Axbridge Review: the town’s Boxing Day Hunt meeting set for more opposition

Byharrymottram

 Nov 13, 2024

By Harry Mottram: Opposition to the annual meeting of the Weston and Banwell Harriers on Boxing Day is facing is greatest challenge to date. During a meeting of Axbridge Town Council this week opposition was voiced about the annual trail hunt meeting which sees the town’s Square packed with hunters, horse riders and supporters of the hunt. It is accepted wisdom that the picturesque scene is viewed differently by those both for and against – a public relations exercise for supporters of a traditional rural social occasion that is popular with the public – or an archaic rural scene that celebrates blood sports that should be confined to history by opponents.

Last year a number of protesters held up placards at the meeting on Boxing Day morning while this year their numbers are expected to grow. Whatever the rights or wrongs of trail hunting those at the town council meeting concentrated on the alleged legal status of the meeting. These boil down to whether the hunt’s insurance is valid in case of injuries to the public or property as they have not applied for official road closures. On the day, for an hour or so, the Square is packed with people, hounds and horses.

Axbridge Review understands the town has three road closures for the Square a year – these would likely be for the Carnival, Santa in the Square and the Farmers’ Market or The Axbridge Pageant – although the next one is not due until 2029. And there are other occasional events such as the Coronation Party for King Charles which require the Square to be closed to traffic. The situation is complicated by the complex nature of the Square. The roads being under the authority of Somerset Council’s Highways Department – while it is looked after and governed by the Town Trust – who also have responsibility for the Town Hall. Finally, the Town Council also has some input into the Square since it meets in the town hall and periodically takes part in ceremonies in the Square such as Remembrance Sunday and the Carnival procession. Without an official road closure, the hunt’s legal and insurance status is uncertain, and it is this chink in the armour of the hunt that a group called Action Against Foxhunting have concentrated on.

For decades there have been demonstrations against fox hunting across the country with the main objection being that of cruelty since the hounds or dogs’ main purpose is to catch and kill the fox. There is also the objection of the hunt’s pack killing cats and dogs that happen to get in the way of the chasing hounds. Then there is the way some hunts are alleged to behave in taking over public highways and private land without the usual permissions.

Alyson Rogers of Action Against Foxhunting said they had approached The Town Trust over the alleged breaches of insurance and road safety but were given short shrift. They currently await the views of the town council presently led by the Mayor Graham Page. Speaking at the Council Meeting Pip Donovan of Action Against Foxhunting said: “For many years, we and other groups, have offered clear evidence to show that hunts, including the Weston and Banwell Hunt, have no respect for the hunting ban, and have been cruelly killing wildlife anyway.”

She continued: “We know that you, as a Town Council, cannot ban the hunt from the town on Boxing Day. But we are also very aware that you do have influence as local figures of authority, whose opinions have weight. Hunts rely on the implicit support from councils in order to make themselves look like upstanding local citizens, when in fact they are no more than animal abusers of the lowest sort. It is time this stopped. Even if you are not actively supporting the meet [hunt] as a Council, most people with will think you are, because it is held in the middle of your town.”

Alyson Rogers also raised Health and Safety issues caused by the hunt she said that included the access of emergency vehicles accessing the Square and she also said that Somerset Council had tried to contact the hunt organisers to explain they needed a road closure notice.

The subject has moved up the social agenda of the town due to the news that the Labour Government is to outlaw trail hunting due to the abuses of the field sport. The BBC’s Ellen Knight explained: “Trail hunting involves using a rag soaked in animal scent, which is then dragged along to lay a trail for the hunt to follow. It mimics the scent of a wild animal – so the hounds chase that, not a fox. The intention is to replicate the pursuit across the countryside, without the need to kill animals. The Hunting Act banned using dogs to hunt wild mammals – foxes, hares, deer and mink – across England and Wales.”

The David Cameron’s Coalition Government’s 2004 Hunting Act came into force in 2005 but abuses of the act have been widely reported – mainly due to the aspect that one or two dogs can be used to stalk and ‘flush out’ a fox. With a pack of hounds in full cry it doesn’t take much imagination to see that the one or two dogs used to flush out a fox from a hedge or copse would be joined by the rest of the pack in seconds. The killing of the fox must take place on land owned by those hunting or they have permission from the landowner – and again this is not always the case due to nature of the hue and cry of a hunt. A fact noted and reported by Hunt Saboteurs (or Sabs) who have documented abuses on video that are widely circulated online.

In defence of the hunt, they will insist such breaches of the law are accidents and they have stayed within the law as much as they can at all times. A hunt meeting such as the one on Boxing Day is not technically illegal, and for many in the town and district it is a highlight of the year and a social event that is enjoyed by large numbers of the public. Certainly, to see the Square filled with horses and people is a scene that is enjoyed by those who champion long held traditional rural activities. And supporters point to the boost to rural economies that hunt groups bring, from country pubs to tack shops and attracting visitors who enjoy photographing the hunt and following it on foot or car. And for those riders taking part the main enjoyment is not the hunt but a large-scale communal hack across country on a winter’s day – one of life’s great pleasures for the equestrian minded.

When the Government’s ban on trail hunting takes place is open to question – it won’t have come into force soon as it will require an act of parliament, but Defra have said that the government “was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation.” They confirmed the government would seek to ban trail hunting “that allows for the illegal hunting of foxes, deer, and hares.”

Public opinion has consistently shown a majority in favour of a complete ban on trail hunting and fox hunting for years. YouGov’s most recent poll showed 79% of those asked in favour of a ban with even those living in the countryside were clearly in the majority backing an end to the hunt. As it stands there is a question mark over the Boxing Day meeting in Axbridge over the issue of road closures which is yet to be resolved. Although to meet friends on horseback in the town in perfectly legal, while those who hold placards in opposition are also staging a perfectly legal activity.

Axbridge Review is edited by Harry Mottram and is published for the interest of himself and fellow residents.

Harry is a freelance journalist. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc

Email:harryfmottram@gmail.com
Website:www.harrymottram.co.uk

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Axbridge News: Bristol Water confirm Cheddar Reservoir 2 is on – and the real reason for the delays

By Harry Mottram: Six years after it seemed the diggers where about to move in to excavate Cheddar Reservoir 2 in the land between the Clay Pits and the Cheddar Yeo there’s still no sign of work beginning on what will be one of the county’s largest infrastructure projects.

That’s actually not quite true as in the last few weeks contractors have been taking soundings in the land south of the current reservoir ahead of any major work taking place. I made an enquiry to the press office at Bristol Water about Cheddar Reservoir 2 and after a wait Water Supply Optimisation manager Owen Smith got back to me.

Basically, due to the amount of time that has passed since 2018 when it appeared it was all systems go for the new reservoir Bristol Water needed to resurvey and re-evaluate the project in case things have changed.

He wrote: “The work developing the Cheddar 2 proposal is very much ongoing and is being progressed by West Country Water Resources (a combination of Bristol Water, Wessex Water and South West Water). As you can imagine such a significant infrastructure project requires time to collect information and develop proposals, whilst the key principle of increasing the volume of storage to make more water available from our existing resources remains the same, where the water is going and how it is connected into each water company has evolved – so it’s not as simple as just refreshing the previous plans. I appreciate the local community would like to hear more, and further updates will be provided in the coming months.”

Back in 2018 there were several issues that arose, the first being the cost which caused OFWAT to kick out the plans as the bill was essentially being passed on to customers which would have seen an above inflation hike in our water bills. Another issue was acquiring the land as it is all farmland off Hellier’s Lane with the farm at Gypsy Lane submerged along with some other agricultural buildings. There was also the problem of the Clay Pits beloved by anglers which may have to be sacrificed for the project, along with around 100 mature trees and about two miles of hedgerows which are cover for numerous wild animals, birds, flowers, plants and insects. Bristol Water assured the public that new trees would be planted to compensate for the loss and the new reservoir would be designed to encourage a range of wildlife habitats.

The geology of the area will not have changed but at the time of the first enquiry there was a local story of anthrax infected cattle being buried in the fields after the First World War. No evidence was found to support this or the theory there may have been either a Romano British or Early Medieval harbour on the Levels.

Whatever the outcome of the latest plans clearly the decision to proceed with what will be a massive infrastructure project has been taken.

Last year writing in the trade publication Greg Pitcher reported: “South West Water will invest £2.8bn to upgrade a third of water treatment works in Devon and Cornwall, reduce leakage to less than 10%, create a water grid to ensure all strategic reservoirs are connected and invest in large reservoirs starting with Cheddar 2 in Bristol. Water companies have set out plans to almost double their spending on the network during asset management period (AMP) 8, 2025 to 2030. The utilities filed their business plans to regulator Ofwat on Monday 2 October, asking for permission to hike customer bills to allow them to invest a combined £96bn in 2025-30. If approved, these proposals will see a raft of infrastructure projects carried out in AMP8 to improve the reliability of clean water supplies and reduce sewage spills into rivers and seas. Sector body Water UK said utilities had asked for approval to build 10 reservoirs as well to use cutting-edge technology and nature-based solutions to slash wastewater overflows.”

Initially I assumed the delay was due to a change of Government this summer and the ongoing bad publicity over pollution of rivers and the sea by the water utilities of which South West Water was implicated – especially over the Brixham incident which say households having to boil their water. Since 2018 Bristol Water was acquired by South West Water based in Exeter and part of the Pennon Group has plans to expand. Earlier this year they bought  Sumisho Osaka Gas Water UK Limited, the holding company of Sutton and East Surrey Water plc (“SES Water”). Now the project is back on the utility’s agenda with South West Water confirming it hopes to have the new reservoir in operation by 2033 – some 95 years after the first one was opened just before WW2.

Axbridge News is edited by Harry Mottram and is published for the interest of himself and fellow residents.

Harry is a freelance journalist. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc

Email:harryfmottram@gmail.com
Website:www.harrymottram.co.uk

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October 11, 2024

Axbridge News: the reason why the levels in Cheddar Reservoir were so low this summer despite the unseasonably heavy rain

By Harry Mottram: It was a paradise for wetland birds, swan, ducks, coots and waders such as herons, dunlins and egrets but for many humans Cheddar Reservoir looked (and smelled) rather weird. Huge areas of the floor to the reservoir were exposed as water levels dropped to near drought levels with the yacht club unable to use the jetty as islands appeared and the vast clay floor partly exposed.

Depsite the heavy rain in the summer with a particularly soggy June and September according to the Met Office it wasn’t as wet as 2012 – the wettest summer since 1891. It was also cooler this summer than normal while Somerset saw above average rainfall in September when usually the levels rise quickly – but that didn’t happen until the start of October when water was being pumped into the Reservoir at a much higher rate.

