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3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Shepton Mallet? Wrong! If the Shepton Mallet is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Shepton Mallet then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Shepton Mallet? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Shepton Mallet and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Shepton Mallet wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
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8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Shepton Mallet site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Shepton Mallet, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Shepton Mallet, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
{{infobox UK place|
|country = England|latitude= 51.1925
|longitude= -2.5458
|official_name= Shepton Mallet|population = 8,440|shire_district= Mendip|region= South West England|constituency_westminster= [Wells (UK Parliament constituency)|post_town= SHEPTON MALLET|postcode_district= BA4|postcode_area=BA|dial_code= 01749|os_grid_reference= ST619438-->
Shepton Mallet is a small rural
town in Somerset, England. It is 5 miles (8 km) to the east of Wells and just south of the Mendip Hills. The town has a
population of 8,440 (
As of 2002 estimate). Shepton Mallet contains the administrative headquarters of Mendip District Council.
Overview
Rich in
history, the
market cross in the town centre dates back to the
1500s.
Shepton Mallet (HM Prison) is England's oldest
prison and is still in use. National treasures such as the
Domesday Book were kept safe here in
World War II. Archeology uncovered a significant number of Roman Empire artefacts in the early 1990s at a site adjacent to the nearby
Fosse Way, including a Labarum
amulet, held to be among the earliest evidence of
Christianity in England. In honour of this the town's underused
1970s entertainment complex, generally held to be a
white elephant, was renamed
The Amulet.
Shepton Mallet is home to Europe's largest
cider plant. This produces
Blackthorn Cider and Gaymer's Olde English cider, and Babycham.
On
27 April 2006 a plan was unveiled to transform the centre of Shepton Mallet with "The Amulet" becoming the centre of a new Shepton Mallet Performing Arts Academy and the centre of the town returned to a "more traditional form".
To the north of the town are several
Caves of the Mendip Hills including Thrupe Lane Swallet which is a
geological Site of Special Scientific Interest.
History
Shepton Mallet was listed in the
Domesday Book of 1086 as
Sepeton, meaning 'The sheep enclosure' from the Old English
scoep and
tun.The town's first name derives from the
Anglo-Saxon language for
sheep fold, pointing to the original source of the town's wealth. It was part of lands given to the
Malet family by Henry I of England in
1100, making it one of the first double place names in the country.
Shepton Mallet was a site of one of the original gatherings of the
Monmouth Rebellion, after Monmouth rallied troops there in 1685 after landing at Lyme Regis. Many rebels joined the cause, but Monmouth had to return to Shepton after failing to take Bath, Somerset or Bristol. Following the
Bloody Assizes, a number of rebels were hanged from the market cross.
The traditional
wool and silk industries were joined by
brewing in the 19th century. The Anglo-Bavarian Brewery,still a local landmark, was reputedly the first in England to brew
lager. The town, home to Babycham, is still an important centre for
cider production. In recent years there has been the addition of hi-tech services from companies such as the Internet Service Provider
UK Online. A factory that once made
C&J Clark and later
Doc Martens boots has closed and the site is planned to be taken by the Tesco food retailer for a supermarket, not without local misgivings.
The town's weekly
newspaper, part of the Mid-Somerset Series, is called the Shepton Mallet Journal.
Events
Two annual
agricultural shows are held close to the town: the four-day
Royal Bath and West of England Society Show which is held on the society's showground near Evercreech, and the one-day
Mid-Somerset Show, on fields on the town's southern edge.
The Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music 1970 was held at Shepton Mallet in
1970.
The
Glastonbury Festival, the largest music festival in Europe, is held in the village of
Pilton, Somerset, approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) from the town.
The New Wine and Soul Survivor festivals are held at the nearby
Royal Bath & West Showground every summer. The
Shepton Mallet International Antiques & Collectors' Fair is also held several times a year here.
Transport
Shepton Mallet had railway stations on two lines, both now closed.
The first station, called
Shepton Mallet (High Street) railway station in
British Railways days, was on the
East Somerset Railway branch line from
Witham (Somerset) railway station and opened in 1859. The line was extended to
Wells in 1862 and later connected to the Cheddar Valley line branch of the Bristol and Exeter Railway from
Yatton to Wells via Cheddar. Through services between Yatton and Witham started in 1870. The line was absorbed into the Great Western Railway in the 1870s.
A second station, later called
Shepton Mallet (Charlton Road) railway station, opened in 1874 with the building of the Bath, Somerset extension of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. This station was some distance east of the centre of the town and was approached on a long viaduct, which still remains.
Both stations closed in the 1960s as part of the
Beeching Axe. Shepton Mallet (High Street) closed with the withdrawal of passenger services on the Yatton to Witham line in 1963, though part of the former East Somerset line remains open for freight and as a heritage railway. Shepton Mallet (Charlton Road) closed in 1966 with the closure of the Somerset and Dorset line.
Nowadays, the nearest
Network Rail station is Castle Cary railway station, some eight miles to the south of Shepton Mallet.
