A bit of Wookey history ahead of Sunday's rally . . .

[Neil]

Wookey is a village and civil parish 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Wells, on the River Axe in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. Wookey is often confused with its sister village Wookey Hole which is perhaps best known today for the Wookey Hole Caves. The parish includes the village of Henton and the nearby hamlets of Yarley and Bleadney where the River Axe, travels the length of the village. There used to be a port at Bleadney on the river in the 8th century which allowed goods to be brought to within 3 miles (5 km) of Wells.

The name Wookey is thought to come from the Old English wocig, meaning an animal trap. An alternative explanation has been offered which suggests it comes from the Celtic word ogof meaning cave. Celtic finds have been made in the area.

As an aside - The area is in no way related to the most famous Wookey of all, a certain Mr Chewbacca who is from the planet of Kashyyyk. We do not expect to find any Star Wars related artefacts, but you never know the odd light saber may turn up! - Neil

Fenny Castle is one mile north-west of Polsham, but within the parish of Wookey are the earthwork remains of Fenny Castle, a motte and bailey castle sited on a natural hillock.

The parish was part of the hundred of Wells Forum.

The now-closed Wookey Station, once lying on Cheddar Valley line branch of the Bristol and Exeter Railway, is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The village included a manor house built by Bishop Jocelin of Wells in the 13th century. It was rebuilt in the sixteenth century and is now a farmhouse and Grade II* listed building.

The population in 1821 was 1,040, comprising 223 families, of which 147 were employed in agriculture.

St Matthew's church dates from the twelfth century and is a Grade I listed building. It was granted to the dean of Wells by Bishop Robert, rebuilt by Bishop Reginald and assigned to the sub dean of the cathedral in 1209. The south chancel is thought to have been built to house the memorial to Thomas Clerke in 1556. Beside the church stands the 19th-century Mellifont Abbey, which is named after the abbey of the same name in Ireland.

[Dryland]

Thanks for the info Neil, interesting but why have you added a photo
 of Taff Laff and his wife at the bottom ? 

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

Thats not fair Dryland, Shelley has waxed her face since that photo. 

[Dryland]

ha ha ha,  Rob no supper for you if she sees this.  

[Chef Geoff]

OK just to put some flesh on the bones. Our site is adjacent to Fenny Castle, as Neil has already said this is a Motte and Bailey castle dating from the "Anarchy" between 1135 and 1153. The intriguing thing is that the castle is literally in the middle of nowhere, it is not on or overlooking any major routes or in any way in a place of strategic importance but of course in the 12th century this must have been different.
In the 18th-19th century a large part of the castle mound (which is natural rock) was quarried away, during which 20 graves were found which pre-dated the castle.
In pre-history this mound would have appeared as an island during the winter floods and so would have offered a certain amount of security and was possibly used far back in to the Neolithic as a island of the dead as was Glastonbury.
We are also on the southern slopes of the Mendips which saw heavy occupation during the Roman period.

So as usual.....there are no guarantees but we have never been this close to a Norman Castle before...so high hopes

From the English Heritage website;
"A motte and bailey castle set on a small natural hill. The north-west end of the hill has been scarped into a steep-sided conical to form a motte, while the south-east end has been levelled to create a narrow bailey. Motte and bailey castles are said to be characteristic of the 11th to 13th centuries: it has been suggested that Fenny Castle may have its origins in the Anarchy or first English civil war between Stephen and Matilda (1138-53), associated with the de Tilly family. The first secure reference to the existence of the castle was in 1327, with the owner being a William atte Castle. It was then described as ruinous by William Worcestre in 1480, who noted the remains of the ground plan in the foundations. Digging in the castle unearthed a wall which defended the summit, as well as iron rings, an iron implement and pottery. It was recorded in the 19th century that part of the slope at the north-west end of the hill was removed to enable easier access around it. In the process the remains of 20 skeletons were removed; they were dated to an unspecified period before the construction of the castle. There is a local tradition that the mound was associated with King Alfred."

[Chef Geoff]

bump

[GJH]

 Thanks for the info Geoff, looks very interesting, could be some good finds.
 Geoff