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Coordinates: 51°14′23″N 2°23′17″W / 51.23972°N 2.38806°W / 51.23972; -2.38806
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{{Short description|Village in Somerset, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox UK place
{{Infobox UK place
|static_image_name=StAndrews Mells4.JPG
| static_image_name = StAndrews Mells4.JPG
|static_image_alt=Street of gray stone houses. The church tower can be seen n the background
| static_image_alt = Street of gray stone houses. The church tower can be seen n the background
|static_image_caption=New Street, leading towards [[St Andrew's Church, Mells|St Andrew's Church]]
| static_image_caption = New Street, leading towards [[St Andrew's Church, Mells|St Andrew's Church]]
|country = England
| country = England
|official_name= Mells
| official_name = Mells
| population = 638
| population = 638
| population_ref =(2011)<ref name="popn">{{cite web|title=Mells Parish|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=11126471&c=Mells&d=16&e=61&g=6461310&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1388576470216&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2491|work=Neighbourhood Statistics|publisher=Office for National Statistics|accessdate=1 January 2014}}</ref>
| population_ref = (2011)<ref name="popn">{{cite web |title=Mells Parish |url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=11126471&c=Mells&d=16&e=61&g=6461310&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1388576470216&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2491 |work=Neighbourhood Statistics |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=1 January 2014 |archive-date=2 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102192141/http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=11126471&c=Mells&d=16&e=61&g=6461310&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1388576470216&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2491 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|os_grid_reference = ST729489
| os_grid_reference = ST729489
|coordinates = {{coord|51.2390|-2.3888|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{Wikidatacoord|Q1863626|display=inline,title}}
| civil_parish = Mells <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mellsparishcouncil.org.uk/ |title=Mells & Vobster, Somerset |access-date=11 April 2019 |archive-date=11 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411125011/http://www.mellsparishcouncil.org.uk/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|shire_district= [[Mendip District|Mendip]]
|shire_county = [[Somerset]]
| lieutenancy_england = [[Somerset]]
| unitary_england = [[Somerset Council]]
|region= South West England
| region = South West England
|post_town = FROME
| post_town = FROME
|postcode_area = BA
| postcode_area = BA
|postcode_district=BA11 0
| postcode_district = BA11
|dial_code =01373
| dial_code = 01373
|constituency_westminster = [[Somerton and Frome (UK Parliament constituency)|Somerton and Frome]]
| constituency_westminster = [[Frome and East Somerset (UK Parliament constituency)|Frome and East Somerset]]
}}
}}


'''Mells''' is a village and [[Civil parishes in England|civil parish]] in [[Somerset]], England, near the town of [[Frome]].
'''Mells''' is a village and [[Civil parishes in England|civil parish]] in Somerset, England, near the town of [[Frome]].


==Vobster==
==Vobster==
The parish includes the village of Vobster, which had a coal mine of the same name on the [[Somerset coalfield]] and a quarry, both of which are now disused. The old quarry is now used as a [[Underwater diving|diving]] centre. The Church of [[Edmund the Martyr|St Edmund]], at Vobster by [[Benjamin Ferrey]], dates from 1846 and is a Grade II [[listed building]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Church of St Edmund | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=266781 | accessdate=14 November 2006}}</ref> Vobster Inn Bridge, which carries the lane over the [[Mells River]], is dated 1764, and is Grade II listed.<ref>{{cite web | title=Vobster Inn Bridge | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=266782 | accessdate=14 November 2006}}</ref>
The parish includes the village of Vobster, which had a coal mine of the same name on the [[Somerset coalfield]] and a quarry, both of which are now disused. The old quarry is now used as a [[Underwater diving|diving]] centre. The [[St Edmund's Church, Vobster|Church of St Edmund]], at Vobster by [[Benjamin Ferrey]], dates from 1846 and is a Grade II [[listed building]].<ref>{{NHLE | desc=Church of St Edmund | num=1058289 | access-date=14 November 2006 }}</ref> Vobster Inn Bridge, which carries the lane over the [[Mells River]], is dated 1764, and is Grade II listed.<ref>{{NHLE | desc=Vobster Inn Bridge | num=1058290 | access-date=14 November 2006 }}</ref>


