Norton House, Somerset

The Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust (S&DRHT) is a heritage railway line in Somerset, England, that runs on a restored section of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. The line is approximately 1 mile long and operates from Midsomer Norton South.

Midsomer Norton railway station (originally Midsomer Norton, later Midsomer Norton and Welton and finally Midsomer Norton South) was a station on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway between Bath Green Park and Shepton Mallet. It served the town of Midsomer Norton in the English county of Somerset, which was also served by a second station known as Midsomer Norton and Welton railway station on the Bristol and North Somerset Railway. The station opened in 1874. In the 1948 nationalisation the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway became part of the Southern Region of British Railways. Along with the rest of the line it closed in 1966. In the early to mid 1990s Norton Radstock College used the station building and goods shed as their art department base prior to relocating to a newly built art department in the college. Following that The Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust took the lease on the station in 1995 to restore it. They have restored many of the buildings and laid a short section of track. Future plans for further extension of the track have been proposed.

Midsomer Norton is a town near the Mendip Hills in Bath and North East Somerset, England, 10 miles (16 km) south-west of Bath, 10 miles (16 km) north-east of Wells, 10 miles (16 km) north-west of Frome, 12 miles (19 km) west of Trowbridge and 16 miles (26 km) south-east of Bristol. It has a population of around 13,000. Along with Radstock and Westfield it used to be part of the conurbation and large civil parish of Norton Radstock, but is now a town council in its own right. It is also part of the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset. Midsomer Norton is characterised by the River Somer which runs the length of the town centre, the river itself was regenerated with new plant life during the summer of 2012 in a bid to improve the aesthetics of the town centre. The Town has a long history which can be seen through a number of early churches which remain, but really started to grow and become a transport hub with the development of the Somerset coalfield. For many years the coalmines provided employment for local men until they ceased operations in the 1960s, around the same time that the town's two railway stations also closed. Afterwards, good employment opportunities still remained for the town with elements of the print industry, and although some of these plants have also now begun to close, overall employment levels in the area remain very high. Midsomer Norton provides shopping and service industries for the surrounding areas and supports several music venues and bands. The town has four primary schools and two large secondary schools. Midsomer Norton is home to a leisure centre, several sports clubs and provides youth opportunities such as Scouts and Guides. It has been the birthplace or home to several notable people.

Norton Hill School is a state school with academy status in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, England. It is part of the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership academy group. It was formerly the Midsomer Norton Grammar School.The school had 1,519 students from the age of 11 to 18 as of 2013 including 266 in the sixth form. It is situated in the Norton Hill area of west Midsomer Norton, north of Radstock. It is between Silver Street (B3355) and Fosseway (A367) near the former Midsomer Norton railway station, being nearer to Silver Street and just east of the railway centre.

Somer Valley FM is a local community radio station in North East Somerset that serves Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Westfield and surrounding areas. It was launched in 2008.

Midsomer Norton Town Hall is a municipal structure at The Island, Midsomer Norton, Somerset, England. The structure, which serves as the meeting place of Midsomer Norton Town Council, is a Grade II listed building.

Somervale School is situated in Midsomer Norton in Bath and North East Somerset in South West England. The school, which has academy status, is a specialist Arts College. It is one of two schools in the area, providing secondary education to local children and some pupils who live outside the catchment area. The number of pupils on the school roll is 538. A fall in the number of pupils prompted the school to propose a federation with nearby Norton Hill School in March 2009. This later became the foundation for the Multi Academy Trust, named Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, with Alun Williams as chief executive officer In October 2010, Somervale School became an academy alongside Norton Hill. Somervale was named amongst the 100 top performing schools based on sustained improvement of results by Minister of State for Schools Nick Gibb in March 2012. Somervale School was awarded 'Good' by Ofsted in January 2013. The school shares its sixth form with federated school Norton Hill. The sixth form is based across both sites and is called the Midsomer Norton Sixth Form.In 2008, the school was the first in Bath and North East Somerset to win the Eco-Schools Silver Award.The local community radio station, Somer Valley FM, broadcasts from the former caretaker's house on the school premises. It provides opportunities for pupils to gain radio work experience and training. The school was built on land that was formerly part of the estate of the now-demolished mansion Norton House, built by coalmine investor Thomas Savage in 1789. A Crimean War memorial obelisk built by the Savage family survives in the school grounds to this day. Award-winning playwright Chris Urch went to Somervale when he lived in Midsomer Norton before moving to London to study acting.

The Church of the Holy Ghost, Midsomer Norton, Somerset, England is a Roman Catholic parish church housed in a converted tithe barn. It is served by monks of the Order of St. Benedict from Downside Abbey and is a Grade II* listed building.

The Anglican Church of St John the Baptist in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, England, is a Grade II* listed building. St. John's is part of the Diocese of Bath and Wells.

The Priory in Church Square, Midsomer Norton, within the English county of Somerset was rebuilt in the early or mid 17th century. It is a Grade II* listed building.The present structure incorporates parts of an earlier building which may date back to 1170.It is a two-storey stone building with slate roofs and incorporate paneling from the nearby Church of St John the Baptist. The front of the building was probably added in 1712 to an earlier timber-framed structure.The building was owned, from the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1538, by Christ Church, Oxford who sold it in 1712. Part of the building was formerly a schoolroom, known as Norton Villa School which operated from 1872 to 1929.The Michelin starred Moody Goose restaurant used the building, having previously been at the Old Priory Hotel in Bath. It is now used as a hen party venue and bed and breakfast.

Welton Rovers Football Club is an English, Somerset County FA non-league football club in the Western Football League Premier Division. They are currently members of the Western League Premier Division and play at West Clewes. Founded in 1887, Welton Rovers provided the opportunity for the mining community of Midsomer Norton and Radstock to play and watch football. One of a number of long-established clubs in the North Somerset coalfield, their ground is the oldest in the area.

The Somerset County Football Association, also known as the Somerset FA, is the governing body of football in the county of Somerset. The association was formed in 1885.