Winscombe
Encyclopedia
Winscombe is a village
in North Somerset
, England, close to the settlements of Axbridge
and Cheddar
, on the western edge of the Mendip Hills
, 7 miles (11.3 km) south-east of Weston-super-Mare
and 14 miles (22.5 km) south-west of Bristol
. The Parish of Winscombe and Sandford
, centred around the Parish Church of Saint James the Great
, includes the villages/hamlets of Barton, Hale, Oakridge, Sidcot and Woodborough.
Winscombe has a few shops and businesses focused in the centre of the village, along Woodborough Road and Sandford Road. There is a doctor's surgery in the village, and two dentists.
West of the village is the Max Bog
biological Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The parish was part of the Winterstoke Hundred.
. When this was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972
it became part of the Woodspring district
in the new county of Avon
. In 1996 this became the North Somerset
unitary authority
, which remains part of the ceremonial county of Somerset.
The MP
for the Weston-super-Mare parliamentary constituency
is John Penrose of the Conservative Party
, who won the seat in the 2005 General Election
and retained it in 2010.
Winscombe falls within the South West England
constituency of the European Parliament
, which currently elects seven MEPs using the d'Hondt method
of party-list proportional representation
.
Winscombe grew in the 19th century with the arrival of a branch of the Great Western Railway
, opened in 1869. This was the Cheddar Valley line
, also known as The Strawberry Line, which ran from Yatton
to Wells
via Cheddar
. The railway was closed in 1963, and today the route is a public footpath and cycle track; the site of the former Winscombe station
is now the Millennium Green. It is possible to walk, or cycle, from the station to the coast at Clevedon
via Sandford
, Congresbury
and Yatton
, and in the opposite direction through the railway tunnel at Shute Shelve Hill to Axbridge
and Cheddar
.
The station was originally named Woodborough, that being the part of the parish of Winscombe where it was; Winscombe was originally the settlement up by the church. The station was soon renamed Winscombe to avoid confusion with another station in Wiltshire named Woodborough. The station was closed in 1963 as part of the Beeching cuts
to rail services. Part of the original track can still be seen from a platform by the Millennium Green.
The village is on the A371
and A38
.
is a nearby fee-paying independent school
run by the Society of Friends
.
, and so there is only one pub in the centre of the village, called The Woodborough Inn.
There is also the local Head Quarters of the Royal British Legion located near to the centre of the Village in Sandford Road, opposite the village bowls
club.
, Tennis
, Hockey
, Bowls
, football and a rugby union
team, Winscombe RFC
.
The rugby club hosts three annual tournaments for mini and junior players: a mini rugby
tournament for local schools; a regional championship for Under 8s; and the Mendip Sevens rugby sevens
tournament for ages Under 13 - Under 16.
The Church of St James
has origins from the 12th century. The church is in the middle of the original hamlet of Winscombe. The church has 13th century origins but the present building dates from the 15th century, with restoration
and a new Chancel in 1863. It is designated as a Grade I listed building. The bells of St James have long called people to worship, the original bells being cast in 1773 by local founders, the Bilbie family
. Two newer bells were added in 1903 by Taylors Founders. The eight bells are in the key of E flat and the tenor weighs 18-1-8 – 18 hundredweight
, 1 quarter of a hundredweight and 8 lb (930 kg). St James holds regular services on Sundays, with bell ringing being provided for both the morning service and evensong
.
The former station site now hosts an annual May Fair, on the Saturday closest to May Day, and has a variety of activities, entertainments and stalls selling various products and promoting many local charities and organisations.
In September, the village hosts the annual Michaelmas
fair in the community centre, a chance for villagers to show their handiwork, handicraft and produce.
The British Headquarters of Moose International
forming The Loyal Order of Moose in Great Britain
are to be found at Mooseheart in the village.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in North Somerset
North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare....
, England, close to the settlements of Axbridge
Axbridge
Axbridge is a town in Somerset, England, situated in the Sedgemoor district on the River Axe, near the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. The town population according to the 2001 census was 2,024.-History:...
and Cheddar
Cheddar
Cheddar is a large village and civil parish in the Sedgemoor district of the English county of Somerset. It is situated on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills, north-west of Wells. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Nyland and Bradley Cross...
, on the western edge of the Mendip Hills
Mendip Hills
The Mendip Hills is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset, England. Running east to west between Weston-super-Mare and Frome, the hills overlook the Somerset Levels to the south and the Avon Valley to the north...
, 7 miles (11.3 km) south-east of Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
and 14 miles (22.5 km) south-west of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. The Parish of Winscombe and Sandford
Winscombe and Sandford
Winscombe and Sandford is a civil parish in Somerset, England. It includes the villages of Winscombe and Sandford. The parish has a population of 4,332.-Governance:...
, centred around the Parish Church of Saint James the Great
Saint James the Great
James, son of Zebedee was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was a son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of John the Apostle...
, includes the villages/hamlets of Barton, Hale, Oakridge, Sidcot and Woodborough.
