Talk:Somerset

message: The article says that the area of the Central and Western Mendip Hills was 197 square kilometres whereas the source quoted gives the area as 198 sq km. I think that this probably happened because the area was rounded into square miles and then rounded back by the conversion template. I believe that this should be remedied so I have removed the template and substituted the true value as given in the source. Michael Glass (talk) 12:45, 10 May 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  A slight inaccuracy about the Mendip Hills 

message: I have noticed that the sources for the information in the article have frequently used metric measures. I am adjusting the information in the article to put the metric measure first as per the source quoted.  I am doing this step by step and so while I am doing this there may be some inconsistency in the presentation of measures in the article. Michael Glass (talk) 14:03, 5 June 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Metric measures in the sources for the information 

message: The article states that the ethnicity is 98.5% white. White is not an ethnicity, it is a colour. I would recommend that someone could find a more appropriate term or omit this reference entirely.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.163.111.181 (talk) 01:24, 6 September 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: This terminology is taken from the Office of National Statistics, Neighbourhood Statistics, (based on 2001 census) as cited, which says "Ethnic Group" White: British, White: Irish etc. Therefore  I think this is OK.— Rod talk 07:08, 6 September 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Note about ethnicity 

message: Just to let you know: The Exmoor in the snow used in the climate section (:File:SnowyExmoor.jpg) is incorrectly labelled. Its actually taken from County Gate (compare to :File:View from County Gate, Exmoor.jpg) and except for the immediate foreground shows Devon - so isn't really appropriate in this article.--Nilfanion (talk) 16:26, 2 November 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: Thankis for pointing this out. In the light of your comment & the fact we already have several photos in that part of the article & we have at least one of Exmoor, I have removed the pic.— Rod talk 17:04, 2 November 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Exmoor pic 

message: refs up to and including no.57 fixed so far Francis E Williams (talk) 21:30, 13 November 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks however ref 39 Somerset topgraphy seems to relate to Somerset County USA not Somerset England & doesn't support the 3 facts which use it as a citation.— Rod talk 21:52, 13 November 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: I have now replaced the Somerset topography reference with 3 separate refs, one for each of the facts.— Rod talk 09:10, 14 November 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: Well done Rod, it was along day on the screen yesterday, the multiple ref. threw me a bit, and the eyes are getting no better.Francis E Williams (talk) 11:37, 14 November 2010 (UTC)
thread_title: Refs Link rot

message: The intro states, among other things, "Unemployment is lower than the national average".  It seems to me that in compiling an encyclopedia, which (one hopes) will be a lasting work, it might be best to avoid statements about things like current unemployment figures, which could change (and thus be obsolete) overnight.  Even something like "Thanks to the seaport, unemployment has historically been lower than the national average" would be better. --Piledhigheranddeeper (talk) 19:15, 11 January 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: I make the comment that the County has traditionally been a place of high employment figures due to its varied resources which historically have included, timber, coal, aggregates, limestone deposits, climate and topography suitability for cattle farming, wool, trading ports, excellent transport links to the Capital, home of the wealthy in our society, the list is very long indeed and would occupy a predominant part of the article. The above simple statement been sufficient for the last Millenium, I`m guessing Wikipedia may not last as long.Francis E Williams (talk) 21:49, 11 January 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Evanescent information 

message: I suggest that that sentence, in the History section, needs rewording.  Surely the 18th century was one of "peace", as opposed to war, throughout England?  Do we actually need those first 11 words at all?   The sentence would be less confusing if it read simply: "The Industrial Revolution in the Midlands and Northern England spelled the end for most of Somerset's cottage industries."  Ghmyrtle (talk) 10:33, 10 July 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: Fine by me if you want to go ahead & remove the "peaceful" comment.— Rod talk 10:42, 10 July 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  "The 18th century was largely one of peace in Somerset, but ...." 