The reason given by Bristol Water is perhaps not the one I for one had expected. I had summised it was Barrow Tanks where the water was going in the Southern Resilience pipline constructed in 2018. In fact it was a problem in Chew Valley Lake that had to be fixed with water pumped from Cheddar Reservoir.

We operate our reservoirs and wider network as one conjunctive system due to the high level of interconnectivity we have, this means that we can vary our supply strategy for a given scenario. Cheddar reservoir level can vary quite significantly throughout the year, the summer of 2023 was particularly wet and levels remained unusually high, whereas 2024 started wet, but this summer was less wet than 2023.

This is a statement from Bristol Water to my inquiry: “We have had good flows into Cheddar Reservoir this year, we have also pumped out a large volume too. This year we had an extended blue-green algae outbreak on Chew Valley Lake so we reduced our abstraction during these periods, whereas Cheddar was not affected and provided support. Additionally, when the inflows are good and the environment is wetter a good autumn/winter refill is the most likely scenario and we can drop the level lower.”

Chew Valley Lake is a flooded valley with the work to create a dam, remove thousands of tons of soil, rocks, trees, hedgerows and the village of Moreton begun in 1951 and completed in 1956. It is the fifth largest man made lake in the UK running to around an area of around 1,200 acres is size when full. Like Cheddar Reservoir Chew Valley Lake allows sailing and fishing and other water based activities but these were suspended due to high levels of blue-green algae in June as the algae can be harmful to people and animals causing vomiting and diarrhea.

Axbridge News is edited by Harry Mottram and is published for the interest of himself and fellow residents.

Harry is a freelance journalist. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc

Email:harryfmottram@gmail.com
Website:www.harrymottram.co.uk

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Cheddar Reservoir Two is back on

This article is from earlier in 2024 and since then there has not been an update on the new reservoir from South West Water – possibly to the change of Government in July and issues over pollution in the summer of 2024.

By Harry Mottram: Back in 2018 we thought the Cheddar Reservoir two project was dead. Ofwat had pulled the plug on the plans to dig a huge new reservoir south of the current one cost grounds. The plan had been to give the water customers the bill – which was ruled out by the regulator. Instead a pipeline was dug linking the Res with Barrow Tanks near Bristol – with the pipes running under the Strawberry Line and through Shute Shelve Tunnel.

Now the project is back on the utilities’ agenda with South West Water confirming it hopes to have the new reservoir in operation by 2033 – some 95 years after the first one was opened just before WW2. The plans were put forward earlier this year but have come to everyone’s attention in an article in the New Civil Engineer.

In the trade publication Greg Pitcher reported this month: “South West Water will invest £2.8bn to upgrade a third of water treatment works in Devon and Cornwall, reduce leakage to less than 10%, create a water grid to ensure all strategic reservoirs are connected and invest in large reservoirs starting with Cheddar 2 in Bristol.

“Water companies have set out plans to almost double their spending on the network during asset management period (AMP) 8, 2025 to 2030. The utilities filed their business plans to regulator Ofwat on Monday 2 October, asking for permission to hike customer bills to allow them to invest a combined £96bn in 2025-30. If approved, these proposals will see a raft of infrastructure projects carried out in AMP8 to improve the reliability of clean water supplies and reduce sewage spills into rivers and seas. Sector body Water UK said utilities had asked for approval to build 10 reservoirs as well to use cutting-edge technology and nature-based solutions to slash wastewater overflows.”

In 2013 it was Bristol Water who were behind the plans which would have seen a huge reservoir dug south of the current Res swallowing up the Clay Pits, Gypsy Lane Farm, Helliers Lane and Hythe Lane off the B3151 Wedmore Road. Since then the management of Bristol Water has been taken over by South West Water who clearly have major plans for the region. Apart from cutting down hundreds of mature trees, scrubbing out miles of hedges the project would mean massive amounts of earthworks and road traffic of heavy plant and trucks.

Back then there were concerns over anthrax infected livestock that had been thought to have been buried in the area decades ago, fears that the excavations would destroy a possible Saxon port linked to the River Axe and more fancifully a Roman farm. And rather more to the point there was a suggestion it would need a new road from the A38 by the petrol station up the valley to the site to accommodate the site traffic.

I was reporting for the Cheddar Valley Gazette then and it was a huge story – with people living in the homes near the potential site concerned their house values would plummet – let alone their concerns of all the dust and noise created by the construction.

Local Democracy Reporter Daniel Mumby writing for Somerset Live reported today (October 13, 2023): “Plans for a new reservoir near the Mendip Hills in Somerset appear to be back on the table, according to recently published plans. Bristol Water first teased plans for a second reservoir in Cheddar back in 2013, claiming that the reservoir would be built to the south of the village’s existing reservoir and could hold up to nine billion litres of water.

“The project (dubbed ‘Cheddar Two’) was scrapped in April 2018, with the water company claiming it was no longer needed and would focus on reducing existing leaks in its system instead.”

Patric Bulmer, head of water resources and environment at Bristol Water, stated at the time: “The information we now have on population growth and climate change has moved on significantly since we proposed the Cheddar Two project.

“That, coupled with our planned reduction in leakage and work to improve water efficiency means we no longer believe the reservoir is needed.”

Ofwat will publish a draft determination for each company by June next year. These will be consulted on before final determinations are set in late 2024.

David Black, chief executive at the regulator, said: “The water industry needs to deliver a step change in investment and performance to clean up our rivers and seas, while also helping to ensure that we can meet the challenge of climate change.

“Company business plans are an important first step in the price review process. Ofwat’s role is to forensically scrutinise their proposals, to ensure any increase in bills is justified, efficient and delivers significant improvements in river and bathing water quality. We will assess how companies are helping customers to afford any bill increase.

“As we work through the business plans we will continue to monitor companies’ performance, hold them to account for delivering improvements and push them to build meaningful plans to change.”

Daniel Mumby said the project’s revival has now been corroborated within South West Water’s business plan – though it will require Ofwat’s approval by June 2024 before it can begin the process of securing planning permission afresh. The plan said: “As part of our continued investment in the UK water sector, customers of Bristol Water, Bournemouth Water and those in the Isles of Scilly are set to receive their largest ever investment in their water infrastructure and in resilience, building on the track record for water services we have delivered in Devon and Cornwall, and sharing the learnings from the extended drought.

“It’s also why we’re resurrecting the previously disregarded plans for the Cheddar Two reservoir, that will benefit customers across the Greater South West. Our merger with Bristol Water, driven by synergies and strategic water resources benefits, and our active progression of the need for the new Cheddar Two reservoir, brings benefits to all of the wider South West region, including the Wessex region.”

In the late 1930s Cheddar Reservoir was constructed mainly by men with picks and shovels. A steam digger was brought in along with a branch line from the Cheddar Valley Railway to bring in materials to the site. Built as a saucer shape and relatively shallow it was state of the art at the time – with a second one planned to go along side – hence the straight side on the Axbridge side meaning it has the shape of a giant strawberry. The plan for the second Reservoir in 2013 was changed as the land to the west of the Res had since had a refuse tip built – now a grassed over field – and properties had been built that would have been in the way.

Now it is wait and see – Ofwat will publish a draft determination for each company by June next year. These will be consulted on before final determinations are set in late 2024. Remember there is likely to be an election next year and these costs could spiral as they did for HS2 so despite the plans nothing is certain in this 21st century world. One this is certain though – with more homes being constructed in Axbridge and Cheddar – and plans for even more in the region – the demand for water will only grow.

My thanks to George Tyte for spotting the Somerset Live article.

Your thoughts on the subject to harryfmottram@gmail.com

Axbridge News is edited by Harry Mottram and is published for the interest of himself and fellow residents.

Harry is a freelance journalist. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc

Email:harryfmottram@gmail.com
Website:www.harrymottram.co.uk

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Axbridge News: update on the Oakhouse Hotel in Axbridge following issues over it’s apparent closure and attempts to book it for weddings

Byharrymottram

 FEB 12, 2024

By Harry Mottram: In the last few weeks there have been a number of comments online on various social media platforms about problems booking rooms and events such as weddings at the Oakhouse Hotel in Axbridge.

Residents know it has not been open on a regular basis for some weeks although there have been occasional wedding receptions. Various rumours have circulated about it being in administration, being up for sale along with a plan to mothball it until trade picks up.

The hotel is not up for sale as the owner Steve Jenkins has made plain on the Axbridge Community FaceBook site. He wrote: “Hi all, I own the building and confirm there are no plans to sell the Oakhouse. However, the current tenants have clearly decided to close the business, from what I can tell, indefinitely. I am working on resolving the situation asap and am hopeful the hotel and bar will re-open in Spring. I suggest anyone with a booking reach out to the email addresses and any mobile numbers they currently have for the existing tenants. Unfortunately, I cannot help with this, as I have no legal authority to influence any business decisions in relation to the hotel company nor share its data. This is the responsibility of the tenants and directors. I assure you I feel as passionately about the the Oakhouse as anyone does and will update you further in due course.”

A look on the Government’s Companies House website that lists all limited companies and gives details shows that at the moment it is not in administration – information that is in the public domain.

There have been a number of officers and owners of the hotel over the years but at present they are Luke and Melanie Sturman who it is understood hold a lease. Luke’s correspondence address is in Wareham in Dorset and Melanie’s is at the Oakhouse. A confirmation statement was made on 3rd January this year while Melanie made a change of details to Companies House last summer with an indication she was ‘a person of significant control’.

The Grade II listed building and hotel has had a number of transformations over the years – originally constructed as two houses and in the early 20^th century it was for a time a petrol station. It dates back to (according to most sources) to the 11^th century – but only in parts such as a fireplace and the well – one of the hotel’s most interesting features. However, the property was rebuilt and much of the building dates from the 17^th and 18^th centuries with later modernisations.

To echo Steve Jenkins’ comments – we all hope the hotel and restaurant will reopen soon as it is one of the town’s finest buildings set in a wonderful location and part of Axbridge’s business community.

Axbridge News is edited by Harry Mottram and is published for the interest of himself and fellow residents.

Harry is a freelance journalist. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc

Email:harryfmottram@gmail.com
Website:www.harrymottram.co.uk

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Axbridge News: remembering Johdi Russell with the annual Purple Ball that raises awareness of sudden death from epilepsy with SUDEP Action

Byharrymottram

 JAN 14, 2024

By Harry Mottram: The Purple Ball commemorates the life of Johdi Russell from Cheddar – organised by her family and friends – and raises cash for SUDEP Action – the charity dedicated to raising awareness of epilepsy risks and tackling epilepsy deaths including Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy.

Johdi Russell was just 17 when she suddenly died in October 2017. In a BBC article by Emma Elgee written at the time Johdi’s mum Tanya said: “Johdi was amazing and absolutely hilarious, she was one of those girls who always went above and beyond for people. I always describe her as like sunshine on a rainy day.”

