Woolminstone
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Crewkerne ( ) is a town and
electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...
in Somerset, England, southwest of Yeovil and east of
Chard Chard or Swiss chard (; ''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''vulgaris'', Cicla Group and Flavescens Group) is a green leafy vegetable. In the cultivars of the Flavescens Group, the leaf stalks are large and often prepared separately from the leaf blade; ...
all in the South Somerset district. The civil parish of West Crewkerne includes the hamlets of Coombe, Woolminstone and Henley – and borders the county of Dorset to the south. The town is on the main headwater of the
River Parrett The River Parrett flows through the counties of Dorset and Somerset in South West England, from its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset. Flowing northwest through Somerset and the Somerset Levels to it ...
, A30 road and West of England Main Line railway, in modern times the slower route between the capital and the
southwest peninsula The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
, having been eclipsed by the Taunton route. The earliest written record of Crewkerne is in the 899 will of
Alfred the Great Alfred the Great (alt. Ælfred 848/849 – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who bot ...
who left it to his youngest son
Æthelweard Æthelweard, also spelled Ethelweard, Aethelweard, Athelweard, etc., is an Anglo-Saxon male name. It may refer to: * King Æthelweard of the Hwicce (''fl''. 7/8th century) * King Æthelweard of East Anglia (''fl.'' mid-9th century) * Æthelweard (s ...
. After the Norman conquest it was held by William the Conqueror and in the Domesday Survey of 1086 was described as a royal manor.
Crewkerne Castle Crewkerne Castle (which is also known as Castle Hill or Croft Castle) was possibly a Norman motte and bailey castle on a mound that is situated north-west of the town of Crewkerne in Somerset, England. Details Crewkerne Castle a high outcrop ...
was possibly a
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...
motte castle. The town grew up in the late
mediaeval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
period around the textile industry, its wealth demonstrated in the fifteenth century Church of St Bartholomew. During the 18th and 19th centuries the main industry was cloth making, including webbing, and sails for the Royal Navy. Local ecological sites include the Bincombe Beeches Local Nature Reserve and the
Millwater Millwater () is a 1.4 hectare (3.5 acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest at Crewkerne in Somerset, notified in 1989. Millwater consists of a complex mosaic of pasture, wet grassland, tall-herb fen, standing and running water, ald ...
biological Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Crewkerne railway station Crewkerne railway station is located in Misterton in Somerset, England, and serves the area around the town of Crewkerne. It is from on the West of England Main Line to Exeter. The main building is listed Grade II and is surrounded by severa ...
is served by South Western Railway. There are local supermarkets and local shops, and some local industry. The town is the birthplace of several notable people and has varied cultural and sporting facilities including those at
Wadham Community School Wadham School is a school for pupils aged 13–18 situated on a site on the outskirts of Crewkerne in Somerset, England. The school has been rated Good by Ofsted since May 2014. School site Wadham School opened in purpose built accommodati ...
.


History

The name Crewkerne is thought to be derived from ''Cruc-aera''; from the British ''cruc'' - a spur of a hill, and the
Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
''aera'' - a house, especially a storehouse. The town was known as ''Crocern'', or ''Cruaern'' in the 899 will of
Alfred the Great Alfred the Great (alt. Ælfred 848/849 – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who bot ...
when he left it to his younger son
Æthelweard Æthelweard, also spelled Ethelweard, Aethelweard, Athelweard, etc., is an Anglo-Saxon male name. It may refer to: * King Æthelweard of the Hwicce (''fl''. 7/8th century) * King Æthelweard of East Anglia (''fl.'' mid-9th century) * Æthelweard (s ...
, and by 1066 the manor was held by Edith Swanneck mistress of King Harold. After the Norman conquest the Domesday Survey of 1086 shows the so-named manor was feudally royal, a possession of William the Conqueror, and the church estate was given to the Abbaye-aux-Hommes in
Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,Normandy. In 1499,
John de Combe John de Comb (or Combe) was the member of Parliament for Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the e ...
, a precentor of
Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The present building was complete by about 140 ...
and former vicar of Crewkerne, founded Crewkerne Grammar School. The school survived until 1904. The parish was part of the hundred of Crewkerne.
Crewkerne Castle Crewkerne Castle (which is also known as Castle Hill or Croft Castle) was possibly a Norman motte and bailey castle on a mound that is situated north-west of the town of Crewkerne in Somerset, England. Details Crewkerne Castle a high outcrop ...
was possibly a
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...
motte castle on a mound to the north-west of the town, which is known as Castle Hill. The town grew up in the late
mediaeval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
period around the textile industry, its wealth preserved in its fifteenth century parish church. It later prospered as a coaching stop in the
Georgian period The Georgian era was a period in British history from 1714 to , named after the Hanoverian Kings George I, George II, George III and George IV. The definition of the Georgian era is often extended to include the relatively short reign of Willi ...
. The Manor Farmhouse in Henley was built from hamstone in the early 17th century, but possibly incorporates medieval fragments. The building is designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building. During the 18th and 19th centuries the main industry was cloth making, including webbing, and sails for the Royal Navy.


