The Street Society -

The Setting

Somerset used to be the county through which people passed on the way to enjoy the pleasures of Devon and Cornwall but now more and more people, both visitors and residents, appreciate the delights of this 'land of the summer people'. The landscape is magnificently varied - hills of the Quantocks, Mendips, Poldens, Brendon and Blackdowns, the rich agricultural land of the Vale of Taunton, of south and south-east Somerset, the Somerset Wetlands, so rich in wildlife, the valleys, moors and hills of Exmoor, the coastline from Porlock to Portishead. There are villages and towns built of warm golden hamstone or cool blue lias, a Cathedral in Wells (the smallest city in England), abbeys, castles, superb churches with glorious towers, cider, cheese, strawberries and cream - the attractions are endless.

Well-placed to experience these delights is the village of Street, a place that is far more interesting than it appears on first impression and richly deserving of exploration.

An Outline History

Originally known as Lantokay (the sacred enclosure of the Celtic St Kay), a settlement on dry ground where the parish church now stands, it later became known as 'Leigh' from the Old English word Leah - a clearing - and areas of Street are still known as 'Middle Leigh' and 'Overleigh'. In the 12th Century the Roman causeway across the marshes from Glastonbury was renewed and the name Street derived from the Latin Strata - a paved road.

Until early in the 19th Century Street was still basically a farming community having a population of 500 whose economy was boosted by quarrying. The blue lias stone, so characteristic of buildings in the area, came from shallow quarries, which were back-filled when exhausted allowing the sites to revert to fields and cider orchards. Sensational Jurassic fossils were discovered in the strata: the finest specimens are now in the Natural History Museum and the ichthyosaur has been adopted as the emblem of Street.

Sheep and Shoes

Street's development took a significant change in the early eighteen hundreds. The Society of Friends had established itself in Street in the middle of the 17th Century and flourished vigorously, resulting in a closely-related group of Quaker families. (Street has always welcomed non-conformists.) Arthur Clothier had founded a tannery in Middleleigh in 1810 and took as his apprentice Cyrus Clark of a Quaker farming family from the nearby village of Greinton. In 1825 Cyrus set up his own sheepskin rug business and was joined by his brother James. James introduced the production of woollen slippers call Brown Petersburgs and later boots and shoes.

In the early years work was given out weekly for outworkers to make up the shoes in their own homes and houses still exist with workshops at the rear. The first factory building appeared in 1829 although outwork continued to be done long afterwards.

Under William Clark, son of James, a period of expansion and stability followed. Much of the business's profits were given to the development of Street and the welfare of its residents. The profits made from supplying sheepskin clothing for troops in the Crimean war paid for the building of the Board School in the High Street (now 'Living Homes' furniture store) and the role of education in Street is of particular interest and often ahead of its time. Children who left school at fourteen to work in the factory spent half their working week until they were sixteen acquiring a wider education which would enrich their future lives. Hindhayes Infants school was built in 1928 to a design that was full of air and light. Elmhurst flourished as a Grammar School for fifty years, and is now a Junior School. There was Overleigh Adult School, particularly concerned with the education of women. Now there are Crispin School, Brookside School, Avalon School, Hindhayes, Strode College and Millfield.

The Town's Amenities

Clarks unobtrusively created a company town. Workers needed decent housing and Clarks provided this, together with public buildings and factory buildings. (Not to be outdone, Street Urban District Council built Merriman Road, the first municipal housing scheme in Somerset and one of the earliest in the country). Street acquired a library, an outdoor swimming pool and a theatre as gifts from the Clark family. But there are few public houses because of the teetotal influence of the Quaker Clarks of old.

Clarks Village

Now, although the headquarters of C and J Clark is still in Street, shoes are no longer manufactured here. But another 'first' has appeared. In 1993 redundant factory buildings were converted to form Clarks Village - the first purpose-built factory retail outlet in the country, which millions have visited.

Street continues to thrive and flourish. From its 500 inhabitants of the eighteen hundreds there are now more than 11,000 'villagers' able to enjoy much that is best in urban living amidst the glorious countryside of Somerset.

Ann Webb Sue Monaghan and Ann Webb