Emma wrote: “Since then Mrs Russell, who also has epilepsy, has campaigned to change processes in hospitals and GP surgeries to make sure families with children with epilepsy are informed about SUDEP. She also hosts a yearly ball to raise money for SUDEP charities and support other bereaved families.”

SUDEP is a rare condition which affects around one in every 1,000 adults with epilepsy each year. According to SUDEP Action, the cause of SUDEP is not yet known, with researchers investigating a range of possibilities such as the effect of seizures on breathing and the heart.

Their services include bereavement support, counselling, help with understanding the inquest process and in collaboration with UK research teams, the involvement of bereaved families and professionals in research through the Epilepsy Deaths Register. See https://sudep.org/

The Purple Ball is an impressive event raising thousands of pounds for SUDEP Action – and features a three course meal, music, dancing, entertainment, a raffle – and above all a great night out. This year the event is on Saturday, October 5th, 2024, at the Winter Gardens in Weston-super-Mare. Tickets are now available – scan the QR code on the poster or visit https://www.jumblebee.co.uk/thepurpleball2024inmemoryofjohdirussell

If you have been affected by an epilepsy death, please contact our support team on 01235 772852. Visit https://sudep.org/ for more information and see Johdi’s story at https://sudep.org/my-story/stories/johdi

To read Emma’s article see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-67156694

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Axbridge News: Axbridge Progressive Supper donates £500 to the Cheddar Foodbank, Axe Valley Men’s Shed and the Axbridge Blackberry Carnival

By Harry Mottram: Last year’s Axbridge Progressive Supper raised £1,542 in a combination of the tickets for the starters, mains and sweets plus the raffle organised by Margaret Cowie. As a result the committee of Kirsty Edwards, Zoe Hebden, Margaret Cowie, Sarah Boundy and Harry Mottram have been able to award £500 each to three local charities: Cheddar Food Bank, Axbridge Carnival and the Axe Valley Men’s Shed. The charity supper is under the umbrella of the Axbridge Action Committee – with the £42 being held over to the next progressive supper which is on Saturday 30th November 2024.

Representatives of all three charities were on hand for photographs to mark the donations on Saturday, 3rd February 2024, during the monthly Farmers’ Market in Axbridge Square. The Annual Progressive Supper has raised cash for local charities for the last four or more decades with all the cash going to the chosen charities and is a voluntary run event with all the cash going to charities. New people are always welcome to join the committee (please email harryfmottram@gmail.com to join – it’s a lot of fun and you get to meet lots of new people). In already in 2024 new members Barbara Wells and Anna Dawson have joined.

Axe Valley Mens’ Shed is a registered charity and member of the UK Men’s Sheds Association. If you want to help support their work to improve the mental health and wellbeing of local men and the restoration of the former Axbridge Railway Station as their new HQ, then please make a donation on our GoFundMe page. For details visit https://axevalleymensshed.org/

Cheddar Food Bank is a part of the Trussell Trust, the charity that works to end the need for food banks in the United Kingdom. It “is based on, shaped, and guided by Christian principles” and supports a network of over 1,200 food bank centres to provide emergency food and compassionate, practical support to people in crisis, while campaigning for long-term change to the structural issues that lock people into poverty. It is located at Unit 8, Wessex Business Centre, Cheddar BS27 3EJ. To enquire about how to obtain a food parcel, or to make a food donation, please contact the foodbank by phone on 07922 309369, or by email at info@cheddarvalley.foodbank.org.uk. For more details and to help or donate visit https://www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank/cheddarvalley/

Axbridge Carnival Committee organise the Annual Blackberry Carnival in September which coincides with Blackberry Fun Fair in the Square. It takes a lot of work to put on this popular and long running community event so they are always in need of extra hands, donations and sponsors. In recent years there has been increased rules over carnival events which increase the costs of running Axbridge’s family event – hence the need to fundraise. Their Face Book page is at https://www.facebook.com/AxbridgeBlackberryCarnival/?locale=en_GB

The Axbridge Progressive Supper is held every year near the end of November or the beginning of December and features three courses chosen by diners out of a hat – so they have no idea where they will sit down for their three courses – each in a different location. For details visit the Face Book page at https://www.facebook.com/AxbridgeProgressive/

The next progressive supper is on Saturday 30th November 2024.

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Axbridge Review: it’s official – the next Axbridge Pageant is set for 2029 to mark the 800th anniversary of the town’s Plantagenet charter – so mark your diaries

By Harry Mottram: To celebrate the awarding of the town’s 13^th century charter, the next Axbridge Pageant slated for 2030 has been brought forward by 12 months by the Axbridge Pageant Trust to 2029. The new date will see the huge community play held in the town square staged over the August bank holiday weekend of Saturday-Monday, August 25-27, 2029, daily at 3pm.

In 1229 a charter granted by King Henry III (800 years before 2029) freed Axbridge traders from tolls and recognised the town as an important market centre in the county. Wool had become one of the town’s wealth generating industries as sheep on the Mendips became big business. Guilds were established to protect the commerce in Axbridge making it a centre for the lucrative trade and for the Crown a vital source of taxation and revenue. It is also the 750th anniversary of the charter granted by Edward I in 1279 allowing Axbridge to hold a fair.

The Axbridge Pageant Trust and the town crier Nigel Scott said it was important to mark the year as the charters gave the town an independence and a prosperity which began the process of leaving behind the constraints of medieval England.

Nigel Scott said: “The pageant has come to define the town since its inception in 1967 when the history play was created in the town square to celebrate the opening of the bypass which freed the narrow streets from through traffic. From that humble beginning the pageant has become globally famous with live streaming on social media, plus television and radio coverage, the subject of a social research project by universities and its cast of hundreds of local people. It was repeated in 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 and again in 2022 – having been put back two years by the Covid crisis. People travel from around the world to see the three-day event complete with associated live music concerts – and so it seems appropriate to mark the 800^th anniversary of the Plantagenet charter.”

The pageant trustees said more details will be announced in the coming months but asked residents and fans of the pageant to mark their diaries for August Saturday-Monday, 25-27, 2029.

Photo: Nigel Carson

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The annual carnival proves a success with fine weather, large crowds and of course… Barbie and Ken

By Harry Mottram: The annual Axbridge Blackberry Carnival was a huge success on Saturday 23rd September, 2023, and was blessed with fine weather. Large crowds lined the route and with plenty of entries the procession passed through the Square packed as usual with the rides of the fun fair.

The organisers said: “Thank you to everyone who took part and to those who volunteered to marshal the route – with who we could not hold the carnival. Once again Axbridge came good to make the carnival a wonderful family event. And everyone who put an entry in is a winner in our eyes. The creativity and originality of the entries never ceases to amaze us – so thankyou to everyone involved and to those who spend so much time making the costumes and dressing the floats.

“The wonderful Carnival Queen and Princesses (and their parents), the Town Crier and the Mayors who very kindly open the carnival for us. Thanks to the amazing people in the community who help us with moving planters and street furniture, putting out road signs and traffic cones and clearing the decks for the big day. Plus, the wonderful people who put on their high vis to become stewards on the day to help us to keep everyone safe and photographer Toby. And the brilliant first aiders, the traffic marshals, the clean-up crew who put everything back to how it was. Thanks to the local council and traffic management for keeping us on track health and safety wise – the Post office staff who help us hand out entry forms and risk assessments, plus the local pubs, cafes and Coop for keeping us fed and watered.

“Also thanks to the Judges who give up their time on the day, and Ben who provides us with the PA, Harry for providing us with lots of publicity, Vick’s Mum for doing the posies, and Toby and Stellan for being our official photographers for the day. And not forgetting the lovely fairground team who come to Axbridge every year to add to the fun and excitement of Carnival Day.

“Our Chairman Robin Mace who oversees everything and keeps us on the straight and narrow. Mel and Sophie who smash the procession organisation, Vicky who smashes the town hall proceedings and Di Owen who holds us all together. And a very special mention to our newest committee member who only joined us about three months ago but has had no choice but to hit the ground running and has got us all organised and on track – not always an easy task and we couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you Karen!”

A funding appeal has been launched to raise cash to pay for next year’s carnival – to donate go to Just Giving and search for Axbridge Carnival. With increased paperwork and costs from the County Council it is a huge task for the small group of people on the carnival committee to ensure the event continues with a target of £5,000.

The procession was led by the civic party known as ‘the chain gang’ with the Axbridge Mayor Councillor Frankie Mitton, the town councillors, the mace bearer, town crier Nigel Scottand, the bailiff plus mayors and civic leaders across the county who accompanied them.

The results for Axbridge Blackberry Carnival 2023 are: Overall Winner, Barbie and Ken; Wackiest Entry, Barbie and Ken; Best Entry on Wheels, Thunderbird; Walking Juniors, 1st place – Rhythm Fever, 2nd place – Saxons Supporters Club; Open Walking, 1st place – Surfers against Sewage, 2nd place – The Government Inspector, 3rd place – Frolicking Fairies; Junior Trailers, 1st place – Hakuna Matata, 2nd place – Buzzing Brownies; Open Trailed, 1st Axbridge Harvest Home; Best Dressed Driver, Liz Scott.

The Castle Cary Majorettes known as the Cygnets also provided a spectacular aspect to the procession, plus there were some colourful entries that raised a smile including George Tyte’s tractor pulling the Harvest Home float, the Carnival Queen and her princesses, the Only Fools and Horses entry with a three-wheeler, several classic cars and motorcycles, chopper 70s cycles and of course the many walking entries including the Adams Family, witches and Laurel and Hardy – featuring the former mayor Edith Channon.

The Axbridge Blackberry Carnival has a long history and has seen a revival in recent years with more entries, large crowds and rain-free passes from the weather gods. There is plenty more on their Facebook site – but they always need more help in organising and of course fundraising. Without the work of the likes of Bev Davies in the past ant Di Owen, Andy Corp, the Caple family, Cath Frith the chairman Robin Mace, and many more – it would not happen – so do lend a hand – or at least visit the Just Giving site and chip in a few quid.

Next year’s carnival is slated for Saturday 21^st September, 2024, although the date is to be confirmed.

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A report on the Swiss Air Disaster 50th Anniversary Memorial Service at St John The Baptist Parish Church on April 10, 2023

By Harry Mottram: A packed church with standing room only for the 50th Anniversary Memorial commemoration for the Swiss Air Disaster witnessed a dignified and reflective service led by the Reverend Ken Brown.

On April 10th, 1973, the Invicta International Airlines Flight 435 flight from Bristol Lulsgate (as it was known then) crashed into a forested and snow-covered hillside near Hochwald, Switzerland, while on its way to Basel-Mulhouse Airport. It had onboard 139 passengers and six crew members with a large portion of the passengers from Axbridge, Cheddar, Winscombe, Wrington, Yatton and Congresbury. Only 37 people survived with many suffering injuries while 108 died. The passengers included members of the Axbridge Ladies Guild, women from the Cheddar Mums’ Night Out group, skittles players from Wrington and Congresbury, plus friends and relatives.