message: The West Country of England has a small minority of Cornish, including Somerset, but are less than 2 percent of the county population. The nearby Cornwall-Devon, England regions are home to this Celtic people, whom preserved their culture and recently the Cornish succeeded in a language revival program restored the Cornish language, reportedly extinct by the late 18th century. Somerset could well be the third county of the nation ofKernewek. 71.102.1.101 (talk) 07:16, 13 July 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: I am not aware of any reliable sources which report measures of people of Cornish origin in the county. Although, according to the census, it has a high proportion of indigenous British population, compared with the rest of England, with 98.8% registering as white British and 92.4% of these as born in the United Kingdom, you would need some evidence to support any claims about Cornish language speakers etc in Somerset.— Rod talk 07:32, 13 July 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  No need but necessity to mention [[Cornish people]] in Somerset 

message: An editor has made a good faith effort to preserve the image by pixellating the label to avoid copyvio. however, i dont think it can be used in this article, as the information id'ing it as somerset scrumpy is now missing.Mercurywoodrose (talk) 06:41, 27 March 2013 (UTC)
replies: text: It's a bit naff. I'm going to replace it with a better cider-related image. Argovian (talk) 17:33, 18 December 2014 (UTC)
thread_title: Somerset scrumpy image

message: Considering that this is a "featured article" I'm amazed that the nuclear power plants at Hinkley Point are not at all mentioned in this article! The UK's only current nuclear power station project is Hinkley Point C, which will provide the country with a fair percentage of the national electricity supply. Surely these power stations are major employers and a notable contribution of Somerset to the UK economy in the modern-day? Argovian (talk) 17:46, 18 December 2014 (UTC)
replies: text: A good point. I've now added a paragraph (a shortened version of the lead from the Hinkley Point C article) which also mentions the existing power stations.— Rod talk 18:45, 19 December 2014 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks for the adding of the paragraph. Somerset isn't all about cider production! ;) Argovian (talk) 19:24, 19 December 2014 (UTC)

text: I've created the section - not sure if it's in the right place, so feel free to move it about in the article! Also might need some references? (Links to the force/services' home pages perhaps?) Argovian (talk) 19:24, 19 December 2014 (UTC)
replies: text: Not sure quite where it is best to put it. For consistency the guidelines at Wikipedia:WikiProject UK geography/How to write about counties can help but the counties one doesn't really include this - perhaps it should be added. Wikipedia:WikiProject UK geography/How to write about settlements does have "Public Services as an optional heading and suggests adding things like water companies etc as well. (and yes it does need references to support the claims.)— Rod talk 19:43, 19 December 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Major omission - nuclear power plants 

message: Also missing is any mention of either the Avon and Somerset Constabulary or the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service / Avon Fire and Rescue Service.
I'll get round to creating a small emergency services section. Argovian (talk) 18:21, 19 December 2014 (UTC)
replies: text: I've created the section - not sure if it's in the right place, so feel free to move it about in the article! Also might need some references? (Links to the force/services' home pages perhaps?) Argovian (talk) 19:24, 19 December 2014 (UTC)
replies: text: Not sure quite where it is best to put it. For consistency the guidelines at Wikipedia:WikiProject UK geography/How to write about counties can help but the counties one doesn't really include this - perhaps it should be added. Wikipedia:WikiProject UK geography/How to write about settlements does have "Public Services as an optional heading and suggests adding things like water companies etc as well. (and yes it does need references to support the claims.)— Rod talk 19:43, 19 December 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  And the emergency services... 

message: "Drainage ............... in the Middle Ages by the Glastonbury Abbey, from 1400–1770;" seems wrong to me. Surely by the middle of the 16th century, the Dissolution had taken all of any power at all from the Abbey. Because the citation is not online it's difficult to verify what it says, but if it claims that its influence lasted until 1770 it is wrong.  I have no information that confirms the date so will leave it to someone who has.Twistlethrop (talk) 01:25, 3 May 2015 (UTC)
replies: text: I think this is probably my grammar that is the problem. I think what I was trying to say was that during the Middle Ages Glastonbury was a major player in the drainage. There was another period of drainage from 1400-1770 and then during WWII Huntspill River was added. I don't have the Williams book cited but do have some of his other books. If you look Somerset Levels there is much more detail: 
Some of this could be put here but because it tries to cover everything about the county it needs to be in summary form & not dominate the rest of the article.— Rod talk 07:45, 3 May 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  Levels and Moors: Drainage of the Levels 

message: and it is pronounced like Summer why on earth is it spelt Somer, who's bright idea was that? 87.102.44.18 (talk) 23:23, 10 December 2015 (UTC)
replies: text: Original?? It derives from Somerton - and it was only Le Conque who decides to spell that place as "Sumertone" in his I-Spy Book of English Taxation? Martinevans123 (talk) 23:48, 10 December 2015 (UTC)

text: It was from the previous name of Somerton which used to be called Sumortūn. 87.102.44.18 (talk) 16:15, 21 December 2015 (UTC)
replies: text: See English orthography.  There was no "original spelling" - the spoken word was spelled in various ways, and with inconsistencies between similar words, until spelling was standardised, which happened after the invention of printing.  There is also, now, a clear and evident distinction between "who's" and "whose".  Ghmyrtle (talk) 16:38, 21 December 2015 (UTC)
replies: text:  And I wonder Who's Last here. Martinevans123 (talk) 17:10, 21 December 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  Since the original spelling is Sumursætum... 

