Somerset

Somerset
Ceremonial county
The Somerset Levels from Glastonbury Tor; St Mary's Church, Bruton; and Pulteney Bridge, Bath
Coordinates: 51°06′N 2°54′W / 51.100°N 2.900°W / 51.100; -2.900
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	South West England
Established	Ancient
Time zone	UTC+0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)
UK Parliament	9 MPs
Police	Avon and Somerset Police
Ceremonial county
Lord Lieutenant	Mohammed Saddiq
High Sheriff	Mary-Clare Rodwell[1] (2020–21)
Area	4,170 km2 (1,610 sq mi)
• Rank	7th of 48
Population  (2022)[2]	991,615
• Rank	22nd of 48
Density	238/km2 (620/sq mi)
Ethnicity	98.5% White
Unitary authorities
Councils	Somerset Council Bath and North East Somerset Council North Somerset Council
Unitary authority
Council	Somerset Council
Control	Liberal Democrat
Admin HQ	Taunton
Area	3,450 km2 (1,330 sq mi)
• Rank	5th of 296
Population  (2022)[3]	576,852
• Rank	4th of 296
Density	167/km2 (430/sq mi)
ISO 3166-2	GB-SOM
GSS code	E06000066
ITL	TLK23
Website	somerset.gov.uk
Districts
Districts of Somerset   Unitary
Districts	Somerset North Somerset Bath and North East Somerset

Somerset (/ˈsʌmərsɪt, -sɛt/ ^ⓘ SUM-ər-sit, -⁠set),^[4] archaically Somersetshire (/ˈsʌmərsɪt.ʃɪər, -sɛt-, -ʃər/ SUM-ər-sit-sheer, -⁠set-, -⁠shər)^[5] is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east and the north-east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. The largest settlement is the city of Bath, and the county town is Taunton.

Somerset is a predominantly rural county, especially to the south and west, with an area of 4,171 km² (1,610 sq mi) and a population of 965,424. After Bath (101,557), the largest settlements are Weston-super-Mare (82,418), Taunton (60,479), and Yeovil (49,698). Wells (12,000) is a city, the second-smallest by population in England. For local government purposes the county comprises three unitary authority areas: Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset, and Somerset. Bath and North East Somerset Council is a member of the West of England Combined Authority.

The centre of Somerset is dominated by the Levels, a coastal plain and wetland. The north-east contains part of the Cotswolds uplands and all of the Mendip Hills, which are both national landscapes; the west contains the Quantock Hills and part of the Blackdown Hills, which are also national landscapes, and most of Exmoor, a national park. The major rivers of the county are the Avon, which flows through Bath and then Bristol, and the Axe, Brue, and Parrett, which drain the Levels.

There is evidence of Paleolithic human occupation in Somerset, and the area was subsequently settled by the Celts, Romans and Anglo-Saxons. The county played a significant part in Alfred the Great's rise to power, and later the English Civil War and the Monmouth Rebellion. In the later medieval period its wealth allowed its monasteries and parish churches to be rebuilt in grand style; Glastonbury Abbey was particularly important, and claimed to house the tomb of King Arthur and Guinevere. The city of Bath is famous for its Georgian architecture, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The county is also the location of Glastonbury Festival, one of the UK's major music festivals.