Brent Knoll

Brent Knoll is a village in Somerset, England, at the foot of a hill (correctly referred to as the Knoll at Brent) with a height of 137 metres (450 ft) dominating the low surrounding landscape of the Somerset Levels. The name means "Beacon Hill" in Old English.

Brent Knoll has seen human settlement since at least the
Bronze Age. It is the site of a Iron Age hill fort,with multiple ramparts ("multivallate") following the contours of the hill, broken only by the main entrance on the eastern side. [cite book |last=Adkins |first=Lesley and Roy |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=A field Guide to Somerset Archeology |year=1992 |publisher=Dovecote press |location=Stanbridge |isbn=0946159947 ] Before the Somerset Levels were drained, Brent Knoll was an island, known as the Isle (or Mount) of Frogs, that provided a safe haven from the water and marshes. [cite web | title=Brent Knoll (Sacred sites around Glastonbury) | work=Isle of Avalon | url= http://www.isleofavalon.co.uk/sacredsites/brentknoll.html | accessdate=2007-05-24] According to legend, Ider son of Nuth, who was one of King Arthur's knights, came to the Mount of Frogs on a quest to slay three giants who lived there. [cite web | title=Brent Knoll (Hillfort) | work=The Modern Antiquarian | url= http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/3443 | accessdate=2007-05-24] [cite web | title=A guide to Somerset's mysterious sites | work=Mysterious Britain Gazetteer | url= http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/england/somerset/somerset6.html | accessdate=2007-05-24] [cite web | title=A gazetteer of Arthurian sites | work=Southern Methdodist University | url= http://faculty.smu.edu/arthuriana/gazetteer.htm | accessdate=2007-05-24]

The village of Brent Knoll lies at the south west base of the hill. Between 1875 and 1883 the village name was changed from South Brent to Brent Knoll to avoid rail passenger confusion with the village of South Brent in Devon.

Brent Knoll railway station on the Bristol and Exeter Railway operated from 1875 until 4 January 1971.

The Church of St Michael dates back to the 11th century but has undergone several renovations since the. The tower contains a bell dating from 1777 and made by William Bilbie of the Bilbie family. [cite book |last=Moore |first=James |authorlink= |coauthors=Roy Rice & Ernest Hucker |title=Bilbie and the Chew Valley clock makers |year=1995 |publisher=The authors |location= |isbn=0952670208 ] It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building. [cite web | title=Church of St Michael | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=433646 | accessdate=2007-10-05]

References

External links

* [http://www.burnham-on-sea.com/brent-knoll.shtml Brent Knoll History and Background] — from the Burnham-on-Sea Community Website

* [http://www.brentknollvillage.info Brent Knoll village info] — Link to the Brent Knoll village website

* [http://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/2007/brent-knoll-run-2007-25-11-07.shtml Annual Brent Knoll Run] — Link to news coverage of the annual Burnham to Brent Knoll Run 2007