==History and description==
==History and description==


In the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086 the village was known as "Mulne" meaning several mills.<ref name="robionsonwj">{{cite book |title=West Country Churches |last=Robinson |first=W.J. |year=1915 |publisher= Bristol Times and Mirror Ltd|location=Bristol |page=37 }}</ref> The parish was part of the [[Hundred (county subdivision)|hundred]] of [[Frome (hundred)|Frome]].<ref name=genuki>{{cite web|title=Somerset Hundreds|url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SOM/Miscellaneous/|publisher=GENUKI|accessdate=8 October 2011}}</ref>
In the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086 the village was known as "Mulne" meaning several mills.<ref name="robionsonwj">{{cite book |title=West Country Churches |last=Robinson |first=W.J. |year=1915 |publisher=Bristol Times and Mirror Ltd |location=Bristol |page=37 }}</ref> The parish was part of the [[Hundred (county subdivision)|hundred]] of [[Frome (hundred)|Frome]].<ref name=genuki>{{cite web |title=Somerset Hundreds |url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SOM/Miscellaneous/ |publisher=GENUKI |access-date=8 October 2011 |archive-date=5 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190505190901/https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SOM/Miscellaneous |url-status=live }}</ref>


Around 1500 Mells seems to have been known as ''Iron Burgh'', as a result of the [[iron ore]] extracted in the area.<ref>{{cite book |last=Toulson |first=Shirley |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=The Mendip Hills: A Threatened Landscape |year=1984 |publisher=Victor Gollancz |location=London |isbn=0-575-03453-X }}</ref>
Around 1500 Mells seems to have been known as ''Iron Burgh'', as a result of the iron ore extracted in the area.<ref>{{cite book |last=Toulson |first=Shirley |title=The Mendip Hills: A Threatened Landscape |year=1984 |publisher=Victor Gollancz |location=London |isbn=0-575-03453-X }}</ref>


The [[Mells Village Hall|village hall]] was built in the 14th century as a [[tithe barn]] for [[Glastonbury Abbey]] and now serves as the [[village hall]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Atthill |first=Robin |title=Mendip: A new study |year=1976 |publisher=[[David & Charles]] |isbn= 978-0715372975|page=84 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Mells Village Hall|url=https://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1058313|website=National heritage List for England|publisher=Historic England|accessdate=20 September 2017}}</ref>
The [[Mells Village Hall|village hall]] was built in the 14th century as a [[tithe barn]] for [[Glastonbury Abbey]] and now serves as the [[village hall]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Atthill |first=Robin |title=Mendip: A new study |year=1976 |publisher=[[David & Charles]] |isbn=978-0715372975 |page=84 }}</ref><ref>{{NHLE|desc=Mells Village Hall|num=1058313|access-date=20 September 2017 }}</ref>


During the 19th and early 20th centuries Mells and surrounding villages had several coal mines on the [[Somerset coalfield]], much of which may have supplied the iron works of [[James Fussell IV|James Fussell]]. The [[Old Iron Works, Mells|Old Ironstone Works]] is a [[biological Site of Special Scientific Interest]] due to the population of [[Greater Horseshoe Bat|Greater]] and [[Lesser Horseshoe Bat|Lesser Horseshoe bats]]. The site is a ruined [[iron]] works, which mainly produced agricultural edge-tools which were exported all over the world, and is now, in addition to its unique and major importance in relation to industrial archaeology. The block of buildings adjacent to the entrance is [[Listed building|listed]] Grade II* and most of the rest of the site is a [[Scheduled Ancient Monument]]. It is included in the [[Heritage at Risk Register]] produced by [[English Heritage]].<ref>{{cite web|title=South West England|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/HAR_Register_South_West_2009/|work=Heritage at Risk|publisher=English Heritage|accessdate=11 March 2016|page=183}}</ref>
During the 19th and early 20th centuries Mells and surrounding villages had several coal mines on the [[Somerset coalfield]], much of which may have supplied the iron works of [[James Fussell IV|James Fussell]]. The [[Old Iron Works, Mells|Old Ironstone Works]] is a [[biological Site of Special Scientific Interest]] due to the population of [[Greater Horseshoe Bat|Greater]] and [[Lesser Horseshoe Bat|Lesser Horseshoe bats]]. The site is a ruined iron works, which mainly produced agricultural edge-tools which were exported all over the world, and is now, in addition to its unique and major importance in relation to industrial archaeology. The block of buildings adjacent to the entrance is [[Listed building|listed]] Grade II* and most of the rest of the site is a [[Scheduled Ancient Monument]]. It is included in the [[Heritage at Risk Register]] produced by [[English Heritage]].<ref>{{cite web |title=South West England |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/HAR_Register_South_West_2009/ |work=Heritage at Risk |publisher=English Heritage |access-date=11 March 2016 |page=183 }}</ref>


