Why visit Axbridge
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 1 park or trail, 6 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Cox's Cave, Gough's Cave and King John's Hunting Lodge (Axbridge Museum).
Weather in Axbridge
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Axbridge
Axbridge is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is on the River Axe, near the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. At the 2021 census, the parish had a population of 1,997.
From the Wikipedia article Axbridge (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photos of Axbridge
Things to do3
Cox's Cave
Monument and historic site · 2.3 mi
Cave in United Kingdom
Gough's Cave
Monument and historic site · 2.4 mi
Cave of Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, England, UK
Museums and landmarks1
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes6
History
Axanbrycg is suggested as the source of the name, meaning a bridge over the River Axe, in the early 9th century.
Early inhabitants of the area almost certainly include the Romans (who are known to have mined lead on the top of the Mendips) and, earlier still, prehistoric man, who lived in the local caves and whose flint tools have been found on the slopes of the local hills. The history of Axbridge can be traced back to the reign of King Alfred, when it was part of the Saxons' defence system for Wessex against the Vikings. In the Burghal Hidage, a list of burhs compiled in 910, it was listed as Axanbrycg. A listing of Axbridge appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Alse Bruge, meaning 'axe bridge' from Old English isca and brycg.
It was part of the royal manor of Cheddar and part of the Winterstoke Hundred.
It was granted a royal charter in 1202, when King John sold most of the royal manor of Cheddar to the Bishop of Bath and Wells. Axbridge grew in the Tudor period as a centre for cloth manufacture, This was reflected in its early royal charters allowing it to hold markets and fairs, and become a royal borough. It even had its own mint, with coins showing the town's symbol: the Lamb and Flag. Trade was possible as the River Axe was navigable to wharves at Axbridge.
Read more of the history
Later the town's importance declined, which led to stagnation and the preservation of many historic buildings in the town centre. These include King John's Hunting Lodge (actually a Tudor building) which is now used as a museum.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries iron ore was extracted from the hill above and east of Axbridge.
Axbridge railway station, on the Cheddar Valley line, opened on 3 August 1869. It closed to goods traffic on 10 June 1963 and to passengers on 9 September 1963. The route of the railway is now the A371 Axbridge bypass, but the station buildings and goods shed still survive.
In April 1973, many residents died in Invicta International Airlines Flight 435, the worst aviation accident in Swiss history, with those from Cheddar and Winscombe.
The Square was used as the setting for a NatWest Bank television advert in the early 1990s, and in particular Axbridge Town Hall doubled as a NatWest branch. Ironically a real branch of NatWest, in the High Street, was closed not long afterwards and the premises are now private residential accommodation. In 2017 several locations in the town were used for a Thatchers Cider television commercial, which featured a hot air balloon.
From the History section of Axbridge on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Axbridge
- Mark PizeyRoyal Navy officer (1899-1993)
- Richard Ashleycricketer (1902-1974)
- Ernest Tandycricketer (1879-1953)
- Philip FoyEnglish cricketer (1891-1957)
- Mark LovellBritish racing driver (1960–2003)
- William NaishEnglish miniature painter
- Heneage WheelerEnglish cricketer (1870-1965)
- Simon SmithWisconsin politician
- John Allen HusseyBritish naval officer and cricketer (1897-1969)
Born in Axbridge, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay4
Churches and places of worship11
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries2
Healthcare1
Map of Axbridge
32 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Bristol Airport (BRS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 8 miles away.
- Shipham 2 mi northeast, about 4 min by car
- Sandford 3 mi north, about 5 min by car
- Banwell 4 mi northwest, about 6 min by car
- Draycott 4 mi southeast, about 6 min by car
- Wedmore 4 mi south, about 6 min by car
- Churchill 4 mi north, about 7 min by car
- Locking 5 mi northwest, about 8 min by car
- Blagdon 5 mi northeast, about 9 min by car
- Wrington 6 mi northeast, about 9 min by car
- Weston-super-Mare 8 mi northwest, about 13 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Axbridge
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- St Judes, Axbridge 2, Rodw, CC BY-SA 3.0
- St Judes, Axbridge, Rodw, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gough's Cave, Alladdin's Cave, Rwendland, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cheddarchurch, Dbown100, CC BY 3.0
- Comptonbishopchurch, Rodw at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- St James' Church, Winscombe, Somerset (5519394930), Robert Cutts from Bristol, England, UK, CC BY 2.0
- St Gregory's church Weare, ChurchCrawler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- King John's Hunting Lodge, Axbridge, NotFromUtrecht, CC BY-SA 3.0
- New Inn, Cross, Dave.Dunford, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Manor Farmhouse, Cross, Dave.Dunford, CC BY-SA 4.0
- White Hart, Cross, Dave.Dunford, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Coxs cave Cheddar Gorge, Throwawayhack, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Axbridgechurch, Rodw at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- King John's Hunting Lodge 1, Eirian Evans, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Church of St John the Baptist, Axbridge 4, Rodw, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Street-level photo, ukchris, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ukchris, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ukchris, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ukchris, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ukchris, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
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