The Old Vicarage dates to the year of Christopher Columbus's discovery of America. The village of Wedmore still attracts shoppers, tourists and locals alike. This area is one of the best places in the country for birdwatching. The peat moors are a rich source of food for the birds. Limestone caverns dot the surrounding landscape, as do nature reserves.
Old farmsteads sit amidst the rolling green hills.
Today cheese, livestock, fruit growing, limestone mining and tourism help support the people in the area. King Alfred favoured the area with a royal estate. The site of the manor house, adjoining the church, may be the site of his royal house. In 878 AD, after winning a battle against the Danes, he brought the Danish leader, Guthrum, and 30 of his followers to his estate at Wedmore for 12 days of feasting and ceremonies. The Danish leader was christened and a peace treaty was signed, allowing King Alfred to unite his kingdom.