Mendip District


Mendip is a local government district of Somerset in England. The district covers a largely rural area of with a population of approximately 112,500, ranging from the Wiltshire border in the east to part of the Somerset Levels in the west. The district takes its name from the Mendip Hills which lie in its northwest. The administrative centre of the district is Shepton Mallet but the largest town is Frome.
The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, by a merger of the municipal boroughs of Glastonbury and Wells, along with Frome, Shepton Mallet, Street urban districts, and Frome Rural District, Shepton Mallet Rural District, Wells Rural District, part of Axbridge Rural District and part of Clutton Rural District.

Toponymy

Several explanations for the name Mendip have been suggested. Its earliest known form is Mendepe in 1185. One suggestion is that it is derived from the medieval term Myne-deepes. However, A D Mills derives its meaning from Celtic monith, meaning mountain or hill, with an uncertain second element, perhaps Old English yppe in the sense of upland, or plateau.
An alternative explanation is that the name is cognate with Mened, a Brythonic term for upland moorland. The suffix may be a contraction of the Anglo-Saxon hop, meaning a valley. Possible further meanings have been identified. The first is 'the stone pit' from the Celtic meyn and dyppa in reference to the collapsed cave systems of Cheddar. The second is 'Mighty and Awesome' from the Old English moen and deop.

Governance

The district falls under the jurisdiction of Mendip District Council. As of the 2019 Local elections, the Council went to No Overall Control.
PartySeatsNet Gain/Loss
Liberal Democrat22+11
Conservative10-22
Green10+7
Independent5+4

Since then, an independent has joined the Liberal Democrats, giving them 23 seats - one seat short of an outright majority on Mendip District Council.

Settlements

The five main settlements in Mendip are:
Frome, Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet are the only towns in the district, as Wells has city status and Street has maintained its status as a village despite a population in excess of 11,000.
Other villages and hamlets include:

Transport

Major roads

Railway stations

Railway stations

served by the East Somerset Railway.

Education

County schools in the five non-metropolitan districts of the county are operated by Somerset County Council.
For a full list of schools see: List of schools in Somerset