[[Mells War Memorial]] is a grade II* listed building. It was designed by [[Sir Edwin Lutyens]] and is one of several structures in the village by the same architect. The memorial was unveiled in 1921 by Brigadier-General [[Arthur Asquith]], whose brother—killed in action in the First World War—is listed on the memorial. The Asquith family have a long association with the village.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England |num=1058315 |desc=Mells War Memorial |accessdate=7 February 2016}}</ref>
[[Mells War Memorial]] is a grade II* listed building. It was designed by [[Sir Edwin Lutyens]] and is one of several structures in the village by the same architect. The memorial was unveiled in 1921 by Brigadier-General [[Arthur Asquith]], whose brother—killed in action in the First World War—is listed on the memorial. The Asquith family have a long association with the village.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England |num=1058315 |desc=Mells War Memorial |access-date=7 February 2016 }}</ref>


The nearby former railway is now the route of [[National Cycle Route 24|NCR 24]], the Colliers Way. [[Mells Road railway station]] opened in 1875 and closed in 1959.<ref>{{PastScape|mnumber=502939|mname=Mells Road Station|accessdate=1 April 2017}}</ref>
The nearby former railway is now the route of [[National Cycle Route 24|NCR 24]], the Colliers Way. [[Mells Road railway station]] opened in 1875 and closed in 1959.<ref>{{PastScape|mnumber=502939|mname=Mells Road Station|access-date=1 April 2017 }}</ref>


Close to the church is the Grade I [[Listed building|listed]] 16th-century [[Mells Manor|Manor House]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Mells Manor | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=266729 | accessdate=13 May 2006}}</ref> formerly in the Horner family<ref name="Pevsner">{{cite book |title=North Somerset and Bristol |last=Pevsner |first=Nikolaus |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1958 |publisher=Penguin |location=Harmondsworth |isbn=0-14-071013-2 |page=226 }}</ref> and now the residence of [[Raymond Asquith, 3rd Earl of Oxford and Asquith]]. The other large house, ''Mells Park'', was largely rebuilt by [[Lutyens]] in 1923; [[Pevsner]] calls attention to its ashlar masonry, Doric pilasters and hipped roof.<ref name="Pevsner" /> The ''Talbot Inn'', a former [[coaching inn]], dates from the 15th century and is Grade II* listed.<ref>{{cite web | title=The Talbot Inn | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=266734 | accessdate=13 May 2006}}</ref> It was voted Sunday Times Hotel of the Year in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ultimate 100 British hotels |publisher=Sunday Times |url=http://thebullditchling.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/The-Sunday-Times-The-ultimate-100-british-hotels.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=3 January 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103211339/http://thebullditchling.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/The-Sunday-Times-The-ultimate-100-british-hotels.pdf |archivedate=3 January 2014 |df= }}</ref>
Close to the church is the Grade I [[Listed building|listed]] 16th-century [[Mells Manor|Manor House]],<ref>{{NHLE |desc=Mells Manor | num=1058351 | access-date=13 May 2006 }}</ref> formerly in the Horner family<ref name="Pevsner">{{cite book |title=North Somerset and Bristol |last=Pevsner |first=Nikolaus |year=1958 |publisher=Penguin |location=Harmondsworth |isbn=0-14-071013-2 |page=226 }}</ref> and now the residence of [[Raymond Asquith, 3rd Earl of Oxford and Asquith]]. The other large house, Park House, within [[Mells Park]], was largely rebuilt by [[Lutyens]] in 1923 following the destruction of the original 18th century Park House by fire in 1917; [[Nikolaus Pevsner|Pevsner]] calls attention to its ashlar masonry, Doric pilasters, and hipped roof.<ref name="Pevsner" /> The ''Talbot Inn'', a former [[coaching inn]], dates from the 15th century and is Grade II* listed.<ref>{{NHLE | desc=The Talbot Inn | num=1058314 | access-date=13 May 2006 }}</ref> It was voted Sunday Times Hotel of the Year in 2013.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ultimate 100 British hotels |work=Sunday Times |url=http://thebullditchling.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/The-Sunday-Times-The-ultimate-100-british-hotels.pdf |access-date=3 January 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103211339/http://thebullditchling.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/The-Sunday-Times-The-ultimate-100-british-hotels.pdf |archive-date=3 January 2014 }}</ref>


