Winscombe has a few shops and businesses focused in the centre of the village, along Woodborough Road and Sandford Road. There is a doctor's surgery in the village, a vet and two dentists.
The bridge going over Woodborough Road in Winscombe on the A371, which used to be the old railway bridge and is now used for the Strawberry Line railway walk and cycle path
Winscombe grew in the 19th century with the arrival of a branch of the Great Western Railway, opened in 1869. This was the Cheddar Valley line, also known as the Strawberry Line, which ran from Yatton to Wells via Cheddar. The railway was closed in 1963, and today the route is a public footpath and cycle track; the site of the former Winscombe railway station is now the Millennium Green. It is possible to walk, or cycle, from the railway station to the coast at Clevedon via Sandford, Congresbury and Yatton, and in the opposite direction through the railway tunnel at Shute Shelve Hill to Axbridge and Cheddar.
The railway station was originally named Woodborough, that being the part of the parish of Winscombe where it was; Winscombe was originally the settlement up by the church. The railway station was soon renamed Winscombe to avoid confusion with another railway station in Wiltshire named Woodborough. The railway station was closed in 1963 as part of the Beeching cuts to rail services. Part of the original track can still be seen from a platform by the Millennium Green.
Much of the village was built on land originally belonging to the Quakers, who espoused temperance, so there is only one pub, in the centre of the village, the Woodborough Inn.[6]
The local headquarters of the Royal British Legion is near the centre of the village in Sandford Road, opposite the village bowls club. It houses the Winscombe Club.[7]
The Wine Shop of Winscombe, next to the library, offers monthly wine-tasting events and hosts the annual Somerset Wine Fair.
Sports in the village
There is a well-established recreational ground a short distance from the centre of Winscombe, which accommodates a variety of different sports, including cricket, tennis, hockey, bowls, football (Winscombe AFC), and a rugby union team (Winscombe RFC).
The rugby club hosts three annual tournaments for mini and junior players: a mini rugby tournament for local schools; a regional championship for under 8s; and the Mendip Sevens rugby sevens tournament for ages under 13s–under 16s.
Religious sites
Church of St James, WinscombeView of the rear of St James the Great, Winscombe
The Church of St James has origins from the 12th century. The church is in the middle of the original hamlet of Winscombe. The church has 13th-century origins but the present building dates mainly from the 15th century, with restoration and a new chancel in 1863. It is designated as a Grade I listed building.[8][9] The bells of St James have long called people to worship, the original bells being cast in 1773 by local founders the Bilbie family.[10] Two newer bells were added in 1903 by Taylors Founders. The eight bells are in the key of E flat and the tenor weighs 18-1-8 – 18 hundredweight, 1 quarter of a hundredweight and 8 lb (930 kg).[11] St James holds regular services on Sundays, with bell ringing being provided for both the morning service and evensong.
Culture
The Millennium Green at Winscombe, on the site of the former railway station
The former railway station site now hosts an annual May fair, on the Saturday closest to May Day, and has a variety of activities, entertainments and stalls selling various products and promoting many local charities and organisations.
In September, the village hosts the annual Michaelmas fair in the community centre, a chance for villagers to show their handiwork, handicraft and produce.
^Moore, J. Rice, R. and Hucker, E. (1995). Bilbie and the Chew Valley clockmakers: the story of the renowned family of Somerset bellfounder-clockmakers. The authors. ISBN0-9526702-0-8.((cite book)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
