A view from the Blackdown Hills of the Somerset town of Wellington.

On an early autumn day a couple of years ago I was driving along the northern ridge of the Blackdown Hills when I came upon a car park, above Quarts Moor, a short distance east of the Wellington Monument.  The car park allows a fine view of the town of Wellington and the Wellington Monument to the west.

I, of course, parked up and took some photos.  In the picture below two buildings are prominent.  On the left is the red brick factory building of Tonedale Mills and on the right is the Church of St. John the Baptist.  In the background are the Brendon Hills on the left and the Quantock Hills on the right.

A view of the Somerset town of Wellington taken from the Blackdown Hills.

Tonedale Mills was owned by Fox Brothers, a family firm originating from 1796.  Clothmaking and the dyeing of wool was carried out at the factory which was rebuilt in brick after the original burned down in 1821.

Of St. John the Baptist Pevsner tells us: “The best part of the church is its red sandstone tower of good ashlar.  Tall, sturdy, and with the stair-turret rising high and placed in the Totnes position – i.e. in the middle of the south side.”

I will take the liberty of following the marvellous example of Michael Portillo and quote what Bradshaw’s Handbook of 1863 had to say about Wellington.

Here is a Gothic church of which W. S. Salkeld was rector in James I’s time.  The Duke of Wellington, who derives his title from this place, is lord of the manor.  A pillar, in honour of The Hero of Waterloo, was erected on Blackdown Hill.  This range of hills is on the Devonshire borders, and produces stone used by scythe grinders &c. 

Quitting the station, and again crossing the Tone, we enter an excavation which conducts us to the White Ball Tunnel, a fine piece of arched brickwork nearly one mile in length.  About the centre we attain the highest elevation between Bristol and Exeter, and on emerging from its obscuration we find ourselves in the magnificent county of Devon, with the Wellington memorial cresting the summit of a distant hill on our left, and the long range of precipices, known as the Blackdown Hills, far away before us, apparently extending to the very verge of the sea.

Bradshaw also informs us that the population of Wellington is 3,689.  I very much doubt he could have imagined its population today would be approaching 15,000!