THE district of Mendip is
situated in north-east Somerset, not far from the bustling, historic
cities of Bristol and Bath. Mendip covers an area of some 285 square
miles (184,700 acres); it encompasses some of Somerset's most attractive
and varied landscapes, from the limestone summits of the Mendip Hills
to the broad expanses of the Somerset Levels', and includes many of the
region's best known tourist attractions, such as Wells
Cathedral, Wookey Hole Caves and Glastonbury
Abbey.
Each of Mendip's five towns (Frome, Glastonbury,
Shepton Mallet, Street and the cathedral city of Wells), has its own
distinctive character and range of facilities, and all are well connected
by a network of good main roads and scenic country lanes, with convenient
links to neighbouring centres such as Bath, Bristol, Bridgwater, Taunton,
Yeovil and the M5 Motorway. Interspersed around the five towns are
many attractive villages full of charm and historic interest.
On the district's eastern boundary with Wiltshire,
Frome is one of the ancient woollen towns of the West Country. The
largest town in the district (but still relatively small, with around
25,000 residents), Frome has many picturesque streets and historic
buildings; a legacy of the wool and cloth industry.
The Trinity area of the town has been completely
renovated and preserved as an example of early industrial housing of
the late 17th century. Today Frome has a variety of modern industries,
plus a leisure centre, swimming pool and thriving theatre.
Just over 20 miles away in western Mendip is Wells,
which because of its famous Cathedral,
possibly the finest example of early Gothic architecture in Britain,
has the distinction of being the smallest city in England. It still
retains many of its medieval features - including Vicars' Close, the
most complete 14th century street in Europe.
The fresh water which flows down each side of Wells High Street in open channels was a gift to the city from an early Bishop
of Bath and Wells, in the days when a
supply of pure, fresh water was a precious commodity. The water rises
from St. Andrew's Wells, a group of springs in the grounds of the moated
Bishop's Palace, where the present-day Bishop of Bath and Wells still
lives.
Nestling in a fold of the Mendip Hills, between
Wells and Frome, is the strategically placed town of Shepton Mallet,
an ideal centre from which to explore the district and nearby attractions
such as Bath and Longleat.
The town has a number of interesting historic buildings,
many dating from the 17th century and earlier, when Shepton Mallet
was an important centre for the woollen industry.
The Romans had a settlement here, and the long straight
Roman road of the Fosse Way (now the A37) passes close by, but Shepton
Mallet's name derives from Saxon times, when it was called "Scaep Ton" (literally
sheep Tun or Sheep Estate). After the Norman Conquest the manor passed
to William Mallet, a wealthy Norman companion of William the Conqueror.
Today Shepton Mallet still retains its identity
as a small market town, but with many modern developments and amenities.
A dominant feature of the southern Mendip landscape from many vantage
points isGlastonbury Tor. It
towers dramatically out of the Somerset Levels', overshadowing the town
of Glastonbury and the ruins of its great Abbey; reputedly the birthplace
of Christianity in England, and associated with the legends of King Arthur.
Glastonbury Abbey grew to become one of the richest religious foundations
of medieval England, and is still a place of pilgrimage.
The town itself has a range of interesting shops
and facilities, including the Rural
Life Museum, and Glastonbury has
in recent years become a centre for "New Age" culture and
alternative healing therapies.
Last but not least of Mendip's five
towns is Street, only a mile or so to the south of Glastonbury. It
has long-standing connections with the sheepskin trade, but is also
known as the home of a world-famous shoe industry founded there in
the last century by a local Quaker family, the Clarks. Visitors should
look out for bargains in footwear, leather and sheepskin in Street's
many excellent shops. The town now boasts a major factory shopping complex - Clarks Village - which attracts shoppers from far and wide.
The leather and sheepskin industries associated
with Glastonbury and Street, and the former cloth trades of Frome and
Shepton Mallet were related to the excellent grazing lands of the area
- for sheep on the Mendip uplands, and for cattle on the Somerset Levels'.
Thes Glastonbury Tor is a striking
landmark from miles around two contrasting landscape areas, coupled
with the numerous beautiful combes and valleys, give the Mendip countryside
its distinctive character.