The service was introduced by the former Vicar of Axbridge Ken Brown who welcomed the congregation with these words: “It is appropriate we remember those who died and for those who survived today.” His brief reminder of why the service was held was followed by the hymn O God, our help in ages past.

The Mayor of Axbridge and town councillor Pauline Ham spoke (at times with emotion in her voice) about the way the disaster had socially ‘impacted on Axbridge and the surrounding villages.’ She said: “It was supposed to be a happy day out but in fact turned to a tragedy when the aircraft crashed. Many children were left motherless, and husbands left without their wives. Only 39 survivors came home and some of them had a sense of guilt having survived but they were welcomed back. Local businesses, local people and social groups came forward to give them their support. Many were buried here in Abridge which serves as an important memorial to those who died.”

Soloist musician Bob Foster then played on his clarinet Pie Jesu (Pious Jesus) by Andrew Llyod Webber in what was a haunting and evocative performance – with many in the audience clearly moved. The hymn Judge eternal throne in splendour followed with the former mayor and current town councillor Mike Taylor reading Psalm 23 the Psalm of David, The Lord is my Shepherd, with the lines, ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’

The Rev Ken Brown then addressed the congregation saying that despite the tragedy that some good had come out of the disaster by creating a greater sense of community in the town. The hymn Guide me, O thou great Jehovah followed with the famous lines Bread of heaven, feed me now and evermore, sung with a gathering volume by the family, friends, relatives, survivors and those like me who are new to the town but can vividly remember the disaster.

To give a sense of the magnitude of the affect the plane crash had on the collective national conscience you need to consider the way the Aberfan coal tip disaster or the Grenfell fire tragedy has had on people across the country and the world. As the Rev Ken Brown said the scars of 50 years ago are still raw but we need to keep the story alive and not let the memories fade so future generations can understand what happened.

Almost every family in the town knew someone who had died or was injured 50 years ago as well as those in Westbury-sub-Mendip, Claverham, Draycott, Uphill, Redhill, Wedmore, Weston-super-Mare and Bristol. The combination of young women and a wide catchment area of the passengers have led to the tragedy being so personal to those in Somerset in particular.

Cllr and Mayor Pauline Ham then unveiled a brass plaque memorial erected by the Axbridge PCC and the Town Council at the rear of the church to mark the anniversary. The words engraved included: “Many who died were members and friends of the Axbridge Ladies Guild with others from surrounding villages. Some are buried here in the churchyard.

There was then a touching moment as members of the congregation came forward to light a number of tea-lights or small candles in memory of those who lost their lives. From Axbridge some of the women who died were in their early 20s with several children amongst the dead including a boy of 7. A full if unofficial list of those who died was published by Peter Forrester in his book on the subject Wings over Somerset, with his list on this website http://swissairdisaster.uk/passengers-and-crew/.

There were also words of comfort from the current priest in charge of the church the Reverend Alistair Forster while the organ was played by John Bodiley. The Lord’s Prayer followed with the final hymn I vow to thee, my country. As the congregation numbering several hundred slowly made their way out a collection was made for a fund to plant a memorial tree while single daffodils were available to lay on the row of graves of the victims in the churchyard. A reception was held in the town hall afterwards for friends and families to further talk and swap memories and news.

On a bright spring day with sunshine and sudden showers it was a moving and beautiful service with a great deal of thought put in by the organisers from the church and town council to ensure the right and authentic notes of remembrance were sounded. A sad day but also a day when the community of the town came together in solidarity for those who died and those who were affected. In good days and bad, Axbridge seems to always to be able to do the right thing.

Note: I’ve tried to quote the speakers but have also paraphrased them in the spirit of their words.

For more details about how and why the accident occurred there is plenty on this Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invicta_International_Airlines_Flight_435#:~:text=Invicta%20International%20Airlines%20Flight%20435%20(IM435)%20was%20a%20Vickers%20Vanguard,108%20people%2C%20with%2037%20survivors.

For more on the church in Axbridge and for a list of the services visit http://www.stjohnthebaptistaxbridge.org.uk/

To join the Friends of Axbridge Church who raise money to protect and restore the 13^th century historic building visit http://www.stjohnthebaptistaxbridge.org.uk/foacmembership.asp

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Axbridge News: commemorations to mark 50 years since the Basle Air Disaster that left families in Somerset devastated

By Harry Mottram: For those born since and new comers to the town then it should be remembered that back on 10 April 1973 flying from Bristol Airport the Airlines Flight 435 crashed into the side of a mountain in Switzerland with the loss of 108 lives. Of those killed many came from Axbridge leaving a social scar that affected how the town developed socially in the late 1970s and 1980s.

 Many of the passengers on the charter flight were women, with members of the Axbridge Ladies Guild, as well as women from Cheddar, Winscombe, Congresbury and Yatton. It was supposed to be a shopping trip in the new age of international travel but turned into a disaster as the plane came down in a mountainside near the Swiss town of Basle. With snow falling the pilot became disorientated and after a failed attempt to land the airplane came down in a wood and crashed near the hamlet of Herrenmat about 10 miles from the airport. Those in the rear of the airplane mainly survived as the craft broke up and a major rescue operation got under way sparked by local residents.

The tragedy meant many families in the town no longer had a mother. As funds came in across the UK money was put aside to create a freezer centre in Meadow Street to provide meals for families and also a pre-school for families was set up – one of the first in the country. Much has been written about the tragic events since with TV and radio documentaries with this video giving some information about the tragedy: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-22077051

A church service is planned on Easter Monday at 11am by the town council and parish church to mark the five decades since the disaster took place.

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Axbridge News: crucial meeting in the town hall to hear nominations for the next mayor and deputy mayor – to continue a tradition dating back centuries

By Harry Mottram: Axbridge Town Council will decide on nominations for the next mayor and deputy mayor of the town at their meeting on Monday, March 13th, 2023, in the town hall.

The current mayor and town councillor is Paul Ham who has held the position twice previously and she follows in the footsteps of a long line of mayors and town officials dating back to around 1202 or earlier. Cllr Frankie Mitton is currently the deputy mayor. A Mayor Making ceremony is held in May in the town hall when the new officials are sworn in for a year.

The current position began in 1974 with Jack Todd who had a drapery shop in the High Street. That followed the then Conservative Government’s 1972 Local Government Act which introduced major changes such as introducing two tier levels of local government in Somerset and the abolition of the old urban and rural district councils. This ended Axbridge’s rural district council – which also removed the high status of the town – a position it had held since 1894 and before that due to its corporation and charters. This year Somerset reverts to the single unitary format – undoing some of the Heath Government’s changes to local government.

One of the most famous mayors of the town includes Richard Trew (1793–1874) who over saw many changes in the town in the 19th century including establishing a police station with his own money, building a school and founding the Axbridge Union Workhouse – that often misunderstood institution of part hospital, part orphanage, part social housing, part prison. And he was at hand when the future came to town in the shape of the railway.

A list of the names of recent mayors can be seen in the town hall. The photo is of the ‘chain gang’ on carnival day when various mayors from Somerset take part with our own mayor in the carnival procession.

Other matters to be decided at the meeting include a planning application for a house off Cheddar Road plus there is a chance for the public to speak and raise issues locally.

This is from the clerk:

A MEETING OF AXBRIDGE TOWN COUNCIL WILL BE HELD IN AXBRIDGE TOWN HALL
ON MONDAY 13 MARCH 2023 AT 7.30PM.
Members of the public are welcome to attend.
AGENDA

1. Apologies for absence – to receive apologies and approve reasons for apologies, if
   appropriate.
2. Minutes of the Council meeting held on 13 February 2023 (available) – to approve as a
   correct record
3. Declarations of Interest and to consider application(s) for dispensations
4. Public Participation
5. Reports from Police, County Councillors and District Councillor(s)
6. Written reports from members representing outside bodies and attending meetings on
   behalf of the Council
7. Planning
   7.1 Draft minutes of the Planning and Licences Committee meeting held on 20
   February 2023 (available)
   7.2 Houlgate Way – Revised Plans (Planning Application 02/22/00021/DT) – naming of
   roads and any update
   7.3 Planning Applications
   TO CONSIDER, AS APPROPRIATE (including considering any recommendations from the
   Committee) AND RESPOND TO SEDGEMOOR DISTRICT COUNCIL ON THE
   FOLLOWING APPLICATIONS:
   Planning application number: 02/23/00004/AGE
   Proposal: Outline planning permission with some matters reserved, for the erection of 2no.
   self-build dwellings (revised scheme).
   Location: Kattegat, Cheddar Road, Axbridge, Somerset, BS26 2DL
   Please click here to view this planning application on Sedgemoor’s Planning Online website
   Planning application number: 02/23/00006/AGE
   Proposal: Outline planning permission with some matters reserved, for the erection of 1no.
   self-build dwelling.
   Location: Kattegat, Cheddar Road, Axbridge, Somerset, BS26 2DL
   Please click here to view this planning application on Sedgemoor’s Planning Online website
   APPLICATION DOCUMENTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION ONLINE at
   http://www.sedgemoor.gov.uk/planning_online (click proceed and type in application
   number) CONTACT THE TOWN CLERK FOR ASSISTANCE IN ACCESSING THE PLANS.
8. Administration and Finance
   8.1 Report of the Group – March 2023 (to follow)
   8.2 Scribe computer system – update on package options and costs
   8.3 Payroll administration – update and any further action
   8.4 Risk Assessment (available)
   8.5 Memorial Plaque – any update
   8.6 Community Table
   8.7 Monthly Financial Report – (to follow)
9. Highways
   9.1 Report of the Highways Advisory Group – February 2023
   9.2 Demand Responsive Bus Service
   9.3 Highways matters – to report any urgent matters
10. Cemeteries, Allotments and Open Spaces Advisory Group
    10.1 Report of the Cemetery, Allotments and Open Spaces Group – any update
    10.2 Chestnut Avenue – update on works
    10.3 Open Spaces matters – to report any urgent matters
11. Leisure and Recreation (to include Changing Rooms)
    11.1 Report of the Leisure and Recreation Group
    11.2 Play Area and Public Conveniences Logs
    11.3 Town Maintenance Report (to follow)
    11.4 Container – Shortlands
    11.5 Changing Room – Plumbing and Heating service/maintenance
12. Personnel and Protocol
    12.1 Draft minutes of the meeting of the Personnel and Protocol Committee held on 27th
    February 2023 (available)
    12.2 Mayor’s Banquet – 29th April 2023
    12.3 Air Disaster Memorial Service
13. Strategic Planning Advisory Group
    14.1 Report of the Strategic Planning Advisory Group – March 2023
    14.2 Axbridge Town Council Vision, Mission, Values and Strategic Objectives
    14.3 Old Station building –update and way forward (available)
    14.4 Potential small projects
    16 New Somerset Council – SCC Consultation Notification – Somerset Council Statement
    of Community Involvement
    17 Nomination of Mayor and Deputy Mayor 2023/24
    18 General Correspondence, Consultation and Diary Dates (available) including Food
    Training Champion Opportunity
    19 Town Council Blog – any further items

Axbridge News is edited by Harry Mottram and is published for the interest of himself and fellow residents

Harry is a freelance journalist. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc

Email:harryfmottram@gmail.com
Website:www.harrymottram.co.uk

Mobile: 07789 864769

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Axbridge News: Friends of King John’s Hunting Lodge announce spring talks including the history of lead mining on the Mendips

 MAR 9, 2023

The Friends of King John’s Hunting Lodge in Axbridge have announced a series of spring talks of interest to residents and those interested in local history in Somerset in general.