The stone [[village lock-up]] was built in the 17th century.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lock-up|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1058320|website=National Heritage List for England|publisher=Historic England|accessdate=20 September 2017}}</ref>
The stone [[village lock-up]] was built in the 17th century.<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Lock-up|num=1058320|access-date=20 September 2017 }}</ref>


The Mells Post Office and Shop was refurbished and reopened in 2009 as a community social enterprise, following the retirement of the postmaster the previous year. The attached Mells Café was opened in 2011 by ''The Great British Bake Off'' star [[Mary Berry]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Mells Cafe |url=http://www.mellsvillage.co.uk/cafe/ |publisher=Mells Village |accessdate=18 April 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418171351/http://www.mellsvillage.co.uk/cafe/ |archivedate=18 April 2015 |df= }}</ref>
The Mells Post Office and Shop was refurbished and reopened in 2009 as a community social enterprise, following the retirement of the postmaster the previous year. The attached Mells Café was opened in 2011 by ''The Great British Bake Off'' star [[Mary Berry]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Mells Cafe |url=http://www.mellsvillage.co.uk/cafe/ |publisher=Mells Village |access-date=18 April 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418171351/http://www.mellsvillage.co.uk/cafe/ |archive-date=18 April 2015 }}</ref>


The Walled Garden, part of a former monastery, is now a cafe, shop and plant nursery.
The Walled Garden, part of a former monastery, is now a cafe, shop and plant nursery.


Mells [[Church of England]] [[First School]], on the edge of the [[village green]], was established in the mid-nineteenth century. It serves Mells and nearby villages and had 71 children on the roll in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mells Church of England First School|url=https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/files/2602126/urn/123767.pdf|publisher=Ofsted|accessdate=13 June 2017}}</ref> Mells [[Nursery School]] provides full day care for children from two years old to school age in a dedicated building which has been constructed adjacent to the school.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mells Nursery|url=https://www.mellsnursery.co.uk/|publisher=Mells Nursery|accessdate=13 June 2017}}</ref>
Mells [[Church of England]] [[First School]], on the edge of the [[village green]], was established in the mid-nineteenth century. It serves Mells and nearby villages and had 71 children on the roll in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mells Church of England First School |url=https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/files/2602126/urn/123767.pdf |publisher=Ofsted |access-date=13 June 2017 }}</ref> Mells Nursery School provides full day care for children from two years old to school age in a dedicated building which has been constructed adjacent to the school.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mells Nursery |url=https://www.mellsnursery.co.uk/ |publisher=Mells Nursery |access-date=13 June 2017 |archive-date=28 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028082122/https://www.mellsnursery.co.uk/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


Mells holds on [[Easter Monday]]s a popular and traditional event called Mells [[Daffodil]] Festival.
Mells holds on [[Easter Monday]]s a popular and traditional event called Mells [[Daffodil]] Festival.


[[Mells Manor]] was purportedly procured by Jack Horner upon discovering the [[deed]] in a pie given to him to carry to London by [[Richard Whiting (Abbot)|Richard Whiting]], the last [[Abbot of Glastonbury]]. This act is referenced in the popular nursery rhyme ''[[Little Jack Horner]]''. An alternative explanation is that the manor was bought in 1543. After successive generations Thomas Strangways Horner moved out of the manor house in the village and commissioned [[Nathaniel Ireson]] to build Park House within [[Mells Park]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Firth |first=Hannah |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Mendip from the Air |year=2007 |publisher=Somerset County Council |location=Taunton |isbn=978-0-86183-390-0 }}</ref>
[[Mells Manor]] was purportedly procured by Jack Horner upon discovering the [[deed]] in a pie given to him to carry to London by [[Richard Whiting (Abbot)|Richard Whiting]], the last [[Abbot of Glastonbury]]. This act is referenced in the popular nursery rhyme "[[Little Jack Horner]]". An alternative explanation is that the manor was bought in 1543. After successive generations Thomas Strangways Horner moved out of the manor house in the village and commissioned [[Nathaniel Ireson]] to build the original Park House within [[Mells Park]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Firth |first=Hannah |title=Mendip from the Air |year=2007 |publisher=Somerset County Council |location=Taunton |isbn=978-0-86183-390-0 }}</ref>


==Governance==
==Governance==


The [[Parish councils of England|parish council]] has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council’s operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and [[Neighbourhood Watch (UK)|neighbourhood watch]] groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council.
The [[Parish councils of England|parish council]] has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and [[Neighbourhood Watch (UK)|neighbourhood watch]] groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council.


