URPoint Details
It has palaeolithic remains, was on an old Roman road and was left in the will of King Alfred the Great to his youngest son Aethelweard.
In the Domesday Book it is recorded as the town of Givele or Ivle, and later became a centre for the glove-making industry. During the Middle Ages the population of the town suffered from the Black Death and several serious fires.
Archaeological surveys have indicated signs of activity from the palaeolithic period, with burial and occupation sites located principally to the south of the modern town, particularly in Hendford where a Bronze Age golden torc (twisted collar) was found. Yeovil is on the main Roman road from Dorchester to the Fosse Way at Ilchester.
Many old buildings in Yeovil are made of local honey coloured stone known from Ham Hill on which stands an Iron Age fort.
A stroll to the foot of Hendford Hill leads to the Nine Springs, which flow into a delightful lake.
The Church of St John The Baptist dates from the late 14th century and is a Grade I listed building. The tower is 92 feet (28 m) high, in four-stages with set-back offset corner buttresses. It is capped by openwork balustrading matching the parapets which are from
- Type:
- Landmark