Governance

The town council takes charge of some local issues so sets an annual precept (local rate) to cover its costs and makes annual accounts for public scrutiny. It evaluates local planning applications; it works with the police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council. The current council, elected on 5 May 2022, consists of eight Liberal Democrats, two Conservatives and two independents. The town falls within the non-metropolitan district of South Somerset, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the
Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
, having previously been Crewkerne Urban District. The district council is responsible for local planning and
building control Building automation (BAS), also known as building management system (BMS) or building energy management system (BEMS), is the automatic centralized control of a building's HVAC, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), electrical, ligh ...
, local roads,
council housing Public housing in the United Kingdom, also known as council estates, council housing, or social housing, provided the majority of rented accommodation until 2011 when the number of households in private rental housing surpassed the number in so ...
, environmental health, markets and fairs,
refuse collection Waste collection is a part of the process of waste management. It is the transfer of solid waste from the point of use and disposal to the point of treatment or landfill. Waste collection also includes the curbside collection of recyclable m ...
and recycling,
cemeteries A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...
and
crematoria Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre i ...
, leisure services, parks, and tourism. This electoral ward includes Misterton and at the 2011 Census had a population of 7,826. Crewkerne Town Hall occupies part of the Victoria Hall in the Market Square. The Hamstone building was rebuilt around 1742, altered in 1836, when a south piazza was added after the demolition of the shambles. In 1848-9 it became a museum, reading room and library and was remodelled in 1900 by Thomas Benson of Yeovil to create shops and offices. It is a Grade II listed building.
Somerset County Council Somerset County Council is the county council of Somerset in the South West of England, an elected local government authority responsible for the most significant local government services in most of the county. On 1 April 2023 the county counc ...
is responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as education,
social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...
, the library, roads, public transport, trading standards, waste disposal and strategic planning, although fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS) is the statutory fire and rescue service covering the county of Devon (including the unitary authorities of Plymouth and Torbay) and the non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West Engla ...
, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the South Western Ambulance Service. It is served by the Yeovil
seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...
in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. Before Brexit in 2020 it was part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament from that area's 1979 inception.


Geography

The town lies west of the
River Parrett The River Parrett flows through the counties of Dorset and Somerset in South West England, from its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset. Flowing northwest through Somerset and the Somerset Levels to it ...
. The main residential areas are around the town centre with Kithill and Park View to the South and Wadham Park to the North. In the northern outskirts of the town is the Bincombe Beeches Local Nature Reserve. which is managed by the town council and includes a line of beech trees, some of which are between 150 and 200 years old. Between 2002 and 2005 grants were obtained to improve access to the site and support the planting of new trees. The
Millwater Millwater () is a 1.4 hectare (3.5 acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest at Crewkerne in Somerset, notified in 1989. Millwater consists of a complex mosaic of pasture, wet grassland, tall-herb fen, standing and running water, ald ...
biological Site of Special Scientific Interest consists of a complex mosaic of pasture, wet grassland, tall-herb fen, standing and running water, alder and willow carr.