Tesco and Townsend Retail Park
Shepton Mallet became home to a group of roughly 30 protesters in February 2006, as they fought a planning decision by the town council to allow construction of a
Tesco store nearer the town centre to replace the existing Tesco supermarket on the edge of the town. The development, on a brownfield site that previously housed a shoe factory and plastics factory, required the felling of an avenue of mature trees, present since the 19th Century. (cf the very similar controversy in
Stroud, Gloucestershire some years earlier). After the group were evicted by bailiffs following a court order, a second group established themselves just outside the planned development, to help protect a second avenue of trees, seemingly not scheduled for destruction but ultimately reduced in number by about 75% after the second group's eventual eviction.
It was widely believed that very few of the protesters were local to the area, many coming from as far afield as Brighton and Nottingham. Some observers felt that they had completely missed the point that the full Town and country planning in the United Kingdom had been followed for two or more years prior to the granting of planning permission. Many of the townsfolk were quoted as being dismayed and disgusted by the protests - especially those who had given up their free time during the planning process to attend meetings and press for changes to the original plans, though the group had some supporters from the local community. The counter-argument was that many of the trees being "protected" by this protest were scrubby Araucaria heterophylla that were (and had been in the past) in danger of falling in high winds. Tesco argued that the total number of trees being removed was around 180, many of which were in urgent need of maintenance, and that 210 new trees would be planted to replace them, an argument that ultimately won the Council's support.
The new Townsend Retail Park, location of the new Tesco, will be home to several retail outlets including:
References
External links
- Shepton Mallet Online Town Council Website
- The Somerset Urban Archaeological Survey: Shepton Mallet, by Clare Gathercole
- Photos of Shepton Mallet in 3d (Anaglyphs)
{{infobox UK place|
|country = England|latitude= 51.1925
|longitude= -2.5458
|official_name= Shepton Mallet|population = 8,440|shire_district=
Mendip|region= South West England|constituency_westminster= [Wells (UK Parliament constituency)|post_town= SHEPTON MALLET|postcode_district= BA4|postcode_area=BA|dial_code= 01749|os_grid_reference= ST619438-->
Shepton Mallet is a small rural town in Somerset, England. It is 5 miles (8 km) to the east of
Wells and just south of the Mendip Hills. The town has a
population of 8,440 (As of 2002 estimate). Shepton Mallet contains the administrative headquarters of
Mendip District Council.
Overview
Rich in history, the
market cross in the town centre dates back to the
1500s.
Shepton Mallet (HM Prison) is England's oldest
prison and is still in use. National treasures such as the
Domesday Book were kept safe here in World War II. Archeology uncovered a significant number of
Roman Empire artefacts in the early
1990s at a site adjacent to the nearby Fosse Way, including a Labarum amulet, held to be among the earliest evidence of
Christianity in
England. In honour of this the town's underused 1970s entertainment complex, generally held to be a
white elephant, was renamed
The Amulet.
Shepton Mallet is home to Europe's largest cider plant. This produces Blackthorn Cider and
Gaymer's Olde English cider, and Babycham.
On 27 April
2006 a plan was unveiled to transform the centre of Shepton Mallet with "The Amulet" becoming the centre of a new Shepton Mallet Performing Arts Academy and the centre of the town returned to a "more traditional form".
To the north of the town are several
Caves of the Mendip Hills including
Thrupe Lane Swallet which is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest.
History
Shepton Mallet was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as
Sepeton, meaning 'The sheep enclosure' from the Old English
scoep and
tun.The town's first name derives from the
Anglo-Saxon language for
sheep fold, pointing to the original source of the town's wealth. It was part of lands given to the
Malet family by Henry I of England in 1100, making it one of the first double place names in the country.
Shepton Mallet was a site of one of the original gatherings of the
Monmouth Rebellion, after Monmouth rallied troops there in
1685 after landing at Lyme Regis. Many rebels joined the cause, but Monmouth had to return to Shepton after failing to take Bath, Somerset or Bristol. Following the
Bloody Assizes, a number of rebels were hanged from the market cross.
The traditional wool and
silk industries were joined by
brewing in the 19th century. The Anglo-Bavarian Brewery,still a local landmark, was reputedly the first in England to brew
lager. The town, home to Babycham, is still an important centre for cider production. In recent years there has been the addition of hi-tech services from companies such as the Internet Service Provider
UK Online. A factory that once made
C&J Clark and later Doc Martens boots has closed and the site is planned to be taken by the
Tesco food retailer for a supermarket, not without local misgivings.
The town's weekly
newspaper, part of the Mid-Somerset Series, is called the Shepton Mallet Journal.
Events
Two annual
agricultural shows are held close to the town: the four-day
Royal Bath and West of England Society Show which is held on the society's showground near Evercreech, and the one-day
Mid-Somerset Show, on fields on the town's southern edge.
The
Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music 1970 was held at Shepton Mallet in 1970.
The
Glastonbury Festival, the largest music festival in Europe, is held in the village of
Pilton, Somerset, approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) from the town.
