Situated at the foot of the Brendon Hills at the gateway to Exmoor, ‘Wivey’ is a thriving local centre surrounded by attractive countryside that is never far away.
Situated at the foot of the Brendon Hills at the gateway to Exmoor, ‘Wivey’ is a thriving local centre surrounded by attractive countryside that is never far away. It contains numerous shops, many still with their Victorian frontages, whilst the pubs stock ales from the town’s two breweries. Follow the Historic Town Trail – unlock the town’s history and discover why Wiveliscombe was directly involved in the London Blitz.There’s an impressive wealth of creativity to be discovered in the surrounding parishes, with artists, potters, sculptors and photographers taking part in the 10 Parishes Festival which takes place in and around Wiveliscombe. Local artist, Michael Fairfax recently unveiled a public art sculpture to be used as a tourist information point in the town’s square representing local history and features
Wiveliscombe Primary School serves most of the surrounding villages. Kingsmead School, for pupils aged 11 to 16, houses a Theatre and Sports Hall and a youth club complementing the town’s Recreation Ground where the Tennis, Rugby, Cricket and Football Clubs have their bases.
The oldest place of worship in Wiveliscombe is the Congregational Chapel in Silver Street, built in 1708 as the Independent Chapel. It joined the Congregational Union of England and Wales in 1838, and is now used by the Wiveliscombe Evangelical Congregational Church. This chapel was built because the Independent Meeting House (built in 1689 after the Act of Toleration) had become too small.
