Minehead

Coordinates: 51°12′14″N 3°28′26″W / 51.2038°N 3.4738°W / 51.2038; -3.4738
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This article is about the British town. For structure at the entrance to a mine, see
Mine Head
.

Minehead
Avon and Somerset
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England
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51°12′14″N 3°28′26″W / 51.2038°N 3.4738°W / 51.2038; -3.4738

Minehead is a coastal town and

Exmoor National Park. The parish of Minehead has a population of approximately 11,981, making it the most populous town in the western part of the now-defunct Somerset West and Taunton local government district,[1] which in turn, is the worst area in the country for social mobility.[2]
This figure includes Alcombe and Woodcombe, suburban villages which have been subsumed into Minehead.

There is evidence of human occupation in the area since the

Norman conquest, it was held by Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia and after it by William de Moyon and his descendants, who administered the area from Dunster Castle, which was later sold to Sir George Luttrell and his family. There was a small port at Minehead by 1380, which grew into a major trading centre during the medieval period. Most trade transferred to larger ports during the 20th century, but pleasure steamers did call at the port. Major rebuilding took place in the Lower or Middle town area following a fire in 1791 and the fortunes of the town revived with the growth in sea bathing, and by 1851 was becoming a retirement centre. There was a marked increase in building during the early years of the 20th century, which resulted in the wide main shopping avenue and adjacent roads with Edwardian-style architecture
. The town's flood defences were improved after a storm in 1990 caused flooding.

Minehead is governed by a

Butlins Holiday Park
which increases Minehead's seasonal tourist population by several thousand.

There is a variety of schools and religious, cultural and sporting facilities including

wind surfing and golf. One popular ancient local tradition involves the Hobby Horse which takes to the streets for four days on the eve of the first of May each year, with accompanying musicians and rival horses. The town is the starting point of the South West Coast Path National Trail, the nation's longest long-distance countryside walking trail. The Minehead Railway was opened in 1874 and closed in 1971 but has since been reopened as the West Somerset Railway
.

Toponym

The town sits at the foot of a steeply rising outcrop of Exmoor known as North Hill, and the original name of the town was mynydd, which means mountain in Welsh.[3] It has also been written as Mynheafdon (1046), Maneheve (1086), Menehewed (1225) and Menedun (also 1225), which contain elements of Welsh and Old English words for hill.[4]

History

The earliest known fossilised forest was discovered in the

Devonian period, between 419 and 358 million years ago.[5]

Evidence of prehistoric occupation of the area are Bronze Age barrows at Selworthy Beacon and an Iron Age enclosure at Furzebury Brake west of the town, although there is also possible evidence in the intertidal area, where the remains of a submerged forest still exist.[4]

Minehead was part of the

William de Mohun of Dunster, 1st Earl of Somerset and his descendants administered the area from Dunster Castle, which was later sold to Lady Elizabeth Luttrell.[9]

There was a small port at Minehead by 1380, but it was not until 1420 that money given by Lady Margaret Luttrell enabled improvements to be made and a

Privateers based at Minehead were involved in the war with Spain and France during 1625–1630 and again during the War of the Spanish Succession
from 1702 to 1713. The first cranes were installed after further improvements to the port in 1714.

By the beginning of the 18th century, trade between Minehead and Ireland, South Wales, Bristol and

Second World War as it obstructed the view from the gun battery set up on the quay head,[12]
as part of the coastal defence preparations, which stopped steamers calling at the harbour until it was cleared in 1951.

Statue of Queen Anne in Wellington Square

Major rebuilding took place in the Lower or Middle town area following a fire in 1791.[8][13] In that year a Carrara marble statue of Queen Anne, sculpted by Francis Bird was presented to the town by Sir Jacob Bancks, who served as the local Member of Parliament from 1698 to 1715.[14] It originally stood in the parish church but was moved to Wellington Square in 1893,[8] when the marble pedestal and canopy by H. Dare Bryan were added.[15] Lower town and the quay area were rebuilt and the fortunes of the town revived with the growth in sea bathing, and by 1851 was becoming a retirement centre.[4]

Minehead Town Hall

Early areas of development of the town include Higher Town with its cottages, many of which are "listed" buildings of historic interest, some of which are still thatched, and the Quay area. In Victorian times wealthy industrialists built large houses on North Hill and hotels were developed so that tourism became an important industry.[16] It was in the Victorian and Edwardian era that tourism in the town increased.[17] There was a marked increase in building in the early years of the 20th century when the landowners, the Luttrells of Dunster Castle, released extensive building land. Probably the most prolific Edwardian architect was W.J.Tamlyn from North Devon who settled in the town and was responsible for designing several hundred domestic properties as well as Minehead Town Hall and the Queen's Hall.[18]

The steamship SS Pelican grounded in Minehead Bay on 22 June 1928, on an unmarked reef known as the Gables that circles Minehead Bay, 0.7 mi (1.1 km) from land.

