Wellington, Somerset
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2008-07-14T03:12:07Z
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{{for|the former parliamentary constituency|Wellington (Somerset) (UK Parliament constituency)}}
{{infobox UK place|
|country = England
|latitude= 50.9755
|longitude= -3.2243
|official_name= Wellington
|population = 13,696<ref name="popn">{{cite web |url=http://www.somerset.gov.uk/somerset/statistics/contents/population/estimates/2002mye/ |title=Population estimates 2002 (Figure obtained by combining population of Wellington and Wellington Without parishes.) |accessdate=2007-10-15 |format= |work=Somerset County Council }}</ref>
|shire_district= [[Taunton Deane]]
|shire_county = [[Somerset]]
|region= South West England
|constituency_westminster= [[Taunton (UK Parliament constituency)|Taunton]]
|post_town= WELLINGTON
|postcode_district = TA21
|postcode_area= TA
|dial_code= 01823
|os_grid_reference= ST140203
}}
'''Wellington''' is a small industrial town in rural [[Somerset]], [[England]], situated seven [[mile]]s south west of [[Taunton]] in the [[Taunton Deane]] district, near the border with [[Devon]], which runs along the [[Blackdown Hills]] to the south of the town. The town has a [[population]] of 13,696 this includes the Mister residents.<ref name="popn"/>
== History ==
Wellington gave its name to the first [[Duke of Wellington]], [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Arthur Wellesley]]. Nearby Wellington Hill boasts a large, spotlit obelisk to his honour, the [[Wellington Monument, Somerset|Wellington Monument]]. Because of this, Wellington, Somerset can have a claim to have contributed to the more widespread use of the term in other place names and, of course, the [[Wellington Boot]].
==Governance==
Wellington is in the [[Taunton Deane]] [[Non-metropolitan district|local government district]] which is part of the county of [[Somerset]].
It falls within the [[Taunton (UK Parliament constituency)|Taunton]] represented in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]. It elects one [[Member of Parliament|Member of Parliament (MP)]] by the [[first past the post]] system of election. Following the review of parliamentary representation in [[Somerset]], the [[Boundary Commission for England]] has created a modified Taunton constituency with the name change [[Taunton Deane]], to reflect the district name. The current MP is [[Jeremy Browne]], a member of the [[Liberal Democrats]].<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/alcm.cfm#T | title= Alphabetical List of Constituencies and Members of Parliament | publisher= House Of Commons Information Office | accessdate= 2008-01-19}}</ref>
It is within the [[South West England (European Parliament constituency)]] which elects 7 [[Members of the European Parliament|MEPs]] using the [[d'Hondt method]] of [[party-list proportional representation]].
==Geography==
The town has many dependent villages including [[West Buckland]], [[Langford Budville]], [[Nynehead]], [[Sampford Arundel]] and Sampford Moor. [[Rockwell Green]] is a formerly-independent village to the West of the town and while there is a [[green belt|green wedge]] of land in between them, the Rockwell Green ward elects three members to the town council. <ref>{{cite web | title=Councillors | work= The Official Web Site of Wellington Town Council | url=http://www.wellingtontowncouncil.co.uk/framed_main/council_today.htm | accessdate=2007-10-15}}</ref>
==Demography==
The town has a [[population]] of 13,696.<ref name="popn"/> Large growth occurred during the 1970s when housing developments were built on the South side of the town. These were largely prompted by Wellington's proximity to Junction 26 of the [[M5 motorway]].
==Economy==
Wellington's main industry was wool-making, but this has now declined. The Fox family, still one of the more renowned names in the town, was at the forefront of this, and the name still lives on today. Local industries are celebrated at the [[Wellington Museum, Somerset|Wellington Museum]] in Fore street. Wellington was home of [[Fox, Fowler and Company]], which was the last commercial bank permitted to print their own [[pound sterling|sterling]] [[banknotes]] in [[England and Wales]].
