Sedgemoor

Sedgemoor is a low-lying area of land in Somerset, England. It lies close to sea level south of the Polden Hills, historically largely marsh (or "moor" in its older sense).[1] The eastern part is known as King's Sedgemoor, and the western part West Sedgemoor. Sedgemoor is part of the area now known as the Somerset Levels and Moors. Historically the area was known as the site of the Battle of Sedgemoor.

Sedgemoor

Sedgemoor District
Shown within Somerset
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionSouth West England
Ceremonial countySomerset
Admin HQBridgwater
Created1 April 1974
Government
  TypeNon-metropolitan district
  LeaderDuncan McGinty
  CouncilConservative
  MPs:Ian Liddell-Grainger C, James Heappey C
Area
  Total217.90 sq mi (564.36 km2)
Population
 (mid-2019 est.)
  Total123,178 (Ranked 187th)
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
  Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
Post Code
Area code(s)01278
Websitewww.sedgemoor.gov.uk

Sedgemoor has given its name to a local government district formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by a merger of the municipal borough of Bridgwater, the Burnham-on-Sea urban district, Bridgwater Rural District and part of Axbridge Rural District. The district covers a larger area than the historical Sedgemoor, extending north of the Polden Hills across the Somerset Levels and Moors to the Mendip Hills.

Toponymy

Sedgemoor does not mean "sedge moor", but is instead "marsh of a man called Sicga" from the Old Norse personal name Sicga and Old English mor "moor".[2] The name was recorded as Secgamere in 1165.

