Highbridge, Somerset
Encyclopedia
Highbridge is a small market town
situated on the edge of the Somerset Levels
near the mouth of the River Brue
. It is in the County of Somerset
, and is approximately 20 miles (32.2 km) north west of Taunton
, the county town
of Somerset
. Highbridge is in the District of Sedgemoor
, being situated approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) north of Bridgwater
, the district's administrative centre. Highbrige closely neighbours Burnham-on-Sea
, forming part of the combined parish of Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge
and shares a Town Council
with the resort town.
period. A bridged crossing over the River Brue at this location has existed since the 14th century and it has always been an important crossing on the route from Bristol
to the South West
. The town that sprung up around this crossing takes it name from the bridge. An older name for the local manor
was "Huish" a contraction of the phrase "Huish jaxta altum pontem" (next to a high bridge). There are historical references to a wharf at this site and to usage of the river as part of the drainage plan for the Somerset Levels
by the Monks of Glastonbury
.
Highbridge grew in importance as a regional market and industrial town during the latter half of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century. Important employers included the livestock and cheese market, Highbridge Wharf, Buncombe's Steamrollers, and the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway rail works, which closed in 1930 with the loss of 400 jobs. Heavy industry and transport declined in Highbridge after the Second World War as the Wharf proved too small for the newer generation of ships, with the last cargo of timber arriving in 1948 and the wharf was closed to shipping the following year,
and commercial freight moved away from the railways. Since the 1970s close proximity to the M5 motorway
has driven a growth in light industry and in the town's commuter population.
In 1973 Highbridge was sublimated within the joint town council district of Highbridge and Burnham-on-Sea. Prior to this the 1931 census listed a population of 2585. The joining of the two towns remains a contentious issue. A 2001 independence referendum was unsuccessful, but there remains strong feeling among some sections of the community, as evidenced by a number of incidents of vandalism involving signs on the approach to the town.
In 2004 a community group, the Highbridge History Project, commemorated the 150th anniversary of opening of the town's station by publishing the results of their own five year long study into the town's history ( Weston Mercury "A Glimpse into the past").
Non-metropolitan district
which has traditionally been Conservative
run since its creation in 1974,.
An Urban District Council for Highbridge was established in 1894. In 1933 this merged with that of Burnham-on-Sea to form the new Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge Urban District Council. In the 1974 local government reforms, this became part of the new non-Metropolitan District of Sedgemoor.
Liberal Democrats
fared well in Burnham and Highbridge areas until 1999, when the Conservatives re-took Sedgemoor, with the Liberal Democrats losing the seat of Highbridge to Labour
. It has since returned Liberal Democrats with a substantial majority.
It falls within the Wells
county constituency which elects one Member of Parliament
(MP) to the House of Commons
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
, by the first past the post voting system. Since 2010, the MP has been Tessa Munt
of the Liberal Democrats
.
It is also within the South West England
European Parliament constituency.
and the Somerset Central Railway. The Canal was established first and was designed to improve drainage along the River Brue. It was also designed to create a trade link between Glastonbury
and the sea. A new straight channel, with a clyce (the local name for a sluice), which runs from the present day tidal gates to the location of the current station, was cut in 1801 and the original course of the river was as the site for of Highbridge Wharf. The Canal opened in 1833 and while initially successful it later suffered from financial and engineering problems. Only the 1801 clyce remains of the Glastonbury Canal at Highbridge.
In 1844, the Bristol and Exeter Railway
(a future component of the Great Western Railway
) opened a station at Highbridge on what is now the Great Western Main Line
. Ten years later the railway companies realised the potential of the route of the failing Glastonbury Canal and it was bought out by the Somerset Central Railway (a component of the Somerset and Dorset Railway).
This allowed them to run a railway line along the route of the old canal. Shortly afterwards local branch lines to Burnham-on-Sea and to the Wharf were added. These lines crossed the Great Western lines at grade, and crossed Church Street (the A38
, and at that time the main road route to Devon
and Cornwall
) at a notorious level crossing
which led to long tailbacks in the summer months.
