Minehead takes its name from the North hill - MYNED -being an old English word meaning a hill. There are two ancient farms on its upper slopes known as East Myne and West Myne.
In the 16th century the sea came up to conygar hill, near Dunster which had a harbour, and Minehead bay was a forest. Minehead consisted of three parts: Higher towne, Lower towne and Key towne.
The Danes invaded in the 9th century and were chased off by the hobbyhorse; which now makes its appearance at the beginning of May each year.
'photo by permission of Bob Bonar'
In 1087 the Manor of Minehead was held by the Saxon Chief Aelgar, the population was 69!
In a survey c.1740 are the names of the streets at that time (with original spelling):
Minehead Key, Puddle Street, Friday Street, Bampton Street, Butts Lane, Ffrog Street, Middle Street, New Street, leading home to the Church, Ffishers Lane, Heron Lane, Lane between the Church and St.Michael's Well, Higher towne, Street from Vicarage House to Moore.
Some of the Inns mentioned were: The Key, The Lambe, The Kings Armes ''which is a good house and stables built on the wharfe gainst the sea,''
The Newe Inn.
Near Holloway Foot, Gregory Togg holds a dwelling house and also a fishing weare upon the seashore called Labbies weare, On the east side of Ffrog street is the 'Angel Inn'.
Three Inns were situated in the Market Place: 'The Royal Oake', 'The Rose and Crown', and 'The George'. There was a further Inn in Bampton street named 'The White Horse Inn'.
Between the Market Place to Puddle Bridge, this was outside the Old Priory, and Higher Quay Stile, were the Blue Anchor Inn
and The Swan.
Lower towne is not the central part of Minehead, it once consisted mainly of low, old-fashoined houses, covered with myrtle and roses right up to the eaves. A lane, which was scarcely more than a waterway, led up from the sea. This lane, which was called in medievil times 'La Lane' remained in much the same condition until the end of the 19th century. A raised causeway gave a place for walkers and on the south side was a fine row of Elm trees for some distance.
On the right hand side of this lane there was a tannery (it was burnt down in the first great fire). It was where the main carpark and Sainsburys is today. Crossing the stream at the bottom of the parade and turning along a narrow short street which is the 'new road to the Quay' we come to Blenheim Terrace. The whole road is now Blenheim Road. If you turn up Northfield road (once named 'Field Lane') you will see a lane on your right. This is the other part of the 'new road to the Quay'.
The Parade, then called Puddle Street, had a block of houses in the middle of it. The Town Hall was an isolated building, and Market Place Lane ran around it, by the Almshouses and the ancient market cross to Frog Street.
The space now called Wellington Square was also obstructed by houses. Here stood the 'Island House'. on the right was Frog Street, out of which issued the way, appositely called 'the Hollow way.
Above, it the Town Mill as it was, but pass your mouse over this pictures you will see it as it is now - you can also do this to some of the other pictures on this page. The Town Mill, (now Stonemill Court) stands near where the water Mill was in Doomsday times, near the bottom of Bampton Street. In 1830 the six main streets were, Frog street (now the Holloway) Bampton street (the road to Bampton) Friday street, The Butts (now Selborne Place) Middle street and The Parade. There was a regular coach service with Taunton and Bridgwater at that time.
A Tucking Mill stood on the site of the Methodist Church, not far from Puddle Bridge by the Old Priory. Also located near the bridge were the stocks and pillary. The Priory became the Manor Court.
The Minehead Court rolls reveal a striking picture of the absolute authority which the lord of the manor exercised within its boundary. In his court the officers of the town were chosen. Neighbours quarrelled much as they do now, only in a more lawless fashion. There were poachers in those days; for even in those early times the lords court directs that no tenant shall trespass on a neighbours ground 'with bow and arrows'. Others are complained of as 'common fence breakers'. A lady strong of arm, at the quay, assaulted another with a 'fysshe ketil'(fish kettle).
On the foreshore, the fishing rights were all in the Lords hands, either held by him or leased by him on lives. All great fish, such as sturgeon, salmon, and the like, were of duty bound sent to Dunster Castle. All seaweed too was the Lords property and the right of removing it was rented, occasionally by tenants.
The Estates of Dunster passed from the de Mohuns to the Luttrells in the 1300's and now belongs to the National Trust.
In the 15th Century there were three main towns of Minehead: Middle Town - around the Priory, Higher Town - by St. Micheals Church on the hill and Quay Town - by the sea.
