Minehead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Minehead |
|
|---|---|
| Town | |
 View over Minehead from the west |
|
 Minehead
|
|
| Population | 11,981 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | SS970460 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority |
|
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Minehead |
| Postcode district | TA24 |
| Dialling code | 01643 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament |
|
Minehead is a fun coastal town in Somerset, England. It sits on the south side of the Bristol Channel. The town is about 21 miles (34 km) north-west of Taunton. It is also close to the amazing Exmoor National Park.
Minehead is home to about 11,981 people. This number includes the nearby villages of Alcombe and Woodcombe. These villages have now become part of Minehead itself.
People have lived in this area since the Bronze Age and Iron Age. Minehead was once a small port. It grew into a big trading hub in the Middle Ages. Later, most trade moved to bigger ports. But fun pleasure boats still visited Minehead. A large fire in 1791 led to much rebuilding in the town. Minehead became popular for sea bathing. By 1851, it was a place where people came to retire. Many new buildings went up in the early 1900s. This created the wide main shopping street we see today. The town's flood defences were made stronger after a big storm in 1990.
Minehead is run by a town council. This council was set up in 1983. The town has a Butlins Holiday Park. This park brings thousands of visitors to Minehead every year. The town is also the start of the South West Coast Path. This is the longest walking trail in the country. The West Somerset Railway is a heritage railway. It runs from Minehead and is a popular attraction.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The town is at the foot of North Hill. This hill is a steep part of Exmoor. The town's first name was mynydd. This word means mountain in Welsh. Over time, its name changed. It has been called Mynheafdon (1046) and Maneheve (1086). These names mix Welsh and Old English words for hill.
Minehead's Past
Minehead has a very long history. The oldest known fossil forest was found near the Butlins Holiday Park. These ancient trees are called calamophyton. They are like modern palm trees. They lived between 419 and 358 million years ago!
People lived here even before that. There are Bronze Age burial mounds at Selworthy Beacon. An Iron Age fort is at Furzebury Brake. There are also signs of a submerged forest in the sea.
Minehead was part of a larger area called Carhampton. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book from 1086. It belonged to a powerful family, the de Moyons. They managed the area from Dunster Castle.
The Port and Trade
A small port existed in Minehead by 1380. In 1420, Lady Margaret Luttrell helped build a jetty. This made the port better. By the time of Elizabeth I, Minehead had its own Port Officer. Ships in the 1400s traded between Ireland and Bristol. They also carried salt from France. Local wool and cloth were traded for coal from Wales.
In 1559, Minehead became a free town. It could send people to Parliament. But this was only if the port was improved. The harbour later filled with sand. So, in 1604, King James I took away the town's special rights. The Luttrell family took control again. They built a new harbour in 1616. It was further out to sea. This new harbour had a pier. It replaced the old one at Dunster.
Trade was mainly with Wales. Ships carried cattle, sheep, wool, butter, fish, and coal. These goods are shown on the town's coat of arms. It has a woolpack and a sailing ship. Minehead ships were also involved in wars. They were Privateers during wars with Spain and France. Cranes were added to the port in 1714.
By the 1700s, trade grew even more. Forty ships used the harbour for trade and herring fishing. Minehead was also a starting point for pilgrims. They travelled to Santiago de Compostela. In the 1800s, Minehead ships sailed to Virginia and the West Indies. But the port had problems. Trade and fishing declined. In 1834, Minehead lost its port rights to Bridgwater. In the 1900s, most trade moved to bigger ports. But pleasure steamers still visited. The Minehead Lifeboat Station opened in 1901. The pier was taken down during World War II. This was to clear the view for gun batteries. It was rebuilt in 1951.
A big fire in 1791 destroyed parts of the town. After the fire, much of the Lower or Middle town area was rebuilt. In that year, a beautiful Carrara marble statue of Queen Anne was given to the town. It was made by Francis Bird. It now stands in Wellington Square. The town became popular for sea bathing. By 1851, it was a popular retirement spot.
_(cropped).jpg)
The older parts of town include Higher Town. It has many old cottages, some with thatched roofs. In Victorian times, rich business owners built large houses on North Hill. Hotels also started to appear. Tourism became very important. More building happened in the early 1900s. This was when the Luttrell family, who owned much land, allowed more development. A famous architect, W.J. Tamlyn, designed many homes. He also designed Minehead Town Hall and the Queen's Hall.
The steamship SS Pelican got stuck in Minehead Bay in 1928. It hit a hidden reef. The crew of five were saved by the Minehead Lifeboat. During World War II, children were sent to Minehead for safety. The town was bombed by German planes in 1941. Butlins opened in 1962. It has brought many thousands of visitors to the town.
How Minehead is Run
Minehead is a civil parish. It is managed by a town council. This council was formed in 1983. Since April 2023, Minehead has been part of Somerset Council. This is a larger local government body. The town council and Somerset Council work together.
