Bruton

Bruton

Bruton shown within Somerset
Population	2945
OS grid reference	ST684350
District	South Somerset
Shire county	Somerset
Region	South West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Police	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Devon and Somerset
Ambulance	South Western
European Parliament	South West England
List of places: UK • England • Somerset

Coordinates: 51°′″N 2°′″W / 51.113411, -2.452801

Bruton taken from the Dovecote

Bruton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the River Brue seven miles south east of Shepton Mallet, ten miles north west of Gillingham and twelve miles south west of Frome in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 2,945.^[1]

Bruton has four pubs within the town boundary; The Castle Inn, The Sun Inn, The Blue Ball and The Royal Oak. While the Bull Inn, Hardway, Bruton, which was featured in the 2002 World Cup, is located just outside the town. It also has a museum dedicated to the display of items from Bruton's past from the Jurassic geology right up to the present day. The museum also houses a table used by the author John Steinbeck to write on during his 6 months stay in Bruton.

History

Bruton was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Briuuetone, meaning 'Vigorously flowing river' from the Old English tor and Celtic briw meaning vigor.^[2]

It was the site of a medieval Augustinian priory from which a wall remains in the Plox. The priory was sold after the dissolution of the monastries to the Berkley family and converted into a mansion which was demolished in the 18th century.^[3]

Bruton is referenced in a well-known English folk song, Bruton Town. A very rare copy of an Inspeximus of Magna Carta was discovered in Bruton in the 1950's and claimed by King's School, Bruton. A great deal building work at the School was paid for by the sale, to the Australian National Museum, of the School’s copy.

Churches

Both the 12th century Church of St Mary^[4] and the Church of the Holy Trinity^[5] which is dated at 1623 are grade I listed buildings.

Schools

Bruton is known for its three popular secondary schools - King's School, Bruton (founded 1519); Sexey's School (founded 1889); and Bruton School for Girls (Sunny Hill) (founded 1900). Each school has a sixth form, and a tradition of boarding.

One of Bruton's notable historic characters was Hugh Sexey (1556-1619), who was born in the local area, and attended Bruton Grammar School. By the age of 43 he had been appointed as Royal auditor of the Exchequer to Queen Elizabeth I and later King James I. After his death the trustees of his will established Sexey's Hospital in Bruton as an institution to care for the elderly. Sexey's trust was mainly involved with educational causes. The national politician behind the 1902 Education Act, the Right Honourable Henry Hobhouse MP (1854-1937), was involved in the founding of Sexey's School and Sunny Hill.

While there is naturally some rivalry among Bruton's three secondary schools, there is also some debate about co-operation between them. Sunny Hill currently achieves better examination results than the other schools. Recently King's School, Bruton has earned a place in The Times chart of schools of most increasing value. Sexey's School is fairly unusual in being a state school that offers boarding as well as day places.

References

^ Population estimates, Somerset County Council, 2002
^ Robinson, Stephen (1992). Somerset Place Names. Wimbourne: The Dovecote Press Ltd. ISBN 1874336032.
^ Adkins, Lesley and Roy (1992). A field Guide to Somerset Archeology. Stanbridge: Dovecote press. ISBN 0946159947.
^ Church of St Mary. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-02-09.
^ Church of the Holy Trinity. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-02-09.