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Minehead Railway
The West Somerset Railway (WSR) is a heritage railway line in Somerset, England. The freehold of the line and stations is owned by Somerset Council. The railway is leased to and operated by West Somerset Railway plc (WSR plc), which is supported and minority-owned by the West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA) charitable trust and the West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust (WSRHT). WSR operates services using both heritage steam and diesel trains. It originally opened in 1862 between and . In 1874 it was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway. Although just a single line, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the significant number of tourists that wished to travel to the Somerset coast. The line was closed by British Rail in 1971 and reopened in 1976 as a heritage line. It is the longest standard gauge independent heritage railway in the United Kingdom. Services normally operate over just the between Minehead and . ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Somerset
Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. The largest settlement is the city of Bath, Somerset, Bath, and the county town is Taunton. Somerset is a predominantly rural county, especially to the south and west, with an area of and a population of 965,424. After Bath (101,557), the largest settlements are Weston-super-Mare (82,418), Taunton (60,479), and Yeovil (49,698). Wells, Somerset, Wells (12,000) is a city, the second-smallest by population in England. For Local government in England, local government purposes the county comprises three Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas: Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset, and Somerset Council, Somerset. Bath and North East Somerset Council is a member of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bridport
Bridport is a market town and civil parish in Dorset, England, inland from the English Channel near the confluence of the River Brit and its tributary the River Asker, Asker. Its origins are Anglo-Saxons, Saxon and it has a long history as a rope-making centre. On the coast and within the town's boundary is West Bay, Dorset, West Bay, a small fishing harbour also known as Bridport Harbour. The town features as Port Bredy in Thomas Hardy's Thomas Hardy's Wessex, Wessex novels. In the 21st century, Bridport's arts scene has expanded with an arts centre, theatre, cinema and museum. In the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census the population of Bridport's built-up area was 13,568. The town is twinned with Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, France. History Bridport's origins are Anglo-Saxons, Saxon. During the reign of Alfred the Great, King Alfred it became one of the four most important settlements in Dorset – the other three being Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester, Shaftesbury an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ilfracombe
Ilfracombe ( ) is a seaside resort and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the North Devon coast, England, with a small harbour surrounded by cliffs. The parish stretches along the coast from the 'Coastguard Cottages' in Hele Bay toward the east and along the Torrs to Lee Bay toward the west. The resort is hilly and the highest point within the parish boundary is 'Hore Down Gate', inland and 860 feet (270 m) above sea level. The landmark of Hillsborough, Devon, Hillsborough Hill dominates the harbour and the site of an Iron Age fortified settlement. In the built environment, the architectural-award-winning Landmark Theatre, Devon, Landmark Theatre has a distinctive double-conical design. The 13th-century parish church, Holy Trinity Church, Ilfracombe, Holy Trinity, and the St Nicholas's Chapel (a lighthouse) on Lantern Hill, have been joined by Damien Hirst's statue of ''Verity (statue), Verity'' as points of interest. History Ilfracombe has been settled since the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dunster
Dunster is a village that is home to Celtu and civil parish in Somerset, England, within the north-eastern boundary of Exmoor National Park. It lies on the Bristol Channel southeast of Minehead and northwest of Taunton. At the 2011 Census, it had a population of 817. There are Iron Age hillforts in the area. Saxon Dunster was a parish in the Hundred of Carhampton. In the Domesday book there are four manors within the parish: Aucome (Alcombe), Avena (Avill), Stantune (Stanton) and Torre. Torre is now the site of the village of Dunster. Torre, including the castle and two watermills, was valued at 15 shillings and Aucome 20 shillings. The village grew up around Dunster Castle which was built at Torre by the Norman warrior William I de Moyon (d. post 1090) shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The castle is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. From that time it was the '' caput'' of the Feudal barony of Dunster. The castle was remodelled on several occasions by the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tiverton, Devon
Tiverton ( ) is a town and civil parish in Devon, England, and the commercial and administrative centre of the Mid Devon district. The population in 2019 was 20,587. History Early history The town's name is conjectured to derive from "Twy-ford-ton" or "Twyverton", meaning "the town on two fords", and was historically referred to as "Twyford". The town stands at the confluence of the rivers River Exe, Exe and Lowman. Human occupation in the area dates back to the Stone Age, with many flint tools found in the area. An Iron Age hill fort, Cranmore Castle, stands at the top of Exeter Hill above the town, and a Roman Empire, Roman fort or marching camp was discovered on the hillside below Knightshayes Court near Bolham, Devon, Bolham, just to the north of the town. Tiverton formed part of the inheritance of Aethelweard (son of Alfred), Aethelweard, youngest son of King Alfred. Gytha of Wessex, Countess Gytha of Wessex controlled the town in 1066 and the Domesday Book indicates that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Exeter
Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal command of Vespasian. Exeter became a religious centre in the Middle Ages. Exeter Cathedral, founded in the mid 11th century, became Anglicanism, Anglican in the 16th-century English Reformation. Exeter became an affluent centre for the wool trade, although by the First World War the city was in decline. After the Second World War, much of the city centre was rebuilt and is now a centre for education, business and tourism in Devon and Cornwall. It is home to two of the constituent campuses of the University of Exeter: Streatham Campus, Streatham and St Luke's Campus, St Luke's. The administrative area of Exeter has the status of a non-metropolitan district under the administ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a historic market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. The town had a population of 41,276 at the 2021 census. Bridgwater is at the edge of the Somerset Levels, in level and well-wooded country. The town lies along both sides of the River Parrett; it has been a major inland port and trading centre since the industrial revolution. Most of its industrial bases still stand today. Its larger neighbour, Taunton, is linked to Bridgwater via a canal, the M5 motorway and the Great Western Railway, GWR railway line. Historically, the town had a politically radical tendency. The Battle of Sedgemoor, where the Monmouth Rebellion was finally crushed in 1685, was fought nearby. Notable buildings include the St Mary's Church, Bridgwater, Church of St Mary and Blake Museum, which is a largely restored house in Blake Street and was the birthplace of Robert Blake (admiral), Admiral Blake in 1598. The town has an arts centre and plays host to the annual West Country Carnival, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crowcombe
Crowcombe is a village and civil parish under the Quantock Hills in Somerset, England, southeast of Watchet, and from Taunton. The village has a population of 489. The parish covers the hamlets of Crowcombe Heathfield, Flaxpool, Halsway, Lawford and Triscombe. The village is on the route of the Samaritans Way South West. History The name Triscombe is believed to derive from the Old English words and . The first documentary evidence of the village is by Æthelwulf of Wessex in 854, where it was spelt 'Cerawicombe'. At that time the manor belonged to Glastonbury Abbey. Later Gytha Thorkelsdóttir, wife of Earl Godwin, gave it to the monks of Winchester to make amends for her husband's "treacherous abuses of divers monastic institutions". The Domesday Book of 1086 lists the village as 'Crawcombe', which is believed to come from the Old English words ''craw'' and ''cumb''. The parish of Crowcombe was part of the Williton and Freemanners Hundred. The medieval cross of re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quantock Hills
The Quantock Hills west of Bridgwater in Somerset, England, consist of heathland, oak woodlands, ancient parklands and agricultural land. They were England's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, designated in 1956. Natural England have designated the Quantock Hills as a national character area. They are entirely surrounded by another: the Vale of Taunton and Quantock Fringes. The hills run from the Taunton Deane, Vale of Taunton Deane in the south, for about to the north-west, ending at Kilve and West Quantoxhead on the coast of the Bristol Channel. They form the western border of Sedgemoor and the Somerset Levels. From the top of the hills on a clear day, it is possible to see Glastonbury Tor and the Mendip Hills, Mendips to the east, Wales as far as the Gower Peninsula to the north, the Brendon Hills and Exmoor to the west, and the Blackdown Hills National Landscape, Blackdown Hills to the south. The highest point on the Quantocks is Wills Neck, at . Soil types and weathe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stolford
Stogursey is a small village and civil parish in the Quantock Hills in Somerset, England. It is situated from Nether Stowey, and west of Bridgwater. The village is situated near the Bristol Channel, which bounds the parish on the north. The parish includes the village of Stolford, which is believed to mean 'The stile ford' from the Old English ''stigol'' and ''ford'', and the hamlets of Burton, Knighton, Shurton, Stoford, Week, and Fairfield. History On the beach near Stogursey are the remains of a submerged forest dated to 2500 B.C. A Romano-British coin hoard was discovered in 1999. It contained 1,097 base silver radiates, the remains of a pottery vessel and 50 copper alloy coins. It takes its name from the manor of Stoke. Medieval ''Stoche'' was in the possession of William de Falaise by 1086, who had recently married Geva, daughter of Serlo de Burci, and widow of Martin "de Wallis". Early in the 12th century, William and Geva's daughter, Emma, was betrothed to Wil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Exmoor
Exmoor () is loosely defined as an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England. It is named after the River Exe, the source of which is situated in the centre of the area, two miles north-west of Simonsbath. Exmoor is more precisely defined as the area of the former ancient royal hunting forest, also called Exmoor, which was officially surveyed 1815–1818 as in extent. The moor has given its name to a National parks of England and Wales, National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and of the Bristol Channel coast. The total area of the Exmoor National Park is , of which 71% is in Somerset and 29% in Devon. The upland area is underlain by Sedimentary rock, sedimentary rocks dating from the Devonian and early Carboniferous periods with Triassic and Jurassic age rocks on lower slopes. Where these reach the coast, cliffs are formed which are cut with ravines and waterfalls. It was recognised a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Porlock
Porlock is a coastal village in Somerset, England, west of Minehead. At the 2011 census, the village had a population of 1,440. In 2017, Porlock had the highest percentage of elderly population in England, with over 40% being of pensionable age as of 2010. History East of the village is Bury Castle, an Iron Age hill fort. There is evidence for 10th or 11th century origin for the name Porlock as Portloc or Portloca meaning enclosure by the harbour, from the Old English ''port'' and ''loca'', and in the Domesday Book the village was known as "Portloc". In 914 the Vikings plundered Porlock. Porlock was part of the hundred of Carhampton. The area has links with several Romantic poets, and R. D. Blackmore, the author of '' Lorna Doone'', and is popular with visitors. The visitor centre has exhibits and displays about the local area. Also on display are the bones of an aurochs, discovered on Porlock beach in 1999. Governance The parish council has responsibility for local ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