Minehead is also part of the Tiverton and Minehead parliamentary area. This means people in Minehead vote for a Member of Parliament.
Minehead's Location and Environment
Minehead is on the Bristol Channel coast. This area has some of the biggest tides in the world. The tide can rise and fall by as much as 48 feet (14.6 metres). This is second only to the Bay of Fundy in Canada.
North Hill rises steeply behind the harbour. The town is just outside Exmoor National Park. The cliffs along the coast are amazing. You can even find fossils there. Minehead has different areas like Higher Town and Quay Town. They used to be separate, but now they are all part of the town.
In 1990, a big storm washed away much of Minehead's beach. It also caused serious flooding. A large project costing £12.6 million was started. It was designed to stop future flooding and erosion. Between 1997 and 1998, new sea walls were built. They also added rock and concrete steps. In 1999, 320,000 tons of sand were brought in. This created a new, higher beach. This new beach sits between four rock structures called groynes. The new sea wall is curved. This helps turn waves back into the sea. Minehead's new sea defences opened in 2001.
Blenheim Gardens is Minehead's biggest park. It opened in 1925. The park has a bandstand. It is used for musical events.
Minehead's Weather
Minehead has a mild climate. It is generally wetter and milder than other parts of England. The average yearly temperature is about 10°C (50°F). January is the coldest month. July and August are the warmest. Minehead gets about 1,600 hours of sunshine each year. Rainfall is around 800–900 mm (31–35 inches) per year. It snows about 8–15 days a year. The wind usually blows from the south-west.
| Climate data for Minehead (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1987–1995) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 14.6 (58.3) |
16.5 (61.7) |
20.1 (68.2) |
23.3 (73.9) |
24.5 (76.1) |
29.6 (85.3) |
31.0 (87.8) |
34.1 (93.4) |
25.0 (77.0) |
22.2 (72.0) |
17.1 (62.8) |
15.9 (60.6) |
34.1 (93.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.1 (48.4) |
9.6 (49.3) |
11.3 (52.3) |
13.7 (56.7) |
16.6 (61.9) |
19.3 (66.7) |
21.1 (70.0) |
20.8 (69.4) |
18.8 (65.8) |
15.3 (59.5) |
12.0 (53.6) |
9.6 (49.3) |
14.8 (58.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 6.6 (43.9) |
6.7 (44.1) |
8.1 (46.6) |
10.0 (50.0) |
12.8 (55.0) |
15.4 (59.7) |
17.3 (63.1) |
17.3 (63.1) |
15.5 (59.9) |
12.3 (54.1) |
9.3 (48.7) |
7.1 (44.8) |
11.5 (52.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 4.0 (39.2) |
3.7 (38.7) |
4.8 (40.6) |
6.2 (43.2) |
8.9 (48.0) |
11.5 (52.7) |
13.5 (56.3) |
13.7 (56.7) |
12.1 (53.8) |
9.3 (48.7) |
6.6 (43.9) |
4.5 (40.1) |
8.3 (46.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −4.7 (23.5) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
2.9 (37.2) |
2.7 (36.9) |
8.9 (48.0) |
8.1 (46.6) |
4.9 (40.8) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
−5.2 (22.6) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 105.8 (4.17) |
78.1 (3.07) |
54.0 (2.13) |
50.9 (2.00) |
61.2 (2.41) |
54.9 (2.16) |
50.7 (2.00) |
50.0 (1.97) |
64.8 (2.55) |
105.1 (4.14) |
110.8 (4.36) |
110.2 (4.34) |
896.6 (35.30) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 14.8 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 10.0 | 9.7 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 10.3 | 9.8 | 14.2 | 15.9 | 15.1 | 141.4 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 56.3 | 82.6 | 127.5 | 182.8 | 226.4 | 227.0 | 223.7 | 199.9 | 161.7 | 104.1 | 60.3 | 46.0 | 1,698.2 |
| Source 1: Met Office | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Starlings Roost Weather | |||||||||||||
Fun Things to Do
Minehead's biggest attraction is the Butlins holiday camp. Other popular spots include the West Somerset Railway station. Blenheim Gardens is the town's main park. It is off Blenheim Road. The Minehead & West Somerset Golf Club is also here. It is Somerset's oldest golf club, started in 1882. It has an 18-hole links course.
You can enjoy sailing and wind surfing here. There are also many other beach activities. The town has fun amusement arcades like "Merlins." You'll find well-known shops like WHSmith and Boots. There are also many unique local shops. Minehead has Tesco, Morrisons, and Lidl supermarkets.
The South West Coast Path National Trail begins in Minehead. A special marker was put up in 2001. This path is the longest walking trail in the UK. It goes all the way along the South West Coast to Poole in Dorset.
