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Leg Square is one of the oldest parts of the town of Shepton Mallet in Somerset and contains a high proportion of Listed Buildings and a magnificent range of old properties many dating from the 17th Century and some may be even older.
Shepton Mallet is a small rural town and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset in South West England. Situated approximately 18 mi (29 km) south of Bristol and 5 mi (8.0 km) east of Wells, the town is estimated to have a population of around 10,000. It contains the administrative headquarters of Mendip District Council.
Shepton Mallet lies on the route of the Fosse Way, the principal Roman road into the south west of England, and there is evidence of Roman settlement. The town contains a fine parish church and a considerable number of listed buildings.
In medieval times, the wool trade was important in the town's economy, although this declined in the 18th century to be replaced by other industries such as brewing; the town continues to be a major centre for the production of cider.
The River Sheppey runs through the town beneath Leg Square and the power of the water has been used for automation in industry since the early days. Some say that the exisitence of a very special type of mud (Fullers Earth) can be extracted from the river bed which has been a key component in the wool industry. Leg Square and the surrounding areas were key areas in the growth of the wool trade, baking and later brewery industry.
Leg Square, itself is surrounded by three large houses originally built by owners of some of the town's mills - Edengrove, The Hollies and The (old) Manor House.
The famous Shepton Mallet Spite Wall, also know as a Blinder Wall, can be found at the western end of The Manor House and is included in the Tourist Association Historical Shepton tours. The Spite Wall is mentioned on the Wikipedia Spite Wall page
One of the roads entering Leg Square is Cornhill, on which the Prison stands. Shepton Mallet Prison, known as HMP Cornhill, was England's oldest prison still in use until finally closed on 28th March 2013.