Mendip

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.

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
• Shepton Mallet
• Street
• Wells

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

• A37
• A361
• A371
• A39

Rail stations

• Frome railway station (Heart of Wessex Line), First Great Western

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

External links

• Mendip District Council
• Mendip at the Open Directory Project