The village falls within the [[Non-metropolitan district]] of [[Mendip District|Mendip]], which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the [[Local Government Act 1972]], having previously been part of Frome [[Rural District]],<ref name=fromerd>{{cite web|title=Frome RD|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10025539|work=A vision of Britain Through Time|publisher=University of Portsmouth|accessdate=4 January 2014}}</ref> which is responsible for [[planning permission|local planning]] and [[Building regulations in the United Kingdom|building control]], local roads, [[council housing]], [[environmental health]], [[Market (place)|market]]s and fairs, [[refuse collection]] and [[recycling]], [[cemeteries]] and [[crematoria]], leisure services, parks, and [[tourism]].
The village falls within the [[Non-metropolitan district]] of [[Mendip District|Mendip]], which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the [[Local Government Act 1972]], having previously been part of Frome [[Rural District]],<ref name=fromerd>{{cite web |title=Frome RD |url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10025539 |work=A vision of Britain Through Time |publisher=University of Portsmouth |access-date=4 January 2014 |archive-date=16 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016004035/http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10025539 |url-status=live }}</ref> which is responsible for [[planning permission|local planning]] and [[Building regulations in the United Kingdom|building control]], local roads, [[council housing]], [[environmental health]], [[Market (place)|market]]s and fairs, [[refuse collection]] and recycling, [[cemeteries]] and [[crematoria]], leisure services, parks, and tourism.


[[Somerset County Council]] is responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as [[Local Education Authority|education]], [[social services]], [[library|libraries]], main roads, [[public transport]], [[police|policing]] and [[fire service]]s, [[Trading Standards|trading standards]], [[waste disposal]] and strategic planning.
[[Somerset County Council]] is responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as [[Local Education Authority|education]], [[social services]], [[library|libraries]], main roads, public transport, policing and [[fire service]]s, [[Trading Standards|trading standards]], [[waste disposal]] and strategic planning.


The village is part of the 'Ammerdown' [[Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom|electoral ward]]. The ward stretches north to [[Hemington, Somerset|Hemington]] also visiting [[Kilmersdon]]. The ward has a total population at the [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]] of 2,371.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukcensusdata.com/ammerdown-e05006760#sthash.Hn4ZZgPF.dpbs|title=Ammerdown ward 2011|accessdate= 6 March 2015}}</ref>
The village is part of the 'Ammerdown' [[Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom|electoral ward]]. The ward stretches north to [[Hemington, Somerset|Hemington]] also visiting [[Kilmersdon]]. The ward has a total population at the [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]] of 2,371.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ukcensusdata.com/ammerdown-e05006760#sthash.Hn4ZZgPF.dpbs |title=Ammerdown ward 2011 |access-date=6 March 2015 }}</ref>


It is also part of the [[Somerton and Frome (UK Parliament constituency)|Somerton and Frome]] [[county constituency]] represented in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]. It elects one [[Member of Parliament|Member of Parliament (MP)]] by the [[first past the post]] system of election, and part of the [[South West England (European Parliament constituency)|South West England constituency]] of the [[European Parliament]] which elects seven [[Members of the European Parliament|MEPs]] using the [[d'Hondt method]] of [[party-list proportional representation]].
It is also part of the [[Frome and East Somerset (UK Parliament constituency)|Frome and East Somerset]] [[county constituency]] represented in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]. It elects one [[Member of Parliament|Member of Parliament (MP)]] by the [[first past the post]] system of election.


