Town Profiles » Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet
"Shepton Mallet is a combination of ancient market town and modern industrial community, located at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills."
The town has an interesting history dating back to Roman times, and it became a centre for the wool trade in the Middle Ages, which has left a legacy of fine merchants' houses and other interesting features.
Archaeologists uncovered a significant number of Roman artefacts in the early 1990s at a site adjacent to the nearby Fosse Way, including a Chi-Rho amulet, held to be among the earliest evidence of Christianity in England.
In honour of this, the town's 1970s entertainment complex was named The Amulet. "The Amulet" has recently become the home of a new Shepton Mallet Performing Arts Academy, which is bringing students from across the country to train for careers in Musical Theatre.
Shepton Mallet is home to Europe's largest cider plant. This produces Blackthorn Cider and Gaymer's Olde English cider, and Babycham.
Engineering, haulage, food processing and computer software development are significant secondary industries with the headquarters of an internationally renowned luxury fashion goods manufacturer located here.
There is a well-equipped leisure centre and an outdoor pool which has an innovative sustainable heating system provided using excess heat from the cider manufacture.
Tescos has recently opened a large store on the edge of the town centre with other national retailers beside it such as Woolworths, Argos and Laura Ashley and Boots.
Just three miles to the south of the town is the Royal Bath and West Showground which is host to events throughout the year, the most famous is the Royal Bath and West Show but equally successful events include The National Amateur Garden Show, The New Wine Festival and South West TruckFest.
