Portal:Somerset

The River Parrett flows through the counties of Dorset and Somerset in South West England, from its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset. Flowing northwest through Somerset and the Somerset Levels to its mouth at Burnham-on-Sea, into the Bridgwater Bay Nature Reserve on the Bristol Channel, the Parrett drains an area of 643 sq mi (1,670 km²)—about 50 per cent of Somerset's land area.

The Parrett's main tributaries include the Rivers Tone, Isle, and Yeo, and the River Cary via the King's Sedgemoor Drain. The 37-mile (60 km) long river is tidal for 27 miles (43 km) up to Oath. Because the fall of the river between Langport and Bridgwater is only 1 foot per mile (0.2 m/km), it is prone to frequent flooding in winter and during high tides. Many approaches have been tried since the early 19th century to reduce the incidence and effect of floods and to drain the surrounding fields.

During the Roman era the river was crossed by a ford, and in Anglo-Saxon times formed a boundary between Wessex and Dumnonia. From the medieval period the river served the Port of Bridgwater, enabling cargoes to be transported inland. The arrival of the railways led to a decline and commercial shipping now only docks at Dunball. Man's influence on the river has left a legacy of bridges and industrial artefacts. The Parrett along with its connected waterways and network of drains supports an ecosystem that includes several rare species of flora and fauna. The River Parrett Trail has been established along the banks of the river. (Full article...)

Mark Robert "Bill" Bailey MBE (born 13 January 1965) is an English musician, comedian, actor and television presenter. He is known for his role as Manny in the sitcom Black Books (2000–2004), and for his regular appearances on the panel shows Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got News for You, and QI, as well as for his stand-up comedy work. He plays a variety of musical instruments and incorporates music into his performances.

Bailey was listed by The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy in 2003. In 2007, and again in 2010, he was voted the seventh greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups. He made an appearance in the film Hot Fuzz. In 2020, he won the 18th series of the televised BBC dancing competition Strictly Come Dancing with his professional partner Oti Mabuse. Then aged 55, he is the oldest winner in the show's history as of 2024. He is a cancer fundraiser and has walked 100 miles for cancer fundraising in honour of his mother, who died in 2005, as well as raising awareness for prostate cancer through television, print, and digital ads. Bailey was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Bath on 11 July 2018. In 2024, he became a patron of the Musical Comedy Awards. He has written works including Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to British Birds, Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to Happiness, and My Animals, and Other Animals, a memoir of sorts. He has established his own webpage and offers a shop, including a list of his musical accomplishments since 1995. (Full article...)

1. Somerset (Unitary)
2. North Somerset (Unitary)
3. Bath and North East Somerset (Unitary)

Glastonbury
Co-ordinates 51°08′55″N 2°42′50″W / 51.1485°N 2.714°W / 51.1485; -2.714

Glastonbury is a small town situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, 30 miles (48 km) south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census. Glastonbury is less than 1 mile (2 km) across the River Brue from the village of Street. Evidence from timber trackways such as the Sweet Track show that the town has been inhabited since Neolithic times. Glastonbury Lake Village was an Iron Age village, close to the old course of the River Brue and Sharpham Park approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Glastonbury, dates back to the Bronze Age. Centwine was the first Saxon patron of Glastonbury Abbey, which dominated the town for the next 700 years. One of the most important abbeys in England, it was the site of Edmund Ironside's coronation as King of England in 1016. Many of the oldest surviving buildings in the town, including the Tribunal, George Hotel and Pilgrims' Inn and the Somerset Rural Life Museum, which is based in an old tithe barn, are associated with the abbey. The Church of St John the Baptist dates from the 15th century.

The town became a centre for commerce, which led to the construction of the market cross, Glastonbury Canal and the Glastonbury and Street railway station, the largest station on the original Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. The Brue Valley Living Landscape is a conservation project managed by the Somerset Wildlife Trust and nearby is the Ham Wall National Nature Reserve.

Glastonbury has been described as a New Age community which attracts people with New Age beliefs, and is notable for myths and legends often related to Glastonbury Tor, concerning Joseph of Arimathea, the Holy Grail and King Arthur. In some Arthurian literature Glastonbury is identified with the legendary island of Avalon. Joseph is said to have arrived in Glastonbury and stuck his staff into the ground, when it flowered miraculously into the Glastonbury Thorn. The presence of a landscape zodiac around the town has been suggested, along with a collection of ley lines, but no evidence has been discovered. Glastonbury Festival takes its name from the town but is actually held in the nearby village of Pilton. (Full article...)

From Wikipedia's "Did You Know" archives:

• ... that before he died, Dr William Oliver (pictured) gave his coachman £100, 10 sacks of flour and a recipe for a type of biscuit named after its inventor that is still eaten today?
• ... that a wicket was first laid at the North Perrott Cricket Club Ground soon after the Second World War?
• ... that astronomer William Herschel was the first organist at the Octagon Chapel in Bath?
• ... that the Old Church of St Nicholas in Uphill, Somerset, England, which was built around 1080, is still used for services even though the nave has no roof?
• ... that Saltford Manor House is thought to be the oldest continuously occupied private house in England?

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Main project: WikiProject Somerset Parent projects: WikiProject UK geography, WikiProject England

Nearby projects: WikiProject Bristol, WikiProject Devon, WikiProject Dorset, WikiProject Wiltshire