Today the focus is on Ilminster, which is in South Somerset, which probably most of you know only by name, but it is a small village somewhat south of the A303 which is one of the main arteries between London and the south-west. We booked it for the Bridport Hat Fayre because on booking.com I couldn’t find any decent accommodation along the coast, with parking at a decent price, so I had to look further afield.

General Impressions

This small market town has a history going back over a thousand years. There are two historic main streets in the old town, one going east to west and the other one going north to south. On the face of it, not much seems to be happening, though to be fair there is an arts center that has frequent activities in the day and the evening.

Our B and B

You never know what you are going to find when you book ‘blind.’ Of course you can read the reviews, but even these tend not to be accurate or are too extreme. Our accommodation in North Street Annexe left nothing to be desired. It was an annexe of a townhouse used by an osteopath. Great care had been taken to build the extension to high standards.

We had in effect a living room with a kitchenette, a fridge, a washing machine, a plus a double bedroom, and a spacious bathroom with a rain shower. We had the means to make ourselves a continental breakfast with cereals, butter, jam, fruit, and orange juice, and that was quite satisfactory, certainly for a two-night stay. If anyone is thinking of giving that area of the world a visit, then The link is here

Holy Communion in the Minster

The Minster Church of St Mary, often affectionately called “Ilminster Cathedral,” is a striking example of Perpendicular Gothic architecture in Somerset. Its name reflects the town’s origins—derived from the River Isle and the Minster itself. Though worship on the site dates back nearly a thousand years, the current church was built in the 15th century, with its iconic tower added in the early 1500s. The church has undergone several restorations, notably in the 19th and early 20th centuries, preserving its grandeur and community role.

Inside, it houses notable features such as the Wadham family tombs—linked to Wadham College, Oxford—and a historic pipe organ. The bell tower contains eight bells, some cast by the renowned Bilbie family. Today, the Minster remains a vibrant hub for worship, music, and local events, bridging Ilminster’s rich past with its present-day cultural life. It stands as a cherished landmark in the heart of the town.

I arose early and was impelled to attend the 8am communion service. There were about 8 of us in total. A partially sighted man acted as the meeter and greeter, assisted by his guide dog.

It has been some considerable time since I last attended a BCP book of Common Prayer Holy Communion, and I have to say how struck I was by the exquisite nature of the wording and what a brilliant summation it is of our condition as fallen creatures.

The whole Christian religion is based on the supremacy of love as opposed to other religions that seem to be more aggressive in their stance, and it says that we should

love the Lord our God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul,
and with all thy mind,
and with all thy strength.

If you think about it, that is a big ask and requires considerable integrity and strength of character. 

The second commandment is similar, namely this,
thou shalt Love Thy neighbour as thyself.

There is no other commandment greater than these.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

I wonder how many people just read this type of thing by rote without thinking.

In modern terms I could say that the content of the New Testament in general, and the words of Jesus in particular, comprise the ultimate ‘software bundle’ that doesn’t need updating. This is because the precepts of it are based on absolute truths directly from our creator, who understood human nature so completely that this abjuration has stood the test of time and thus does not need to be modified in any way. 

During this 45-minute service we were visited by torrential rain and thunder, which in a way I felt emphasized the nature of the brief address that we had from a very knowledgeable and brainy reverend person. The Sunday was a celebration of the Feast of Mary Magdalene.  Jesus who had at least 6 brothers and sisters, and Mary, his mother, took a great risk with her family by choosing to be at the foot of the Cross. This was new to me. 

Examples showing the lively nature of this place of worship.

This is remarkably progressive and proactive would certainly not work in a larger town or conurbation but they are absolutely right: prayer is still a powerful force in the world in spite of the nonsense that is going on

There is a lot of love and focus that goes into this, which is on the left-hand pane of the front door into the church

A parish without a vicar

This is an interregnum situation, but there is obviously considerable enthusiasm from members of the congregation who have taken the lead and, I assume, have been motivated by the previous incumbent to become, I suspect, even more active.

There is a Facebook page, but I’m not quite clear how many people are active. The protocol could do with a tweak to encourage participation, as I don’t see much at the moment. 

From the appearance and demeanour of those at the 8:00 service, I would say that most of them are not Internet enthusiasts, and no disrespect to them for this.

Starting the day right

If I were moving into the area, I would most certainly join in with the congregation; there is something about early morning communion that starts the day off in the right way. I am not taking away from any other service, as I have not attended them.

Closure of our time in Ilminster

It’s nice to have a closing ceremony, no matter how informal, when you have been somewhere and not just drive off as if you were leaving a supermarket. I give thanks for my time and send blessings to the people I have interacted with. ‘depart in peace’ comes to mind.

I am thinking of the Book of James (2:16), which highlights that ‘kind words or good wishes are meaningless if not accompanied by action and tangible help’. Instead of a 55-minute drive home, according to a GPS, in the old days my journey would have involved a two or three-day journey on foot through all weathers and possibly the attention of highwaymen. In some cultures, parting gifts are offered. Do we offer our departing guest something for the journey?

This causes me to think about greetings and then closure. This should not be hurried. See how one thought breeds another.

Our very informal closing ceremony.

After the service I went back to find Francoise still in bed reading and enjoying a cup of tea. I persuaded her to come to a local cafe for breakfast, one of the few, if not the only one, open Sunday morning. She had a good eggs Benedict-type breakfast. I had pancakes with bacon—yes, bacon—and maple syrup.

The venue is The Kitchen’ on Silver Street.  Anyone will tell you where it is. 

Walking around and learning

I learn a lot from walking around and looking at the notice boards, so here are a few indicators of the potential of the town. The population is around the 10,000 mark.

The main square is dominated by a large co-op where the people there gave us jolly service, and most customers seemed to know each other. That was a good start.

Difficult to read but gives an impression of variety. Try Ctrl and hit the + sign.

My goodness this is a long-established insurance broker who has proudly kept aware of what has been going on in this town. We see ‘ this month in 1975’ i.e. the year that they started operation.

Dolman and West were celebrating their 50th anniversary as insurance brokers.

Again, it’s difficult to read unless you magnify it, but it shows the historical nature of the town.

I love this ‘have a go, everyone welcome‘ attitude.

A street map of the town indicating many interesting walks and features.

It is so easy to ignore such small towns, but it may be worthwhile to make an effort to meet the people, converse with them, and listen to a little bit of their history. I would seriously consider returning because it is within reach of many other interesting places, including the South Coast, without the higher prices associated with staying in prime locations.