Berrow, Somerset

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Berrow
Berrow, Somerset (Somerset)
Berrow, Somerset

Berrow shown within Somerset
Population 1638
OS grid reference ST295525
District Sedgemoor
Shire county Somerset
Region South West
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Police Avon and Somerset
Fire Devon and Somerset
Ambulance South Western
European Parliament South West England
List of places: UK • England • Somerset

Coordinates: 51°16′02″N 3°00′43″W / 51.267275, -3.011891

For the village in Worcestershire, see Berrow, Worcestershire.

Berrow is a village and civil parish in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,638.[citation needed]

[edit] Church

The Church of St Mary dates from the 13th century and was restored in the 19th. The tower contains a bell dating from 1801 and made by Thomas and James Bilbie of the Bilbie family.[1] It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building.[2]

[edit] Beach and dunes

The wreck of the Norwegian barque SS Nornen on Berrow beach
The wreck of the Norwegian barque SS Nornen on Berrow beach

Berrow beach was awarded the Blue flag rural beach award in 2005. The beach is home to the shipwreck of the Norwegian barque SS Nornen, which ran aground on March 3, 1897.[3] In July 2003, Sedgemoor District Council threatened to remove the wreck from the beach fearing it could be held liable if any jet-skiers were to hit the wreck while submerged at high tide.[4]

Berrow Dunes, west of the village, has a golf course, and is a noted site for various unusual plants. A 200 hectare (494 acre) area was designated in 1952 as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.[5]

Berrow Marsh, contained within the dunes between the village and the beach, is a mixture of reedbed and saltmarsh. Birds found here include many wetland species such as Reed and Sedge Warbler and in winter occasional Jack Snipe amongst large numbers of Common Snipe.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Moore, James; Roy Rice & Ernest Hucker (1995). Bilbie and the Chew Valley clock makers. The authors. ISBN 0952670208. 
  2. ^ Church of St Mary. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-10-05.
  3. ^ The Berrow Ship Wreck. Burnham-on-Sea website. Retrieved on 2007-10-11.
  4. ^ Shipwreck could stay on beach. BBC News (8 October 2003). Retrieved on 2007-10-11.
  5. ^ Berrow Dunes. Retrieved on 2006-08-06.


v • d • e
Biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset
Summary:
SSSIs:
Aller and Beer Woods  · Aller Hill  · Asham Wood  · Axbridge Hill and Fry's Hill  · Babcary Meadows  · Barle Valley  · Barrington Hill Meadows  · Berrow Dunes  · Black Down and Sampford Commons  · Brean Down  · Bridgwater Bay  · Briggins Moor  · Catcott, Edington and Chilton Moors  · Chancellor's Farm  · Cheddar Complex  · Cheddar Reservoir  · Cheddar Wood  · Cleeve Hill  · Cogley Wood  · Crook Peak to Shute Shelve Hill  · Curry and Hay Moors  · Deadman  · Draycott Sleights  · Dunster Park and Heathlands  · East Polden Grasslands  · Ebbor Gorge  · Edford Woods and Meadows  · Exmoor Coastal Heaths  · Fivehead Woods and Meadow  · Freshmoor  · Friar's Oven  · Ge-mare Farm Fields  · Great Breach and Copley Woods  · Grove Farm  · Hardington Moor  · Hestercombe House  · Holme Moor & Clean Moor  · King's Sedgemoor  · Kingdown and Middledown  · Kingweston Meadows  · Lang's Farm  · Langford Heathfield  · Langmead and Weston Level  · Long Lye  · Long Lye Meadow  · Longleat Woods  · Millwater  · Moorlinch  · Nettlecombe Park  · North Brewham Meadows  · North Curry Meadow  · North Exmoor  · North Moor  · Old Ironstone Works, Mells  · Perch  · Porlock Ridge and Saltmarsh  · Postlebury Wood  · Priddy Pools  · Prior's Park & Adcombe Wood  · Quantocks  · Quants  · Ringdown  · River Barle  · Rodney Stoke  · Roebuck Meadows  · Ruttersleigh  · Severn Estuary  · Shapwick Heath  · Sharpham Moor Plot  · South Exmoor  · Southey and Gotleigh Moors  · Southlake Moor  · Sparkford Wood  · St. Dunstan's Well Catchment  · Stowell Meadow  · Street Heath  · Tealham and Tadham Moors  · Thurlbear Wood and Quarrylands  · Twinhills Woods and Meadows  · Vallis Vale  · Walton and Ivythorn Hills  · West Moor  · West Sedgemoor  · Westhay Heath  · Westhay Moor  · Wet Moor  · Whitevine Meadows  · Windsor Hill Marsh  · Wookey Hole  · Woolhayes Farm
Neighbouring areas:
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