Croscombe

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Croscombe lies in in Sheppey Valley on the A371. It played an important part in the Somerset woollen industry prior to the Industrial Revolution, as the number of relatively large merchants homes along Long Street (A371) testify. For its size, there are a good many listed buildings and most of the heart of the village lies in a Conservation Area.
The 'main road' simply wasn't designed for nor can it reasonably cope with the size and volume of current levels of traffic. Apart from being extemely narrow in parts, it also twists this way and that, criss-crossing the river which once provided the motive power for the local cloth and other smaller craft industries.
The church screen is both worthy of comment and deserving of a visit because of its sheer beauty and intricacy, again reflecting the fact that relatively wealthy merchants once resided here.
Indeed, the church as a whole, while nestling on the south-facing slopes of the Mendips somewhat above the river, is nonetheless very prominent and rather imposing when viewed from the other side of the valley.
There is an active village life centred upon the two pubs and village hall, and while many newcomers have been attracted to the village, there remains a healthy mix of 'local' families who can trace their ancestors back many generations.
The village still retains a thriving school, BUT the Post Office set in the surviving village shop has just been placed on the list of POs threatened with closure.(February 2008)
No doubt, such a move will be very strenuously resisted, as Croscombe lies about mid-way between Wells and Shepton, and the PO plays one of the anchor roles in sustaining village life. Lana Gibson (lana.gibson@tiscali.co.uk) 3/3/2008