The events are:

March 15th – Lead Mining on Mendip. What the Romans & Victorians did for us .

Speaker- Steve Tofts

Venue Cross Memorial Hall at 2 pm  £5 donation to include refreshments

April 19th – The Story of Compton Bishop & Cross- an illustrated history of two interesting villages.

Speaker – Margaret Jordan

Venue – Cross Memorial Hall at 7.30 pm £5 donation to include refreshments

May 17th Peter Wickens Fry – a pioneer photographer from Compton House, Axbridge

Speaker  –  John Page

Venue – Compton House, Axbridge, Somerset

Numbers are limited at this event so please let us know if you are interested in coming along and further details will be sent out nearer the time.

For details of the Friends of King John’s Hunting Lodge and how to join visit https://kingjohnshuntinglodge.co.uk/

For more on Cross Memorial Hall visit https://www.comptonbishopparish.org.uk/index.asp

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Axbridge News: work to fell trees hit by ash dieback disease ends at King’s Wood as carpark reopens

By Harry Mottram: Those intrepid folk who venture up to King’s Wood will have noticed the work to fell trees affected by ash dieback disease is seemingly completed. King’s Wood car park and the walking routes through the forest were from closed 23rd January to 3rd March by the National Trust’s contractors while they cut down and removed trees hit by the ash dieback disease.

The Woodland Trust explain on their website: “Ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus) is a fungus which originated in Asia. It doesn’t cause much damage on its native hosts of the Manchurian ash (Fraxinus mandshurica) and the Chinese ash (Fraxinus chinensis) in its native range. However, its introduction to Europe about 30 years ago has devastated the European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) because our native ash species did not evolve with the fungus and this means it has no natural defence against it.”

“The fungus overwinters in leaf litter on the ground, particularly on ash leaf stalks. It produces small white fruiting bodies between July and October which release spores into the surrounding atmosphere. These spores can blow tens of miles away. They land on leaves, stick to and then penetrate into the leaf and beyond. The fungus then grows inside the tree, eventually blocking its water transport systems, causing it to die. The tree can fight back, but year-on-year infections will eventually kill it.”

They go on to say the disease will kill 80% of ash trees meaning a major change to the look of the countryside – and the small numbers that are resistance to the disease will take 50 years or more to replace the lost trees.

King’s Wood is considered ancient woodland as it predates 1600 with some trees hundreds of years old. In nearby Slader’s Leigh there is a willow that is dated to 1200 – more than 800 years old. The woods include small-leaved lime, oak, beech, field maple, ash, whitebeam, hazel and guelder rose. In the spring there are bluebells and wild garlic giving off an aroma that heralds summer. Within the 38 acres I’ve seen roe deer, foxes, a badger, squirrels of course and rabbits. So far the Beast of the Mendips has not shown up.

Axbridge News is edited by Harry Mottram and is published for the interest of himself and fellow residents

Harry is a freelance journalist. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc

Email:harryfmottram@gmail.com
Website:www.harrymottram.co.uk

Mobile: 07789 864769

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Axbridge News: gas pipe work in Jubilee Road set to last into March as the network is upgraded in readiness for hydrogen and biomethane

By Harry Mottram: Wales and West Utilities are currently updating gas pipes in Jubilee Road in Axbridge with the work scheduled to last until March 9, 2023.

A set of two way traffic lights have been installed along with ramps and pedestrian diversions.

Residents should have received letters informing them of the work. The utility firm state on their website:

• You’ll notice signs and safety barriers being set up before we start work.
• Our colleagues are really friendly, so please ask them if you have any questions.
• We want to cause as little disruption as possible and so we use the latest technology to help with this.
• We will put in the hours to get the work done as quickly as possible. 
• There may be traffic lights which result in delays, but we’ll work hard to keep the traffic flowing and the roads safe. 
• We try to keep digging to a minimum, but you’ll probably see a few holes in the road or pavement.

In their Twitter feed they said: “We’re ready to take your call if you have any questions about our work. Call freephone 0800 912 2999, or contact us on Twitter @WWUtilities or Facebook.com/wwutilities.” 

The work is replacing old often metal pipes that sometime date back decades or even to the 19th century with plastic ones with new hydrogen-ready pipes, to reduce the amount of natural gas ‘leakage’such as methane natural gas that escapes into the air.

The change is nationwide and first began back in 2002 after the Health and Safety Executive identified a potential safety risk from gas leaks from older gas mains pipes. In Old Church Road in Axbridge there have been numerous leaks over the years – partly caused according to workmen by traffic impacting on the ground above the pipes.

The other reason is gas in the future will change to hydrogen and biomethane which have a much smaller impact on global warming. The nationwide programme will “deliver the world’s first zero carbon gas grid by moving Britain’s gas network infrastructure from delivering methane-based natural gas to zero carbon hydrogen and biomethane.”

There is plenty more information about gas and what is happening with Wales and West Utilities on their website at https://wwutilities.co.uk/

Axbridge News is edited by Harry Mottram and is published for the interest of himself and fellow residents

Harry is a freelance journalist. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc

Email:harryfmottram@gmail.com
Website:www.harrymottram.co.uk

Mobile: 07789 864769

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Axbridge News: update on Shute Shelve Tunnel on the Strawberry Line from Amber Hill of The Mercury

By Harry Mottram: The Weston Mercury’s Amber Hill has given more details of the lights in Shute Shelve Tunnel in a piece on the newspaper’s website.

She wrote: “The lighting upgrade was carried out by Centregeat on the council’s behalf. This work was funded by Bristol Water as part of planning conditions for when the company used the tunnel as part of their Southern Resilience Scheme.”

She also confirmed that the lights would be switched off at night so as not to disturb the bats that roost in the former railway tunnel.

The lighting is the work or a number of groups. Centregeat is a privately-owned company based in  South Wales and have been supporting critical infrastructure since the 1970s. Their work includes traffic signals, public street lighting and engineering work. Bristol Water who operate Cheddar Reservoir ran their pipe line through the tunnel and have paid for the initial work while North Somerset Council have undertaken maintenance work.

Shute Shelve tunnel is 165 metres long and was designed by Chief Engineer, Francis Fox of the Cheddar Valley and Yatton Railway in 1859 linking Wells to Yatton although the entire line took another ten years to be completely open. It closed to passengers in 1963 and to goods in 1964.

 The north half of the tunnel is brick lined, but about midway it reverts to unlined rock for the southern half, marking a change in the underlying geology from sandstone to limestone. 

Axbridge News is edited by Harry Mottram and is published for the interest of residents

Harry is a freelance journalist. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc

Email:harryfmottram@gmail.com
Website:www.harrymottram.co.uk

Mobile: 07789 864769

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Axbridge News: updates on the lights in Shute Shelve Tunnel

Byharrymottram

 FEB 19, 2023

By Harry Mottram: Opened in 1869 and closed in the Beeching cuts of the 1960s the former Cheddar Valley Railway connected Wells to Yatton but is best known today as the Strawberry Line cycle path and walkway. Located between Axbridge and Winscombe is the 165 metre long tunnel which in 2016 was closed for several months while Bristol Water put in a pipeline in the floor of the tunnel. Reopened more than a year later the tunnel now features daytime lighting installed by the utility which has made that part of the cycle path more attractive for families and females in particular.

Independent district North Somerset Cllr James Tonkin who is on the Strawberry Line Management Committee said the lights go off in the evening to protect the habitat of the bats who live there – but he would see if the lights could stay on later into the evening. One of the issues has been child and female safety in the unlit tunnel so having the lights installed has been welcomed.

Cllr Bridget Petty of who represents Backwell for the Green Party said: “I’m Green Party Councillor in North Somerset and have family based in Axbridge. We have walked to the tunnel for years,  since kids were in buggies, and also with my parents. After a local resident raised concerns about the lights being out in the tunnel, I was happy to champion and follow up on trying to help resolve this through my work at the council. This week visiting the strawberry line, it’s fantastic to see the lights up, I’ve seen runners, walkers, families and cyclists all enjoying the route. So great to hear a local mum say ‘it’s amazing’ as pre-schooler cycled through.”

Joe Tristram said: “In my new role as a local Green Party activist I’ve been working with N Somerset Council officer Paul Hillman for nearly a year to pull together the needs of the various user-groups from bats to cyclists. It’s been really pleasing in the last month to see so many people using the tunnel. In its previously unlit state anyone who did use it went through quickly and with some trepidation. I especially enjoy seeing families with young children on their bikes and scooters, completely relaxed in a place they couldn’t use before.”

Bristol Water’s pipeline was part of their £27 million Southern Resilience Scheme which saw pipes running from Somerset to North Somerset to ensure continued water supply.

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Axbridge News: Annual Assembly set for Monday, March 6th, 2023, when the town’s organisations give their presentations

 FEB 21, 2023

By Harry Mottram: Axbridge Town Council has announced that the town’s Annual Assembly meeting is to be held on Monday 6^th March 2023 at 8pm in Axbridge Town Hall.

The annual meeting is open to all residents of Axbridge and involves the presentation of reports from the Town Council, the County Councillor, the District Councillor, the Police, and the School Governor. It also gives the opportunity for local organisations to update residents on their activities and enables organisations including the Town Council, Town Trust, and Parochial Charities to present their accounts.

There is also a meeting of the council at the beginning of the evening with the usual reports including any updates which may be of interest including planning matters, school matters and police matters.

For the agenda visit the Town Council’s website – https://axbridge-tc.gov.uk/your-council/meetingsagendas/

For those interested in the plans to build homes off Houlgate Way and the town council’s views on the matter then in the minutes of the Town Council meeting of December 12th 2022 under Appendix A there is plenty of food for thought – repeated below.

