Off the Beaten Track in Somerset: March 2021

A jubilee is a special anniversary of an event, especially one celebrating 25 (silver), 50 (gold) or 60 (diamond) years of a reign, organisation or activity. Royal Jubilees are an occasion to celebrate the life and reign of a monarch.

The only British monarchs to have reigned long enough to celebrate their golden jubilees are Henry III, Edward III, James VI, George III, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Victoria celebrated her Golden Jubilee on 20th and 21st June 1887. Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in June 1897. In cities, towns and villages across Britain monuments, buildings, clock towers, bandstands, fountains, obelisks, seats, stained glass windows, stones and statues were erected and trees were planted to commemorate these historic events, many of which are still in existence today.

King George V celebrated his Silver Jubilee in 1935.

Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Silver Jubilee in 1977, her Golden Jubilee in 2002, her Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and her Platinum Jubilee in 2022. Some communities in Somerset chose to commemorate these events by erecting stones, gates, murals, sculptures etc.

In Clevedon a bandstand was erected to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887 and in 1897 Sir Edmund Elton gave a clock tower to the town to commemorate her Diamond Jubilee.

Bandstand on Clevedon Seafront

Clock Tower, Clevedon

In Lower Langford Sidney Hill built a row of almshouses in 1887, which he called Victoria Jubilee Langford Homes.

Victoria Jubilee Langford Homes

In nearby Churchill a clock tower was built by Foster and Wood of Bristol for Sidney Hill in 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.

In 2002, to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, the “Hands of Friendship” sculpture was carved from the remains of a Wellingtonia tree (giant sequoia or redwood), which had been planted to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. The sculpture was erected at the junction of Dinghurst Road and Bristol Road in Churchill.

Hand of Friendship Sculpture, Churchill

There is a Jubilee Stone on Backwell Hill, which was originally erected to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The dates of George V’s Silver Jubilee and Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees are also inscribed upon it, together with the coronation dates of Edward VII, George V, George VI and Elizabeth II.

Jubilee Stone, Backwell Hill

There is another Jubilee Stone on the south west edge of Martin’s Wood at Barrow Hill near Barrow Gurney.

In Flax Bourton the clock on the tower of St Michael’s Church has a crown and the date 1897 on it and outside the village hall a stone has been erected to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012. The village also has a Jubilee Inn.

Flax Bourton Church Clock

Jubilee Inn, Flax Bourton

Flax Bourton's Jubilee Stone

Gates with crowns and EIIR on them at West Monkton Village Hall

These were erected to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee

Tree in Kingston St Mary planted to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee

Pottery mural on the side of a house in St Thomas Street, Wells, commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee in 2012

Clock Tower in East Harptree

It was erected to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee

Side of the Jubilee Seat near Over Stowey

This was originally built to commemorate King George V's Silver Jubilee in 1935 but it also has plaques on it celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation, Gold and Diamond Jubilees

Jubilee Seat near Over Stowey

Kilve Jubilee Garden behind the village hall

This was planted to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2012.

Kilve Jubilee Garden

Plaque in Kilve's Jubilee Garden

Stoke St Mary's Golden Jubilee Stone, 2002

When the Queen was crowned in 1953, Stoke St Mary commemorated the event with a bus stop!

Stained glass window in St Giles' Church, Thurloxton, which commemorates Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee

Stained glass in St Giles Church, Thurloxton, which commemorates Queen Victoria's accession to the throne in 1837 and Golden Jubilee in 1887

Jubilee Hut at Webber's Post

The original hut was constructed to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee

Stone seat at the top of Ham Hill

This was erected to commemorate King George V's Silver Jubilee in 1935

Jubilee Clock, Minehead

This was erected to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee in 2012

Jubilee and Coronation Stone at the top of Brent Knoll

Diamond Jubilee bench overlooking the Milverton bypass roundabout

Surely there must be a better view than this in Milverton?!

Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the Milverton Diamond Jubilee bench

Bench end in Milverton Church to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee in 1977

Victoria Hall in Radstock - this was built to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897

Plaque on Victoria Hall, Radstock

Stone outside Brent Knoll Village Hall commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee in 2002

Mosaic commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, Priorswood, Taunton

Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Garden, Priorswood, Taunton

Queen Elizabeth II mural, pedestrian bridge over the railway line, Station Road, Wellington

This colourful mural was commissioned by Wellington Town Council from Taunton based Aerosol Art to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in 2022. It features key events that took place during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, including Concorde, the Moon landings, the release of Nelson Mandela from prison, the opening of the Channel Tunnel, the cloning of Dolly the sheep, the death of Princess Diana, the marriage of William and Kate, the 2012 London Olympics and the Covid-19 pandemic.