Wincanton: Difference between revisions
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|Region= [[South West England]] |
|Region= [[South West England]] |
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|Ceremonial= [[Somerset]] |
|Ceremonial= [[Somerset]] |
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|Police= [[Avon and Somerset |
|Police= [[Avon and Somerset Constabulary|Avon and Somerset]] |
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|Fire= [[Somerset Fire and Rescue Service|Somerset]] |
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|Traditional= [[Somerset]] |
|Traditional= [[Somerset]] |
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|Constituency= [[Somerton and Frome (UK Parliament constituency)|Somerton and Frome]] |
|Constituency= [[Somerton and Frome (UK Parliament constituency)|Somerton and Frome]] |
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Revision as of 10:47, 26 December 2006
Template:Infobox England place with map Wincanton is a small town in south Somerset, southwest England. The town lies on the A303 road, the main route between London and South West England, and has some light industry. The town has a population of 4,643 (2002 estimate).
Wincanton has a race track, and has given its name to Europe's second largest logistics company, Wincanton plc, where it still has a base, although its head office function moved to Chippenham, Wiltshire in 2005.
The town had a railway station on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway but this closed on 7th March 1966.
Wincanton is unique in the fact that it is twinned with a town which can only be found in fiction. As well as Gennes / Les Rosiers in France and Lahnau in Germany, Wincanton is twinned with Ankh-Morpork, a city state near the Circle Sea on Terry Pratchett's Discworld [1].
There is a shop in Wincanton's High Street called The Cunning Artificer (named after a street in Ankh-Morpork), which specialises in Discworld souvenirs.
Wincanton is also home to North Downs Dairy, producer of the Pilgrim's Choice brand of Cheddar cheese, the second best selling brand in the UK.
17th century Wincanton saw the first skirmish of the Glorious Revolution.
There has been a huge influx of foreign nationals in the last two years, especially Portuguese and Polish citizens who are mainly working at Wincanton's both cheese factories, North Downs Dairy [2] and Wike's Farms.
External links
- Wincanton web links
- A History of the County of Somerset: Vol 7: Wincanton (1999)
- The Somerset Urban Archaeological Survey: Wincanton, by Miranda Richardson
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