somerset

A grant of almost £1m will mean a hoard of Norman-era treasure found in the Somerset countryside can be put on permanent display.The Chew Valley Hoard, which features 2,584 coins dated from just after the Battle of Hastings in 1066, is thought to be the highest-value treasure acquisition on record at £4.3m.It was found in 2019 by a group out metal detecting in the Chew Valley, who split the findings with the landowner.The National Lottery grant of £993,345…

Trevor PrideauxThis year's entry was entitled: 'Bitter & Twisted'The winner of the coveted 2025 Turnip Prize has been announced.Organised by a Somerset pub each year, the Turnip Prize is awarded to the person who has created a very bad artwork using the least amount of effort possible. It is a parody of the world-famous Turner Prize.At a special ceremony at The New Inn in Wedmore, Somerset, the prestigious art award, was given to 69-year-old Ali Can for his…

Joe Skirkowski,West of EnglandandRoss Pollard,SomersetInside the control room at Hinkley Point BA nuclear power station which generated electricity for 46 years has had its final rods of uranium removed.Hinkley Point B became operational in 1976 and was once the most productive nuclear site in the UK. Its reactors were turned off three years ago when EDF - the firm which owns the plant - said the site had reached the end of its life.Its used uranium rods have…

Somerset batter Will Smeed has signed a contract extension to remain at the club until the end of the 2027 season.The 24-year-old starred during Somerset's six-wicket victory over Hampshire in September's T20 Blast final at Edgbaston, smashing 94 off just 58 balls to claim the player of the match award as his club picked up their third Blast title.The club also confirmed Smeed will be available for both red-ball and white-ball cricket after he amended his contract to…

There is a "risk of serious injury" at the first nuclear plant to be built in Britain for 30 years after regulators identified "inadequate fire controls".Inspections served civil engineering firm Bylor JV, which is run by both Laing O'Rourke and Bouygues Travaux Publics, with a fire safety notice for its work at Hinkley Point C in Somerset.The Office for Nuclear Regulation(ONR) said the company "did not meet the standards we require, particularly given the scale and complexity of…

Oliver Edwards PhotographyDr Mya-Rose Craig says Black2Nature has helped hundreds of children over the past decadeAn environmental campaigner who founded a charity to help children from ethnic minorities access nature says the cultural landscape has "shifted" since she began her work a decade ago.Dr Mya-Rose Craig, 23, nicknamed 'Birdgirl', set up Black2Nature at the age of 13 to connect more children from Visible Minority Ethnic (VME) communities with the outdoors.Reflecting on the charity's 10th anniversary, she said the…

Daniel MumbyLocal Demoracy Reporting ServiceNatural EnglandThe site near Langport is a crucial breeding site for birdsA caravan park owner has been fined more than £116,000 after admitting disturbing land used as a breeding ground for birds.John Holland, 59, of Moorlinch in Somerset, appeared before Taunton Crown Court on Wednesday 26 November after admitting two offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 at earlier hearings.A four-year Natural England prosecution showed Holland had created a permanent caravan park on…

A temporary library has been opened while emergency repairs are carried out at the original facility.Bridgwater Library has been closed since 22 October after £1.5m of county council funding was agreed to fix its leaking roof.Somerset Council has opened a pop-up library at Bridgwater House for locals who want to access services.Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, lead member for communities, housing and culture said the council was "really pleased" at being able to provide the "vital resource for the community".The…

Scott EllisBBC News, West of EnglandBBCIsaac O'Shea from O'Shea Engineering described the restoration project as "extremely rewarding"A set of 600-year-old church bells have been restored after they were found to be "falling apart".When the bells at St John's Church in Biddisham, near Axbridge in Somerset, were dusted off for the King's Coronation in 2023, it was discovered they were in a poor state.Isaac O'Shea, from Gloucestershire, was tasked with repairing the bells in June. He said: "All the…