No traces of the crossing or associated signal box remain. At its height Highbridge Station had five platforms and a carriage works. The decline of the British railway network hit the Highbridge Station hard and today there remain only two unmanned platforms, following the closure of two branch lines in the 1960s. The official name of the station is now Highbridge and Burnham
.
The old Highbridge Station, which was a Brunel original, was demolished in the 1980s. The Victorian former Station Master's house was also demolished. A housing estate now stands on much of the old railway lands.
, Highbridge has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country. The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50 °F). Seasonal temperature variation is less extreme than most of the United Kingdom because of the adjacent sea temperatures. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately 21 °C (69.8 °F). In winter mean minimum temperatures of 1 °C (33.8 °F) or 2 °C (35.6 °F) are common. In the summer the Azores
high pressure affects the south-west of England, however convective cloud sometimes forms inland, reducing the number of hours of sunshine. Annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600 hours. In December 1998 there were 20 days without sun recorded at Yeovilton. Most the rainfall in the south-west is caused by Atlantic depressions or by convection
. Most of the rainfall in autumn and winter is caused by the Atlantic depressions, which is when they are most active. In summer, a large proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. Average rainfall is around 700 mm (27.6 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west.
) much local employment is now in transport and light industry on the outskirts of the town - including furniture manufacture at Woodberry Brothers & Haines, food storage and distribution for Yeo Valley Organic
and Brake Brothers
, and road hauliers R T Keedwell.
The town has had an independent livestock
market on the same site since 1851. It was previously run by J.H. Palmer and Sons and met weekly on Monday. The market closed briefly during the 2001 UK foot and mouth crisis
, and in 2007 moved to a purpose built site at Huntworth near Bridgwater
which also replaced the livestock market at Taunton
.
The former market site is now earmarked for redevelopment; the adjoining Highbridge Hotel was damaged in a catastrophic fire on 22 April 2008.
Parts of the hotel are Georgian
in origin and are Grade II listed.
There is local pressure on its owner to prevent further deterioration of its fabric by weather damage. The 3 faced clock is falling into disrepair and may be replaced by a new 4 faced clock, maybe in a different position.
In February 2010, American computing giant IBM
announced that it would be creating dozens of jobs in a new service centre in Highbridge as part of the Into Somerset
inward investment
programme for Somerset
.
in 2007/08, these offices have not been open to the public.
Like most British towns Highbridge has had its ample share of alehouses and inns. Many of these depended on trade from the wharf and livestock market and numerous public houses existed close to these facilities along Newtown Road. Now only The Globe remains in this area. The Cooper's Arms, once recognised by the Campaign for Real Ale
(CAMRA) as one of the best pubs in the region has declined in popularity in recent times. Since the freehold was sold it has had various tenants, none of which have been successful. The town is also served by The George Hotel, The Bristol Bridge Inn and a thriving social club. This decline in the number of public houses has also affected local skittles
leagues who are facing a reduction in the number of venues in which this locally very popular pub game can be played.
is The King Alfred School
, which sits in Highbridge near the border with Burnham-on-Sea, which it also serves. It was founded in 1957 and is now a specialist
Sports College
. The majority of students continuing study travel to Bridgwater College
.
Highbridge is served by St John's Church and Hope Baptist Church, both located in Church Street.
Money for the building of St John's was given by Mary Ann Ruscombe Poole who laid the foundation stone in 1856 and opened in 1859.
The South Aisle was included in the original plans but not completed until 1882 by Frederick Bligh Bond
. Structural damage was identified during a survey in 1987.
Highbridge was the birthplace of noted British spy Frank Foley
, the "British Schindler", who saved thousands of Jews in World War II
, who is honoured by a statue near the Community Hall in the town centre.