Butlins opened in 1962, and has brought thousands of visitors to the town.[4]

Governance

The civil parish of Minehead is governed by a town council, which was created in 1983.[21] In 2002, the parish was estimated to have a population of 10,330. Since April 2023 Minehead has been part of the unitary authority area administered by Somerset Council. Administrative tasks and services are shared between unitary and town councils.[1] Minehead was previously in the district of Somerset West and Taunton and before that West Somerset. Until 1974 it was part of Minehead Urban District.[22]

The town falls within the Bridgwater and West Somerset constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post system of election. The current MP is Ian Liddell-Grainger, a member of the Conservative Party.[23]

Geography

One of the wild ponies on North Hill

Minehead is located on the Bristol Channel coast of South West England, and thus experiences one of the highest tidal ranges in the world. The tidal rise and fall in the Bristol Channel can be as great as 48 feet (15 m),[24] second only to the Bay of Fundy in Eastern Canada.[25][26]

The town is overlooked by North Hill, which rises steeply from the harbour shoreline. The town lies just outside the boundaries of

Exmoor National Park. The cliff exposures around the shoreline are dramatic and fossils are exposed. Areas of the town include Higher Town, Quay Town and Lower or Middle Town, although they are no longer separate.[8]

In 1990, much of Minehead's

sea defence scheme by the Environment Agency was designed to reduce the risk of this erosion and flooding happening in the future. The Environment Agency built 1.1 miles (1.8 km) of new sea wall and rock or concrete stepped revetments between 1997 and 1998 and imported 320,000 tons of additional sand in 1999 to build a new beach. This beach sits between four rock groynes and has been built at a much higher level than the previous beach so that the waves are broken before they reach the new sea wall. Any waves that do reach the new wall are turned back by its curved shape. The town's new sea defences were officially opened in 2001.[27]

Blenheim Gardens, which is Minehead's largest park, was opened in 1925.[8] The bandstand within the park is used to host musical events.[28]

Along with the rest of

seasonal and diurnal variations, but due to the modifying effect of the sea, the range is less than in most other parts of the United Kingdom. January is the coldest month with mean minimum temperatures between 1 °C (34 °F) and 2 °C (36 °F). July and August are the warmest months in the region with mean daily maxima around 21 °C (70 °F). In general, December is the dullest month and June the sunniest. The south west of England enjoys a favoured location, particularly in summer, when the Azores High extends its influence north-eastwards towards the UK.[29]

snowfall is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, with June to August having the lightest. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west.[29]

Landmarks

Sculpture marking the start of the South West Coast Path

The town's major tourist attraction is

wind surfing options are on offer, as well as the usual beach activities. There are many other attractions and amusement arcades, for example "Merlins" and a variety of well-known high street stores such as WHSmith and Boots, together with independent local shops. The town has both a Tesco and a Morrisons supermarket on its outskirts as well as a new Lidl
.

The South West Coast Path National Trail starts at a marker, erected in Minehead in 2001, partly paid for by the South West Coast Path Association. The UK's longest long-distance countryside walking trail, it runs along the South West Coast to Poole in Dorset.[30]

Transport

The town's location—sea to the north and Exmoor to the south—means that transport links are limited. Minehead is located on the A39 road, and is 28 miles (45 km) north-west of the M5 motorway at junction 24.

Local bus services are operated by First West of England and Quantock Motor Services.

Minehead Railway was opened on 16 July 1874, linking the town to Taunton and beyond. It was operated by the Bristol and Exeter Railway which was amalgamated into the Great Western Railway in 1876. The Minehead Railway was itself absorbed into the GWR in 1897,[31] which in turn was nationalised into British Railways in 1948.[32] It was closed on 4 January 1971 but has since been reopened as the West Somerset Railway,[33] which is notable for being the longest standard-gauge heritage railway in Britain.[34]

Media

Minehead's local radio station is the community based West Somerset Radio that broadcasts from the town on 104.4 FM. [35]

The local newspapers are West Somerset Free Press and Somerset County Gazette. [36][37]

Education

In Minehead, there are two

first schools, one middle school[38] (Minehead Middle School) and an upper school, West Somerset College, which provides education for 1,298 students between the ages of 13 and 18.[39] In 2006 there was debate about changing West Somerset's 3-tier school system to a 2-tier system to match the rest of Somerset
and the majority of education authorities in the UK.

Religious sites

St Michael's Church tower

The

Anglican parish church of St Michael dates from the 15th century and has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building;[40] its tower used to display a beacon light for ships approaching the harbour.[3] After being caught in a violent storm at sea, Robert Quirke dedicated a ship and its cargo to God's service,[3] as well as donating a cellar near the quay for prayers to be offered for those at sea. Dating from 1628 and known as the Gibraltar Celler [sic], it is now the Chapel of St Peter.[41] Quirke also donated money from the sale of the ship and its cargo to build almshouses.[42][43][44][45]

St Michael's parish church contains a number of historical highlights, including an impressive late medieval

rood stair, and an attractive stained glass window designed by Sir Henry Holiday
. There are views from the churchyard of the surrounding hills and coastline.