The New Wine and Soul Survivor festivals are held at the nearby Royal Bath & West Showground every summer. The Shepton Mallet International Antiques & Collectors' Fair is also held several times a year here.
Transport
Shepton Mallet had railway stations on two lines, both now closed.
The first station, called Shepton Mallet (High Street) railway station in
British Railways days, was on the East Somerset Railway branch line from
Witham (Somerset) railway station and opened in 1859. The line was extended to
Wells in 1862 and later connected to the Cheddar Valley line branch of the Bristol and Exeter Railway from Yatton to Wells via Cheddar. Through services between Yatton and Witham started in 1870. The line was absorbed into the
Great Western Railway in the 1870s.
A second station, later called
Shepton Mallet (Charlton Road) railway station, opened in 1874 with the building of the Bath, Somerset extension of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. This station was some distance east of the centre of the town and was approached on a long viaduct, which still remains.
Both stations closed in the 1960s as part of the Beeching Axe. Shepton Mallet (High Street) closed with the withdrawal of passenger services on the Yatton to Witham line in 1963, though part of the former East Somerset line remains open for freight and as a heritage railway. Shepton Mallet (Charlton Road) closed in 1966 with the closure of the Somerset and Dorset line.
Nowadays, the nearest
Network Rail station is Castle Cary railway station, some eight miles to the south of Shepton Mallet.
Tesco and Townsend Retail Park
Shepton Mallet became home to a group of roughly 30 protesters in February 2006, as they fought a planning decision by the town council to allow construction of a Tesco store nearer the town centre to replace the existing Tesco supermarket on the edge of the town. The development, on a brownfield site that previously housed a shoe factory and plastics factory, required the felling of an avenue of mature trees, present since the 19th Century. (cf the very similar controversy in
Stroud, Gloucestershire some years earlier). After the group were evicted by bailiffs following a court order, a second group established themselves just outside the planned development, to help protect a second avenue of trees, seemingly not scheduled for destruction but ultimately reduced in number by about 75% after the second group's eventual eviction.
It was widely believed that very few of the protesters were local to the area, many coming from as far afield as Brighton and
Nottingham. Some observers felt that they had completely missed the point that the full
Town and country planning in the United Kingdom had been followed for two or more years prior to the granting of
planning permission. Many of the townsfolk were quoted as being dismayed and disgusted by the protests - especially those who had given up their free time during the planning process to attend meetings and press for changes to the original plans, though the group had some supporters from the local community. The counter-argument was that many of the trees being "protected" by this protest were scrubby
Araucaria heterophylla that were (and had been in the past) in danger of falling in high winds. Tesco argued that the total number of trees being removed was around 180, many of which were in urgent need of maintenance, and that 210 new trees would be planted to replace them, an argument that ultimately won the Council's support.
The new Townsend Retail Park, location of the new Tesco, will be home to several retail outlets including:
- Tesco (Now Open)
- Boots Group (Due to open 14 October)
- Woolworths Group
- Argos (retailer)
- New Look
- PamPurredPets
- Laura Ashley
- Tesco Petrol Station
- Waetherspoons Pub (at the old chapel)
References
External links
- Shepton Mallet Online Town Council Website
- The Somerset Urban Archaeological Survey: Shepton Mallet, by Clare Gathercole
- Photos of Shepton Mallet in 3d (Anaglyphs)
Shepton Mallet Town Council
Welcome to Shepton Mallet. Shepton Mallet is a delightful mixture of old and new; a combination of ancient market town and modern industrial community, nestling in a fold towards ...
Shepton Mallet Tourist Information and Heritage Centre
The Shepton Mallet Tourist Information and Heritage Centre is conveniently situated at the top High Street. It is open from 10am to 4.30pm on Mondays to Fridays from April to ...
Shepton Mallet Rotary Club Home Page
Our members send warm greetings of friendship to fellow Rotarians and friends throughout the world. In these web pages you can find out about our club, who we are and what we do.
Shepton Mallet Online has now closed
Shepton Mallet Online has now closed. To be re-directed to Shepton Mallet Town Council site please click the link below. www.sheptonmallet.org
Shepton Mallet Caving Club
Founded in 1949 and based in Mendips, Somerset. Includes hut details, meeting schedule, photos and contact information.
Shepton Mallet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coordinates: 51°11′33″N 2°32′45″W / 51.1925, -2.5458. Shepton Mallet is a small rural town in Somerset, England. It is 5 miles (8 km) to the east of Wells and ...
HM Prison Service - Locate a Prison - Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet ... Prison information alt i, advice & support alt s, careers & jobs alt n, news alt n, resource centre alt r, about the service alt a Skip to main page content
Welcome to the future of Shepton Mallet
Welcome to the future of Shepton Mallet. Shepton 21 Regeneration Partnership is committed to creating a successful future for our town and surrounding villages.
News | Shepton Mallet Caving Club
Founded in 1949, the Shepton Mallet Caving Club (SMCC) is an active caving club based in the Mendips, Somerset, and has a membership of around 100.
Shepton Mallet & District Pool League Online!!
Welcome to the official website of the Shepton Mallet and District Pool League.