Climate

Along with the rest of South West England, Crewkerne has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country. The annual mean temperature is approximately .
Seasonal temperature variation Seasonal lag is the phenomenon whereby the date of maximum average air temperature at a geographical location on a planet is delayed until some time after the date of maximum insolation (i.e. the summer solstice). This also applies to the minimu ...
is less extreme than most of the nation due to nearby shore/land breezes to/from seas. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately . In winter mean minimum daily readings of or are common. In the summer the Azores high pressure normally extends to the Region, yet
convective Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the convect ...
cloud will on some days form inland, cutting sunshine. Annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600 hours. Most of 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 . 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.


Transport

The following roads pass through Crewkerne: *Northbound: A356 North Street â€” To A303 for London and North Somerset. *Southbound: A356 South Street- To Maiden Newton and Dorchester. *Westbound: A30 West Street â€” To
Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
and the South West of England. *Eastbound :A30 East Street â€” To Yeovil and Salisbury. *Southbound: B3165 Hermitage Street â€” To Lyme Regis. *The closest motorway is the M5 at junction 25 for Taunton.
Crewkerne railway station Crewkerne railway station is located in Misterton in Somerset, England, and serves the area around the town of Crewkerne. It is from on the West of England Main Line to Exeter. The main building is listed Grade II and is surrounded by severa ...
, in nearby Misterton, is served by South Western Railway on what was the main south western railway line before it was outranked by the Taunton line. Trains operate to
London Waterloo Waterloo station (), also known as London Waterloo, is a central London terminus on the National Rail network in the United Kingdom, in the Waterloo area of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is connected to a London Underground station of ...
(two and a half hours away) via (70 minutes), and in the opposite direction to (under an hour). There is also a service provided by
Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...
to
London Paddington Paddington, also known as London Paddington, is a London station group, Central London railway terminus and London Underground station complex, located on Praed Street in the Paddington area. The site has been the London terminus of services pro ...
. The station was opened by the London and South Western Railway on 19 July 1860. It was designed by Sir William Tite and has been designated as a Grade II listed building. The town is served by
Stagecoach South West Stagecoach South West is a bus operator providing services in Devon and East Cornwall along with coach services to Bristol. It is a subsidiary of Stagecoach. History Devon General The Devon General Omnibus and Touring Company commenced operat ...
with buses to Yeovil via Kithill, Misterton and Haselbury Plucknett and
Chard Chard or Swiss chard (; ''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''vulgaris'', Cicla Group and Flavescens Group) is a green leafy vegetable. In the cultivars of the Flavescens Group, the leaf stalks are large and often prepared separately from the leaf blade; ...
. Buses also run to Merriott, South Petherton and Ilminster and Taunton. First West of England has service to Bridport via Beaminster and
Broadwindsor Broadwindsor () is a village and civil parish in the county of Dorset in South West England. It lies west of Beaminster. Broadwindsor was formerly a liberty, containing only the parish itself. Dorset County Council estimate that in 2013 the popu ...
, Yeovil via
East Chinnock East Chinnock is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, on the A30 road south west of Yeovil, both in the South Somerset district. The parish has a population of 479 (2011 census). History The origin of the name Chinnock is uncerta ...
and West Coker and Chard. It is on the route of the Monarch's Way a long-distance
footpath A footpath (also pedestrian way, walking trail, nature trail) is a type of thoroughfare that is intended for use only by pedestrians and not other forms of traffic such as motorized vehicles, bicycles and horses. They can be found in a wide ...
in England that approximates the
escape Escape or Escaping may refer to: Computing * Escape character, in computing and telecommunication, a character which signifies that what follows takes an alternative interpretation ** Escape sequence, a series of characters used to trigger some so ...
route taken by King Charles II in 1651 after being defeated in the Battle of Worcester.


Economy

Crewkerne is a small market town centre with many cafes, shops and supermarkets. Crewkerne also has a wide selection of public houses. The largest supermarket is the Waitrose store which is around and opened in November 2008. All of the large supermarkets are situated around the South Street multi-storey car park. The other smaller supermarket is Lidl.
Ariel Motor Company Ariel Motor Company Ltd is a British, low-volume performance motor vehicle manufacturing company in Crewkerne, in Somerset, England. History Founded by Simon Saunders in 1991 as Solocrest Ltd., the name was changed in 1999 to Ariel Motor Com ...
is based in Crewkerne, and is one of the UK's smallest automobile companies, with just seven employees, producing fewer than 100 cars per year. It was founded in 1991 and changed its name from Solocrest Ltd in 2001. The company's flagship car is the Ariel Atom, an extremely light, high performance car.


