Visit Midsomer Norton Places

Welcome to Visit Midsomer Norton Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Midsomer Norton

  

Midsomer Norton Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Midsomer Norton

---

Midsomer Norton history

---

Name

Sources point to the town being situated midway between two branches of the River Somer. “Norton” means ‘northish enclosure’ from the Old English. Use of its forename to distinguish it from other ‘Nortons’ is of late origin and not mentioned until 1334.

Middle Ages

Norton was part of the hundred of Chewton in the Norman Conquest of north Somerset. Norton was held by Geoffrey de Montbray, bishop of Coutances, and held under him by Ulveva. From about 1150 until 1300 the manor held by Alured de Lincoln.

18th and 19th century: mining and landmarks

Duchy of Cornwall owned most of the mineral rights around Midsomer Norton. Coal mining in the Somerset coalfield gave the town its impetus as an industrial centre. Around 1866 an obelisk Crimean War monument with two marble plaques, was built at the site of St Chad’s well.

Midsomer Norton culture & places

Children’s author Roald Dahl sold kerosene in Midsomer Norton and the surrounding area in the 1930s. Dr Alexander Waugh moved to Island House, which had been built in the early eighteenth century, in the centre of the town in 1865. The Palladium cinema was opened as the Empire in 1913 in a building which had previously been a brewery. It closed in 1993 and various attempts were made to turn it into a club and shop, before Wetherspoons announced in January 2015 that they had acquired the site and intended to seek planning permission to convert it to a pub.

Music scene

The alternative live music and DJ scene in Midsomer norton flourished with help of venues such as The Stones Cross, The Wunderbar who promoted unsigned bands for over 25 years. On the first Friday of every month the Paradis Palm Court Trio perform free classical concerts in the Town Hall.

Midsomer Murders

No filming of the show has ever taken place in Midsomer Norton or the surrounding parishes. Some names of other nearby locations have been used by the producers in creating their fictional county.

Midsomer Norton geography / climate

Midsomer Norton lies on the River Somer which rises to the west of Chilcompton and on the Wellow Brook which rises near the village of Ston Easton. The town occupies two valleys of the Mendip Hills and these merge west of Radstock. The annual mean temperature is about 10 °C (50 °F) with seasonal and diurnal variations. In general, December is the dullest month and June the sunniest.

You can visit Midsomer Norton places with Walkfo Midsomer Norton to hear history at Midsomer Norton’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Midsomer Norton has 36 places to visit in our interactive Midsomer Norton map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Midsomer Norton, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Midsomer Norton places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Midsomer Norton & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 36 audio facts unique to Midsomer Norton places in an interactive Midsomer Norton map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Midsomer Norton Places Map
36 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

---

–

Midsomer Norton historic spots	Midsomer Norton tourist destinations	Midsomer Norton plaques	Midsomer Norton geographic features
Walkfo Midsomer Norton tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Midsomer Norton

  

Best Midsomer Norton places to visit

---

Midsomer Norton has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Midsomer Norton’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Midsomer Norton’s information audio spots:

Haydon, Somerset Haydon is 1 mile (1.6 km) south-west of Radstock and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north-east of Kilmersdon.

Clandown Clandown is 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Radstock in Somerset. The nearby Bowlditch Quarry is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Visit Midsomer Norton plaques