CHURCH STREET - THE TOP OF CHURCH STEPS IS JUST ROUND THE CORNER
VICARAGE ROAD LEADING TO CHURCH STEPS
The building on the left at the foot of church steps (behind the 2 people in the right hand picture) with barred windows was not a prison, as many think. The red sandstone building was Minehead’s earliest workhouse and was used to house the poor in 1731. The building was later used as a mint and the grills on some of the windows still remain. The house on the opposite side of the steps was once a schoolhouse, maybe some of the school children are in the right hand postcard.
Quay town had a wooden jetty before the harbour was built, it was near the end of todays Blenheim road, by Lamb Cottage which was removed with the other houses on the seaward side of Quay street after the great storm around 1911.
Pass mouse over picture below to see how it looks now.
The Luttrells provided the town with a stone harbour, completed in 1616. It was enlarged to its present length of 700ft in 1901.
Two buildings which were taverns in the 17th century still stand. One, The Black Boy Inne, is halfway up Bampton Street on the right hand side , opposite Selborne Place which used to be called 'The Butts'. It is now cottages but still has the mounting block beside the wall at the higher end.
Lower Moor Farmhouse was the other(see picture below)once called 'The Postboy Inne'.
There was also one on the Quay called The Angel, but no-one is certain which one it is.
There was a fire in 1791 which destroyed over 80 houses. The greater part of Quay town and Middle town were burnt down. A quote from a letter at the time, gives us the following account of what happened: "Last Tuesday noon, Edward May, a miller of this place, was trying an experiment by burning a tar barrel, when the wind being very high, the fire communicated to a large stack of furze that stood in his yard, which instantly got into a blaze and spread with the greatest rapidity into the adjoining dwellings, so that before the next morning upwards of seventy-two houses, comprising almost the whole of the Middle Town, were reduced to ashes. By this terrible and sudden fire, the center of this once respectable and flourishing town is now become a heap of ruins. Amongst the few good houses which providentially escaped the general conflagration are those of Mrs Davis, Mr Warren, Mr H.Ball and a few others. One life only was lost, that of Mr.D.Price, a poor maniac, who, being confined ,was, in the hurry and confusion, forgotten, till too late. What adds to this heavy affliction is, that few, if any, of the houses were insured. The great loss of the sufferers cannot yet be ascertained. - Annual Chronicle, July 10th, 1791".
In 1685 during the Civil War, when the Duke of Monmouth lead a revolt against James II, many men from Minehead rallied to his side. After his defeat, 6 of the captured rebels were brought back to Minehead and hanged from the great beam over the arched gateway at the corner of Lower Moor road. It is a grim reminder of those times and no doubt accounts for the many ghost stories once told about the old place which was the hangmans yard-pictured below-
In 1722 Daniel Defoe stayed in Minehead, at the Plume of Feathers, a beautiful old coaching Inn which once stood in Wellington Square. Also in the square is the Wellington Hotel opened in 1820 and enlarged in 1880.
The Plume of Feathers Hotel
The Wellington Hotel
The Plume of Feathers was demolished in 1965, to build a modern block of shops. Pass mouse over to see how it looks now!
The Carlton Hotel which was built in 1860 then encompassed the name of the Plume of Feathers. Thus it became
'THE CARLTON PLUME OF FEATHERS'
But this too, has now been demolished.
In 2003 new retirement flats have been built there - pass mouse over to see.
The demise of the Carlton Plume of Feathers
The Queens Theatre was built by Sam Marley in 1916
The Queens Hall Theatre hosted such great names as Pavlova and her ballet company and other touring theatrical companies. It was also the venue for Mineheads first talkie films that were shown ther in 1930. It then became an amusement arcade and recently converted back to a family entertainments center with a bar and a huge TV to show sporting fixtures and other live entertainment, owened by Mr Marcus Kravis. The building to the right was the Stand Cafe with a railed balcony above. It is now the Strand Restaurant and the railings have disappeared although the patio doors can still be seen. To the right of that, what looks like a building under construction was the framework for a tented theatre known as the Arcadia. It stood on the site of an open air theatre which had hosted Pierrot shows. This tent was replaced by a wooden building called the Gaity Theatre. It was demolished in 1979 along with the Victorian toilet block with its large brass locks and green tiles :) to make way for the Carousel, another amusement arcade.
picture below show the Queens from the other side and also the audience enjoying a show.
