Editing South West England (section)

===17th century===
The [[Bristol Channel floods, 1607|Bristol Channel floods of 1607]] are believed to have affected large parts of the [[Somerset Levels]], with flooding up to {{convert|8|ft|m|0}} above sea level.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bryant |first1=Edward |first2=Simon |last2=Haslett |year=2002 |title=Was the AD 1607 coastal flooding event in the Severn estuary and Bristol channel due to a Tsunami? |journal=Archaeology in the Severn Estuary |volume=13 |pages=163–167  }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bryant |first1=Edward |first2=Simon |last2=Haslett |year=2004 |title=The AD 1607 Coastal Flood in the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary: Historical Records from Devon and Cornwall (UK) |journal=Archaeology in the Severn Estuary |volume=15 |pages=81–89  }}</ref> In 1625, a House of Correction was established in [[Shepton Mallet]], and when it closed [[Shepton Mallet (HM Prison)|HMP Shepton Mallet]] was England's oldest prison still in use.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sheptonmallet.info/site/index.php?page_id=189 |work=Shepton Mallet Town Council |title=Historic Buildings of Shepton Mallet |access-date=30 August 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118052345/http://www.sheptonmallet.info/site/index.php?page_id=189 |archive-date=18 January 2012 }}</ref><ref name="Disney">{{cite book |last=Disney|first=Francis |title=Shepton Mallet Prison (2nd Ed) |year=1992 |publisher=Published by the Author|isbn=0-9511470-2-1}}</ref>

During the [[English Civil War]], Somerset was largely [[Roundhead|Parliamentarian]], although [[Dunster]] was a Royalist stronghold. The county saw important battles between the [[Cavalier|Royalists]] and the Parliamentarians, notably at [[Battle of Lansdowne|Lansdowne]] in 1643 and [[Battle of Langport|Langport]] in 1645.<ref>{{cite book |title=Battles and Generals of the Civil Wars |last=Rodgers |first= Colonel H.C.B.|year=1968 |publisher=Seeley Service & Co. }}</ref> Bristol was occupied by Royalist military, after they overran [[Royal Fort]], the last Parliamentarian stronghold in the city.<ref name="Bristol"/> [[Taunton Castle]] had fallen into ruin by 1600 but it was repaired during the Civil War. The castle changed hands several times during 1642–45 along with the town.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tauntontowncentre.co.uk/about_taunton_history.htm |title=Taunton's History |access-date=21 November 2007 |work=Taunton Town Centre! |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070603195008/http://www.tauntontowncentre.co.uk/about_taunton_history.htm |archive-date = 3 June 2007}}</ref> During the [[Siege of Taunton]] it was defended by [[Robert Blake (admiral)|Robert Blake]], from July 1644 to July 1645. After the war, in 1662, the keep was demolished and only the base remains. This war resulted in castles being slighted (destroyed to prevent their re-use).<ref>{{cite web | title=The Civil War in Somerset | work=Somerset County Council: History of Somerset | url=http://www.somerset.gov.uk/archives/ASH/Civilwar.htm | access-date=29 October 2006 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060925010243/http://www.somerset.gov.uk/archives/ASH/Civilwar.htm | archive-date=25 September 2006 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

[[File:James Scott, Duke of Monmouth and Buccleuch by William Wissing.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|[[James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth]]]]
In 1685, [[James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth|the Duke of Monmouth]] led the [[Monmouth Rebellion]] in which a force partly raised in Somerset fought against [[James II of England|James II]]. The rebels landed at [[Lyme Regis]] and travelled north hoping to capture [[Bristol]] and [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]], Puritan soldiers damaged the west front of [[Wells Cathedral]], tore lead from the roof to make bullets, broke the windows, smashed the organ and the furnishings, and for a time stabled their horses in the nave.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.somerset.gov.uk/archives/ASH/Monmouthreb.htm |title=The Monmouth rebellion and the bloody assize |access-date=11 February 2008 |work=Somerset County Council |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070829142340/http://www.somerset.gov.uk/archives/ASH/Monmouthreb.htm |archive-date=29 August 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> They were defeated in the [[Battle of Sedgemoor]] at [[Westonzoyland]], the last battle fought on English soil.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~smedlo/history.htm |title=History of Bridgwater |access-date=21 October 2007 |work=Bridgwater |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112055456/http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~smedlo/history.htm |archive-date=12 November 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Bloody Assizes]] which followed saw the losers being sentenced to death or [[Penal transportation|transportation]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Tudor & Stuart Times | work=Britannia | url=http://www.britannia.com/history/somerset/somhist7.html | access-date=29 October 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061112072921/http://www.britannia.com/history/somerset/somhist7.html | archive-date=12 November 2006 | url-status=live }}</ref> At the time of the [[Glorious Revolution]], [[James II of England|King James II]] gathered his main forces, altogether about 19,000 men, at [[Salisbury]], James himself arriving there on 19 November 1688. The first blood was shed at the [[Wincanton Skirmish]] in [[Somerset]]. In Salisbury, James heard that some of his officers, such as [[Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon|Edward Hyde]], had deserted, and he broke out in a nose-bleed which he took as a bad omen. His commander in chief, the [[Louis de Duras, 2nd Earl of Feversham|Earl of Feversham]], advised retreat on 23 November, and the next day [[John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough|John Churchill]] deserted to William. On 26 November, James's daughter [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Princess Anne]] did the same, and James returned to London the same day, never again to be at the head of a serious military force in England.<ref>J. Childs, ''The Army, James II, and the Glorious Revolution'' (Manchester, 1980)</ref>