•  Somerset, England

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In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Somerset like this:

Somerset, maritime co. in SW. of England, bounded N. and NE. by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the Severn, and from NE. round to S W. by the counties of Gloucester, Wilts, Dorset, and Devon; greatest length, N. and S., 43 miles; greatest breadth, E. and W., 67 miles; area, 1,049,812 ac., pop. ...

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469,109. The coast line is generally low and marshy in the E., but lined with lofty slate cliffs in the W. The interior consists of ranges of hills separated by valleys, or by extensive low marshy flats. The principal ranges are the Mendip Hills, the Polden Hills, the Quantock Hills, the Brendon Hills, and Exmoor. The chief rivers are the Avon and the Parret (with its tributaries the Yeo or Ivel, Isle, and Tone), the former forming the boundary on the NE., the latter traversing the centre of the co.; the other streams are the Yeo, Ax, and Brue. Both soil and climate are well adapted for agriculture, particularly in the low alluvial tracts; and in the Vale of Taunton heavy crops of the finest wheat are raised. The rich meadows rear large numbers of cattle, and the hilly grounds are pastured with numerous flocks of sheep. (For agricultural statistics, see Appendix.) In the E. of the co. are some small isolated coalfields, the most southerly in England, the quarries which furnish the famous Bath stone, and a large development of magnesian limestone; the W. of the co. consists chiefly of slaty rocks, forming the wild moorlands of Exmoor. The chief minerals worked are lead, iron, and slate. The principal mfrs. are woollen and worsted goods, gloves, lace, linen, crape, silk, paper, glass, and bath-bricks. There are salmon, herring, and other fisheries in the Bristol Channel. An important chain of internal communication is formed by the Yeo and Parret navigation and the Glastonbury Canal. The co. contains 40 hundreds, 2 liberties, 489 pars, with parts of 3 others, the parl. and mun. bors. of Bath (2 members) and Taunton (1 member), and the mun. bors. of Bridgwater, Chard, Glastonbury, Wells, and Yeovil. It is nearly co-extensive with the diocese of Bath and Wells. For parliamentary purposes it is divided into 7 divisions - viz., Northern, Wells, Frome, Eastern, Southern, Bridgwater, and Western or Wellington - 1 member for each division; the representation was increased from 6 to 7 members in 1885.

Somerset through time

Somerset is now part of Somerset county. Click here for graphs and data of how Somerset has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Somerset itself, go to Units and Statistics.

Somerset -- but you should check this covers the area you are interested in.

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