Axanbrycg is suggested as the source of the name, meaning a bridge over the River Axe, in the early 9th century. Early inhabitants of the area almost certainly include the
Romans (who are known to have mined
lead on the top of the Mendips) and, earlier still, prehistoric man, who lived in the local caves and whose
flint tools have been found on the slopes of the local hills. The history of Axbridge can be traced back to the reign of
King Alfred, when it was part of the
Saxons' defence system for
Wessex against the
Vikings. In the
Burghal Hidage, a list of
burhs compiled in 910, it was listed as
Axanbrycg. A listing of Axbridge appears in
Domesday Book of 1086 as '''', meaning 'axe bridge' from
Old English '
and '. It was part of the royal manor of Cheddar and part of the
Winterstoke Hundred. It was granted a
royal charter in 1202, when
King John sold most of the royal manor of Cheddar to the
Bishop of Bath and Wells. Axbridge grew in the
Tudor period as a centre for
cloth manufacture, This was reflected in its early royal charters allowing it to hold markets and fairs, and become a royal borough. It even had its own mint, with coins showing the town's symbol: the Lamb and Flag. Trade was possible as the
River Axe was navigable to wharves at Axbridge. Later the town's importance declined, which led to stagnation and the preservation of many historic buildings in the town centre. These include
King John's Hunting Lodge (actually a
Tudor building) which is now used as a museum. Axbridge is a very old borough and sent members to parliament in the reigns of
Edward I and
Edward III. During the 19th and early 20th centuries iron ore was extracted from the hill above and east of Axbridge.
Axbridge railway station, on the
Cheddar Valley line, opened on 3 August 1869. It closed to goods traffic on 10 June 1963 and to passengers on 9 September 1963. The route of the railway is now the
A371 Axbridge bypass, but the station buildings and goods shed still survive. In April 1973, many residents died in
Invicta International Airlines Flight 435, the worst aviation accident in Swiss history, with those from Cheddar and Winscombe. The Square was used as the setting for a
NatWest Bank television advert in the early 1990s, and in particular
Axbridge Town Hall doubled as a NatWest branch. Ironically a real branch of NatWest, in the High Street, was closed not long afterwards and the premises are now private residential accommodation. In 2017 several locations in the town were used for a
Thatchers Cider television commercial, which featured a hot air balloon. ==Governance==