Winscombe has a few shops and businesses focused in the centre of the village, along Woodborough Road and Sandford Road. There is a doctor's surgery in the village, and two dentists.
West of the village is the Max Bog
Max Bog
Max Bog is a 10.6 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of the village of Winscombe, North Somerset, notified in 1988.The site is owned by North Somerset Council and managed by the Avon Wildlife Trust for the range of wetland plants that it supports.-Ecology:Marsh Helleborine...
biological Site of Special Scientific Interest.
History
It has been suggested that the name means a valley belonging to a Saxon named Wine.The parish was part of the Winterstoke Hundred.
Governance
From 1894 to 1974 Winscombe was part of the Axbridge Rural DistrictAxbridge Rural District
Axbridge was a rural district in Somerset, England, from 1894 to 1974. It was named after the town of Axbridge.It was created in 1894 under the Local Government Act 1894 as a successor to the Axbridge rural sanitary district....
. When this was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
it became part of the Woodspring district
North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare....
in the new county of Avon
Avon (county)
Avon was, from 1974 to 1996, a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in the west of England.The county was named after the River Avon, which runs through the area. It was formed from parts of the historic counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset, together with the City of Bristol...
. In 1996 this became the North Somerset
North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare....
unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
, which remains part of the ceremonial county of Somerset.
The MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the Weston-super-Mare parliamentary constituency
Weston-super-Mare (UK Parliament constituency)
Weston-super-Mare is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
is John Penrose of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, who won the seat in the 2005 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
and retained it in 2010.
Winscombe falls within the South West England
South West England (European Parliament constituency)
South West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation, reduced from 7 in 2004.-Boundaries:...
constituency of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
, which currently elects seven MEPs using the d'Hondt method
D'Hondt method
The d'Hondt method is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. The method described is named after Belgian mathematician Victor D'Hondt who described it in 1878...
of party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation systems are a family of voting systems emphasizing proportional representation in elections in which multiple candidates are elected...
.
Transport
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
, opened in 1869. This was the Cheddar Valley line
Cheddar Valley line
The Cheddar Valley line was a railway line in Somerset, England, opened in 1869 and closed in 1963. It became known as The Strawberry Line because of the volume of locally-grown strawberries that it carried....
, also known as The Strawberry Line, which ran from Yatton
Yatton
Yatton is a village and civil parish within the unitary authority of North Somerset, which falls within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located south-west of Bristol. Its population in 2001 was 9,176...
to Wells
Wells
Wells is a cathedral city and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. Although the population recorded in the 2001 census is 10,406, it has had city status since 1205...
via Cheddar
Cheddar
Cheddar is a large village and civil parish in the Sedgemoor district of the English county of Somerset. It is situated on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills, north-west of Wells. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Nyland and Bradley Cross...
. The railway was closed in 1963, and today the route is a public footpath and cycle track; the site of the former Winscombe station
Winscombe railway station
Winscombe railway station was a station on the Bristol and Exeter Railway's Cheddar Valley line in Winscombe, Somerset.The station was opened as "Woodborough" with the broad gauge line to Cheddar in August 1869 as a single-platform station...
is now the Millennium Green. It is possible to walk, or cycle, from the station to the coast at Clevedon
Clevedon
Clevedon is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, England...
via Sandford
Sandford, Somerset
Sandford is a village between Churchill and Banwell on the A368 in North Somerset, England.The Parish of Winscombe and Sandford, centred around the Parish Church of Saint James, includes the villages of Barton, Oakridge, Sandford, Sidcot and Woodborough....
, Congresbury
Congresbury
Congresbury is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is situated in the Unitary authority of North Somerset, and in 2001 had a population of 3,400. It lies on the A370, roughly equidistant between Junction 21 of the M5 and Bristol Airport, approximately south of Bristol city centre,...
and Yatton
Yatton
Yatton is a village and civil parish within the unitary authority of North Somerset, which falls within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located south-west of Bristol. Its population in 2001 was 9,176...
, and in the opposite direction through the railway tunnel at Shute Shelve Hill to Axbridge
Axbridge
Axbridge is a town in Somerset, England, situated in the Sedgemoor district on the River Axe, near the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. The town population according to the 2001 census was 2,024.-History:...
and Cheddar
Cheddar
Cheddar is a large village and civil parish in the Sedgemoor district of the English county of Somerset. It is situated on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills, north-west of Wells. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Nyland and Bradley Cross...
.
The station was originally named Woodborough, that being the part of the parish of Winscombe where it was; Winscombe was originally the settlement up by the church. The station was soon renamed Winscombe to avoid confusion with another station in Wiltshire named Woodborough. The station was closed in 1963 as part of the Beeching cuts
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
to rail services. Part of the original track can still be seen from a platform by the Millennium Green.