The Church of St Michael the Archangel in Alcombe was built in 1903 as a chapel of ease for the Dunster parish, but in 1953 it became the Parish Church of Alcombe in its own right.[46] St Andrew's Church, on Wellington Square in the town, was built of red sandstone in 1877–1880, by George Edmund Street.[47]

Methodist and United Reformed communities and the Plymouth Brethren.[46]
Alcombe is also home to the Spiritualist Church in Grove Place.

Local economy

Minehead has one of the UK's three remaining Butlins holiday camps, and tourism has been a part of Minehead's economy since Victorian times. At the height of the season in late July and early August, the town's population is significantly increased by tourists.

There is a Farmers' Market in the Parade every Friday from 8:30 am to 2 pm, selling local produce.[51]

Culture

The town hosts the annual Minehead and Exmoor Festival, a week-long classical music festival that has been running since 1963.[52] Richard Dickins has held the post of artistic director for the festival since 1982.[53]

The wooded bluffs above Minehead feature as the Hermit's abode "in that wood which slopes down to the sea", in

All Things Bright And Beautiful in Minehead and in nearby Dunster
the verse:

"The purple headed mountain, The river running by, The sunset and the morning, That brightens up the sky;−" Refers to Grabbist Hill and the River Avill that runs near it through the popular tourist location Snowdrop Valley on Exmoor

Minehead was the setting of Monty Python's 1970 "Mr. Hilter" sketch, in which Adolf Hitler (posing as a "Mr. Hilter"), Joachim von Ribbentrop ("Ron Vibbentrop") and Heinrich Himmler ("Heimlich Bimmler") conspire at a local rooming house to win the local by-election as the "National Bocialist" candidate and unite Minehead with neighbouring Taunton (in the style of the Anschluss in 1938).[55][56]

May Day Hobby Horse

Minehead Hobby Horse
Main article: Minehead Hobby Horse

One popular ancient local tradition involves the Hobby Horse, or Obby Oss,[3] which takes to the streets on the eve of the first of May each year, with accompanying musicians and rival horses, for four days. In fact there are three rival hobby horses, the Original Sailor's Horse, the Traditional Sailor's Horse and the Town Horse.[57] They appear on May Eve (called "Show Night"), on May Day morning (when they salute the sunrise at a crossroads on the outskirts of town), 2 and 3 May (when a ceremony called "The Bootie" takes place in the evening called "Bootie Night" at part of town called Cher). Each horse is made of a boat-shaped wooden frame, pointed and built up at each end, which is carried on the dancer's shoulders.[8]

As at Padstow, his face is hidden by a mask attached to a tall, pointed hat. The top surface of the horse is covered with ribbons and strips of fabric. A long fabric skirt, painted with rows of multicoloured roundels, hangs down to the ground all round. A long tail is attached to the back of the frame. Each horse is accompanied by a small group of musicians and attendants. The Town Horse is accompanied by "Gullivers", dressed similarly to the horse but without the large frame; as at Padstow, smaller, children's horses have sometimes been constructed. The horses' visits are (or were) believed to bring good luck. In the past there was also a similar hobby horse based at the nearby village of Dunster, which would sometimes visit Minehead. The first of May has been a festival day in Minehead since 1465.[58]

Sport and recreation

Minehead Barbarians, the town's rugby club, have been playing together since the 1930s,[59] but the main local football club, Minehead A.F.C., is even older, founded in 1889.[60] In September 2007, the TWIF European Outdoor Tug of war Championships was held at the football club's stadium.[61] Minehead Cricket Club, based at the West Somerset College in Alcombe, field four men's teams and one women's team[62] while Minehead Hockey Club plays close by at the West Somerset Sports & Leisure Centre.[63] There were plans for a swimming pool to be built in the grounds of the West Somerset College[64] and there is a bowls club on Irnham Road.[65]

Minehead has on several occasions been the location of '

World Wrestling Entertainment's UK winter tour.[67] In 2010 stage four of the Tour of Britain road cycling race started in Minehead.[68]

In April 2010 RadioMinehead.com started to broadcast music, travel news, events guide and general to and for the Minehead community.

The 2011 European Outdoor

Tug of War Championships was held within the grounds at Butlin's Minehead from 22 to 25 September.[69]

Since December 2012 Minehead has hosted the PDC Players Championship Finals.[70]

Minehead also hosts many motorsport events including the Somerset Stages Rally which has been hosted in the area for years. There is also the Enduroland Quad and Motocross Event held in Bratton Woods.

Notable residents

References

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External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Minehead.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Minehead.

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