Religious sites

St Bartholomew's Parish Church stands on high ground to the west of the town. The first
Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
church was founded before the end of the 9th century as a "minster", or main church of a Saxon royal estate that included an area which later became the parishes of
Seaborough Seaborough is a small village and civil parish in the county of Dorset in southwest England. It is sited in the valley of the River Axe and lies approximately south of Crewkerne in Somerset. The parish was previously part of the hundred of Crew ...
,
Wayford Wayford is a village and civil parish on the River Axe, south-west of Crewkerne, in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England. History The parish was part of the hundred of Crewkerne. Wayford Manor House was rebuilt around 1600 by Cha ...
and Misterton. This church was replaced after the Norman Conquest with a larger stone cruciform building, with a central tower. This was almost completely rebuilt and enlarged in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. This is, for the most part, the church building visible today. It is an excellent example of the Perpendicular style with many unusual and individual features. These include the west front, the nave, the six-light aisle windows and the Tudor-style chapels and windows in the north east corner. The building material is golden-coloured Ham Hill stone, quarried nearby. There is a notable pair of 'green man' carvings within the church. No major alterations have been made since the Reformation in the 1530s and 1540s, but there have been many changes to the interior to accommodate various phases of Church of England worship. Among these are an oven used for baking communion bread in the south east corner of the north chapel. During the Civil War, considerable damage was done including the destruction of nearly all of the medieval
stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
. William III of England worshipped in the church following his landing in the
Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...
of 1689. By the early 19th century, all the medieval furnishings, except the Norman
font In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a typeface. Each font is a matched set of type, with a piece (a "sort") for each glyph. A typeface consists of a range of such fonts that shared an overall design. In mod ...
had disappeared. New pews were made and the west galleries were added in 1808–11. The latest restoration that has left the church interior visible today, took place in the late 19th century; it was more sympathetic to the church's architectural character than many Victorian restorations. At this time, the central section of the west gallery was removed to reveal the great west window and the organ was relocated to the south transept. The pews date from around 1900 and have attractive carved bench-ends. The church has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. Crewkerne also contains one of very few Unitarian chapels left in the West Country, Crewkerne Unitarian Church, a tiny chapel tucked away on Hermitage Street. The Methodist church on South Street is shared by Roman Catholic and Methodist congregations, following the closure and proposed redevelopment of St Peter's Catholic Church. Christ Church, a
chapel of ease A chapel of ease (or chapel-of-ease) is a church architecture, church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently. Often a chapel of ea ...
to St Bartholomew's, was built on South Street in 1852–54. It was declared redundant in 1969 and demolished in 1975. It is now the site of the residential Christchurch Court.


Education

The primary schools in Crewkerne are St. Bartholomew's on Kithill, and Ashlands on North Street. The middle school is Maiden Beech Academy on the B3165 Lyme Road. The school has students from ages 9 to 13, seeing Key Stage 2 SATS. Crewkerne Grammar School was at DeCombe House, until it closed in the late 1960s, to combine into St Martin's School long on Abbey Street (having moved from the high street in the late 1970s). Its Senior and Juniors School closed in 2003, leaving a pre-school nursery. Its gym was on Gouldsbrook Terrace, converted since.
Wadham School Wadham School is a school for pupils aged 13–18 situated on a site on the outskirts of Crewkerne in Somerset, England. The school has been rated Good by Ofsted since May 2014. School site Wadham School opened in purpose built accommodati ...
has students from 13 to 18 years old and includes those travelling from surrounding villages. In November 2005, Wadham was placed into Special measures after failing an
Ofsted The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a Non-ministerial government department, non-ministerial department of Government of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament of the U ...
inspection. In June 2007 the school successfully left these, after a full Ofsted inspection showed ample progress.