Edward Higgins
(General
of the Salvation Army
in the early 1930s) was born in Church Street, and lends his name to a development of elderly persons dwellings near the town centre.
Colonel, the biggest bull in Britain, was resident at the Alstone Wildlife Park on the outskirts of Highbridge.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
situated on the edge of the Somerset Levels
Somerset Levels
The Somerset Levels, or the Somerset Levels and Moors as they are less commonly but more correctly known, is a sparsely populated coastal plain and wetland area of central Somerset, South West England, between the Quantock and Mendip Hills...
near the mouth of the River Brue
River Brue
The River Brue originates in the parish of Brewham in Somerset, England, and reaches the sea some 50 km west at Burnham-on-Sea. It originally took a different route from Glastonbury to the sea, but this was changed by the monastery in the twelfth century....
. It is in the County of Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, and is approximately 20 miles (32.2 km) north west of Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
, the county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. Highbridge is in the District of Sedgemoor
Sedgemoor
Sedgemoor is a low lying area of land in Somerset, England. It lies close to sea level south of the Polden Hills, historically largely marsh . The eastern part is known as King's Sedgemoor, and the western part West Sedgemoor. Sedgemoor is part of the area now known as the Somerset Levels...
, being situated approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) north of Bridgwater
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
, the district's administrative centre. Highbrige closely neighbours Burnham-on-Sea
Burnham-on-Sea
Burnham-on-Sea is a town in Somerset, England, at the mouth of the River Parrett and Bridgwater Bay. Burnham was a small village until the late 18th century, when it began to grow because of its popularity as a seaside resort. It forms part of the parish of Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge...
, forming part of the combined parish of Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge
Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge
Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge is a civil parish in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, England. It has a population of 18,922 . The parish contains the towns Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge....
and shares a Town Council
Town council
A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....
with the resort town.
History
There is archaeological evidence of occupation around the Highbridge area at least as far back as the RomanRoman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
period. A bridged crossing over the River Brue at this location has existed since the 14th century and it has always been an important crossing on the route from Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
to the South West
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
. The town that sprung up around this crossing takes it name from the bridge. An older name for the local manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
was "Huish" a contraction of the phrase "Huish jaxta altum pontem" (next to a high bridge). There are historical references to a wharf at this site and to usage of the river as part of the drainage plan for the Somerset Levels
Somerset Levels
The Somerset Levels, or the Somerset Levels and Moors as they are less commonly but more correctly known, is a sparsely populated coastal plain and wetland area of central Somerset, South West England, between the Quantock and Mendip Hills...
by the Monks of Glastonbury
Glastonbury
Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census...
.
Highbridge grew in importance as a regional market and industrial town during the latter half of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century. Important employers included the livestock and cheese market, Highbridge Wharf, Buncombe's Steamrollers, and the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway rail works, which closed in 1930 with the loss of 400 jobs. Heavy industry and transport declined in Highbridge after the Second World War as the Wharf proved too small for the newer generation of ships, with the last cargo of timber arriving in 1948 and the wharf was closed to shipping the following year,
and commercial freight moved away from the railways. Since the 1970s close proximity to the M5 motorway
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
has driven a growth in light industry and in the town's commuter population.
In 1973 Highbridge was sublimated within the joint town council district of Highbridge and Burnham-on-Sea. Prior to this the 1931 census listed a population of 2585. The joining of the two towns remains a contentious issue. A 2001 independence referendum was unsuccessful, but there remains strong feeling among some sections of the community, as evidenced by a number of incidents of vandalism involving signs on the approach to the town.
In 2004 a community group, the Highbridge History Project, commemorated the 150th anniversary of opening of the town's station by publishing the results of their own five year long study into the town's history ( Weston Mercury "A Glimpse into the past").
Governance
Highbridge is within the SedgemoorSedgemoor
Sedgemoor is a low lying area of land in Somerset, England. It lies close to sea level south of the Polden Hills, historically largely marsh . The eastern part is known as King's Sedgemoor, and the western part West Sedgemoor. Sedgemoor is part of the area now known as the Somerset Levels...
