formClarks Village, the first purpose-built factory outlet in the United Kingdom.The Shoe Museum provides information about the history of Clarks and footwear manufacture in general.

The Clark family's former mansion and its estate at the edge of the village are now owned byMillfield School, anindependent co-educational boarding school. Street is also home toCrispin School andStrode College.

To the north of Street is theRiver Brue, which marks the boundary with Glastonbury. South of Street are theWalton and Ivythorn Hills andEast Polden Grasslandsbiological Sites of Special Scientific Interest.Strode Theatre provides a venue for films, exhibitions and live performances. The Anglican ParishChurch of The Holy Trinity dates from the 14th century and has been designated byEnglish Heritage as a Grade Ilisted building.

The settlement's earliest known name is Lantokay, meaning theLlan (asacred enclosure) ofKea, aCeltic saint.^[2] The place-name 'Street' is first attested inAnglo-Saxon charters from 725 and 971, where it appears asStret. It appears asStrete juxta Glastone in a charter from 1330 formerly in theBritish Museum. The word is theOld Englishstraet meaning 'Roman road'.^[3]

The centre of Street is where Lower Leigh hamlet was, and the road called Middle Leigh and the community called Overleigh are to the south of the village. In the 12th century, a causeway fromGlastonbury was built to transport stone from what is now Street for rebuildingGlastonbury Abbey after a major fire in 1184.^[2] The causeway is about 100 yards (90 m) north of aRoman road running north fromIlchester. It will be seen that the name of the village predates the building of the causeway by more than four hundred years, and so the village is named after the Roman road and not the causeway.

The parish of Street was part of theWhitleyHundred.^[4]

Quarries of the localblue lias stone were worked from as early as the 12th century to the end of the 19th century. It is ageological formation in southern England, part of theLias Group. The Blue Lias consists of a sequence oflimestone andshale layers, laid down in latestTriassic and earlyJurassic times, between 195 and 200 million years ago. Its age corresponds to theRhaetian to lowerSinemurian stages of thegeologic timescale, thus fully including theHettangian stage. It is the lowest of the three divisions of theLower Jurassic period and, as such, is also given the nameLower Lias.^[5] It consists of thin blue argillaceous, or clay-like, limestone. The Blue Lias contains manyfossils, especiallyammonites.^[6] Fossils discovered in the lias include manyichthyosaurs, one of which has been adopted as the badge of Street.^[7] There is a display of Street fossils in theNatural History Museum in London.

The churchyard of the Parish Church has yielded one Iron Age coin, however the origin and significance is unclear,^[2] although theDobunni were known to have produced coins in the area.^[8] A number ofRoman pottery fragments, now in theMuseum of Somerset. Remains ofRoman villas exist on the south edge of Street near Marshalls Elm and Ivythorn. Buried remains of a Roman road were excavated in the early 20th century on the flood-plain of the river Brue between Glastonbury and Street.^[2] The parish churchyard is on the first flood-free ground near the river Brue and was probably the first land to be inhabited. The form of the large churchyard suggests alan, a sacred area of a kind that was built in the first half of the 6th century.^[9] Llan or Lan is a common place name element inBrythonic languages such asWelsh,Cornish,Breton,Cumbric, and possiblyPictish. The original meaning ofllan in Welsh is "an enclosed piece of land", but it later evolved to mean the parish surrounding a church.^[10]

One biography ofSt Gildas has the saint spending some time in Glastonbury Abbey, and moving to a site by the river, where he built a chapel to the Holy Trinity and there died. The Parish Church, now Holy Trinity, has at times been known as St Gildas' church.^[9] Glastonbury Abbey controlled Street until theDissolution.

