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Minehead’s Past

Around Minehead there is copious evidence of activity that occurred before the historic settlement. Although this evidence is only minimal in pointing to occupation around the area of the modern town. On the raised land north of the town earthen works have survived including Bronze age barrows of Selworth Beacon an Iron age enclosure which may be a potential field system of Furzebury Brake. A sizable amount of the flints discovered in the area come from North Hill and Higher Hopcott. This was on higher land so was not as likely to flood.

The manor of Minehead, similar to that of Alcombe to the south, was part of the Saxon Algar and bigger than the neighbours, Mene and Bratton. All of the manors passed to the Mohuns subsequent to the Norman Conquest and were handled by Dunster Castle, although the manor of Alcombe and a part of the manor of Minehead, along with tithes, were granted to the major monastic houses: Bath Abbey, which was Dunster Priory's endowment, and Bruton--in the early Medieval time. But for three centuries, Minehead stayed basically a little, scattered, agricultural and fishing settlement and part of a feudal estate.

From the late Medieval period to the late 18th century, Minehead's history is overseen by its quays and their related fortunes. The early harbour area was on a creek south of the modern quay, at what was then the mouth of the Bratton Stream. Although this served for little fishing boats and coasters, it was, from early on, hard to maintain a good enough depth of water for oceangoing vessels, which Minehead's international trade depended on. Problem with silting and with jetty construction were mentioned as early as in the 14th century, with a proportion of the manor's harbour tolls depending on the townspeople for maintenance.

Minehead, England, was a vital, bustling harbor city during the years following the country's first Civil War, primarily used as a place of trading and dispatching soldiers to Ireland. During this period, significant merchant families, along with numerous smugglers, settled there. Much of the business dealt with Wales, Ireland, and the Channel Ports of Britain, with a fishing fleet sailing annually to Newfoundland throughout the 1670's. Between 1666 and 1800 there was a problem of silt buildup in the quay, and surviving harbour accounts reveal that maintenance was costly. In 1682 efforts for improvement, though making it possible for larger vessels to enter the harbor, did little to eliminate the basic difficulty. Trade kept on thriving, although it was only on borrowed time.

A heavy influx of war evacuees in 1939 caused a population spike. Part of Minehead’s wartime defense plans involved destroying the pier. As the pier was never rebuilt, larger boats no longer visited the town. The Luttrells donated the harbour to the Urban District Council in 1951. Harbour clearance efforts by the Council were rewarded by the return of pleasure boats. The holiday appeal of Minehead has grown every year since Butlins opened in 1962. The thousands of visitors each year has changed the original small camp into Butlins flagship destination. Historic settlements and low lying land have been swallowed up by the town’s growing suburbs. This suburban sprawl is fueled by large numbers of retiree’s and people relocating out of the modern town.

Article Source: http://www.articleadventure.com

Katie is a freelance writer with an interest in the history of Minehead and its Butlins Minehead resort.

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