Somerset
Map of the Somerset Area

County Council
- Somerset County Council
- County Hall Taunton Somerset TA1 4DY
- Phone: 0845 345 9133
- Email: somersetdirect@somerset.gov.uk
- http://www.somerset.gov.uk/
Somerset is located in the South West of the UK and is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county. It borders Gloucestershire and Bristol to the north, Devon to the south west and Dorset to the south east. It is also bounded by the coast of the Bristol Channel and the River Severn to the north and west. Its county town is Taunton and has an area of 4171 square km (source: link). The county has a population of 895700 (source: link) with a density of 214 people per square km.
Somerset is predominantly rural and is partially elevated in geography. It is famed for its hills which include the Quantock Hills and the Mendip Hills. These, along with the Somerset levels, are limestone hills. The centre and west of the Mendip Hills were designated in 1972 as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and span 76 square miles. The county is also known for its extensive cave networks and gorges which include Wookey Hole and Cheddar Gorge.
The name Somerset is from the Old English word Sumorsæte (source: Watts, Victor (Ed.) (2004). The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-36209-1.) and the first known use of the name was in around 845 after the Saxon occupation (source: "Somersetshire". 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved on 2007-10-21.). It is believed that human occupation of the area began in the Palaeolithic period and in Gough's Cave bones have been found that date to 12000 BC (source: link). The county is home to many Iron Age Hill Forts including Cadbury Hill and Harn Hill.
Agriculture is a major economic activity within the county. The farming of sheep and cattle supply the wool and cheese industries that the county is famous for. There are many apple orchards in the region for the production of the cider that Somerset is renowned for. The largest industry sectors other than agriculture include manufacturing, retail, tourism and health and social care. Unemployment is lower than the UK average and the population growth rate is higher than the UK average (source: link).
The county has its fair share of art, music and literature traditions. Coleridge and Woodsworth both stayed in Coleridge Cottage while writing their poetry and novels (source: Everett, Glenn. "William Wordsworth: Biography". The Victorian Web. Retrieved on 2007-01-07.). Somerset is also home to the site of the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts which is held in Pilton and attracts over 170000 (source: link) people from around the world every year.
Museum
- North Somerset Museum
- Burlington Street Weston-super-Mare Somerset BS23 1PR
- Phone: 01934 621 028
- Fax: 01934 612 526
- Email: museum.service@n-somerset.gov.uk
Transport
- First Great Western
- First Great Western Freepost SWB40576 Plymouth PL4 6ZZ
- Phone: 08457 000 125
- http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/
- South West Trains
- Customer Service Centre South West Trains Overline House Blechynden Terrace Southampton SO15 1GW
- Phone: 0845 6000 650
- Fax: 0800 692 0792
- Email: fgw@custhelp.com.
- http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/SWTrains
Banks and Building Societies
- The Investing Site
- A Somerset bank branch locator, with opening times and other information. Also offering tips, information and guidance on savings and investments.
- http://www.theinvestingsite.com/banks/somerset/
Tourism - Official Site
- Somerset Visitor Centre
- Sedgemoor Services M5 South Axbridge BS26 2UF
- Phone: 01934 750646
- Fax: 01934 750833
- Email: somersetvisitorcentre@somerset.gov.uk
- http://www.visitsomerset.co.uk/
News and Media
- BBC Where I Live
- BBC Somerset Broadcasting House Park Street Taunton Somerset TA1 4DA
- Phone: 01823 323956
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/
- This is Somerset
- Elton House Albert Road Clevedon North Somerset BS21 7SW
- Phone: 01275 335140
- Email: liam.schofield@northcliffemedia.co.uk
- http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/
University
- Somerset College of Arts and Technology
- Somerset College of Arts and Technology Wellington Road Taunton
- Phone: 01823 366 366
- Fax: 01823 366 418
- Email: enquiries@somerset.ac.uk
- http://www.somerset.ac.uk/index.html
Library
- Somerset Studies Library
- Paul Street Taunton Somerset TA1 3XZ
- Phone: 01823 340300
- Fax: 01823 340301
- Email: somstud@somerset.gov.uk
- http://www.librarieswest.org.uk/
- Business Services
Advertising Agencies And Services
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Animal Welfare