Sharpham Park is a 300-acre (120 ha) historic park, approximately two miles (three kilometres) west of Street, which dates back to theBronze Age. The first known reference is a grant byKing Edwy to the thenAethelwold in 957. In 1191 Sharpham Park was conferred by the soon-to-beKing John to the Abbots of Glastonbury, who remained in possession of the park and house until theDissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. From 1539 to 1707 the park was owned by theDuke of Somerset, SirEdward Seymour, brother ofQueen Jane; theThynne family ofLongleat, and the family of SirHenry Gould. SirEdward Dyer theElizabethan poet and courtier (died 1607) was born here in 1543. The house is now a private residence and Grade II*listed building.^[11] Sharpham was also the birthplace of the novelist and dramatistHenry Fielding (1707–54),^[12] and the clericWilliam Gould.

Ivythorn Manor on Pages Hill was a medieval monastic house. It was rebuilt in 1488 for Abbot John Selwood of Glastonbury Abbey. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries it became a manor house owned by the Marshall and Sydenham families. Sir John Sydenham added a wing 1578 which was later demolished. By 1834 the house was largely ruined until its restoration around 1904, and a west wing was added in 1938. It is a Grade II*listed building.^[13]

Theparish council is responsible for some local issues, and sets an annual precept (local rate) to cover its council's operating costs. 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 also initiates projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, and consults with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council. Having previously been part of Street Urban District, the parish was within thenon-metropolitan district ofMendip, which was formed on 1 April 1974, under theLocal Government Act 1972,^[14] until it was abolished on 31 March 2023.

Somerset Council is the unitary authority responsible for the area. The Street electoral division has the same boundaries as the parish,^[15] and elects two councillors.^[16]

Street is in theGlastonbury and Somertonparliamentary constituency, which elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by thefirst past the post system. The current MP isSarah Dyke, elected in 2024 for the Liberal Democrats.^[17]

Street istwinned withIsny im Allgäu, a town in south-easternBaden-Württemberg (Germany),^[18] andNotre Dame de Gravenchon in Normandy, France.^[19] Both twinnings are announced on the signs that welcome visitors to Street.

TheRiver Brue marks the boundary with Glastonbury, to the north of Street. At the time ofKing Arthur, the Brue formed a lake just south of the hilly ground on which Glastonbury stands. This lake is one of the locations suggested byArthurian legend as the home of theLady of the Lake. Pomparles Bridge stood at the western end of this lake, guarding Glastonbury from the south, and it was here thatSir Bedivere is thought to have thrown the swordExcalibur into the waters after King Arthur fell at theBattle of Camlann.^[20] The old bridge was replaced by a reinforced concrete arch bridge in 1911.^[21]

Before the 13th century, the direct route to the sea at Highbridge was blocked by gravel banks and peat near Westhay.^[22] The course of the river partially encircledGlastonbury from the south, around the western side (throughBeckery), and then north through thePanborough-Bleadney gap in theWedmore-Wookey Hills, to join theRiver Axe just north of Bleadney. This route made it difficult for the officials ofGlastonbury Abbey to transport produce from their outlying estates to the Abbey, and when the valley of the river Axe was in flood it backed up to flood Glastonbury itself. Sometime between 1230 and 1250, a new channel was constructed westwards intoMeare Pool north ofMeare, and further westwards toMark Moor. TheBrue Valley Living Landscape is aconservation project based on theSomerset Levels and Moors and managed by theSomerset Wildlife Trust.^[23]

TheWalton and Ivythorn Hillsbiological Site of Special Scientific Interest south of the village lies at the end of thePolden Hills. This site is owned and managed by theNational Trust. Walton and Ivythorn Hills support a complex mosaic of semi-natural habitats which includes unimproved calcareous grassland, dense and scattered scrub and broadleaved woodland. Structural diversity within the habitats, together with the extensive areas of sheltered wood-edge and scrub-edge margins provide ideal conditions for many species ofinvertebrate.Butterflies,leafhoppers,spiders andsoldier flies are particularly well represented. Thegreat green bush cricket(Tettigonia viridissima) is also of interest.^[24] It is adjacent to theEast Polden Grasslands which has typical examples of species-rich, unimproved,calcareous grassland with scrub and amongst the many plant species found in this habitat is theearly gentian (Gentianella anglica), which isendemic to Britain. Its other main interest lies in its suitability as a habitat for thelarge bluebutterfly (Phengaris arion), which has been successfully reintroduced onto the site. There are two nationally scarcegrasshopper species present;rufous grasshopper (Gomphocerippus rufus) andwoodland grasshopper (Omocestus rufipes). Several nationally scarce species ofmoth,beetle,bee andant also occur.^[25]

