Midsomer Norton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Midsomer Norton | |
  Midsomer Norton shown within Somerset |
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| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| Parish | Norton Radstock |
| Unitary authority | Bath and North East Somerset |
| Ceremonial county | Somerset |
| Region | South West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | RADSTOCK |
| Postcode district | BA3 |
| Dialling code | 01761 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Avon |
| Ambulance | Great Western |
| European Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | Wansdyke |
| List of places: UK • England • Somerset | |
Midsomer Norton is a town in Bath and North East Somerset, England, 8 miles (13 km) south west of Bath, and the same distance north west of Frome. It is part of the conurbation and large civil parish of Norton Radstock.
Midsomer Norton lies on the River Somer, while the Wellow Brook. The town is north of the Mendip Hills.
Midsomer Norton was originally called Midsummer Norton due to its inaccessibility caused by frequent flooding during the other seasons. Sometime in the early 20th Century the name was changed to Midsomer Norton to reflect its location on the River Somer. It was previously served by a station on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway but this closed in 1966, and by a second station on the Bristol and North Somerset Railway at Welton in the valley. When the railways were separate, the stations were both called "Midsomer Norton and Welton" (the B&NSR station was originally called just "Welton"); under British Railways, the S&D station was renamed as Midsomer Norton South after a short period as Midsomer Norton Upper.
The oldest building in Midsomer Norton is the Catholic Church of the Holy Ghost, which is a 15th century tithe barn converted by the famous architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. It is a grade II* listed building.[1] The Anglican church of St John the Baptist has a 17th century west tower, but the rest was rebuilt in Gothic style by John Pinch the younger in 1830-1831 and was extended in the 20th century with new chancel and lady chapel. It is also a grade II* listed building.[2] The churchyard includes a memorial to the 12 miners killed in 1839 when their rope was severed.[3]
Norton Hill School was described by Ofsted in 2007 as outstanding in every respect.[4]
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[edit] Culture
Midsomer Norton's main live music venue is The Wunderbar. It is a small bar located in the cellar of an estate agents on The High Street. It has been open since October 1994 and hosts regular concerts by local bands and regional touring acts as well as 'open mic' events and plays host to is own internet radio station that specialises in playing local underground rock and punk music. Some of the memorable performances of recent years have been by Blueneck, Thirteen Senses, The Heys, Left Side Brain, The Big and also Patchway Theft and The Volt at The Wunderbar's first Love Music Hate Racism benefit gig. [1]
[edit] Notable people from Midsomer Norton
- Anita Harris, actress, singer and entertainer.
[edit] References
- ^ Church of the Holy Ghost. Images of England. Retrieved on 2006-12-10.
- ^ Church of St John the Baptist. Images of England. Retrieved on 2006-12-10.
- ^ Scott, Shane (1995). The hidden places of Somerset. Aldermaston: Travel Publishing Ltd, 20. ISBN 1902007018.
- ^ Norton Hill School. Norton Hill School. Retrieved on 2007-12-07.
[edit] External links
- Midsomer Norton Carvival Association
- Midsomer Norton Marching Brass
- Photos of Midsomer Norton in 3d (Anaglyphs)
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