APPENDIX A
Axbridge Town Council’s Response – Houlgate Way Reserved Matters
application 02/22/00021/DT
RESOLVED: that Sedgemoor District Council be advised that Axbridge Town Council
objects to the above-mentioned application on the grounds of appearance,
landscaping, scale and layout as set out below.
In any new planning application, Axbridge Town Council would expect the
development to be of a high quality design and energy efficiency, with an appropriate
and inclusive mix of affordable housing. Furthermore, it would expect the development
to meet high standards for traffic management and parking, whilst looking after the
environment and wildlife. These aspects should all, at the very least, be in accordance
with both the Local Plan and the Axbridge Neighbourhood Plan.
This is particularly important for such a large development, in a prominent gateway
position into the Town, abutting a conservation area and close to listed buildings.
A public meeting was held on 7 December 2022 attended by approximately 50
members of the public. The meeting was constructive, focusing on the reserved
matters.
The Town Council consider the application, as it stands, falls short of these general
requirements and objects to the proposed development as follows.
Appearance
• The appearance and design of the dwellings should include a variety of
features to truly reflect the vernacular within the nearby conservation area;
there should be a wide variety of materials, features and a mix of muted
colours to reflect both the importance of the setting (which is a gateway into
the Town, bordering the conservation area and close to listed buildings) and
work with the neighbouring countryside. The Town Council supports the preapplication advice given by the planning officer in respect of the design and
materials for the dwellings.
• The new dwellings should meet higher levels of energy efficiency – this
should include solar panels and electric charging points for all properties, with
infrastructure put in place for ground source heat pumps.
• The proposed play area is of a sub-standard quality and the Town Council
supports the comments made by the Parks and Open Spaces Team (18th
November 2022) in terms of the concerns relating to the basic features, the
materials proposed and longevity of the site. The play area, and public open
space, is an important aspect and should be of better quality and well
managed now and in the future. (The Town Council would seek clarification
as to how these areas are going to be both managed and financed.)
• The Town Council seeks assurance that the quality of the street lighting will
match those currently in place in the Town.
Landscaping
• Clarification is sought on the reference to 27 “bird houses and bricks” – in any
event, there are insufficient numbers of bird boxes and bee bricks and these
should be increased to promote biodiversity.
• Given the location and scale of this development it is vital that existing
hedges and trees are retained as much as possible (a development in
Cheddar has seen hedging repositioned rather than removed) and better
10
landscaped, including protecting the conservation area to the north side of
the site (abutting Compton Lane, in front of Compton House – which is a
listed building). The Council supports the comments made by the
Conservation and Landscaping Officers on this matter when responding to
the outline planning application 02/16/00030 (letters dated 20th November
2017 and 30th July 2019 respectively) and does not feel this had been
adequately addressed.
• The proposal indicates that the pumping station would be surrounded by a
high metal fence. This is close to two of the properties and seems an
insufficient and unsightly method of screening this facility. There is also
concern that this facility will be noisy – affecting nearby properties.
Scale
• The proposed development is predominantly 4 bedroom dwellings. The
Council considers that there should be a bigger variety in terms of the size of
the homes. Larger dwellings do not help those starting out, or those wishing
to retire, and smaller 1, 2 and 3 bedroom dwellings would make the
development more affordable and provide more room for parking without
detrimentally affecting green spaces.
• There does seem to a reasonable spread of housing sizes in relation to the
affordable housing dwellings – the response of the Affordable Housing Officer
is awaited.
Layout
• The illustrative plan within the outline planning application provided a better
layout for the dwellings, in terms of spacing, mix and integration of properties.
• The position of the affordable dwellings is of concern, being ‘stuck’ at either
end of the site. The Town Council would expect these to be better integrated
within the development.
• The Council is concerned about the position of the pumping station. It is very
close to properties.
• The parking standards are not met – with insufficient parking being provided
for the number of dwellings planned. This is not in accordance with policy.
The assessment of the parking need is based on the 2011 census which is
outdated.
• Parking is one of the most difficult issues in the Town and so the new
development also needs to address the issue of the car parking places lost
due to the long length of double yellow lining to be introduced on Houlgate
Way for visibility at the site access points.
• The small car park area intended for visitors is not accessed directly from
Houlgate Way as expected, but only through the housing estate and via, as
far as the Council is aware, a private road (shared access, not public
highway). Its hidden position will not be accessible/used by the public/visitors
to the Town and the provision of sufficient parking is vital to the Town’s
sustainability. The location and size of the proposed parking area is not
acceptable.
• Since the online planning application was approved, the bus service has
been greatly reduced (there is no longer a bus service to Weston-superMare) and the remainder of the bus route to Wells is seriously under threat.
This greatly limits the travel options of those living on the site, further
exacerbating the issues with traffic, car ownership and parking.
• The introduction of the double yellow lines and the proposed layby areas will
result in an increase in speed along Houlgate Way which is a major concern.
This issue is not addressed in the application.
• The play area should be sited away from a busy road for health and safety
reasons.
11
• The proposals should include/offer improved public footpath links to Cross
(alongside Cross Lane).
In addition, the following concerns associated with the application have been raised
by the community which we wish to bring to your attention. (They are shared by the
Town Council).
• Tier 2 classification – the Tier 2 allocation is queried given the loss of
amenities such as the bus service to Weston (and the threat to the remaining
part of the service) and the imminent loss of the only local bank in Cheddar.
Can this be revised?
• Infrastructure – the development will result in an increase of approximately
10% of the population bringing increased pressure on local services and
infrastructure (school, doctors, dentist, sewerage and drainage).
• Sewerage, drainage and flooding – there are serious concerns that the
systems in place/proposed are not robust enough to address the increased
loads on them and need major work undertaken before the development
takes place. There will be serious issues if the sewerage system and water
systems are not enhanced, and flooding is of concern, given the position of
the site and previous experiences. The Town Council seeks assurance that
the authorities involved (including Bristol Water and Wessex Water) are
satisfied that with the arrangements, that works will be undertaken to address
the issues and ensure that the systems are robust, and that all works will be
carried out in accordance with the S106 agreement.
• Travel and Connectivity – further clarification/information is sought on travel
coordinators, travel vouchers and improvements to connectivity
• Proximity of the Chicken Sheds and Gas Powered Facility – the proximity of
these facilities to the siting of the proposed dwellings is of concern in terms of
both health and environmental issues (noise, dust, smell and contamination).
The plans showing the fall out from the gas powered facility appear to overlap
the development site.
• Construction concerns – there are concerns relating to the parking of
construction and workers’ vehicles during the construction process and
health, and environmental issues (dust, contamination). The Town Council
seeks assurance that these are addressed in a construction plan.
• Street Naming – the Town Council (and community) would welcome the
opportunity to put forward street names for the development.
• Delivery of the development – there is some concern that the developer will
not deliver on their plans, conditions and promises – exacerbated by the fact
that the developer sign is larger than the permitted size and mentions only 4
and 5 bedroom dwellings, together with the unauthorised removal of the
hedge and lack of parking provision. Monitoring by the planning authority is
required.
• Community Infrastructure Levy – The Town Council seeks confirmation as to
the amount of the Community Infrastructure Levy to be received by the Town
Council – the form on the website is blank.
The Town Council is still receiving comments on this application and will bring these,
and any further matters raised, to your attention during the application process.

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Axbridge News: the clock is ticking to register a comment on the Houlgate Way proposed housing development

By Harry Mottram: Sedgemoor District Council’s planning department has said anyone wishing to make a comment on the proposed Bellway Homes development in the town have until February 15, to do so.

The land to the south of Houlgate Way could see 53 new homes constructed with 30% of them listed as affordable housing. Previously it had been for outline planning permission since the plans were submitted again in November the proposal is for ‘Approval of reserved matters, for appearance, landscaping, layout and scale for the erection of 53no. Dwellings (30% affordable housing).’

It is understood that Houlgate Way may lose 18 parking spaces on the road along with the felling of two mature trees to make way for the development.

To register a comment, visit the Sedgemoor District Council Planning Portal and key in the Application Number 02/22/00021. You must include your name and address and your comments will be in the public domain.

The proposed planning application was in 2020 when councillors in Bridgwater voted it through by a margin of 10-2. It was opposed by Cllr Mike Murphy of Burnham-on-Sea who said having 125m distance between the farm and the homes was unacceptable. He said: “Would the planners accept a proposal to build a chicken farm next to a housing estate? No.” He demanded a site visit before any vote which was ignored. Cllr Revan of North Petherton also opposed the plans at the vote in 2020.

District Cllr Liz Scott raised the issue of extra traffic and the loss of parking spaces in Houlgate Way as well as the ‘high visual effect’ the development would have on the town especially in relation to the Grade II listed Compton House which would be next to the new estate. She raised the issue of land drainage and of a footpath as well as saying that under a Tier 2 settlement all the requirements had to be met which she said had not on a number of levels listing a number of points – all rejected on technicalities by the planning officer.

The then mayor of Axbridge and town councillor Barbara Wells also spoke against the plans. She said at the time: “The offer of a public car park accessed seemingly via the estate to balance the loss of at least 18 on road parking spaces in Houlgate Way will not help with existing parking issues in the Town.”

One of the main objections is the site is outside of the Axbridge settlement boundary and is not allocated for housing within the council’s Local Plan, which runs until 2032. Another issue is the site since 2020 has been sold to Bellway by Hannick. Bellway are based in Newcastle upon Tyne and are marketing the Houlgate Way development as Lavender Rise with a selection of four and five bedroom properties – the firm is also behind the current development at Helliers Lane in Cheddar.

Sedgemoor District Council will cease to exist on April 1 when there will be one unitary council – Somerset County Council.

Follow Harry Mottram on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Linked In and other social media sites. There is more at http://www.harrymottram.co.uk/

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Axbridge News: David Eagle’s musical comedy show Flying Solo comes to the town on February 25th

David Eagle is a multi award winning comedian and musician. He is a member of the folk band The Young’uns, three-time winners at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, and have played major festivals all over the world including a joint gig with Billy Bragg at Glastonbury. In 2018 David began performing stand up and in that time has appeared on BBC Radio 4 and was crowned New Comedian Of The Year by Nottingham comedy Festival, Bath Comedy Festival, and Leicester Square Theatre.   David is blind and his stand up often explores how this leads him into numerous surprising, hilarious encounters and misadventures. Armed with an accordion, he punctuates the jokes and stories with the occasional comedy song, one of which was written about in the Guardian as “a comic tour de force.” From his years playing folk clubs, comedy clubs, theatres, arts centres and festivals, David is a versatile personable performer able to engage a broad range of people with his irreverent brand of music and comedy. 

