Wiveliscombe from Greenway Lane

Just as Stirling in Scotland is said to be the ‘Gateway to the Highlands’ so Wiveliscombe is the ‘Gateway’ between the Vale of Taunton Dene and the uplands of the Brendon Hills and Exmoor lying to the North and West. To the South, there are the Blackdown Hills and to the East, there are the Quantock Hills. No matter what route you take, you always drop down into the town.

Four miles from the Devon border, Wiveliscombe is a small town (population 2650) in West Somerset, England. Historically, it has been a focal point for the villages and settlements of the Brendon Hills. Romans, Saxons, the church, agriculture, the woollen industry and brewing have all helped shape the present day ‘working’ town. 

‘Wiveliscombe - A History of a Somerset Market Town’ by Susan Maria Farrington and the Wiveliscombe Book Group (ISBN 0-09540992-1-4) provides a well researched insight into the life and history of the town and makes excellent reading.

The Courthouse, Wiveliscombe

At one point in its rich history the town had the ‘biggest “brewery” in the West of England’. After more than twenty years brewing returned to the town in 1980 and today there are two brewers of ‘Real Ale’. But, this is espresso world and Wiveliscombe is a Fair Trade town.

There are many places to purchase a cuppa but my preference is the Court House, owned by Hoss and Tia Fatemi, and located centrally in the Market Square. The Court House is probably the largest and most fascinating independent shop in West Somerset - and it serves freshly ground coffee - including espresso.