- Mendip
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This article is about the local government district in Somerset. For the hills after which the district is named, see Mendip Hills.
Mendip — Non-metropolitan district —
LogoShown within Somerset Sovereign state United Kingdom Constituent country England Region South West England Ceremonial county Somerset Admin HQ Shepton Mallet Created 1 April 1974 Government - Type Non-metropolitan district - Leader Harvey Siggs - Council Conservative - MPs: David Heath LD, Tessa Munt LD Area - Total 285.5 sq mi (739.44 km2) Population (2010 est.) - Total 109,000 (Ranked 206th) Time zone GMT (UTC0) - Summer (DST) BST (UTC+1) Post Code BA4 Area code(s) 01749 Website http://www.mendip.gov.uk/ Mendip is a local government district of Somerset in England. The Mendip district covers a largely rural area of 285 square miles (738 km2)[1] ranging from the Mendip Hills through on to the Somerset Levels. It has a population of approximately 110,000.[1] The administrative centre of the district is Shepton Mallet but the largest town (three times larger than Shepton Mallet) is Frome, pronounced "Froome" and spelt that way until about 1890.
The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, by a merger of the municipal boroughs of Glastonbury and Wells, along with Frome, Shepton Mallet, Street urban districts, and Frome Rural District, Shepton Mallet Rural District, Wells Rural District, and part of Axbridge Rural District and part of Clutton Rural District.
Contents
Toponymy
Several explanations for the name "Mendip" have been suggested. Its earliest known form is Mendepe in 1185. One suggestion is that it is derived from the medieval term "Myne-deepes".[2][3] However, A D Mills derives its meaning from Celtic monith, meaning mountain or hill, with an uncertain second element, perhaps Old English yppe in the sense of upland, or plateau.[4]
An alternative explanation is that the name is cognate with Mened (Welsh mynydd), a Brythonic term for upland moorland. The suffix may be a contraction of the Anglo-Saxon hop, meaning a valley. Possible further meanings have been identified. The first is 'the stone pit' from the Celtic meyn and dyppa in reference to the collapsed cave systems of Cheddar. The second is 'Mighty and Awesome' from the Old English moen and deop.[5]
Yet another explanation is that Mendip is cognate with the Basque word 'mendi' meaning mountain. This would support the theory of a Basque-like language in use in the British isles before the emergence of the Celtic languages. This is supported by recent DNA evidence that shows exceptionally strong genetic links between the British Celtic people and the Basques.
Settlements
The five main settlements in Mendip are:
Frome, Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet are the only towns in the district, as Wells has city status and Street has maintained its status as a village despite a population in excess of 11,000.
Other villages and hamlets include:
- Ashwick
- Baltonsborough - Batcombe - Beckington - Binegar - Bleadney - Bowlish - Buckland Dinham - Burcott - Butleigh - Butleigh Wootton
- Chantry - Charterhouse - Chelynch - Chesterblake - Chewton Mendip - Chilcompton - Coleford - Coxley - Cranmore - Croscombe
- Dean - Dinder - Ditcheat - Doulting - Draycott - Dulcote
- East Lydford - East Pennard - Easton - Emborough - Evercreech
- Farleigh Hungerford - Faulkland
- Godney - Great Elm - Green Ore
- Henton - Highbury - Holcombe - Hornblotton - Horrington
- Kilmersdon
- Lamyatt - Leigh-on-Mendip - Leighton - Litton - Lydford-on-Fosse
- Maesbury - Meare - Mells
- Nettlebridge - North Wootton - Norton St Philip - Nunney
- Oakhill - Oldford
- Pilton - Polsham - Prestleigh - Priddy - Pylle
- Rode - Rodney Stoke
- Southway - Standerwick - Ston Easton - Stratton-on-the-Fosse - Stoke St Michael - Stoney Stratton
- Thrupe - Trudoxhill
- Upton Noble
- Vobster
- Walton - Wanstrow - Waterlip - West Compton - West Lydford - West Pennard - West Woodlands - Westbury-sub-Mendip - Westcombe - Westhay - Whatley - Wookey - Wookey Hole - Worminster - Witham Friary
- Yarley
Parishes
Transport
Major roads
Rail stations
Education
County schools (those which are not independent) in the five non-metropolitan districts of the county are operated by Somerset County Council.
