Axbridge
Axbridge is a town in Somerset, England, and situated in the Sedgemoor district on the River Axe, near the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. It is a parish, a market town and a municipal borough located in the Hundred of Winterstoke, 13 miles south-west of Bristol.
The history of Axbridge can be traced back to the reign of King Alfred when it was part of the Saxons' defence system for Wessex against the Vikings. The origins of settlement in the area almost certainly go back as far as the Stone Age, with early flint tools having been found on the slopes of the nearby hills. Axbridge appears in the Domesday survey of 1086 as part of the royal manor of Cheddar. It was granted a Royal Charter in 1202, when King John sold most of the royal manor of Cheddar to the Bishop of Bath and Wells. Being a market town allowed Axbridge to prosper by way of the wool trade during the Medieval period, however, the much later decline of the cloth industry brought about the collapse of the area as an important trading centre.
From the south, one can see how the town of Axbridge embraces the southern slopes of the Mendips. As an important wool producer in the Middle Ages, the town has always been at the centre of things, as indeed it was a river port in earlier times. There is far less through traffic nowadays, and even though the town stocks have since been removed and relegated to the local museum, the layout of Axbridge has changed little over the centuries. A medieval town expanding on a fortified Saxon burgh and where today, visitors can wander the meandering thoroughfares that remain at the heart of this charming and still vibrant place, whilst soaking up hundreds of years of history.
The picturesque market town of Axbridge has some interesting Tudor houses including the King John Hunting Lodge, an eye-catching timber framed building. Originally a wool merchant's house dating from 1500, the building today houses the excellent local history museum where three floors of exhibits and many original architectural features illuminate the history of the building and of the town. The steep stairs and sloping floors are a reminder of the building's great age. Public admission is free.
Off from the Square the several winding streets still remain remarkably medieval in character. The brightly painted houses that line the narrow High Street have many original features such as sash windows and studded doors. Some houses have Georgian or Victorian facades which were added to the fronts of the earlier buildings. Other original buildings that remain include the town hall and the almshouse, which was founded in 1480 and today functions as a bistro.
Axbridge was never developed during the Industrial Revolution, which indeed helped to preserve its architecture and layout. Axbridge is a designated conservation area and a colourful, vibrant locality that has managed to hold onto elements of its past in an otherwise fast-changing world.
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