Culture

The Henhayes Centre provides conference facilities and has also featured exhibitions.
Crewkerne and District Museum Crewkerne and District Museum is a small local museum in Crewkerne, Somerset, England. It is part of a wider heritage centre which includes local archives and a meeting room. The museum opened in 2000 in an old house with an 18th-century fron ...
is part of a wider heritage centre which includes local archives and a meeting room. The museum opened in 2000 in an old house with an 18th-century frontage. It was restored with the help of grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund,
Somerset County Council Somerset County Council is the county council of Somerset in the South West of England, an elected local government authority responsible for the most significant local government services in most of the county. On 1 April 2023 the county counc ...
, South Somerset District Council and Crewkerne Town Council. The development of Crewkerne during the 18th and 19th centuries, with particular emphasis on the
flax Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. Textiles made from flax are known in ...
and
linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...
industry is illustrated with a permanent display. Other collections relate to local archaeology, Coins and Medals, Costume and Textiles, Fine Art, Music, Personalities, Science and Technology, Social History, Weapons and War.


Sport

The Crewkerne Aqua Centre also provides swimming pool and fitness gym facilities to the town, located on the grounds next to Henhayes Park, which used to be the Grammar Schools Playing fields. St. Martins School retained the use of the playing fields until the junior section was closed in 2003, as regular sports days were a tradition dating back to the Grammar school era in the town. A further sports centre is situated on the Wadham School campus. Crewkerne Cricket Club play in the Somerset Cricket League whilst Both Crewkerne Town F.C. and Crewkerne Rangers F.C. play in the Perry Street and District League.


Notable residents

Thomas Coryat a traveller and writer of the late
Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personifi ...
and early Jacobean age was born in Crewkerne around 1577. Mathematician
John Caswell John Caswell (sometimes recorded as John Carswell) (1654 or 1655 – 28 April 1712) was an English mathematician who served as Savilian Professor of Astronomy at the University of Oxford from 1709 until his death. Life and career John Caswell (s ...
was also born here. A later traveller Colonel
Joshua Fry Colonel Joshua Fry (1699–1754) was an English-born American adventurer who became a professor, then real estate investor and local official in the colony of Virginia. Although he served several terms in the House of Burgesses, he may be best kn ...
was born in the town in 1699 before becoming a surveyor, adventurer, mapmaker, soldier, and member of the House of Burgesses, the legislature of the
colony of Virginia The Colony of Virginia, chartered in 1606 and settled in 1607, was the first enduring English colonial empire, English colony in North America, following failed attempts at settlement on Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey GilbertG ...
. Another Englishman from Crewkerne who emigrated to the American Colonies was William Phelps who was born around 1599 and became one of the founders of both
Dorchester, Massachusetts Dorchester (colloquially referred to as Dot) is a Boston neighborhood comprising more than in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Originally, Dorchester was a separate town, founded by Puritans who emigrated in 1630 from Dorchester ...
and Windsor, Connecticut, foreman of the first
grand jury A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a pe ...
in New England, served most of his life in early colonial government, and played a key role in establishing the first democratic town government in the American colonies.
Ralph Reader William Henry Ralph Reader (25 May 1903 â€“ 18 May 1982), known as Ralph Reader, was a British actor, theatrical producer and songwriter, known for staging the original Gang Show, a variety entertainment presented by members of the Scouti ...
an actor, theatrical producer and songwriter, best known for staging the original Gang Show, a Variety show for members of the
Scouting Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...
Movement, was born in Crewkerne in 1903. The cricketer
Michael Barnwell Lionel Michael Lowry Barnwell (born 12 August 1943 in Crewkerne) is an English former first-class cricketer who played for Cambridge University, Somerset and Eastern Province. A nephew of John Barnwell, who played cricket for Somerset before ...
was born in the town in 1943.


Twin towns

Crewkerne is twinned with
Igny, Essonne Igny () is a commune in the Essonne department in ÃŽle-de-France in northern France. Population Inhabitants of Igny are known as ''Ignissois'' in French. See also *Communes of the Essonne department The following is a list of the 194 comm ...
and Bures-sur-Yvette in France.


References


External links

*
Town Council
{{Authority control Towns in South Somerset Market towns in Somerset Civil parishes in Somerset