The Mendip Hills themselves, from which the district's
name is derived, are a seemingly modest limestone range, stretching
from the coast at Weston-super-Mare almost to Frome in the east, and
rising to barely more than 1,000 feet at their highest point. However,
because the hills rise steeply from sea level in the south and west
and from the chalk plains of Wiltshire in the east, they provide spectacular
panoramic views of surprising grandeur. A large area to the north and
west of Wells is now designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
These limestone hills are honeycombed with caverns
which attract both expert cavers and sightseers from the world over.
The most famous of the caves are those at Wookey
Hole, two miles from
Wells. In addition to the caves themselves, Wookey Hole has a fascinating
Paper Mill, and other attractions which combine to make Wookey Hole an ideal place to visit for all the family.
Near to Wookey Hole is Ebbor Gorge, a beautiful
wooded valley owned by the National
Trust, and now a national Nature
Reserve. Close by also is the village of Priddy, the highest in Mendip.
Not far from the village are extensive leadworking remains, evidence
of mineral exploitation from the Roman period until the twentieth century.
Priddy is now famed for its annual sheep Fair in August, which is popular
with the Mendip farming community and holidaymakers alike.
Mendip is also known for its variety of natural
produce, traditionally for cider and cheese produced in many local
farmhouses, but also for specialities such as strawberries (mainly
on southern facing slopes to the west of Wells), and more recently,
for wine produced in several local vineyards.
Visitors are welcomed at most of these vineyards, where samples of the
wines may be tasted and bought. The clement climate and suitable soils
have helped Somerset to become one of England's foremost wine producing
regions in recent years.
Visitors to the Mendip District will soon discover
for themselves that its diversity of attractions, combined with outstanding
natural beauty, makes it an ideal location for people of all ages and
interests. walking, cycling, horse riding, golf and fishing are just
a few of the many possibilities for outdoor activities in Mendip.
Accommodation provision for tourists includes an
extensive assortment of hotels and guesthouses, inns, restaurants,
farmhouses and bed-and-breakfast establishments, plus attractive self-catering
cottages and a good choice of camping and
caravan sites.
To make the most of your visit to Mendip please
write to, telephone or call in at any of the Tourist Information Centre in the district where the friendly staff will be pleased to help you.
The Mendips are steeped in history above and below the ground. Green hills which lend their name to the area were once an industrial centre stretching back to the Romans.
The cathedral city of Wells, England's smallest city, is a gem with its mediaeval core.
Six miles away at Glastonbury, the ruins of the abbey stand proud in their own grounds. The famous Tor with its tower of St Michael looks down on centuries of myth, mystery and legend.
Water also plap a part in the history of Aval on as visitors to Chalice Well will observe. A supply, tinted ruby red, emerges from a source in the gardens, and is claimed to have healing properties.
Two miles further on is Street, the home of shoemaking, where visitors have the opportunity to tour Clarks museum and muse at the fashions of the foot through the years.
Street attracts millions of people a year since Clarks opened its Village - a complex of factory shops taken up by the top High Street names.
So much for the main towns, and of course Frome must not be forgotten. This town specialised in cloth years ago. Today it has a varied industrial base. Much of the town has a mediaeval stamp on it, though a number of its buildings have a later elegance.
Mendip's villages are worth investigating on their own account High on the top of the hills is Priddy where an August sheep fair attended by thousands from town and country is a major attraction. The stack of hurdles in the centre of The Green
is evidence of fairs since they were moved from Wells Cathedral Green at the time of the Black Death.
Although not a favourite with environmentalists, quarrying is a major industry supplying stone to build roads throughout the country - thousands of tonnes leave the Mendips by train for the south east.
The western end of the Mendip area is rightly designated an area of outstanding natural beauty, both above and below the ground. Some areas are also noted as sights of scientific interests where farmers are restricted on ploughing.
Once a vast stretch of forest land where Saxon kings hunted from their palace in Cheddar (marked out in the grounds of the Kings of Wessex School), above ground there is the loose stone walls and straight roads, and underneath the caves and caverns are the secret delight of underworld investigators.
But all are welcome to share the beauty of Cheddar and Ebbor Gorges, and the same welcome extends into Wookey Hole and Cheddar Caves.
Wookey Hole, claimed to be the home of the infamous witch, is also a village where handmade paper is still produced in the mill alongside the caves entrance.
Cheddar has a large collection of shops in its 'golden mile', some offering cheese which takes its name from the village.
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