Coordinates: 51°05′24″N 2°15′58″W / 51.090°N 2.266°W
| Mere | |
.png)  Mere
 Mere shown within Wiltshire |
|
| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| Parish | Mere |
| Unitary authority | Wiltshire |
| Ceremonial county | Wiltshire |
| Region | South West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WARMINSTER |
| Postcode district | BA12 |
| Dialling code | 01747 |
| Police | Wiltshire |
| Fire | Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | Great Western |
| European Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | Westbury |
| List of places: UK • England • Wiltshire | |
Mere is a small town in Wiltshire, England. It lies at the extreme southwestern tip of Salisbury Plain close to the borders of Somerset and Dorset.
There is an old market square (although markets have not been held for several years), a chiming town clock and a large 15th century parish church of St Michael the Archangel[1], along with St Mary's Catholic church, St Matthew's and also Methodist and United Reformed churches. The number of shops has halved since the A303 bypass road was opened in 1976. The steep slope of Castle Hill rises from the northwestern side of Mere. Castle Hill was the site of a relatively large (390 by 102 feet) castle, built in the mid-13th century by the lord of the manor, Richard, Earl of Cornwall. The castle fell into disrepair in the 15th century and its stone is said to have been used to build local houses. The Duchy of Cornwall still owns large amounts of land in the area. Local industry and commerce includes the Hill Brush company, large wholesale plant nurseries and the notable Yapp's wine merchants.
St Michael the Archangel is unusual, in that it has 10 misericords; those on the south side of the choir, date from the 14th century, whilst those on the north side are early 16th century - why this is, is unknown.
It is part of the historic West Country Carnival circuit.
Public houses
Public houses are:
- The Butt of Sherry
- The George (formerly The Talbot)
- The Walnut Tree Inn (rebuilt)[2]
- The historic Old Ship Inn (undergoing refurbishment)
Notes
- ^ St Michael the Archangel at sdgr.org.uk
- ^ Walnut Tree Inn at walnut-tree-inn.co.uk
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