==Religious sites==
==Religious sites==


The village's most notable feature is [[St Andrew's Church, Mells|St Andrew's Church]], a Grade I [[listed building]] praised by [[Pevsner]] and predominantly from the late 15th century. The tower, which reaches {{convert|104|ft|m|0}},<ref name="curio">{{cite book |title=Curiosities of Somerset |last=Leete-Hodge |first=Lornie |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1985 |publisher=Bossiney Books |location=Bodmin |isbn=0-906456-98-3 |page=20 }}</ref> dates from the mid 16th century.<ref>{{cite web | title=Church of St Andrew | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=266724 | accessdate=13 May 2006}}</ref> The centre of the chapel is dominated by an [[equestrian statue of Edward Horner]] (who fell at the [[Battle of Cambrai (1917)|Battle of Cambrai]] in 1917) by Sir [[Alfred Munnings]]. A number of benches are Jacobean. There is a large piece of embroidery in the [[pre-Raphaelite]] manner, made by the Mrs Horner who was a friend of [[Burne-Jones]].<ref name="Pevsner"/>
The village's most notable feature is [[St Andrew's Church, Mells|St Andrew's Church]], a Grade I [[listed building]] praised by [[Nikolaus Pevsner|Pevsner]] and predominantly from the late 15th century. The tower, which reaches {{convert|104|ft|m|0}},<ref name="curio">{{cite book |title=Curiosities of Somerset |last=Leete-Hodge |first=Lornie |year=1985 |publisher=Bossiney Books |location=Bodmin |isbn=0-906456-98-3 |page=20 }}</ref> dates from the mid 16th century.<ref>{{NHLE | desc=Church of St Andrew | num=1295876 | access-date=13 May 2006 }}</ref> The centre of the chapel is dominated by an [[equestrian statue of Edward Horner]] (who fell at the [[Battle of Cambrai (1917)|Battle of Cambrai]] in 1917) by Sir [[Alfred Munnings]]. A number of benches are Jacobean. There is a large piece of embroidery in the [[pre-Raphaelite]] manner, made by the [[Frances Horner|Mrs Horner]] who was a friend of [[Burne-Jones]].<ref name="Pevsner"/>


There is also a memorial, designed by [[Edwin Lutyens]], to [[Raymond Asquith]], who died in [[France]] in 1916.<ref name="curio"/> The churchyard is the last resting place of the poet [[Siegfried Sassoon]] and the Roman Catholic priest and writer [[Ronald Knox]].
There is also a memorial, designed by [[Edwin Lutyens]], to [[Raymond Asquith]], who died in France in 1916.<ref name="curio"/> The churchyard is the last resting place of the poet [[Siegfried Sassoon]] and the Roman Catholic priest and writer [[Ronald Knox]].


There is a small Roman Catholic chapel in the grounds of the Manor House.
There is a small Roman Catholic chapel in the grounds of the Manor House.

==Tourism==
Mells was rated as among the "20 most beautiful villages in the UK and Ireland" by [[Condé Nast Traveler]] in 2020. The publication recommends that visitors "marvel at the 15th-century New Street".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/beautiful-villages-uk |title=THE 20 MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGES IN THE UK AND IRELAND, 20 October 2020 |date=20 October 2020 |accessdate=14 March 2021 |archive-date=6 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306114729/https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/beautiful-villages-uk |url-status=live }}</ref>


==Notable people==
==Notable people==
*[[Raymond Asquith, 3rd Earl of Oxford and Asquith|Raymond Asquith]], 3rd Earl of Oxford and Asquith, formerly FCO and SIS (retired); hereditary peer. Lives in Mells area.
* [[Frank Beauchamp|Sir Frank Beauchamp]], owner of coalmines in the Somerset coalfield was born in Mells.<ref>http://www.dmm.org.uk/company/n1019.htm</ref>
*[[Frank Beauchamp|Sir Frank Beauchamp]], owner of coalmines in the Somerset coalfield was born in Mells.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dmm.org.uk/company/n1019.htm |title=Durham Mining Museum - Norton Hill Colliery Co |access-date=15 April 2016 |archive-date=8 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108010731/http://www.dmm.org.uk/company/n1019.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Tim Burt]], British geographer and Master of Hatfield College, Durham
* [[Tim Burt]], British geographer and Master of Hatfield College, Durham
* [[Jenson Button]], the Formula One racing driver, comes from Vobster.
* [[Jenson Button]], Formula One racing driver, comes from Vobster.
* [[Camilla Cavendish, Baroness Cavendish of Little Venice]]
⚫
* [[Christopher Hollis]], author.
* [[Annunziata Rees-Mogg]], journalist.
* [[Joan Heal]], actress
⚫
* [[Christopher Hollis (politician)|Christopher Hollis]], author
*[[Frances Horner]], hostess
* [[Annunziata Rees-Mogg]], politician and journalist
* [[Siegfried Sassoon]], poet <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.poetsgraves.co.uk/sassoon.htm |title=Siegfried Sassoon 1886-1967 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210515031327/http://www.poetsgraves.co.uk/sassoon.htm |archive-date=15 May 2021 |last=Self |first=Cameron |website=poetsgraves.co.uk |access-date=20 April 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:Mells Village Shop, Post Office and Cafe.jpg|Village Shop, Post Office and Cafe
File:Mells_Somerset1.JPG|Selwood Street
File:Mells_Somerset1.JPG|Selwood Street
File:Mells_Somerset2.JPG|[[Mells War Memorial]] by Sir [[Edwin Lutyens]]
File:Mells_Somerset2.JPG|[[Mells War Memorial]] by Sir [[Edwin Lutyens]]
Line 94: Line 105:
==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Mells, Somerset|Mells}}
{{Commons category|Mells, Somerset|Mells}}
*{{dmoz|Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/Somerset/Mells}}


