Chard
Chard is a town and a civil parish in the English county of Somerset. It lies on the A30 road close to the Devon border, 15 miles (24 km) south west of Yeovil. The parish includes a population of approximately 13000 and, at an elevation of 121 metres (397 ft), Chard is the southernmost and highest town in Somerset. Administratively Chard makes up part of the district of South Somerset. The name of the town was Cerden in 1065 and Cerdre in the Domesday Book of 1086. Just after the Norman Conquest, Chard was held by the Bishop of Wells. The town's first charter was from King John in 1234. Chard is most famously called the birthplace of powered flight, as in 1848, John Stringfellow initially demonstrated that engine-powered flight was possible. Percy and Ernist Petter, who formed Westland Aircraft Works, witnessed a number of Stringfellow's demonstrations in Chard and often asked for help in the formation of Westland's initial aircraft development factory on the outskirts of Yeovil. Agusta Westland now holds the Henson and Stringfellow lecture yearly for the RAeS. Chard Reservoir, about a mile north east of the town, is a Local Nature Reserve, and Snowdon Hill Quarry a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest. Major employers in the town consist of Numatic International Limited as well as the Oscar Mayer food processing plant. You can find a range of sporting and cultural facilities, with secondary education being delivered at Holyrood Academy. Religious sites include the Church of St Mary the Virgin which dates back to the late 1200's. For all your home upgrades, be sure that you use trustworthy pros in Chard to ensure you get the very best quality.