Towns

Parishes

Image Name Status Population[3] Former local authority Coordinates Refs
AshcottCivil parish1,186Bridgwater Rural District51.12°N 2.81°W / 51.12; -2.81 (Ashcott)[4][5]
AxbridgeTown2,057Axbridge Rural District51.29°N 2.82°W / 51.29; -2.82 (Axbridge)[4][6]
BadgworthCivil parish525Axbridge Rural District51.27°N 2.87°W / 51.27; -2.87 (Badgworth)[4][6]
BawdripCivil parish506Bridgwater Rural District51.15°N 2.94°W / 51.15; -2.94 (Bawdrip)[4][5]
BerrowCivil parish1,534Axbridge Rural District51.27°N 3.01°W / 51.27; -3.01 (Berrow, Somerset)[4][6]
BreanCivil parish635Axbridge Rural District51.30°N 3.01°W / 51.30; -3.01 (Brean)[4][6]
Brent KnollCivil parish1,271Axbridge Rural District51.25°N 2.95°W / 51.25; -2.95 (Brent Knoll)[4][6]
BridgwaterTown35,886Bridgwater Municipal Borough51.13°N 2.99°W / 51.13; -2.99 (Bridgwater)[4][5]
Bridgwater WithoutCivil parish428Bridgwater Rural District51.14°N 2.97°W / 51.14; -2.97 (Bridgwater Without)[4][5]
BroomfieldCivil parish249Bridgwater Rural District51.08°N 3.11°W / 51.08; -3.11 (Broomfield, Somerset)[4][5]
Burnham on Sea and HighbridgeTown19,576Burnham on Sea Urban District51.24°N 2.99°W / 51.24; -2.99 (Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge)[4][7]
Burnham WithoutCivil Parish1,636Axbridge Rural District51.23°N 2.96°W / 51.23; -2.96 (Burnham Without)[4][6]
BurtleCivil parish388Bridgwater Rural District51.17°N 2.87°W / 51.17; -2.87 (Burtle)[4][5]
CanningtonCivil parish2,271Bridgwater Rural District51.15°N 3.07°W / 51.15; -3.07 (Cannington, Somerset)[4][5]
CatcottCivil parish531Bridgwater Rural District51.15°N 2.87°W / 51.15; -2.87 (Catcott)[4][5]
Chapel AllertonCivil parish401Axbridge Rural District51.25°N 2.85°W / 51.25; -2.85 (Chapel Allerton, Somerset)[4][6]
CheddarCivil parish5,755Axbridge Rural District51.28°N 2.78°W / 51.28; -2.78 (Cheddar)[4][6]
ChedzoyCivil parish404Bridgwater Rural District51.13°N 2.95°W / 51.13; -2.95 (Chedzoy)[4][5]
Chilton PoldenCivil parish698Bridgwater Rural District51.15°N 2.90°W / 51.15; -2.90 (Chilton Polden)[4][5]
Chilton TrinityCivil parish260Bridgwater Rural District51.15°N 3.01°W / 51.15; -3.01 (Chilton Trinity)[4][5]
Compton BishopCivil parish620Axbridge Rural District51.30°N 2.87°W / 51.30; -2.87 (Compton Bishop)[4][6]
CossingtonCivil parish564Bridgwater Rural District51.16°N 2.92°W / 51.16; -2.92 (Cossington, Somerset)[4][5]
DurleighCivil parish548Bridgwater Rural District51.12°N 3.04°W / 51.12; -3.04 (Durleigh)[4][5]
East BrentCivil parish1,302Axbridge Rural District51.26°N 2.94°W / 51.26; -2.94 (East Brent, Somerset)[4][6]
East HuntspillCivil parish1,146Bridgwater Rural District51.20°N 2.98°W / 51.20; -2.98 (Huntspill)[4][5]
EdingtonCivil parish372Bridgwater Rural District51.15°N 2.88°W / 51.15; -2.88 (Edington, Somerset)[4][5]
EnmoreCivil parish247Bridgwater Rural District51.11°N 3.09°W / 51.11; -3.09 (Enmore, Somerset)[4][5]
FiddingtonCivil parish298Bridgwater Rural District51.16°N 3.12°W / 51.16; -3.12 (Fiddington)[4][5]
GoathurstCivil parish193Bridgwater Rural District51.10°N 3.06°W / 51.10; -3.06 (Goathurst)[4][5]
GreintonCivil Parish71Bridgwater Rural District51.12°N 2.84°W / 51.12; -2.84 (Greinton)[5]
LympshamCivil parish960Axbridge Rural District51.29°N 2.95°W / 51.29; -2.95 (Lympsham)[4][6]
LyngCivil parish338Bridgwater Rural District51.05°N 2.96°W / 51.05; -2.96 (Lyng, Somerset)[4][5]
MarkCivil parish1,478Axbridge Rural District51.23°N 2.89°W / 51.23; -2.89 (Mark, Somerset)[4][6]
MiddlezoyCivil parish725Bridgwater Rural District51.09°N 2.89°W / 51.09; -2.89 (Middlezoy)[4][5]
MoorlinchCivil parish408Bridgwater Rural District51.13°N 2.86°W / 51.13; -2.86 (Moorlinch)[4][5]
Nether StoweyCivil parish1,373Bridgwater Rural District51.15°N 3.15°W / 51.15; -3.15 (Nether Stowey)[4][5]
North PethertonTown6,730Bridgwater Rural District51.09°N 3.01°W / 51.09; -3.01 (North Petherton)[4][5]
OtheryCivil parish642Bridgwater Rural District51.08°N 2.88°W / 51.08; -2.88 (Othery)[4][5]
OtterhamptonCivil parish831Bridgwater Rural District51.18°N 3.08°W / 51.18; -3.08 (Otterhampton)[4][5]
Over StoweyCivil parish352Bridgwater Rural District51.15°N 3.15°W / 51.15; -3.15 (Over Stowey)[4][5]
PawlettCivil Parish1,038Bridgwater Rural District51.18°N 3.00°W / 51.18; -3.00 (Pawlett, Somerset)[4][5]
PuritonCivil parish1,068Bridgwater Rural District51.17°N 2.97°W / 51.17; -2.97 (Puriton)[4][5]
ShapwickCivil parish536Bridgwater Rural District51.14°N 2.83°W / 51.14; -2.83 (Shapwick, Somerset)[4][5]
ShiphamCivil parish1,087Axbridge Rural District51.31°N 2.80°W / 51.31; -2.80 (Shipham)[4][6]
SpaxtonCivil parish1,012Bridgwater Rural District51.13°N 3.11°W / 51.13; -3.11 (Spaxton)[4][5]
StawellCivil parish386Bridgwater Rural District51.14°N 2.91°W / 51.14; -2.91 (Stawell, Somerset)[4][5]
Stockland BristolCivil parish165Bridgwater Rural District51.19°N 3.08°W / 51.19; -3.08 (Stockland Bristol)[4][5]
ThurloxtonCivil parish153Bridgwater Rural District51.07°N 3.04°W / 51.07; -3.04 (Thurloxton)[4][5]
WeareCivil parish658Axbridge Rural District51.27°N 2.84°W / 51.27; -2.84 (Weare, Somerset)[4][6]
WedmoreCivil Parish3,318Axbridge Rural District51.23°N 2.81°W / 51.23; -2.81 (Wedmore)[4][6]
WembdonCivil parish3,613Bridgwater Rural District51.13°N 3.02°W / 51.13; -3.02 (Wembdon)[4][5]
West HuntspillCivil parish1,414Bridgwater Rural District51.20°N 2.98°W / 51.20; -2.98 (Huntspill)[4][5]
WestonzoylandCivil parish1,801Bridgwater Rural District51.11°N 2.92°W / 51.11; -2.92 (Westonzoyland)[4][5]
WoolavingtonCivil parish2,115Bridgwater Rural District51.17°N 2.93°W / 51.17; -2.93 (Woolavington)[4][5]