Getting Around
Minehead is located by the sea and Exmoor. This means transport links are a bit limited. The town is on the A39 road. It is about 28 miles (45 km) north-west of the M5 motorway.
Local bus services are run by First West of England and Quantock Motor Services.
Minehead railway station is near the beach. The Minehead Railway opened in 1874. It linked the town to Taunton. The railway closed in 1971. But it has since reopened as the West Somerset Railway. This is the longest standard-gauge heritage railway in Britain.
Media and Learning
Minehead has its own local radio station. It is called West Somerset Radio. The local newspapers are West Somerset Free Press and Somerset County Gazette.
Minehead has two first schools and one middle school. The middle school is Minehead Middle School. There is also an upper school, West Somerset College. It teaches students aged 13 to 18.
Places of Worship
The Anglican parish church of St Michael is very old. It dates back to the 1400s. Its tower used to have a light for ships. Robert Quirke, a local man, gave money to build almshouses. He also gave a cellar near the quay for prayers. This cellar is now the Chapel of St Peter.
St Michael's church has a beautiful old rood screen. It also has a lovely stained glass window. You can see great views from the churchyard. The Church of St Michael the Archangel in Alcombe was built in 1903. St Andrew's Church was built in 1877–1880. It is made of red sandstone.
Butlins Minehead is special. It is the only Butlins resort with a small chapel on site. It hosts a big Christian festival called Spring Harvest. The Catholic church in Minehead is Sacred Heart Parish Church. It was built in 1896. There are also churches for Baptist, Evangelical, Methodist, and United Reformed groups. Alcombe also has a Spiritualist Church.
Minehead's Economy
Minehead is home to one of the UK's three remaining Butlins holiday camps. Tourism has been important to Minehead for a long time. In the summer, the town's population grows a lot with tourists.
There is a Farmers' Market every Friday. It sells local produce.
Culture and Traditions
Minehead hosts the annual Minehead and Exmoor Festival. This is a week-long classical music festival. It has been running since 1963.
The woods above Minehead are mentioned in a famous poem. It is The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He lived nearby. Another poet, William Wordsworth, also lived close by. They often walked the hills and coast at night. This made people think they were spies! But they were just poets.
Cecil Frances Alexander wrote the famous hymn All Things Bright And Beautiful in Minehead. The line "The purple headed mountain" refers to Grabbist Hill. The "river running by" is the River Avill.
Minehead was also featured in a funny sketch. It was in Monty Python's 1969 show. It was called The North Minehead By-Election. In the sketch, Adolf Hitler (as "Mr. Hilter") tries to win a local election.
May Day Hobby Horse
A very old and popular tradition is the Hobby Horse. It comes out on the streets on May Eve each year. It stays out for four days. There are three rival hobby horses: the Original Sailor's Horse, the Traditional Sailor's Horse, and the Town Horse.
They appear on May Eve, called "Show Night." On May Day morning, they greet the sunrise. They also appear on May 2nd and 3rd. A ceremony called "The Bootie" happens in the evening. Each horse is a wooden frame shaped like a boat. A dancer carries it on their shoulders. The dancer's face is hidden by a mask. The horse is covered with ribbons and fabric. A long skirt with colourful circles hangs down. A tail is at the back.
Each horse has musicians and helpers with it. The Town Horse is joined by "Gullivers." They dress like the horse but without the big frame. Smaller children's horses are sometimes made too. People believe the horses bring good luck. May 1st has been a festival day in Minehead since 1465.
Sports and Fun
Minehead has a rugby club called Minehead Barbarians. They have played since the 1930s. The main football club is Minehead A.F.C.. It is even older, started in 1889. In 2007, the European Outdoor Tug of war Championships were held here. Minehead Cricket Club plays at the West Somerset College. They have four men's teams and one women's team. Minehead Hockey Club plays nearby. There is also a bowls club.
Minehead has hosted 'Britain's Strongest Man' contest several times. Butlin's Resort has also been a venue for World Wrestling Entertainment shows. In 2010, a stage of the Tour of Britain cycling race started in Minehead.
Since 2012, Minehead has hosted the PDC Players Championship Finals. Minehead also hosts motorsport events. These include the Somerset Stages Rally and the Enduroland Quad and Motocross Event.
Famous People from Minehead
- Richard Chorley (1927–2002), a geographer, grew up in Minehead.
- Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008), a science fiction writer, was born here.
- Peter Hurford (1930–2019), an organist and composer, was born in Minehead.
- Stephen Mulhern (born 1977), a TV presenter, lived in Minehead when he was young. His family owned a joke shop. His first job was a Redcoat at Butlins Minehead.
- Danielle Waterman (born 1985), a member of the England women's national rugby union team, grew up in Minehead. She was part of the team that won the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup.
See also
In Spanish: Minehead para niños
