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Axbridge is a town in Somerset, England, on the River Axe, near the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. Its population according to the 2011 census was 2,057.
Early inhabitants of the area almost certainly include the Ancient Rome (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.Michael Havinden9780340201169, Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 9780340201169 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 dynasty 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.Shirley Toulson (1984). 057503453X, Victor Gollancz. 057503453X
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.
Axbridge is a very old borough and sent members to parliament in the reigns of Edward I and Edward III.
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. March 2018 BBC Radio 4
The Square was used as the setting for a NatWest 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.
For local government purposes, since 1 April 2023, the town comes under the unitary authority of Somerset Council. Prior to this, it was part of the non-metropolitan district of Sedgemoor, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Axbridge Rural District.
The town is in Axevale electoral ward. Axbridge is the most populous area but the ward stretches south to Chapel Allerton. The total ward population as taken at the 2011 census is 4,261.
It is also part of the Wells and Mendip Hills county constituency represented in the House of Commons. It elects one MP by the first-past-the-post system of election.
The Axbridge Film Society is based at the cinema. In 2016 volunteers raised £5,000 for repairs to the cinema and plans have been drawn up for further refurbishment and the installation of new sound and projection equipment.
Work on the current building began in the early 15th century, and grew from an earlier building dating back to about 1230. The church is built of limestone and decorated with Doulting stone, while the steps are an interesting example of dolomitic conglomerate, which is known as puddingstone. The crossing tower is over high, and holds six bells, one of which dating from 1723 was made by Edward Bilbie of the Bilbie family. (1995). 9780952670209, The authors. ISBN 9780952670209 The statue on the east side is that of St John the Baptist. On the west side is a king — perhaps Henry VII, which would place it after 1485. The north-aisle ceiling retains some mediaeval painted panels, and amongst the carved bosses is the head of a Green Man, with leaves sprouting around his face. The nave roof is Jacobean and dates from 1636. Restoration was undertaken in 1888 by J.D. Sedding, who contributed the fine .
Axbridge hosts one of the few remaining historical pageants in the UK every 10 years. This started in 1967 in celebration of the opening of the bypass. The next pageant was in 1970 and there has been one every decade since then except the 2020 pageant which was delayed until 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pageant features a cast of 300 and charts the town's history in 15 scenes featuring battles, riots and fights with live music, horses and livestock, plus a train and vintage cars. The 2022 pageant programme was expanded to be a small festival with live music in the evenings.
Axbridge Cricket Club was established in 2004, and plays around 35 friendly matches per season. The club also enjoys an annual club tour and plays other friendly sides around the Somerset county.
The town holds a farmers' market in The Square on the first Saturday of each month.
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