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Compiling the history of Bath and Wells Diocese is by no means an easy task.

Many would find researching what happened over its 1,100 year history a daunting and complex task; but not historian Dr Robert Dunning. 

"To do the research wasn't that difficult. It took about two years to write it (the book) but I started work on it just after I graduated as I did a little bit of its history as part of a doctorate in the 60s so you could say I'd filled out the century or so that I'd studied in some detail. So in fact it's taken 50 years if you like!"

Dr Dunning was the editor of Victoria County History, a project which involved writing a history of each village in Somerset. He has published about 20 books, including a short history of the entire county.

"The past is all around us. I just like to explain things. You know, why is that there? And it's usually something historical.

"It's not so hard as it seems from the outside if you know where to look. Sometimes it's frustrating that you can't find out, but yes, I can be patient sometimes."

Court records

In order to write the history of the diocese, Dr Dunning had to sift through thousands of records, laws, letters and literature.

"The records from 1300 are very good indeed. Before 1300 it's a bit problematical," he said.

"You start with Saxon bishops from 909 onwards; you know their names but you haven't got the faintest idea of what any of them ever did!

"So you have to look at what other slightly more famous bishops did, then have to try and work out what they would've thought their job was and what they did."

Dr Dunning said he enjoyed looking at the court records, particularly the reformation era as the risks people took to get an English bible before it was legal was incredible.

"A lot of people got into trouble for having books in English because it was always assumed that they were religious books."

Wrong grave

One of Dr Gunning's favourite stories is one which does not feature in the book is about the man who has lent his name to the village of Hazelbury Plucknett near Crewkerne. 

Sir Alan Plucknett's mother's will clearly stated that she wanted to be buried in Sherborne Abbey however he decided to bury her somewhere else. As one of the bishop's purposes is to defend the dead, the bishop sent two clergymen with a sealed letter to him.

Sir Alan grabbed the man by his neck and forced him to eat the letter, including the wax seal. The bishop was justifiably annoyed so he ex-communicated him meaning he was cut from all sacraments of the church so if he died, he could not be buried.

This shocked Sir Alan into apologising, saying it was all down to his emotions as he was upset about his mother dying, but that it would all be put to right.

Violent riots    

The most difficult story for Dr Gunning to research was one about a bishop and the reform act of 1831.

Parliament wanted to put an end to rotten boroughs which was when people were being elected mps without having any voters; Liverpool and Manchester were getting bigger without having representation.

The Bishop of Wells at the time, Bishop Law, was at a consecration service in Bedminster, a place where there had been many riots in favour of the reforms, when the situation got violent as people started throwing things at his coach so he came back over the Mendips post haste, pulling up the drawbridge at Wells Palace after he had crossed.

The problem Dr Dunning is having with this story is that an architect has said he does not believe the drawbridge is capable of moving so the story has become hard to verify.