Somerton, Somerset

Somerton
Somerton's Market Square
Somerton Location within Somerset
Population	4,697 [1]
OS grid reference	ST485285
Civil parish	Somerton
Unitary authority	Somerset
Ceremonial county	Somerset
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SOMERTON
Postcode district	TA11
Dialling code	01458 (Glastonbury)
Police	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Devon and Somerset
Ambulance	South Western
UK Parliament	Somerton and Frome
Website	www.somerton.co.uk
List of places UK England Somerset 51°03′13″N 2°44′10″W / 51.0535°N 2.7361°W / 51.0535; -2.7361

Somerton (/ˈsʌmərtən/ SUM-ər-tən) is a town and civil parish in the English county of Somerset. It gave its name to the county and was briefly, around the start of the 14th century, the county town, and around 900 was possibly the capital of Wessex. It has held a weekly market since the Middle Ages, and the main square with its market cross is today popular with visitors. Situated on the River Cary, approximately 8.8 miles (14.2 km) north-west of Yeovil, Somerton has its own town council serving a population of 4,697 as of 2011.^[1]

Residents are often referred to locally as Somertonians.^[2] The civil parish includes the hamlets of Etsome, Hurcot, Catsgore, and Catcombe.

Archaeological remains at Somerton are evidence of a Celtic settlement. The discovery of a high status cemetery in 2019, suggests that these local people adopted a more Roman lifestyle.^[3] During the Anglo-Saxon era, Somerton was an important political and commercial centre. After the Norman conquest of England the importance of the town declined, despite being the county town of Somerset in the late thirteenth century and early fourteenth century. Having lost county town status, Somerton then became a market town in the Middle Ages, whose economy was supported by transport systems using the River Parrett, and later rail transport via the Great Western Railway, and by light industries including glove making and gypsum mining.

In the centre of Somerton the wide market square, with its octagonal roofed market cross, is surrounded by old houses, while close by is the 13th century Church of St Michael and All Angels. Somerton also had links with Muchelney Abbey in the Middle Ages. The BBC drama The Monocled Mutineer was filmed in Somerton from 1985 to 1986.^[4]