Wikipedia:Today's featured article/July 13, 2011



Somerset is a county in South West England. The county town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county. The ceremonial county of Somerset borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the River Severn. Somerset is a rural county of rolling hills, such as the Mendips, Quantocks and Exmoor, and large, flat expanses of land including the Somerset Levels. There is evidence of human occupation from Paleolithic times, and subsequent settlement in the Roman and Saxon periods. Farming of sheep and cattle, including production of wool and the county's famous cheeses (most notably Cheddar), is traditional, as is the more unusual cultivation of willow for basketry. Apple orchards were once plentiful; to this day, Somerset is known for the production of strong cider. (more...)

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