{{Mendip}}
{{Mendip}}


[[Category:Mells, Somerset|Mells]]
[[Category:Mells, Somerset| ]]
[[Category:Villages in Mendip District]]
[[Category:Villages in Mendip District]]
[[Category:Somerset coalfield]]
[[Category:Somerset coalfield]]

Latest revision as of 07:42, 23 November 2024

Mells
Street of gray stone houses. The church tower can be seen n the background
New Street, leading towards St Andrew's Church
Mells is located in Somerset
Mells
Mells
Location within Somerset
Population638 (2011)[1]
OS grid referenceST729489
Civil parish
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townFROME
Postcode districtBA11
Dialling code01373
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireDevon and Somerset
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Somerset
51°14′23″N 2°23′17″W / 51.23972°N 2.38806°W / 51.23972; -2.38806

Mells is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, near the town of Frome.

Vobster

[edit]

The parish includes the village of Vobster, which had a coal mine of the same name on the Somerset coalfield and a quarry, both of which are now disused. The old quarry is now used as a diving centre. The Church of St Edmund, at Vobster by Benjamin Ferrey, dates from 1846 and is a Grade II listed building.[3] Vobster Inn Bridge, which carries the lane over the Mells River, is dated 1764, and is Grade II listed.[4]

History and description

[edit]

In the Domesday Book of 1086 the village was known as "Mulne" meaning several mills.[5] The parish was part of the hundred of Frome.[6]

Around 1500 Mells seems to have been known as Iron Burgh, as a result of the iron ore extracted in the area.[7]

The village hall was built in the 14th century as a tithe barn for Glastonbury Abbey and now serves as the village hall.[8][9]

During the 19th and early 20th centuries Mells and surrounding villages had several coal mines on the Somerset coalfield, much of which may have supplied the iron works of James Fussell. The Old Ironstone Works is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the population of Greater and Lesser Horseshoe bats. The site is a ruined iron works, which mainly produced agricultural edge-tools which were exported all over the world, and is now, in addition to its unique and major importance in relation to industrial archaeology. The block of buildings adjacent to the entrance is listed Grade II* and most of the rest of the site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. It is included in the Heritage at Risk Register produced by English Heritage.[10]

Mells War Memorial is a grade II* listed building. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and is one of several structures in the village by the same architect. The memorial was unveiled in 1921 by Brigadier-General Arthur Asquith, whose brother—killed in action in the First World War—is listed on the memorial. The Asquith family have a long association with the village.[11]

The nearby former railway is now the route of NCR 24, the Colliers Way. Mells Road railway station opened in 1875 and closed in 1959.[12]

Close to the church is the Grade I listed 16th-century Manor House,[13] formerly in the Horner family[14] and now the residence of Raymond Asquith, 3rd Earl of Oxford and Asquith. The other large house, Park House, within Mells Park, was largely rebuilt by Lutyens in 1923 following the destruction of the original 18th century Park House by fire in 1917; Pevsner calls attention to its ashlar masonry, Doric pilasters, and hipped roof.[14] The Talbot Inn, a former coaching inn, dates from the 15th century and is Grade II* listed.[15] It was voted Sunday Times Hotel of the Year in 2013.[16]

The stone village lock-up was built in the 17th century.[17]

The Mells Post Office and Shop was refurbished and reopened in 2009 as a community social enterprise, following the retirement of the postmaster the previous year. The attached Mells Café was opened in 2011 by The Great British Bake Off star Mary Berry.[18]

The Walled Garden, part of a former monastery, is now a cafe, shop and plant nursery.

Mells Church of England First School, on the edge of the village green, was established in the mid-nineteenth century. It serves Mells and nearby villages and had 71 children on the roll in 2016.[19] Mells Nursery School provides full day care for children from two years old to school age in a dedicated building which has been constructed adjacent to the school.[20]

Mells holds on Easter Mondays a popular and traditional event called Mells Daffodil Festival.