Street Heath is anature reserve, managed bySomerset Wildlife Trust, and has outstanding examples of communities which were once common on theSomerset Levels. The vegetation consists of wet and dry heath, species-rich bog andcarr woodland, with transitions between all these habitats. Rare ferns present includemarsh fern (Thelypteris palustris) androyal fern (Osmunda regalis). Oldpeat workings andrhynes have a wetland community which includesbulrush (Typha latifolia),yellow flag iris (pseudacorus),cyperus-like sedge (Carex pseudocyperus) andlesser bur-reed (Sparganium natans). Insects recorded include 33 species ofbutterflies, 200moths and 12grasshoppers andcrickets, with several notable rarities. Birds breeding in the carr woodland include the localwillow tit^[26]

Merriman Park is named afterNathaniel James Merriman (1809-1882). He wasCurate thenVicar of Street,^[27] until he emigrated to South Africa. He rose to becomeArchdeacon ofGrahamstown thenDean ofCape Town before being elevated theEpiscopate.

Along with the rest ofSouth West England, Street has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country.^[28] The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50 °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 (70 °F). In winter mean minimum temperatures of 1 °C (34 °F) or 2 °C (36 °F) are common.^[28] 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.^[28] 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.^[28]

TheSociety of Friends established itself here in the mid-17th century, and among the close-knit group of Quaker families were the Clarks: Cyrus Clark started a business in sheepskin rugs, later joined by his brother James, who introduced the production of woollenslippers and thenboots and shoes.^[29] Under James's son, William, the business flourished, and most of the profits were ploughed back into employee welfare, housing and education.

C&J Clark still has its headquarters in Street, behind a frontage that includes the clock tower and water tower,^[30] 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.^[31] Despite strong concerns being voiced by local retailers at the time, the retail outlets have not led to a demise of the existing shops.The Shoe Museum provides information about the history of Clarks and footwear manufacture in general,^[32] and a selection of shop display showcards from the 1930s, the 1950s and the 1960s,^[33] and television advertisements.^[34]

The Clark family mansion and its estate at the edge of the village are now owned byMillfield School. The company, through the Society of Friends, also had its own smallsanatorium andconvalescent home onIvythorn Hill overlooking the village. In 1931, thechalet-style building was leased to theYouth Hostel Association and became the firstyouth hostel in Somerset. It is still used for this purpose.^[35]

In Roman times Street was close to the route of theFosse Way and is now on the route of the modernA39 road which runs fromBath toCornwall, and theA361.

Glastonbury and Street railway station was the biggest station on the originalSomerset and Dorset Joint Railway main line from Highbridge toEvercreech Junction until closed in 1966 under theBeeching axe. Opened in 1854 as Glastonbury, and renamed in 1886, it had three platforms, two for Evercreech to Highbridge services and one for the branch service to Wells. The station had a large goods yard controlled from asignal box.^[36] The nearest stations are now around 9 miles away, at Castle Cary and Bridgwater. Replica level crossing gates have been placed at the old station entrance.^[37]

A number of bus services serve Street including route 376 toBristol viaWells which is operated byFirst West of England and runs every hour. It is also served byBerrys Coaches daily 'Superfast' service to and from London.^[38]

Primary infant/junior schools include Avalon, Brookside, Hindhayes, and Elmhurst.

