a town of the county of Somerset, in the hundred of Abdick, 135 miles from London. It stands in a fertile district, and has a market, which is held on Saturday. There was formerly a considerable manufacture of woollens, but it has declined, and of late years has been in some measure replaced by mills for making lace net. There is a large church, formerly conventual, and an excellently endowed grammar-school. The population amounted in 1801 to 2045, in 1811 to 2160, in 1821 to 2156, and in 1831 to 2937.