Dictionary Definition
cheddar n : hard smooth-textured cheese [syn:
cheddar
cheese, store
cheese]
User Contributed Dictionary
see Cheddar
English
Etymology
- From Cheddar cheese
Noun
- A cheese styled after the Cheddar cheese made in Cheddar.
Verb
French
Noun
fr-noun mSwedish
Noun
cheddarExtensive Definition
Cheddar is a large village and civil parish
in the district of Sedgemoor in the
English
county of Somerset. It is
situated on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills
north west of Wells.
Village status
Cheddar is a village. The adjacent settlement of Axbridge, although only about a third the population of Cheddar, is a town. This apparently illogical situation is explained by the relative importance of the two places in historic times. While Axbridge grew in importance as a centre for cloth manufacture in the Tudor period and gained a charter from King John, Cheddar remained a more dispersed mining and dairy-farming village until the advent of tourism and the arrival of the railway in the Victorian era.This situation is unlikely to change in the near
future, with the residents of both Axbridge and Cheddar proud of
their settlements' respective status and the inevitable friendly
local rivalry between the two.
Twinning
Cheddar is twinned
with the following towns and has an active programme of exchange
visits:
- flagicon Germany Felsberg in Germany
- flagicon France Vernouillet in France.
Local produce
The village is famous for having given its name to Cheddar cheese which is the most popular type of cheese in the United Kingdom. Although the cheese is now made worldwide, only one producer remains in the village itself.Cheddar's other main produce is the strawberry, which gave name
to the now disused Strawberry
Line railway that ran from Yatton to Wells. In the 1960s,
when the rest of the line was closed and all passenger services
ceased, the section of the line between Cheddar and Yatton remained
open for goods traffic, to provide a fast link with the main
markets for the strawberries in Birmingham and
London. The
former station has become housing and a trading estate, and is the
starting point for a cycle path along the old track to Axbridge, passing
the Cheddar
Reservoir, an SSSI for its large
population of wintering waterfowl, and the home of a sailing
club.
Cheddar Ales
is a small brewery, based in the village, which produces beer for
pubs in the local area.
Landscape
Gorge and caves
Cheddar is also famous for Cheddar Gorge, the largest gorge in England, and for the Cheddar Caves, including Cox's cave, Tyning's Barrow Swallet and Gough's Cave where the remains of Cheddar Man were found. Nearby is Wookey Hole and Ebbor Gorge.Sites of Special Scientific Interest
There are several large and unique Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) around the village including Cheddar Reservoir and Cheddar Wood. By far the largest is called Cheddar Complex and covers of the gorge, caves and the surrounding area. It is considered important for both biological and geological features.Quarries
Close to the village and gorge are Batts Combe quarry and Callow Rock quarry two of the active Quarries of the Mendip Hills where limestone is still extracted.History
There is evidence of occupation from both the Neolithic and Roman periods in Cheddar. The remains of a Roman villa have been excavated in the grounds of the current vicarage. An alternative possible meaning is from Ceodre or ceod meaning a pouch referring to the caves or gorge.William
Wilberforce saw the poor conditions of the locals when he
visited Cheddar in 1789. He inspired Hannah More
in her work to improve the conditions of the Mendip miners and
agricultural workers.
Amenities
Cheddar has a number of active service clubs including Cheddar Vale Lions Club, Mendip Rotary and Mendip Inner Wheel Club. The clubs raise money for projects in the local community and hold annual events such as a fireworks display, duck races in the Gorge, a dragon boat race on the reservoir and concerts in the grounds of the nearby St Michael's Cheshire Homehttp://www.leonard-cheshire.org/?lid=827.There are three schools: Cheddar First School,
Fairlands Middle School and
The Kings of Wessex School, which has a leisure centre with an
indoor swimming pool. Cheddar village also has a Youth Hostel
and several camping/caravan sites, including several large ones
with many facilities. There is a
Church of England parish church with a tall tower in the
typical Somerset style, and also churches for Roman
Catholic, Methodist,
Baptist and
other denominations, including a community Church which meets at
the Kings of Wessex, senior school.
Notable buildings and structures
Saxon palace
In the 10th century the Witenagemot met three times at the Saxon palace in Cheddar. The ruins of the palace were excavated in the 1960s and are located in the grounds of The Kings of Wessex School, together with a 14th century chapel dedicated to St Columbanus.. Roman remains have also been uncovered at the site.St Andrew's Church
The Church of England parish church is dedicated to St Andrew and dates from the 14th century. It was restored in 1873 by William Butterfield. It is a grade I listed building and contains some 15th century stained glass and an altar table of 1631. The chest tomb in the chancel is believed to be to Sir Thomas Cheddar and dated 1442. The tower, which rises to , contains a bell dating from 1759 and made by Thomas Bilbie of the Bilbie family.Market cross
The market cross in Bath Street dates from the 15th century, with the shelter being rebuilt in 1834. It has a central octagonal pier, socket raised on four steps, hexagonal shelter with six arched four-centred arch openings, shallow two stage buttresses at each angle, and embattled parapet. The shaft is crowned by an abacus with figures in niches, probably from the late 19th century although the cross is now missing. Rebuilt by Thomas, Marquis of Bath. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument (Somerset County No 21) and grade II* listed building. It was recently restored after being seriously damaged in a road traffic accident.Hannah More's Cottage
Philanthropist educator Hannah More founded a school in the village in the late 18th century. Her first school, a 17th century house now named Hannah More's Cottage, is a grade II listed building that is used by the local community as a meeting place.References
External links
cheddar in German: Cheddar (Somerset)
cheddar in Italian: Cheddar
cheddar in Japanese: チェダー
cheddar in Dutch: Cheddar
cheddar in Polish: Cheddar (Anglia)
cheddar in Portuguese: Cheddar