Rivers

Battles

Industry

Light industry now predominates, but traditional trades including peat extraction, willow crafts and cider making may still be found, in addition to livestock farming. The River Parrett provides a source of eels (anguilla anguilla) and elvers from January through to May.

Also notable is the new Isleport trading estate at Highbridge, which houses many global businesses such as Geest (Isleport Foods) who make yoghurt under franchise to Ski & Muller, Brake Brothers who supply the catering trade, BFP wholesale who supply dry goods to bakeries etc., Woodbury & Haines who supply furniture globally, Polybeam Limited who supply GRP radio masts to customers such as Marconi, and also AT&T whose centre there controls all internet cable traffic to and from the US.

Industry in Bridgwater has also seen major growth recently with the opening of "Express Park" which houses Gerber Foods (a global fruit juice supplier), NHS Logistics depot and Eddie Stobart depot. South of Bridgwater, at Huntworth, is a large Somerfield depot which supplies their Somerfield and former Kwik Save stores in the south west.

Governance

Sedgemoor District Council

The Sedgemoor district was established in 1974 and is based in Bridgwater. It covers a mostly rural area between the Quantock Hills and the Mendip Hills.

Members of UK parliament

The area is falls within the Bridgwater and West Somerset and Wells county constituencies which are represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by the first past the post system of election. The current MP for Bridgewater and West Somerset is Ian Liddell-Grainger,[8] a Conservative; for Wells the MP is James Heappey, also a Conservative, who won the seat in 2015 from Tessa Munt, a Liberal Democrat.[9]

Education

Schools (those which are not independent) in Sedgemoor are operated the Children & Young People's Directorate of Somerset County Council, although some such as The Kings of Wessex School in Cheddar have distanced themselves from the county council by opting for foundation status.

See also

References

  1. Robert Dunning (Editor) (2004). "Introduction". A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 8: The Poldens and the Levels. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 1 August 2011.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  2. "Sedgemoor District Council". Ethnic Multicultural Media Academy. Retrieved 4 August 2008.
  3. Somerset County Council. Sedgemoor parish population estimates for 2002; 2002 [archived 21 November 2009; Retrieved 17 October 2009].
  4. "Statistics for Wards, LSOAs and Parishes – SUMMARY Profiles" (Excel). Somerset Intelligence. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  5. "Brdigwater RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  6. "Axbridge RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  7. "Burnham UD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  8. "Alphabetical List of Constituencies and Members of Parliament". House of Commons Information Office. Archived from the original on 17 January 2008. Retrieved 19 January 2008.
  9. "Wells". Election 2010. BBC News. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
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