Axbridge Town Hall, Somerset, BS26 2AP

Sat 25th February 2023 7:30PM

Tickets available to book: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/take-art/david-eagle-flying-solo/2023-02-25/19:30/t-avapaqx

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Axbridge News: the progressive supper joins up with Axbridge Action Group at the AGM

At Axbridge Action Group’s AGM held in the Lamb Inn on Monday, February 6th, 2023, committee members of the annual charity progressive supper applied to join the action group and were accepted.

The action group has been going for around 20 years and is an umbrella and coordinating group for the Heritage Trail, the Streets of Axbridge and the Axbridge Good Neighbourhours Scheme.

On the action group’s website they state: “The Axbridge Action Group (AAG) is an established group of local people who care passionately about Axbridge and what it means to our residents. We are looking for likeminded residents to join our group and get involved with helping to support ideas and projects that can improve our everyday life.”

The Progressive Supper has been run for several decades by different residents and is now operated by Zoe Hebden, Kirsty Edwards, Harry Mottram and Margaret Cowie with help from Sarah Boundy at Acutabove. The next one is slated to take place on Saturday, December 2, 2023. The event has its own Facebook page for more updates and news.

Last December the supper raised £2,000 for local charities – who were each given £500. They were Axbridge Heritage Trails, Axbridge Carnival, Axe Valley Mens’ Shed and Cheddar Valley Plus Foodbank.

You can follow the progressive supper on their Facebook page.

The AAG has a website at https://axbridgeactiongroup.org.uk/

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Axbridge News: Charities get funding boost from the town’s annual progressive supper

The Axbridge Progressive Supper held on Saturday, December 3, 2022, raised £2,000 for local charities. The Committee behind the event of Zoe Hebden, Kirsty Edwards, Paul Hughes, Harry Mottram and Margaret Cowey donated £500 each to the Axbridge Heritage Trails, Axbridge Carnival, Axe Valley Mens’ Shed and Cheddar valley Plus Foodbank.

The Progressive Supper is a community charity event in which couples taking part sit down to a three-course meal with each course in a different home in the town – meaning much walking in between. The courses are chosen at random with most who take part preparing and serving a course to mystery guests. As an event it dates back decades and is a popular way of unexpectedly getting to know new people in the town. The next one is on Saturday, December 2, 2023. The event has its own Facebook page for more updates and news.

The Heritage Trails was set up to give visitors a tour of the town’s historic buildings plus a fun family trail for younger visitors and residents. The project was aided by Neil Barnes at Enable and pioneered by the work of Margaret Cowie, Caroline Harris, Paul Hughes, Nico Mann, Barbara Wells and John Page. There is more information at their website at https://axbridgeheritagetrails.com/

Axbridge Blackberry Carnival is one of the town’s big events marked in the calendar each year to coincide with a visitor of a fun fair in the town square. It is an afternoon and family friendly procession with the next one to be confirmed on a Saturday in September. Robin Mace is the chairman of the carnival and received the cheque from the progressive supper committee. The carnival has a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AxbridgeBlackberryCarnival/

Axe Valley Mens’ Shed based in Cheddar about social connections and friendship building, sharing skills and knowledge. Members created the railway carriages and sedan chair used in the Axbridge Pageant along with several other intricate pieces of carpentry and carving for communities in the area. For details of how to join visit https://axevalleymensshed.org/ and see their Facebook page with photos of their project at Shortlands.

The foodbank in Cheddar is a vital resource for those struggling during the Cost-of-Living Crisis. Trustee of the foodbank Penny Cooke said the Cheddar Valley Plus Foodbank at Unit 8, Wessex Business Park Cheddar, welcomed those who seek help in putting food on the table. To enquire about how to obtain a food parcel, or to make a food donation, please contact the foodbank by phone on 07922 309369, or by email at info@cheddarvalley.foodbank.org.ukor visit https://cheddarvalley.foodbank.org.uk/

PHOTOS

Axbridge Heritage Trail. Pictured from left: Zoe Hebden, Kirsty Edwards, Caroline Harris, Barbara Wells, Nico Mann and Margaret Cowey with the cheque from the Axbridge Progressive Supper Committee for the Axbridge Heritage Trail

Axbridge Carnival. Pictured from left: Kirsty Edwards, Zoe Hebden, Carnival Chairman Robin Mace and Margaret Cowey

Axe Valley Men’s Shed. Pictured are Kirsty Edwards and Zoe Hebden presenting a cheque to John McQueen of the men’s shed

Cheddar Valley Plus Foodbank. The Progressive Supper Committee present a cheque to Penny Cooke (centre) of the Cheddar Valley Plus Foodbank

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Axbridge News: the chamber of commerce appoints a new secretary in Nigel Scott

The Axbridge Chamber of Commerce has seen a changing of the guard with the town crier Nigel Scott taking on the role of secretary.

Membership secretary is Pat Filer of The Parsonage, Parsonage Lane, Cheddar Road, Axbridge, Somerset BS26 2DN. Tel (01934) 733078

Richard Helps of the Post Office is chairman and Mike Sartain continues as treasurer

Follow the Chamber on Twitter and Facebook

And at http://axbridgechamber.co.uk/

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The Axbridge Pageant will next take place in August 2030

The Axbridge Pageant is a community event that has been performed regularly since 1967 when a celebration of the town’s history was first held in the town square. Since then it has been held in 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000 and 2010. Due to the Covid Crisis it was postponed from 2020 to 2022.

The Axbridge Pageant is set to take place at 3pm daily over the Bank Holiday Weekend, Saturday-Monday, August 27-29. 2022.

For more news, features and photos on the pageant visit http://axbridgepageant.com/

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The Axbridge Anthem

Written for the Axbridge Pageant 2022

Will you come gather,
Cornflowers and lavender?
Hazelnuts and blackberries,
And sweet juicy strawberries?

We’ll hook down the sloes,
Where the dark rhynes do flow,
Take fruit from the apple tree,
And honey from the honey bee.

We’ll splash in the clay pits,
And frighten the linnets,
Scratch our bare knees,
In brambles and trees.

And gather bunches of pinks,
On high Mendip ridge,
Buttercups and rosehips,
In the hedges of Axbridge

And give them to mother,
Aunty and brother,
From the places we roam,
In our blue lias homes.

Celtic, Roman, Tudor, Dane
Saxon, Norman, Worker, Thane
Soldier, Teacher, Farmer, Maid
Servant, Landlord, Mistress, Slave

Mother, Father, Cousin, Bride
Ancient, Baby, Adult, Child
We are Axbridge first and last
We are the future, the present and the past.

Harry Mottram

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Axbridge News: The annual Progressive Supper has been provisionally planned for Saturday, December 2nd, 2023.

The annual charity dining event attracted more than 150 people last December raising £2,000 for local charities. These were: The Axbridge Carnival, The Axe Vale Men’s Shed, The Axbridge Heritage Trail and the Cheddar Foodbank. The presentation of cheques will take place on Saturday, February 4th, at The Farmers’ Market.

Subject to change The Annual Progressive Supper has been provisionally planned for Saturday, December 2nd, 2023.

For more on the supper visit http://www.harrymottram.co.uk/axbridge/axbridge-features/progressive-supper/

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The Axbridge Flag

Alan Mortimer of Axbridge Town Trust writes: Last year the Town Trust purchased a new flag with the “Lamb and Flag” logo in black on a white background and asked permission from the Town Council if this could be adopted as the “Axbridge Flag” to be flown on special occasions such as new year (as it was this last new year period) as well as local events in the square including the Pageant. The Town Council has agreed to adopt the flag.

The Trustees have created here a brief history behind the symbol produced by Trustee John Page who was seconded to the Trust by the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society (SANHS) specifically for the historical artefacts owned by the Town Trust.

Recently Axbridge acquired a new flag through the auspices of the Axbridge Town Trust, a charity setup in 1889 to acquire the assets of the Axbridge Corporation, which had been dissolved by the Municipal Corporations Act of 1883. It is now flying on the balcony of the Town Hall alongside the Union Jack (Fig. 1.), with the blessing of the Axbridge Town Council, who have accepted it as the town flag.

Displayed on the flag is the motif which Axbridge has used since at least the Tudor period, but probably from even earlier, in the late medieval period (Fig. 2). It features the lamb and flag, or Agnus Dei (Lamb of God), as it is also known (sometimes it is also referred to as the Paschal Lamb). It also contains a legend (the words around the edge), which states “Communitatis Burgi de Axbridge S(iggilum)” (The seal of the Community of the Borough of Axbridge).

That legend is interesting, as, in 1557 Axbridge acquired a royal charter, which turned it into a Corporation. Prior to that time it had no formal corporate status, though Domesday Book did record that it had thirty-two burgesses, who must have been originally formed sometime in the tenth century. Whilst it does appear to have had some form of independence since that time, it was not until the early thirteenth century that it acquired full independence from the royal estate at Cheddar.

It was in 1204 that King John gave the whole of his Cheddar estate to the Archdeacon of Wells, who then sublet Axbridge to Thomas Wallensis two years later. However, it may well have been the Archdeacon who organised the erection of the first church in Axbridge. That church acquired a dedication to St. John the Baptist, who, when he saw Jesus, is credited with the saying, “Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world.” This was a time when Axbridge had begun to establish itself as a local centre for the woollen industry. So, it does seem likely that both the dedication of the church, and the emblem adopted by Axbridge, were heavily influenced by that very profitable industry, though no example of the lamb and flag is known to exist from as early as the thirteenth or fourteenth centuries.

One of the earliest known versions of the lamb and flag appears on a seal from a document of 1579 (Fig. 3). Although this is after the charter of 1557, which definitely gave Axbridge the right to use a seal, it is a far less sophisticated version and looks as though it is a medieval design. It may well be an old seal being reused by someone who has no seal of their own. Whether it belonged to the Guild of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which ruled Axbridge until the Charter of Incorporation, is uncertain, but a possibility.
Unfortunately, it is not possible at the moment to check out a deed of 1420, which is listed in the catalogue as having “one pendant seal, lamb and flag,” as the Record Office in Taunton is closed during the pandemic. However that clearly signifies that lamb and flag seals were being used on documents in Axbridge for a long time prior to the 1557 charter.

Unfortunately, most of the deeds held in the Axbridge Archive do not have the seal of the Corporation on them. This is because their seal would be on the copy deed held by a lessee, whilst the lessee’s seal would appear on the ones retained by the Corporation. However, there are some clues as to how the lamb and flag motif developed over time, from the crude version (Fig. 3), through two examples engraved on the feet of the Axbridge seals, which were granted to the Corporation in the third royal charter of 1623 (Fig. 4), a 17th century picture, currently in the King John’s Hunting Lodge Museum (Fig. 5), and some more recent versions from the eighteenth and nineteenth century (Figs. 6 and 7).