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
which has traditionally been Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
run since its creation in 1974,.
An Urban District Council for Highbridge was established in 1894. In 1933 this merged with that of Burnham-on-Sea to form the new Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge Urban District Council. In the 1974 local government reforms, this became part of the new non-Metropolitan District of Sedgemoor.
Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
fared well in Burnham and Highbridge areas until 1999, when the Conservatives re-took Sedgemoor, with the Liberal Democrats losing the seat of Highbridge to Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. It has since returned Liberal Democrats with a substantial majority.
It falls within the Wells
Wells (UK Parliament constituency)
Wells is a county constituency centred on the city of Wells in Somerset. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first past the post voting system...
county constituency which elects one Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, by the first past the post voting system. Since 2010, the MP has been Tessa Munt
Tessa Munt
Tessa Jane Munt is a British Liberal Democrat politician. She is the Member of Parliament for Wells in Somerset.-Political career:...
of the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
.
It is also within the South West England
South West England (European Parliament constituency)
South West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation, reduced from 7 in 2004.-Boundaries:...
European Parliament constituency.
Transport
Highbridge was originally the seaward terminus of the Glastonbury CanalGlastonbury Canal
The Glastonbury Canal ran for just over through two locks from Glastonbury to Highbridge in Somerset, England, where it entered the River Parrett and from there the Bristol Channel. The canal was authorised by Parliament in 1827 and opened in 1834. It was operated by The Glastonbury Navigation &...
and the Somerset Central Railway. The Canal was established first and was designed to improve drainage along the River Brue. It was also designed to create a trade link between Glastonbury
Glastonbury
Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census...
and the sea. A new straight channel, with a clyce (the local name for a sluice), which runs from the present day tidal gates to the location of the current station, was cut in 1801 and the original course of the river was as the site for of Highbridge Wharf. The Canal opened in 1833 and while initially successful it later suffered from financial and engineering problems. Only the 1801 clyce remains of the Glastonbury Canal at Highbridge.
In 1844, the Bristol and Exeter Railway
Bristol and Exeter Railway
The Bristol & Exeter Railway was a railway company formed to connect Bristol and Exeter.The company's head office was situated outside their Bristol station...
(a future component of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
) opened a station at Highbridge on what is now the Great Western Main Line
Great Western Main Line
The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
. Ten years later the railway companies realised the potential of the route of the failing Glastonbury Canal and it was bought out by the Somerset Central Railway (a component of the Somerset and Dorset Railway).
This allowed them to run a railway line along the route of the old canal. Shortly afterwards local branch lines to Burnham-on-Sea and to the Wharf were added. These lines crossed the Great Western lines at grade, and crossed Church Street (the A38
A38 road
The A38, part of which is also known as the Devon Expressway, is a major A-class trunk road in England.The road runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. It is long, making it one of the longest A-roads in England. It was formerly known as the Leeds — Exeter Trunk Road,...
, and at that time the main road route to Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
and Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
) at a notorious level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
which led to long tailbacks in the summer months.
No traces of the crossing or associated signal box remain. At its height Highbridge Station had five platforms and a carriage works. The decline of the British railway network hit the Highbridge Station hard and today there remain only two unmanned platforms, following the closure of two branch lines in the 1960s. The official name of the station is now Highbridge and Burnham
Highbridge and Burnham railway station
Highbridge and Burnham railway station is situated on the Bristol to Taunton Line in the town of Highbridge in Somerset, England and also serves neighbouring Burnham-on-Sea...
.
The old Highbridge Station, which was a Brunel original, was demolished in the 1980s. The Victorian former Station Master's house was also demolished. A housing estate now stands on much of the old railway lands.