message: The flint working site does not appear notable on it's own, currently the stub only says it exists. It really should be a redirect to Somerset Ifnord (talk) 05:47, 5 December 2018 (UTC)
replies: text: I would suggest it would be more suitable to merge to Porlock the parish in which it falls rather than the wider county article.— Rod talk 07:39, 5 December 2018 (UTC)
replies: text: Or, even more specifically, Hawkcombe Woods.— Rod talk 18:45, 5 December 2018 (UTC)
replies: text: I support the merge to Hawkcombe Woods. Ifnord (talk) 05:06, 12 December 2018 (UTC)
thread_title:  Proposed merge with [[Hawkcombe head and Ven Combe]] 

message: It'd be nice to have the demography section updated with information from the 2011 census. It's currently still using the 2001 census data. ProcrastinatingReader (talk) 21:06, 22 June 2020 (UTC)
thread_title:  Demography Update 

message: In the Local Government section, the merger of West Somerset and Taunton Deane is covered in the first paragraph, and there is then many about it in the third paragraph, which all needs to be brought up to date, by a contributor who knows the subject. Sjshart (talk) 17:12, 25 November 2020 (UTC)
thread_title:  Updating Local Government section 

message: There are plans afoot to vote for merging all five Somerset coucils into a Unitary Authority, again, despite its rejection in 2007. Is this event notable enough for inclusion in this section on this page? e.g. https://onesomerset.org.uk/ hrf (talk) 15:01, 24 May 2021 (UTC)
thread_title:  Local Government - Unitary Authority 

message: I have completed amending the Infobox (shire county and shire district -> unitary authority and ceremonial county), opening text and Governance sections for all settlements in the former Sedgemoor district to reflect the abolition of the district on 1 April 2023 and the transfer to the unitary authority of Somerset Council. I will continue to do this for places in the remaining three former districts (Mendip, South Somerset, and Somerset West and Taunton). 
At some point, though, an editor with the appropriate skills will need to combine all four templates, e.g. "Towns, villages and hamlets in the Mendip district of Somerset, England" to one that is named, e.g. "Towns, villages and hamlets in the unitary authority of Somerset, England" and update the Infobox maps, too.Songofachilles (talk) 22:02, 4 May 2023 (UTC)
replies: text: Good work, thanks. I notice you have "lieutenancy_england = Somerset" and "unitary_england = Somerset". Having both display "Somerset" is confusing as some may believe they link to the same thing. It would be better if Somerset Council were not redirected. 10mmsocket (talk) 06:28, 5 May 2023 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks @10mmsocket. That's a very good point and I agree. It is a very confusing situation, one caused by Somerset Council's choice to name the new authority 'Somerset' when it doesn't include the whole county and the added confusion of there being a ceremonial county also called Somerset. With the remaining former districts I will use Somerset Council for "unitary_england =" and, at some point, amend the ones I did for former Sedgemoor settlements. Help doing this is most welcome! Songofachilles (talk) 09:53, 5 May 2023 (UTC)
replies: text: I should add that there is precedent for presenting the information in this way in Infoboxes as it has been done for places in Buckinghamshire Council UA.  Songofachilles (talk) 09:57, 5 May 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Abolition of Somerset County Council and its four districts 

message: The redirect Town of Somerset has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at  until a consensus is reached.  estar8806 (talk) ★ 23:33, 7 July 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  "[[:Town of Somerset]]" listed at [[Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion|Redirects for discussion]] 

message: By-election win of David Warburton’s seat to Sarah Dyke (LD) 2A00:23EE:2580:3F10:5DB8:81C0:A228:38CD (talk) 20:16, 21 July 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Needs update of List of MPs 

message: As of May 2022 the County of Somerset comprises its hitherto 4 district councils of Taunton Deane & West Somerset, Sedgemoor, Mendips, and South Somerset. North Somerset and BANES (Bath & North East Somerset) became unitary authorities in 1996. Totallytrustworthy1953 (talk) 10:09, 6 October 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Borders