Noticeably, the lamb on the 1579 seal faces in the opposite direction to that of all the remaining versions, the cross differs substantially and the flag is much smaller and rather difficult to see. It also has its leg under its body, supporting the pole.

By 1623 (Fig. 4) the lamb faces to our left and the flag is a bifurcated banner with the lamb holding its pole in an outstretched foot, at the top end of which the cross is of a different style. The lamb is standing on a cross-hatched ground surface and has a rather flattened halo, which cannot be seen in the earlier version.

This is very similar, in many respects to the lamb shown in the museum picture (Fig. 5), though the cross here is plain and the banner no longer has the cross of St. George on it, but is now plain. Overall this is a far superior rendition, with a much larger and more pronounced halo. The major difference between the two, however, is what the lamb is standing on. On the foot of the mace it may not have been simple to show anything other than the cross-hatching displayed, but in the picture the lamb is now standing on a large book, which may well be a Bible, which has two prominent clasps across its long opening side. As early books were made of parchment, which had a strong tendency to absorb moisture, it quite often happened that the pages swelled up until it was impossible to close the book properly. To counteract this the clasps were used to hold the book firmly closed so that no moisture could get in and that which was acquired by the book when it was open, would be squeezed out. As parchment fell out of fashion when paper became the dominant material for books, clasps were no longer needed, as paper was not so absorbent. That had largely happened prior to the eighteenth century and this picture has been dated by experts to the seventeenth century.

Another version of this lamb and flag can be seen on an octagonal seal, which is attached to a document dated 1759, so is probably quite an old seal by that time. Here the cross is similar to that of the one on the mace (Fig. 4) and the banner does have the cross of St. George upon it. In this case it is the octagonal shape of the seal border which is very rare and the legend around the edge merely states, “Borough of Axbridge,” in English. As it appears on a document which is stated to be a witness statement, is almost certainly the one that is used by the Justices of the Peace, rather than the Corporation itself.

Two matrices (a matrix, or die, is the tool used to make the impression) still exist for Corporation seals. The larger one (Fig. 7) shows the lamb standing on a small mound, whilst the smaller one (Fig. 8) shows it standing on a field of grass. Both show the inverse of the seal, but a copy of the large one is available on a document (see Fig. 9). These are closer to the imagery shown on the modern Axbridge flag, except that today the leg of the lamb is draped over the pole, rather than resting on it (or holding it?) as formerly. All of them do have a major difference from all the earlier versions in that they now have the lamb looking over his shoulder, instead of looking forward.

All of this means that, whilst Axbridge has retained the lamb and flag as its symbol for possibly over eight hundred years, there has been quite a lot of variety over time. So, do have a look on the balcony of the Town Hall and enjoy the Axbridge flag flying alongside the national flag.

John Page

Axbridge Town Trust

History

The Axbridge Town Trust was created by the Charity Commissioners in 1889, defining its objectives and listing the assets to be held by the Trustees. The Trust manages the remaining assets of the former Incorporated Borough of Axbridge, which was created under Royal Charter in 1557. Prior to that Axbridge had flourished as a busy market town since it became a burh (a fortified place) under King Alfred the Great.

Axbridge lost this corporate status under “The Municipal Corporations Act, 1883,” which sought to eliminate small boroughs from having responsibility for civil and criminal jurisdiction, exclusive rights regarding trading, jury exemptions and various other ancient privileges.

Assets

Today the Axbridge Town Trust retains many of the assets it was given over a century ago.
Major assets include The Square, the Town Hall, certain smaller properties and pieces of land and various artefacts. Many of the artefacts are managed by other bodies on behalf of the Trust. These include the local museum (King John’s Hunting Lodge) and the Somerset Record Office, now located in the new Somerset Heritage Centre.

Meetings & Contacts

The Axbridge Town Trust meets on the first Monday of every other month (February, April, June, August, October and December) to manage its properties and to preserve, and facilitate use of, the heritage artefacts it has inherited.

Although meetings are held in private, any matters falling within their scope of responsibilities can be raised directly with any of the Trustees, or through the Clerk.

Trustees

There are a total of 10 Trustees.  The first four are Co-optative Trustees {C} and the next six Representative Trustees.

Details are shown for the sixth Trustee (the current Trust Chairman), the Town Hall Manager and the Town Trust Clerk.

Five Representative Trustees are elected to office for a term of five years through the Vestry of the Parish of Axbridge.

A sixth is elected through the Archaeological Society of Somerset (ASS).

The Co-optative Trustees must reside in or near Axbridge or carry on business in Axbridge. They are appointed for seven years and are elected by the other Trustees.

Each Trustee can be re-elected by the other Trustees at the end of their Term.

Visit the Town Trust website for further information https://www.axbridgetownhall.co.uk/

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Axbridge News: Old Church Road and Meadow Street to be closed for four weeks for repairs to building

Temporary Road Closure: ttro400585SE – Old Church Road, Axbridge
  
Dear Sir/Madam,
Please follow the link to view the above road closure; https://one.network/?tm=118860541 and the link for the Notice 2:      https://one.network/downloads/tm/1111/3-notice-2_118860541_3265062_7952659e3a.pdf       
The order becomes effective on 27th October 2020 and will remain in force for eighteen months.

The works are expected to commence on 2nd November 2020 and last for 28 days to enable Mahoney Contracts to carry out urgent roof works on grade 2 listed buildings.

For any further information about this closure please contact Mahoney Contracts on (01253) 313828, quoting reference: ttro400585SE – Old Church Road, Axbridge.

Please note that should you require to view a closure which is more than two weeks ahead you will need to Register for free with www.One.Network

Kind regards

Ellen Flynn
The Road Closure Team
Contact Centre Tel: 0300 123 2224
Email: ttro@somerset.gov.uk
Traffic Management, Road Safety and Parking Services
Somerset County Council
County Hall
Taunton

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Press Release from the Axbridge Neighbourhood Plan

Axbridge Neighbourhood Plan Reg.14 Press Release 

Axbridge Town Council invites representations on the draft Axbridge Neighbourhood Plan. 

The Plan can be downloaded at http://www.axbridgeneighbourhoodplan.co.uk/wp- content/uploads/2020/03/Final-plan-http://www.axbridgeneighbourhoodplan.co.uk/wp- content/uploads/2020/03/Final-plan-VERSION-4.pdfVERSION-4.pdf 

Feedback should be sent to Alan Wells, Chair of the Axbridge Neighbourhood Planning Group at alan.wells9@btopenworld.com Paper submissions should be sent to Alan at 49 West Street, Axbridge, BS26 2AA. 

Please ensure that your feedback is with Alan by 20^th June 2020. 

The Plan is wide ranging with sections on Housing and Development, Community and Infrastructure, Historic and Natural Environment, Transport and future aspirations for our town. 

This consultation is part of the pre-submission consultation and publicity under The Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012. Specifically regulation 14.

Axbridge Town Council Blog Post, 17th April 2020

The Coronavirus outbreak is clearly having a major impact on residents, businesses and visitors in Axbridge.

During this time the Town Council remains committed to maintaining services and advocacy for townsfolk.  Although we will not be delivering printed copies of OYEZ! during this time, we will be maintaining regular blogs on this website to keep residents informed with Council business and other useful information.

As always – if you would like to contact us to request more information, ask a question or raise a concern please do so through email or post to the Town Clerk. We’d love to hear from you and understand what you’d like us to prioritise or raise any concerns you may have.

Updates:

• Full Council Meeting Monday 20th April 2020 will be undertaken on Zoom video conferencing platform and is open to the public and members of press using this link.
• Online Council Meetings –  We warmly welcome residents to join us at online Council meetings and to enable business to be conducted efficiently we would ask attendees to take on board the following guidance:
  • Agenda – agendas for the meeting are available on this link.  Please familiarise yourself with the agenda ahead of the meeting, in particular noting agenda item for public participation.
  • Public participation – please keep public participation to the allotted agenda item, follow the guidance given to you by the chair and be respectful of others at all times.
  • Use your full name – when joining a Zoom call the system asks participants to provide a name.  Please use your first name and surname, so it is clear to Clerk who is taking part.
  • Unmute only when needed – we politely ask attendees to mute their lines when not speaking, whilst the Chair has the facility to mute the lines of others we would prefer this to be done on a courtesy and voluntary basis.
  • Arrive on time – the Council meeting will commence at 7.30 and we ask participants to arrive on time.  We may choose to lock the meeting to new participants after 15 minutes if appropriate.
  • Bandwidth management – ideally we would like all participants to keep video switched to on so that we can see and converse with each other in as normal a way as possible.  However you may find that if your internet speeds are severely limited this will disrupt the overall call quality – in which case it is recommended that you use the ‘Stop Video’ function to reduce bandwidth required.
  • Bear with us – conducting Council meetings via video link is new to us, so please bear with us if we encounter any technical or user error issues.
• Updated Information on Coronavirus – our web page for Coronavirus information has been updated and is where you will now find; local authority helpline information, links to grant applications for Coronavirus response & recovery and a lot more.

We appreciate this is a difficult time for all of us as social distancing is set to continue and cases of Coronavirus continue to rise across the UK.  However as we all know Axbridge is built on its strong community spirit and the care we have for one another, which will carry us through this.  Please continue to observe government and NHS advice, wash hands regularly and stay at home.

Cllr Andy Corp – Website Editor.

–AXBRIDGE TOWN COUNCIL BLOG POST, 6th APRIL 2020–

The Coronavirus outbreak is clearly having a major impact on residents, businesses and visitors in Axbridge.

During this time the Town Council remains committed to maintaining services and advocacy for townsfolk and have had to adapt our procedures in the following way:

• Council will not meet at the Town Hall for monthly meetings or in committee until the health guidance permits meetings outside of family groups once more.
• Instead, the Council will replace monthly meetings, committee meetings and advisory groups with online Council conference calls.  Residents are invited to join public meetings online and a link will be provided on the Council Meetings page  alongside agendas and minutes of meetings.
• We urge residents to communicate with us through email, post to the Town Clark. We’d love to hear from you and understand what you’d like us to prioritise or raise any concerns you may have.
• Deliveries of printed Oyez! will cease until it is safe to resume. However, residents should rest assured that if we have news we need to get to all residents, we will resort to print and delivery to ensure that everyone gets the information they need.
• We will keep residents updated through regular blog posts here. Please do share information with friends and neighbours if you are concerned that they do not have access to the internet.
• We ask all residents to read, listen to and abide by the guidance provided by the Government, NHS and Public Health England and to maintain social distancing at all times.  More advice can be found on the Coronavirus Information page. We know this is particularly difficult for parents, but it is important for all of us in the community to keep each other safe at this time.  If we identify groups of people who are ignoring the regulations they will be reported to the Police and we encourage other residents to do likewise.

At these challenging times, we wish you all the very best – together we will get through this.

Cllr Andy Corp – Website Editor.