Wookey.html |
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| Wookey | |
  Wookey shown within Somerset |
|
| Population | 1,376 1 |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| District | Mendip |
| Shire county | Somerset |
| Region | South West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WELLS |
| Postcode district | BA5 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| European Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | Wells |
| List of places: UK • England • Somerset | |
Wookey is a village and civil parish 2 miles (3.2 km) of Wells, on the River Axe in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. It is perhaps best known today for the nearby Wookey Hole Caves. The parish includes the nearby hamlets of Yarley and Bleadney where the River Axe, travels the length of the village. There used to be a port at Bleadney on the river in the 8th century which allowed goods to be brought to within 3 miles (5 km) of Wells.
The name Wookey is thought to come from the Old English wocig, meaning an animal trap.2 An alternative explanation has been offered which suggests it comes from the Celtic word ogof meaning cave.3
The now-closed Wookey Station, once lying on Cheddar Valley line branch of the Bristol and Exeter Railway, is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The village included a manor house built by Bishop Jocelin of Wells in the 13th century. It was rebuilt in the sixteenth century and is now a farmhouse and Grade II* listed building.43
St Matthew's church dates from the twelfth century and is a Grade I listed building.5 It was granted to the dean of Wells by Bishop Robert, rebuilt by Bishop Reginald and assigned to the sub dean of the cathedral in 1209. The south chancel is thought to have been built to house the memorial to Thomas Clerke in 1556.3 Beside the church stands the 19th-century Mellifont Abbey,6 which is named after the abbey of the same name in Ireland.3
Wookey was the birthplace of the trade unionist A.J. Cook, and of Sir Arthur Pearson, the publisher and philanthropist.
The science fiction writer and social theorist, H. G. Wells, taught as a pupil-teacher for his uncle at the National School, a state-funded Anglican-dominated school in Wookey, between October and December 1880.
The population in 1821 was 1,040, comprising 223 families, of which 147 were employed in agriculture.7
References
- ^ "Mendip Parish Population Estimates 2002". Somerset County Council. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
- ^ Robinson, Stephen (1992). Somerset Place Names. Wimborne, Dorset: The Dovecote Press Ltd. ISBN 1874336032.
- ^ a b c d Bush, Robin (1994). Somerset: The complete guide. Wimborne, Dorset: Dovecote Press. ISBN 187433627X.
- ^ "Court Farmhouse". Images of England. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.
- ^ "Church of St Matthew". Images of England. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.
- ^ "Mellifont Abbey". Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-10-12.
- ^ "Somersetshire delineated, by C. and J. Greenwood, 1822". Google Books. Retrieved on 2007-10-25.
External links
 Bleadney Village Sign |
 The village of Bleadney viewed from Barrow Causeway |