Sedgemoor is a low-lying area of land in Somerset, England. It lies close to sea level south of the Polden Hills, historically largely marsh (or "moor" in its older sense). The eastern part is known as King's Sedgemoor, and the western part West Sedgemoor. Sedgemoor is part of the area now known as the Somerset Levels and Moors. Historically the area was known as the site of the Battle of Sedgemoor.
Sedgemoor gave its name to a local government district formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by a merger of the municipal borough of Bridgwater, the Burnham-on-Sea urban district, Bridgwater Rural District and part of Axbridge Rural District. The district covered a larger area than the historical Sedgemoor, extending north of the Polden Hills across the Somerset Levels and Moors to the Mendip Hills.
On 1 April 2023 the district was abolished and replaced by a new unitary district for the area previously served by Somerset County Council. The replacement council is Somerset Council.
Elections for the new council took place in May 2022, and it ran alongside Sedgemoor and the other councils until their abolition in April 2023.
Toponymy
Sedgemoor does not mean 'sedge moor", but is instead 'marsh of a man called Sicga' from the Old Norse personal name and Old English 'moor'. The name was recorded as in 1165.
Largest settlements
- Bridgwater – the administrative centre
- Burnham-on-Sea
- North Petherton
- Highbridge
- Axbridge
- Cheddar
Parishes
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:90%;"
|-
! class="unsortable" | Image
! Name
! Status
! Population
! Former local authority
! class="unsortable" | Coordinates
! class="unsortable" | Refs
|-
|alt=Street scene showing road junction with houses and cars|100px ||Ashcott ||Civil parish|| style="text-align:center;" | 1,186 ||Bridgwater Rural District || ||
|-
|alt=Street scene. On the left of the road is a half timbered house where the first and second storeys have irregular black wooden beams showing through white painted walls.|100px ||Axbridge ||Town|| style="text-align:center;" | 2,057 ||Axbridge Rural District || ||
|-
|alt=Stone building with square tower. In the foreground are gravestones.|100px ||Badgworth ||Civil parish|| style="text-align:center;" | 525 ||Axbridge Rural District || ||
|-
|alt=Small light coloured building behind a hedge and gate.|100px ||Burnham Without ||Civil Parish|| style="text-align:center;" | 1,636 ||Axbridge Rural District || ||