The Railway reached Minehead in 1874 and the Beach Hotel was built to co-inside. and the Avenue was called Station Road. British Railways closed the branch line from Taunton to Minehead in 1971 as part of the Beeching cuts, and almost all the facilities at Minehead station were removed.
The WSR came to the rescue that same year. Somerset County Council bought the branch line and then leased it to the WSR.
On 21 December 1975, the WSR was able to run its first train from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead. In the next few years, the WSR reopened the line bit by bit, starting from Minehead. By 1979, the line had been reopened all the way from Minehead back to Bishops Lydeard.
it is now run privately but still cannot gain access to Taunton and has to use a relay by coach from Bishops Lydeard. More information can be found here: west somerset railway
Clevelands - the building up on the right as you pass the church, was built in 1877 and was the residence of the Baroness de Tainteignes who used to often come down into the town in her carriage, complete with coachman. It is now flats.
A new Town Hall was built in 1889 and is now our present hospital. Below is a picture taken during first world war with some soldiers standing outside.
The Market house was erected in 1901 to replace the smaller one, then known as the Fish Market. Pass mouse over to see same view in 1930. Notice the Plume of Feathers at the top centre of picture.
The Pier was finished in 1901, built and owned by the Campbell Steamboat company. It cost, including approaches about £12000.It was 700ft long and 24ft wide, expanding to 76ft at the head and was 20ft above high water at ordinary spring tides. Beyond the head was a timber landing-stage with four platforms to suit the varying heights of the tide.
It was demolished during WW2 by the war department as it was in the way of their gun enplacement which they had errected on the harbour wall, pointing down channel. However after test-firing the gun it was deemed too risky to the stabilty of the harbour, and not used.
The castle like building half way up North hill by the war memorial is called Elgin Towers.
it was built by a scotsman, an ex-confectioner, in 1887 and then nicknamed 'Bun castle'. The Beaconwood Hotel was built in 1907, Penryn in 1903, Marston Lodge in 1906 and gradually houses began to cover North Hill.
A fine open air filtered seawater swimming pool built to olympic standards was built and given to the town in 1936
by the Luttrell family.
It was used to stage National championships. This was a very popular place with local people and visitors alike. Many a summer evening was spent at the Gala with games of water polo and diving exhibitions.
It was a sad day when it was sold to Butlins, subsequently demolished and the land sold to build houses.
The demise of our swimming pool
The population of Minehead in 1901 was 2511. After much compaining by the local people, a new pool was eventually built but on a much smaller scale, and called the Aquasplash, not really deep enough for much else, I am told. Unfortunaly the council now want to close that, and it seems Tesco's are interested in the site, so unless something is done the children of this area will have nowhere to learn to swim once again!
Warren House was the home of the Warrener, he was the gamekeeper for the Luttrell family. The house had a lookout on its roof to watch for herring shoals. It is now the home of the Minehead and West Somerset golf club which was laid out originally as a nine-hole course in 1882
Below are a couple of pictures of the Hotel Metropole which stood in 4 acres of grounds in the centre of the promenade facing the sea. It had 60 bedrooms, spacious reception, billiard, smoking rooms and private sitting rooms. Croquet and tennis lawns, first class stabling, cariages, hunters and accomodation for motors. It was often used by the Indian Rajahs when they came to play polo at Dunster. The ponies were seen daily exercising on the beach.
THE METROPOLE HOTEL
RAJAH HANUT SINGH AT DUNSTER POLO GROUND
POLO PONIES BEING EXERCISED ON MINEHEAD BEACH
Quirkes Almshouses 1900's
Quirkes Almshouses 1930's
Quirkes Almshouses 1986
Quirkes Almshouses 2006
The Almshouses pictured above were given to the town in 1630 by Robert Quirke. He was a master mariner. His ship ran into a storm a few days out from his home in Minehead. He and his whole crew promised God that if they survived the storm and reached home safely, the ship and cargo would be sold and the money used to help the poor and needy of Minehead. True to his word he had these houses built and the income for their upkeep was obtained by leasing out his two cellars on the Quay. In 1910 they became St.Peters Mission Chapel. The information is displayed on a brass plate fixed to the centre cottage under and engraving of a three-masted sailing ship. The original ships bell is mounted on the roof of the end house. The houses were build on the site of the old market place and the remains of the market cross can still be seen - it is on the left hand side of the 3rd picture, showing the renovations taking place in 1986.