The village is on the A371
A371 road
The A371 is a primary road in England running from Wincanton in Somerset, to Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset.The A371 starts at the A303, then passes Castle Cary, Ansford, Cannard's Grave , Shepton Mallet, Croscombe, Wells, Easton, Somerset, Westbury-sub-Mendip, Rodney Stoke, Draycott, Cheddar,...
and A38
A38 road
The A38, part of which is also known as the Devon Expressway, is a major A-class trunk road in England.The road runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. It is long, making it one of the longest A-roads in England. It was formerly known as the Leeds — Exeter Trunk Road,...
.
Education
There are two schools in the village, as well as community and sports facilities. State secondary education is provided at nearby Churchill Community School. SidcotSidcot School
Sidcot School is a British co-educational independent school for boarding and day pupils, associated with the Religious Society of Friends. It is one of seven Quaker schools in England....
is a nearby fee-paying independent school
Independent school (UK)
An independent school is a school that is not financed through the taxation system by local or national government and is instead funded by private sources, predominantly in the form of tuition charges, gifts and long-term charitable endowments, and so is not subject to the conditions imposed by...
run by the Society of Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
.
Things to do in Winscombe
Much of the village was built on land originally belonging to the QuakersReligious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
, and so there is only one pub in the centre of the village, called The Woodborough Inn.
There is also the local Head Quarters of the Royal British Legion located near to the centre of the Village in Sandford Road, opposite the village bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
club.
Sports in the village
There is a very well established Recreational Ground located a short distance away from the centre of Winscombe which accommodates a variety of different sports, including CricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, Hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
, Bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
, football and a rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team, Winscombe RFC
Winscombe RFC
Winscombe RFC is an English amateur rugby club that is based in the village of Winscombe. They play in the Tribute Somerset Premier league. For a small Somerset village the club is large, with three senior teams and over 300 children registered to play at mini and junior level.Founded in 1962,...
.
The rugby club hosts three annual tournaments for mini and junior players: a mini rugby
Mini rugby
Mini rugby also known as New Image Rugby is a form of rugby union designed to introduce the sport to children. It uses a smaller ball and pitch than standard rugby, and has nine players a side....
tournament for local schools; a regional championship for Under 8s; and the Mendip Sevens rugby sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
tournament for ages Under 13 - Under 16.
Religious sites
Church of St James, Winscombe
The Church of St James in Winscombe, Somerset, England has 12th or 13th century origins but the present building dates from the 15th century. It is designated as a Grade I listed building....
has origins from the 12th century. The church is in the middle of the original hamlet of Winscombe. The church has 13th century origins but the present building dates from the 15th century, with restoration
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
and a new Chancel in 1863. It is designated as a Grade I listed building. The bells of St James have long called people to worship, the original bells being cast in 1773 by local founders, the Bilbie family
Bilbie family
The Bilbie family were bell founders and clockmakers based initially in Chew Stoke, Somerset and later at Cullompton, Devon in south-west England from the late 17th century to the early 19th century....
. Two newer bells were added in 1903 by Taylors Founders. The eight bells are in the key of E flat and the tenor weighs 18-1-8 – 18 hundredweight
Hundredweight
The hundredweight or centum weight is a unit of mass defined in terms of the pound . The definition used in Britain differs from that used in North America. The two are distinguished by the terms long hundredweight and short hundredweight:* The long hundredweight is defined as 112 lb, which...
, 1 quarter of a hundredweight and 8 lb (930 kg). St James holds regular services on Sundays, with bell ringing being provided for both the morning service and evensong
Evening Prayer (Anglican)
Evening Prayer is a liturgy in use in the Anglican Communion and celebrated in the late afternoon or evening...
.
Culture
In September, the village hosts the annual Michaelmas
Michaelmas
Michaelmas, the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel is a day in the Western Christian calendar which occurs on 29 September...
fair in the community centre, a chance for villagers to show their handiwork, handicraft and produce.
The British Headquarters of Moose International
Moose International
Moose International is a fraternal and service organization founded in 1888, consisting of the Loyal Order of Moose, with nearly 1 million men in roughly 2,400 Lodges, in all 50 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces, plus Great Britain and Bermuda; and the Women of the Moose with more than...
forming The Loyal Order of Moose in Great Britain
The Loyal Order of Moose in Great Britain
The Grand Lodge of the Loyal Order of Moose in Great Britain is a fraternal service organisation, which has been run by the Grand Council since 1926. The current Grand Governor is Malcolm Parrott....
are to be found at Mooseheart in the village.
Parish Plan
Winscombe is currently undergoing a 'Parish Plan', which is a review into the future of the whole parish, including Sandford. This is going to look at the future of both villages. A recent questionnaire was distributed to each household in both Winscombe and Sandford so as residents could voice their opinions and potential concerns on the future of both villages and potential expansion of the villages, including local services and amenities. One of the major plans in Winscombe is for an affordable housing scheme to be developed for the local residents. The results of the questionnaire are expected to be released later this year (2009).Notable people
- William Whicher CooksonWilliam Cookson (cricketer)William Whicher Cookson was an Indian-born English cricketer who played for Somerset. He was born in Mussoorie and died in Winscombe. He was educated at Clifton College and RMA Woolwich....
(1862–1922) IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n-born EnglishEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er died in Winscombe.