Oakhill
Encyclopedia
Oakhill, Somerset
is a village
located approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Shepton Mallet
between the A37
and the A367 (The Fosseway). Oakhill is today is mainly a commuter village of 0.4 square miles (1 km²) in size, but it is more famous for its past activities which include its brewing.
Little London is the name given to a cluster of houses at the far Western end of the village. It is sometimes referred to as a district in itself for the purpose of location by trades persons etc. due to the 'stretched out' nature of the village.
The village borders with the Parish village of Ashwick
and the now demolished Ashwick Grove was arguably closer to Oakhill than its neighbour. Ashwick Grove was the home of John Billingsley
of Ashwick, the grandson of Nicholas Billingsley, a Presbyterian dissenter
who was minister at Ashwick from 1699 to 1729, and is most remembered locally as the owner of Oakhill Brewery, established in 1761, and famous for its Oakhill Invalid Stout.
The village had its own railway, built in 1904, to take beer barrels to the Somerset & Dorset Railway at nearby Binegar
. The railway had a 2'6" gauge and operated two 0-4-0T locomotives, the 'Mendip' and the 'Oakhill', which were painted in an olive green livery. Traces of the railway can still be seen in the surrounding area. The railways made a brief reappearance in the village of Oakhill in the 1980s, albeit in a miniature form. In the grounds of Oakhill Manor, the manor's owner, Walter Harper, opened his impressive 'ride on' replica collection to the public. Among the engines, which towed thousands of people during their time there, was a 'Pacific' replica locomotive
called Robin Hood
. Oakhill Manor closed its doors to the public in 1985 and the collection of engines are now elsewhere around the country.
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...
is a village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
located approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet is a small rural town and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset in South West England. Situated approximately south of Bristol and east of Wells, the town is estimated to have a population of 9,700. It contains the administrative headquarters of Mendip District Council...
between the A37
A37 road
The A37 is a major road in southern England. It runs north from the A35 at Dorchester in Dorset into Somerset through Yeovil and Shepton Mallet before terminating at the Three Lamps junction with the A4 in central Bristol...
and the A367 (The Fosseway). Oakhill is today is mainly a commuter village of 0.4 square miles (1 km²) in size, but it is more famous for its past activities which include its brewing.
Little London is the name given to a cluster of houses at the far Western end of the village. It is sometimes referred to as a district in itself for the purpose of location by trades persons etc. due to the 'stretched out' nature of the village.
Ashwick
Ashwick is a village in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, about three miles north of Shepton Mallet and seven miles east from Wells. It has also been a civil parish since 1826...
and the now demolished Ashwick Grove was arguably closer to Oakhill than its neighbour. Ashwick Grove was the home of John Billingsley
John Billingsley (agriculturist)
John Billingsley was an agricultural pioneer in 18th century Somerset, England.The writer of the 1794 Survey of Somerset, Billingsley was a leading agriculturalist who was one of the founders of the Bath and West Society, known today as the Royal Bath and West of England Society...
of Ashwick, the grandson of Nicholas Billingsley, a Presbyterian dissenter
Dissenter
The term dissenter , labels one who disagrees in matters of opinion, belief, etc. In the social and religious history of England and Wales, however, it refers particularly to a member of a religious body who has, for one reason or another, separated from the Established Church.Originally, the term...
who was minister at Ashwick from 1699 to 1729, and is most remembered locally as the owner of Oakhill Brewery, established in 1761, and famous for its Oakhill Invalid Stout.
The village had its own railway, built in 1904, to take beer barrels to the Somerset & Dorset Railway at nearby Binegar
Binegar railway station
Binegar railway station was a station on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway in the county of Somerset in England. Opened on 20 July 1874, the station consisted of two platforms, with a building on the down platform...
. The railway had a 2'6" gauge and operated two 0-4-0T locomotives, the 'Mendip' and the 'Oakhill', which were painted in an olive green livery. Traces of the railway can still be seen in the surrounding area. The railways made a brief reappearance in the village of Oakhill in the 1980s, albeit in a miniature form. In the grounds of Oakhill Manor, the manor's owner, Walter Harper, opened his impressive 'ride on' replica collection to the public. Among the engines, which towed thousands of people during their time there, was a 'Pacific' replica locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
called Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
. Oakhill Manor closed its doors to the public in 1985 and the collection of engines are now elsewhere around the country.