Geography
Highbridge town centre clusters around the crossroads formed by Church Street and Market Street. At their meeting point is a roundabout which marks the location of the town's original three-faced town clock. A modern concrete replacement clock, also with three faces and topped with the town's coat of arms stands in nearby Jubilee Gardens. The town centre has faced a steady decline in recent years, with numerous small independent shops and major banks closing. The exception is Natwest which operates a 'customer service centre', open for part of the day only. The former wharf area is occupied by recently built new housing, which stretches alongside the river from the town centre to the railway.Climate
Along with the rest of South West EnglandSouth West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
, Highbridge has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country. The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50 °F). Seasonal temperature variation is less extreme than most of the United Kingdom because of the adjacent sea temperatures. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately 21 °C (69.8 °F). In winter mean minimum temperatures of 1 °C (33.8 °F) or 2 °C (35.6 °F) are common. In the summer the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
high pressure affects the south-west of England, however convective cloud sometimes forms inland, reducing the number of hours of sunshine. Annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600 hours. In December 1998 there were 20 days without sun recorded at Yeovilton. Most the rainfall in the south-west is caused by Atlantic depressions or by convection
Convection
Convection is the movement of molecules within fluids and rheids. It cannot take place in solids, since neither bulk current flows nor significant diffusion can take place in solids....
. Most of the rainfall in autumn and winter is caused by the Atlantic depressions, which is when they are most active. In summer, a large proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. Average rainfall is around 700 mm (27.6 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west.
Economy
Recently there has been a rapid expansion of flats and social housing in the town centre, and many new takeaway outlets which have led to concerns about antisocial behaviour and the long-term viability of remaining businesses. Following the closure of many small family shops and businesses and the development of some industrial estates (which take advantage of the proximity of the M5 motorwayM5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
) much local employment is now in transport and light industry on the outskirts of the town - including furniture manufacture at Woodberry Brothers & Haines, food storage and distribution for Yeo Valley Organic
Yeo Valley Organic
Yeo Valley Organic is part of a family-owned farming and dairy company based in the village of Blagdon, in the Yeo Valley, and in Cannington, near Bridgwater, Somerset, England-History:...
and Brake Brothers
Brake Bros Ltd
Brake Bros Limited is a distribution company supplying food, drink and other products mainly to the catering industry in many countries, including the UK and France...
, and road hauliers R T Keedwell.
The town has had an independent livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
market on the same site since 1851. It was previously run by J.H. Palmer and Sons and met weekly on Monday. The market closed briefly during the 2001 UK foot and mouth crisis
2001 UK foot and mouth crisis
The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom in 2001 caused a crisis in British agriculture and tourism. This epizootic saw 2,000 cases of the disease in farms in most of the British countryside. Over 10 million sheep and cattle were killed in an eventually successful attempt to...
, and in 2007 moved to a purpose built site at Huntworth near Bridgwater
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
which also replaced the livestock market at Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
.
The former market site is now earmarked for redevelopment; the adjoining Highbridge Hotel was damaged in a catastrophic fire on 22 April 2008.
Parts of the hotel are Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
in origin and are Grade II listed.
There is local pressure on its owner to prevent further deterioration of its fabric by weather damage. The 3 faced clock is falling into disrepair and may be replaced by a new 4 faced clock, maybe in a different position.
In February 2010, American computing giant IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
announced that it would be creating dozens of jobs in a new service centre in Highbridge as part of the Into Somerset
Into Somerset
Into Somerset is the inward investment agency for the county of Somerset, England. - Into Somerset website It works with local authorities, other economic agencies and private sector partners, to encourage business relocation to Somerset....
inward investment
Inward investment
Inward investment is the injection of money from an external source into a region, in order to purchase capital goods for a branch of a corporation to locate or develop its presence in the region....
programme for Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
.
