Highbridge, Somerset

Highbridge is a Somerset market town situated on very edge of the Somerset Levels near the mouth of the River Brue. It grew to importance with the railways, but has suffered with their decline.

History

There is archaeological evidence of occupation around the Highbridge area at least as far back as the Roman period. A bridged crossing over the River Brue at this location has existed since the 14th century and it has always been an important crossing on the route from Bristol to the South West. The town that sprung up around this crossing takes it name from the bridge. An older name for the local manor was "Huish," a contraction of the phrase "Huish jaxta altum pontem" (next to a high bridge). There are historical references to a wharf at this site and to usage of the river as part of the drainage plan for the Somerset Levels by the Monks of Glastonbury.

Related Topics:
Roman - Bristol - South West - Manor - Somerset Levels - Glastonbury

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Highbridge grew in importance as a regional market and industrial town during the latter half of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century. Important employers included the livestock and cheese market, Highbridge Wharf, Buncombe's Steamrollers, and the rail works. Heavy industry and transport declined in Highbridge after the Second World War as the Wharf proved too small for the newer generation of ships and commercial freight moved away from the railways. Since the 1970s close proximity to the M5 motorway has driven a growth in light industry and in the town's commuter population.

Related Topics:
Buncombe's Steamrollers - Second World War - M5 motorway - Commuter

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In 1933 Highbridge was sublimated within the joint town council district of Highbridge and Burnham-on-Sea. Prior to this the 1931 census listed a population of 2585. The joining of the two towns remains a contentious issue. A 2001 independence referendum was unsuccessful, but there has, as yet, been no indication of a militant tendency within the Highbridge independence movement.

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In 2004 a community group, the Highbridge History Project, commemorated the 150th anniversary of opening of the town's station by publishing the results of their own five year long study into the town's history (Weston Mercury "A Glimpse into the past").

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