Wiveliscombe, United Kingdom
Wiveliscombe is a town of 2,178 people in England, United Kingdom.
Why visit Wiveliscombe
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 9 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include King's Castle.
Weather in Wiveliscombe
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Wiveliscombe
Wiveliscombe (, locally ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies 9 miles (14 km) west of Taunton, its post town. The town is centred on The Square, which held the former market and is fronted by several listed buildings. As well as the town itself, the parish covers surroundings rural areas, including the hamlets of Croford, Langley, Maundown, and Whitefield.
From the Wikipedia article Wiveliscombe (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks2
Restaurants and cafes9
The Bear Inn
Bar and pub
8-10 North Street, Taunton
Mo-We 10:30-23:00; Th-Sa 10:30-24:00; Su 10:30-23:00
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship14
Church of All Saints
Church · 2.4 mi
Church in Chipstable, Somerset, England, UK
Church of St Andrew
Church
Church in Wiveliscombe, Somerset, England, UK
Church of St James the Great
Church · 2.5 mi
Church in Fitzhead, Somerset, England, UK
Church of St Mary
Church · 2.9 mi
Church in Brompton Ralph, Somerset, England, UK
Church of St Mary Magdalene
Church · 2.6 mi
Church in West Somerset, England, UK
Church of St Bartholomew
Church · 2.3 mi
Church building in Bathealton, Taunton Deane, Somerset, England, UK
Church of St Michael, Milverton
Church · 2.8 mi
Church in Milverton, Somerset, England, UK
Church of St Nicholas
Church · 3.3 mi
Church in Kittisford, Somerset, England, UK
Church of St Peter, Huish Champflower
Church · 2.2 mi
Church in West Somerset, England, UK
2 more on the map.
History
Settlement in the neighbourhood is of long standing. The Neolithic hillfort at King's Castle is 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) east of the town. North west of the town is Clatworthy Camp, an Iron Age hillfort. Nearby is Elworthy Barrows, an unfinished Iron Age hillfort, rather than Bronze Age barrows. A rectangular enclosure south of Manor Farm is the remains of a Roman fort; in the 18th century, vestiges of its fortifications and foundations were identified as being of Roman origin, and it was locally called "the Castle". In the 18th century a hoard of about 1600 Roman coins of third and fourth century dates was uncovered.
The Anglo-Saxon settlement, the combe or valley of a certain Wifele, was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, when it was quite large, consisting of twenty-seven households, with an annual value to the lord, the Bishop of Wells St Andrew, of £25. During the Middle Ages the bishops maintained a residence here, the foundations of which were found in 2021.
Read more of the history
Wiveliscombe Town Hall was built in 1840 by Somerset surveyor Richard Carver for Lord Ashburton. It housed a fish market, a butchers' market and a pig market, with an assembly room above them. It is a Grade II listed building. By 2010, plans were drawn up for the creation there of an arts, media, cultural and heritage venue. The Abbotsfield cottages were built by businessman Lukey Collard in the 1870s; they became a Grade II listed building in 1975.
In 2010 a new 10 Parishes Centre was announced to provide a new community facility alongside the Children's Centre being built at Croft Way.
From the History section of Wiveliscombe on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Wiveliscombe
Geography
Wiveliscombe is a former borough, market and cloth making town, 5 miles (8 km) from the border between Devon and Somerset. It is situated at the foot of the Brendon Hills and acts as a gateway to Exmoor. At an altitude of 126 m (413 ft) Wiveliscombe is the highest town in Somerset after Dulverton.
The town used to have a station on the Devon and Somerset Railway which closed in 1966. Clatworthy Reservoir is nearby.
Education
Wiveliscombe Primary School serves most of the surrounding villages from ages 4 to 11. Kingsmead School, for pupils aged 11 to 16, houses a Theatre and Sports Hall and a youth club complementing the town's Recreation Ground where the Tennis, Rugby, Cricket and Football Clubs have their bases.
From the Wikipedia article Wiveliscombe, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Wiveliscombe
Frank HancockEnglish rugby union footballer (1859-1943)Photo: File:Frank Hancock (Rygbi).jpg :..., Public domain
Edward BennettEnglish merchant and colonist (b. 1577)Photo: Steveprutz, CC0- William HancockEnglish surgeon, cricketer, tennis player and rugby union footballer (1873-1910)
- Jack ConibereEnglish cricketer (1923-1982)
- Richard BennettEnglish governor of Virginia
- Henry Luttrell MoyseyEnglish colonial administrator
- Frank Hawkinsrugby player (1885-1960)
- John Collard FieldCanadian politician (1822-1903)
Born in Wiveliscombe, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Shopping5
Schools, colleges and libraries3
Healthcare1
Map of Wiveliscombe
35 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Exeter Airport (EXT) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 22 miles away.
- Milverton 3 mi southeast, about 5 min by car
- Taunton 9 mi east, about 15 min by car
- Sampford Peverell 9 mi south, about 14 min by car
- Nether Stowey 10 mi northeast, about 16 min by car
- Dulverton 10 mi west, about 17 min by car
- Tiverton 12 mi southwest, about 20 min by car
- Creech Saint Michael 12 mi east, about 19 min by car
- Minehead 13 mi northwest, about 22 min by car
- Dunkeswell 13 mi south, about 21 min by car
- Bridgwater 15 mi northeast, about 24 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Wiveliscombe
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Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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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
- London House, Wiveliscombe, Simon Burchell, CC BY-SA 4.0
- All Saints Church, Chipstable 03, Simon Burchell, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fitzgead church, Martin Bodman, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Brompton Ralph church, ChurchCrawler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Clatworthychurch, Dacs at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Stawley church, Martin Bodman, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wiveliscombe church, Ross Burgess, CC BY 3.0
- King's Castle Hillfort earthwork, Rodw, CC0
- Kingsmead School - Main Block, Jake Bale Media, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ukchris, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built November 10, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.