Landmarks
The Community Hall (opened in 1994) stands on the site of the former Town Hall (built in 1885, demolished in 1984) and Railway Hotel, and incorporates a large function room and associated meeting rooms, a small volunteer-operated public library and offices for Homes in Sedgemoor, the local Housing Authority. However since cuts by Sedgemoor District CouncilSedgemoor
Sedgemoor is a low lying area of land in Somerset, England. It lies close to sea level south of the Polden Hills, historically largely marsh . The eastern part is known as King's Sedgemoor, and the western part West Sedgemoor. Sedgemoor is part of the area now known as the Somerset Levels...
in 2007/08, these offices have not been open to the public.
Like most British towns Highbridge has had its ample share of alehouses and inns. Many of these depended on trade from the wharf and livestock market and numerous public houses existed close to these facilities along Newtown Road. Now only The Globe remains in this area. The Cooper's Arms, once recognised by the Campaign for Real Ale
Campaign for Real Ale
The Campaign for Real Ale is an independent voluntary consumer organisation based in St Albans, England, whose main aims are promoting real ale, real cider and the traditional British pub...
(CAMRA) as one of the best pubs in the region has declined in popularity in recent times. Since the freehold was sold it has had various tenants, none of which have been successful. The town is also served by The George Hotel, The Bristol Bridge Inn and a thriving social club. This decline in the number of public houses has also affected local skittles
Skittles (sport)
Skittles is an old European lawn game, a variety of bowling, from which ten-pin bowling, duckpin bowling, and candlepin bowling in the United States, and five-pin bowling in Canada are descended. In the United Kingdom, the game remains a popular pub game in England and Wales, though it tends to be...
leagues who are facing a reduction in the number of venues in which this locally very popular pub game can be played.
Education
The town is served by the newly amalgamated Churchfield Primary School (formerly Beechfield Infant School and St. John's CofE Junior School). The local coeducational comprehensive schoolComprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
is The King Alfred School
The King Alfred School, Highbridge
The King Alfred School is a coeducational comprehensive school located in Highbridge, Somerset, England. The school is a specialist Sports College. In 2007, the school celebrated its 50th anniversary....
, which sits in Highbridge near the border with Burnham-on-Sea, which it also serves. It was founded in 1957 and is now a specialist
Specialist school
The specialist schools programme was a UK government initiative which encouraged secondary schools in England to specialise in certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust was responsible for the delivery of the programme...
Sports College
Sports College
Sports Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, PE, sports and dance. Schools that successfully apply to the Specialist Schools Trust and become Sports...
. The majority of students continuing study travel to Bridgwater College
Bridgwater College
Bridgwater College is a further education college primarily based in Bridgwater, Somerset, England. It has centres in Cannington, Yeovil, and Paignton....
.
Religious sites
Money for the building of St John's was given by Mary Ann Ruscombe Poole who laid the foundation stone in 1856 and opened in 1859.
The South Aisle was included in the original plans but not completed until 1882 by Frederick Bligh Bond
Frederick Bligh Bond
Frederick Bligh Bond was an English architect, illustrator, archaeologist, and psychical researcher.-Early life:...
. Structural damage was identified during a survey in 1987.
Notable people
Frank Foley
Major Francis Edward Foley CMG was a British Secret Intelligence Service officer...
, the "British Schindler", who saved thousands of Jews in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, who is honoured by a statue near the Community Hall in the town centre.
Edward Higgins
Edward Higgins
Edward John Higgins was the third General of The Salvation Army .He was born in Highbridge, Somerset, England. His father became a much revered Commissioner in the Army's ranks, and travelled extensively in the interests of the organisation. His mother died when he was 8 years of age.He became an...
(General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
of the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
in the early 1930s) was born in Church Street, and lends his name to a development of elderly persons dwellings near the town centre.
Colonel, the biggest bull in Britain, was resident at the Alstone Wildlife Park on the outskirts of Highbridge.
External links
- Capture Highbridge by the Highbridge History Project
- The Somerset Urban Archaeological Survey: Burnham and Highbridge by Clare Gathercole
- The history of Highbridge by local historian Roy Cox
- Historical Highbridge Buildings by Highbridge Councillor Joyce Beard (archive copy, all other pages of this website are missing)