Mells Manor was purportedly procured by Jack Horner upon discovering the deed in a pie given to him to carry to London by Richard Whiting, the last Abbot of Glastonbury. This act is referenced in the popular nursery rhyme "Little Jack Horner". An alternative explanation is that the manor was bought in 1543. After successive generations Thomas Strangways Horner moved out of the manor house in the village and commissioned Nathaniel Ireson to build the original Park House within Mells Park.[21]

Governance

[edit]

The parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council.

The village falls within the Non-metropolitan district of Mendip, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Frome Rural District,[22] which is responsible for local planning and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection and recycling, cemeteries and crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism.

Somerset County Council is responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as education, social services, libraries, main roads, public transport, policing and fire services, trading standards, waste disposal and strategic planning.

The village is part of the 'Ammerdown' electoral ward. The ward stretches north to Hemington also visiting Kilmersdon. The ward has a total population at the 2011 census of 2,371.[23]

It is also part of the Frome and East Somerset county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Religious sites

[edit]

The village's most notable feature is St Andrew's Church, a Grade I listed building praised by Pevsner and predominantly from the late 15th century. The tower, which reaches 104 feet (32 m),[24] dates from the mid 16th century.[25] The centre of the chapel is dominated by an equestrian statue of Edward Horner (who fell at the Battle of Cambrai in 1917) by Sir Alfred Munnings. A number of benches are Jacobean. There is a large piece of embroidery in the pre-Raphaelite manner, made by the Mrs Horner who was a friend of Burne-Jones.[14]

There is also a memorial, designed by Edwin Lutyens, to Raymond Asquith, who died in France in 1916.[24] The churchyard is the last resting place of the poet Siegfried Sassoon and the Roman Catholic priest and writer Ronald Knox.

There is a small Roman Catholic chapel in the grounds of the Manor House.

Tourism

[edit]

Mells was rated as among the "20 most beautiful villages in the UK and Ireland" by Condé Nast Traveler in 2020. The publication recommends that visitors "marvel at the 15th-century New Street".[26]

Notable people

[edit]
[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Mells Parish". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  2. ^ "Mells & Vobster, Somerset". Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  3. ^ Historic England. "Church of St Edmund (1058289)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 14 November 2006.
  4. ^ Historic England. "Vobster Inn Bridge (1058290)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 14 November 2006.
  5. ^ Robinson, W.J. (1915). West Country Churches. Bristol: Bristol Times and Mirror Ltd. p. 37.
  6. ^ "Somerset Hundreds". GENUKI. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  7. ^ Toulson, Shirley (1984). The Mendip Hills: A Threatened Landscape. London: Victor Gollancz. ISBN 0-575-03453-X.
  8. ^ Atthill, Robin (1976). Mendip: A new study. David & Charles. p. 84. ISBN 978-0715372975.
  9. ^ Historic England. "Mells Village Hall (1058313)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  10. ^ "South West England". Heritage at Risk. English Heritage. p. 183. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  11. ^ Historic England. "Mells War Memorial (1058315)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  12. ^ Historic England. "Mells Road Station (502939)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  13. ^ Historic England. "Mells Manor (1058351)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 May 2006.
  14. ^ a b c Pevsner, Nikolaus (1958). North Somerset and Bristol. Harmondsworth: Penguin. p. 226. ISBN 0-14-071013-2.
  15. ^ Historic England. "The Talbot Inn (1058314)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 May 2006.
  16. ^ "Ultimate 100 British hotels" (PDF). Sunday Times. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  17. ^ Historic England. "Lock-up (1058320)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  18. ^ "Mells Cafe". Mells Village. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  19. ^ "Mells Church of England First School" (PDF). Ofsted. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  20. ^ "Mells Nursery". Mells Nursery. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  21. ^ Firth, Hannah (2007). Mendip from the Air. Taunton: Somerset County Council. ISBN 978-0-86183-390-0.
  22. ^ "Frome RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  23. ^ "Ammerdown ward 2011". Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  24. ^ a b Leete-Hodge, Lornie (1985). Curiosities of Somerset. Bodmin: Bossiney Books. p. 20. ISBN 0-906456-98-3.
  25. ^ Historic England. "Church of St Andrew (1295876)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 May 2006.
  26. ^ "THE 20 MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGES IN THE UK AND IRELAND, 20 October 2020". 20 October 2020. Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  27. ^ "Durham Mining Museum - Norton Hill Colliery Co". Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  28. ^ Self, Cameron. "Siegfried Sassoon 1886-1967". poetsgraves.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
[edit]
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