Has a population of around 100,000. The main towns are Frome, Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet, Street and Wells.

It’s estimated that around 40,000 people work in over 3,500 Mendip businesses.

Key local industries include manufacturing, wholesale, retail, education and health & social care.

Quarrying is a major industry between Shepton Mallet and Frome, an area that counts as one of the most important quarrying areas in Britain.

Mendip manufactures food, books and other printed items, footwear, leather goods, defence products and a whole range of other items.

Nationally-known companies such as Clarks, Mulberry and Butler & Tanner each have their headquarters in Mendip and subsidiaries of International companies, like Constellation Europe (Stowells, Grants of St James etc) and Thales (Defence) are also based there.

Street has enjoyed a retail boom thanks to the opening of Clarks Village. It’s now hoped to further develop the local economy with the development of the old Morlands site in Glastonbury. Street is also home to the internationally renowned Millfield School.

Glastonbury Tor, Wells Cathredral and Wookey Hole are major local tourist attractions.

The Glastonbury music festival attracts thousands of visitors every year and boosts the local economy.

Agriculture is vital in Mendip from the Somerset Levels through to the Mendip Hills.