Crispin School is a secondary school teaching 11- to 16-year-old students from Street and many local villages. It has 1084^[39] students between the ages of 11 and 16 years enrolled. In 1997 it became the firstBeacon School in Somerset. It is aTechnology College and has a second specialism as aLanguage College. The school shares its campus withStrode College, atertiary institution andfurther education college which provides education for 16+ students after they leave secondary school, these courses are usuallyA-levels orBusiness and Technology Education Councils (BTECs). The college also provides education for older/mature students, and provides some university level courses.^[40] The college is part ofThe University of Plymouth Colleges network.

At the edge of village isMillfield School, anindependent co-educational boarding school which currently caters for 1,260 pupils, of which 910 are boarders.^[41] It was founded in 1935 byBoss Meyer, in the house and grounds originally owned by the Clark family, who owned and ran the major shoe manufacturerClarks.^[42]

Street has aNon-League football clubStreet F.C. who play at The Tannery.

Street has two public swimming pools, one indoor and one outdoor. The indoor pool forms part of the Strode complex. The outdoor pool, Greenbank, is open daily from early May until mid September each year.^[43]

The only single use cinema in Street was closed down and converted into a nightclub in the 1990s.Strode Theatre, linked to theCrispin School andStrode College complex, is now the only place to see films, exhibitions and live performances.^[44] It opened on 5 October 1963 with a performance by theBournemouth Symphony Orchestra.^[45] In 1999 the theatre was expanded with a new foyer, bar and box office along with improved rehearsal space and stage access, at a cost of £750,000 by the Steel, Coleman Davis partnership who received an award for the design.^[46] The expansion was funded by theArts Council England.^[47]

The village is on the route of theSamaritans Way South West.

The Anglican ParishChurch of The Holy Trinity dates from the 14th century but underwentextensive restoration in the 19th century. It has been designated byEnglish Heritage as a Grade Ilisted building.^[48] The chancel pre dates the rest of the building, having been built about 1270. The first recorded Rector was John de Hancle in 1304.^[49] The parish is linked withStreet Mission Church in Vestry Road and the church inWalton.^[50] There is also aBaptist church on Glaston Road.^[51] TheQuaker Friends Meeting House was built in 1850, byJ. Francis Cottrell ofBath.^[52] TheUnited Reformed Church was built on High Street in 1854–55 andStreet Methodist Church built on Leigh Road in 1893.^[53]

• Helen Chamberlain, an English television presenter, was born in Street in 1967.^[54]
• Alice Clark, historian and suffragist, author ofWorking Life of Women, was born and died in Street.
• Edwin Edwards (organist), organist, composer, Director of Music atRugby School, was born in Street in 1830.^[55]
• John Hinde was born in Street before going on to become a photographer whose idealistic and nostalgic style influenced the art of postcard photography and was widely known for his meticulously planned shoots.^[56]
• Clemence Housman, an author, illustrator andsuffragette, lived with her brother Laurence in Street.^[57]
• Laurence Housman, an English playwright, writer and illustrator, lived in Street for 35 years before his death in 1959. He was a younger brother of the poetA.E. Housman.^[57]
• Catherine Impey, the founder, editor, and publisher of an antirace journal Anti-Caste (1888–1895) was born in Street in 1847. Catherine rejected race, caste, and gender violence. She was friends with Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells and other African Americans with whom she continued a global movement against racism, casteism, and gender problems. She died in 1923.^[58]
• Jaye Jacobs, actress^[59]
• John X. Merriman was born in Street in 1841, His parents were Nathaniel James Merriman, curate of the parish of Street and later thirdBishop of Grahamstown, and the former Julia Potter. He emigrated to theCape Colony with his parents in 1849, aged 8. He was the last prime minister of theCape Colony before the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910.^[27][60]
• Henry John "Harry" Patch (1898-2009), the last surviving 'Tommy' from the First World War, moved to Street in the early 1940s, and ran a plumbing company in the village until his retirement at age 65.^[61]

The following people and military units have received theFreedom of the Parish of Street.

This list isincomplete; you can help byadding missing items.(April 2020)

• WO 1 Matthew Tomlinson: 16 October 2010.^[62]

• Street Parish Council

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