Crewkerne

Crewkerne
Church of St Bartholomew, Crewkerne
Crewkerne
Crewkerne shown within Somerset
Population	7,000 (2011)
OS grid reference	ST441093
Civil parish	Crewkerne
District	South Somerset
Shire county	Somerset
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	CREWKERNE
Postcode district	TA18
Dialling code	01460

Police	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Devon and Somerset
Ambulance	South Western
EU Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	Yeovil
List of places UK England Somerset 50°52′49″N 2°47′38″W / 50.8803°N 2.7939°W / 50.8803; -2.7939Coordinates: 50°52′49″N 2°47′38″W / 50.8803°N 2.7939°W / 50.8803; -2.7939

Crewkerne /ˈkruːkərn/ is a town and electoral ward in Somerset, England, situated 9 miles (14 km) south west of Yeovil and 7 miles (11 km) east of Chard in the South Somerset district close to the border with Dorset. The civil parish of West Crewkerne includes the hamlets of Woolminstone and Henley. The town lies on the River Parrett, A30 road and West of England Main Line railway.

The earliest written record of Crewkerne is in the 899 will of Alfred the Great who left it to his youngest son Aethelweard. After the Norman conquest it was held by William the Conqueror and in the Domesday Survey of 1086 was described as a royal manor. Crewkerne Castle was possibly a Norman motte castle. The town grew up in the late mediaeval period around the textile industry, its wealth preserved in the fifteenth century Church of St Bartholomew. During the 18th and 19th centuries the main industry was cloth making, including webbing, and sails for the Royal Navy.