The town is still largely dependent on industry, notably its [[Aerosol spray|aerosol]] factory. Swallowfield plc benefited from the growth of own-brand products during the 1970s and now produces aerosol, cosmetic and toiletry products. It was founded in 1876 as Walter Gregory & Co Ltd who manufactured animal husbandry products. The company diversified and in 1950 produced the first commercial aerosols in the UK which were basically farm products, air fresheners and insecticides.<ref>{{cite web | title=The History of Aerosols | work=British Aerosol Manufacturers' Association website | url=http://www.bama.co.uk/educ_history.htm#First | accessdate=2007-10-16}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web | title=Testimonials | work=InvestInWellington.co.uk | url=http://www.investinwellington.co.uk/pages/testimonials.shtml | accessdate=2007-10-16}}</ref>
Bed manufacturers [[Relyon]] employ some 400 people. The company started in 1858 as a wool merchant, Price Brothers and Co., but the business soon moved into manufacturing beds and in 1935 changed its name to Relyon Ltd. In 2001 it was acquired by Steinhoff International Holdings Ltd., a quoted South African group.<ref>{{cite web | title=Relyon History | work=Relyon website | url=http://www.relyon.co.uk/data.asp?rn=9 | accessdate=2007-10-15}}</ref>
==Transport==
The town had [[Wellington (Somerset) railway station|its own railway station]] on the [[Bristol and Exeter Railway]] from [[1 May]] [[1843]] until [[5 October]] [[1964]]. It was here that extra locomotives were attached to heavy trains to help them up the incline to Whiteball Tunnel on their way south. The [[Reading to Plymouth Line|railway from Penzance to London]], and also to [[Bristol]] and the North, continue to pass through the town, but no trains stop. The nearest stations are [[Taunton railway station|Taunton]] and [[Tiverton Parkway railway station|Tiverton Parkway]].
==Education==
Wellington is home to a [[public school]], [[Wellington School, Somerset]], not to be confused with [[Wellington School, Shropshire]] or [[Wellington College (Berkshire)|Wellington College]]. Famous alumni of Wellington School include actor [[David Suchet]] and peer [[Jeffrey Archer|Lord Archer]].
The main secondary school in the town is [[Court Fields Community School, Wellington|Court Fields Community School]]. The school is a technology college, and a new state-of-the-art sports complex is being developed here, which is due for completion in early 2008.
==Religious sites==
In spite of its small size, Wellington has historically been notable for its profusion of [[churches]] of many different denominations, including a [[Quaker]] meeting house,<ref>{{cite web | title=Friends' Meeting House | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=269988 | accessdate=2007-10-15}}</ref> the 15th century Church of St John the Baptist,<ref>{{cite web | title=Church of St John the Baptist | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=270011 | accessdate=2007-10-15}}</ref> which includes a monument to [[John Popham]],<ref name="curio">{{cite book |title=Curiosities of Somerset |last=Leete-Hodge |first=Lornie |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1985 |publisher=Bossiney Books |location=Bodmin |isbn=0906456983 |pages=67 }}</ref> and the [[Roman Catholic]] Church of St John Fisher which was built in 1606 as Popham's Almshouses and converted into a Roman Catholic church 1936.<ref>{{cite web | title=Roman Catholic Church of St John Fisher | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=270025 | accessdate=2007-10-15}}</ref>
==Culture==
Wellington has its own amateur dramatic group called Wellington Arts Association, which holds productions both at Wellington Arts Centre and at the Wellesley Theatre (the cinema and theatre in the town). The town also has its own weekly newspaper, the [[Wellington Weekly News]].
Wellington is twinned to the town of [[Immenstadt]] in [[Germany]], the town of [[Lillebonne]] in [[France]] and [[Torres Vedras]] in [[Portugal]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wellingtontowncouncil.co.uk/organisations/organisations.htm |title=Twin Towns |accessdate=2007-10-15 |format= |work=Wellington Town Council }}</ref>
== References ==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.heartofsomerset.com Taunton Deane Tourism Web Site]
* [http://www.w-a-a.org/ Wellington Arts Association]
* [http://www.wellesleytheatre.co.uk/ Wellesley Theatre, Wellington]
* The Somerset Urban Archaeological Survey: [http://www.somerset.gov.uk/somerset/cultureheritage/heritage/projects/eus/wellington Wellington ], by Clare Gathercole
{{Somerset}}
[[Category:Towns in Somerset]]
[[Category:Taunton Deane]]
[[Category:West Country Carnival]]
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