Cheddar

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Cheddar

This article is about the settlement in Somerset, England. For the cheese of the same name, see Cheddar cheese.

Cheddar is a village in the district of Sedgemoor in Somerset, England, situated on the edge of the Mendip Hills 14.5 km (nine miles) northwest of Wells. The village has a population of 5,724 (2002 estimate). It is famous for having given its name to Cheddar cheese which is one of the most popular kinds of cheese. Although the cheese is now made worldwide, only one producer remains in the village itself. Cheddar's other main produce is the strawberry, which gave name to the now disused Strawberry Line railway that ran from Yatton to Wells; in the 1960s, when the rest of the line was closed and all passenger services ceased, the section of the line between Cheddar and Yatton remained open for goods traffic, to provide a fast link with the main markets for the strawberries in Birmingham and London. The former station has become housing and a trading estate, and is the starting point for a cycle path along the old track to Axbridge, passing the Cheddar Reservoir, home of a sailing club.

Cheddar is also famous for Cheddar Gorge, the largest gorge in England, and for the Cheddar Caves, where the remains of Cheddar Man were found. Nearby is Wookey Hole and Ebbor Gorge. At the junction of Church Street, Bath Street and Union Street stands a fine roofed medieval market cross, recently restored after being seriously damaged in a road traffic accident.

There are three schools, covering the primary, middle and secondary age groups, a Church of England church with a tall tower in the typical Somerset style, and also churches of the Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist and other groups. There is an indoor swimming pool and a refuse recycling centre. Cheddar village also has a Youth Hostel and several camping sites.

Cheddar is twinned with Felsberg in Germany and Vernouillet in France. S3010334.JPG

Village or town?

It is a frequent misconception that Cheddar is a town, presumably based on its present-day size and importance. Officially, however, Cheddar is a village. The adjacent settlement of Axbridge, although only about a third the size of Cheddar, is a town. This apparently illogical situation is explained by the relative importance of the two places in historic times. While Axbridge grew in importance as a centre for cloth manufacture in the Tudor period and gained a charter from King John, Cheddar remained a more dispersed dairy-farming village until the advent of tourism and the arrival of the railway in the Victorian era.

This situation is unlikely to change in the near future, with the residents of both Axbridge and Cheddar proud of their settlements' respective status and the inevitable friendly local rivalry between the two.

Church

The church is dedicated to St Andrew and dates from the 14th century. It was restored in 1873 by William Butterfield. It is a grade I listed building and contains some 15th century stained glass and an altar table of 1631. The chest tomb in the chancel is believed to be sir Thomas Cheddar of 1442.

Market Cross

The market cross in Bath Street dates from the 15th century, with the shelter being rebuilt 1834. It has a central octagonal pier, socket raised on 3 steps, hexagonal shelter with 6 arched 4-centred arch openings, shallow 2 stage buttresses at each angle, and embattled parapet. Shaft crowned by an abacus with figures in niches, probably late 19th century although the cross is now missing. Rebuilt by Thomas, Marquis of Bath. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument (Somerset County No 21) and grade II* listed building.

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External links

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Village or town?

Church

Market Cross

References

See also

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