For a full list of schools see: List of schools in Somerset
See also
- List of Grade I listed buildings in Mendip
References
- ^ a b "A Portrait of Mendip". Mendip District Council. http://www.mendip.gov.uk/Download.asp?path=%2FDocuments%2FA+Portrait+of+Mendip%2Epdf. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
- ^ "Mendip Hills Natural Area profile" (PDF). English Nature. January 1998. http://www.english-nature.org.uk/science/natural/profiles%5CnaProfile84.pdf. Retrieved 2006-07-16.
- ^ "Autumn newsletter 2007" (PDF). Mendip Hills AONB. http://www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/publications/up_081015_autumn07_lo.pdf. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- ^ Dictionary of English Place Names
- ^ Robinson, Stephen (1992). Somerset Place Names. Wimbourne: The Dovecote Press Ltd. ISBN 1874336032.
- ^ "Mendip Parish Population Statistics". ONS Census 2001. Somerset County Council. http://www.webcitation.org/5lRyC5ccr. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "A Vision of Britain Through Time : Shepton Mallet Rural District". Great Britain Historical GIS Project 2004/University of Portsmouth. Data © Office of National Statistics, for England and Wales. http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10001559&c_id=10001043. Retrieved 2009-12-08.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "A Vision of Britain Through Time : Wells Rural District". Great Britain Historical GIS Project 2004/University of Portsmouth. Data © Office of National Statistics, for England and Wales. http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10061581&c_id=10001043. Retrieved 2009-12-08.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "A Vision of Britain Through Time : Frome Rural District". Great Britain Historical GIS Project 2004/University of Portsmouth. Data © Office of National Statistics, for England and Wales. http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10025539&c_id=10001043. Retrieved 2009-12-08.
- ^ a b c A Vision of Britain Through Time : Clutton Rural District
- ^ "A Vision of Britain Through Time : Frome Urban District". Great Britain Historical GIS Project 2004/University of Portsmouth. Data © Office of National Statistics, for England and Wales. http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10025394&c_id=10001043. Retrieved 2009-12-08.
- ^ "A Vision of Britain Through Time : Glastonbury Municipal Borough". Great Britain Historical GIS Project 2004/University of Portsmouth. Data © Office of National Statistics, for England and Wales. http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10025503&c_id=10001043. Retrieved 2009-12-08.
- ^ "A Vision of Britain Through Time : Shepton Mallet Urban District". Great Britain Historical GIS Project 2004/University of Portsmouth. Data © Office of National Statistics, for England and Wales. http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10086681&c_id=10001043. Retrieved 2009-12-08.
- ^ "A Vision of Britain Through Time : Street Urban District". Great Britain Historical GIS Project 2004/University of Portsmouth. Data © Office of National Statistics, for England and Wales. http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10074344&c_id=10001043. Retrieved 2009-12-08.
- ^ "A Vision of Britain Through Time : Wells Municipal Borough". Great Britain Historical GIS Project 2004/University of Portsmouth. Data © Office of National Statistics, for England and Wales. http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10220592&c_id=10001043. Retrieved 2009-12-08.
External links
Towns, villages and hamlets in the Mendip district of Somerset, England Ashwick · Baltonsborough · Batcombe · Beckington · Berkley · Binegar · Buckland Dinham · Chewton Mendip · Chilcompton · Coleford · Cranmore · Croscombe · Ditcheat · Doulting · Downhead · East Lydford · East Pennard · Emborough · Evercreech · Frome · Glastonbury · Godney · Great Elm · Hemington · Holcombe · Kilmersdon · Lamyat · Leigh-on-Mendip · Litton · Lullington · Lydford-on-Fosse · Meare · Mells · Milton Clevedon · North Wootton · Norton St Philip · Nunney · Pilton · Priddy · Pylle · Rode · Rodney Stoke · Rudge · Selwood · Sharpham · Shepton Mallet · St Cuthbert Out · Stoke St Michael · Ston Easton · Stratton-on-the-Fosse · Street · Tellisford · Trudoxhill · Upton Noble · Walton · Wanstrow · Wells · West Bradley · West Lydford · West Pennard · Westbury-sub-Mendip · Whatley · Witham Friary · Wookey · Wookey HoleDistricts of South West England Devon Dorset Gloucestershire Somerset Unitary authorities Bath and North East Somerset · Bournemouth · Bristol · Cornwall · Isles of Scilly · North Somerset · Plymouth · Poole · South Gloucestershire · Swindon · Torbay · WiltshireCategories:- Mendip
- Local government in Somerset
- Non-metropolitan districts of Somerset
- Local government districts of South West England
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