Wincanton ( or ) is a small town and electoral ward in South Somerset, southwest England. The town lies off the A303 road, a main route between London and South West England, and has some light industry. The town and electoral ward has a population of 5,272. History Windmill Hill was the site of a Bronze Age Beaker culture burial, and contemporary artefacts have been found on the Selwood Ridge. Prior to the Norman Conquest Wincanton was frequently the scene of battles between the Britons, Danes and Saxons. During the reign of Edmund Ironside, the English, under his command, defeated the Danes, forcing them to leave England. In the Domesday Book the name of the town was spelled as "Wincaleton", thought to mean "Pleasant town on the Cale". Cockroad Wood Castle, which is now in the parish of Charlton Musgrove, was a motte and bailey castle, probably built after the Norman conquest of England of 1066. The castle sits close to the contemporary Norman castles of Ballands and Castle Orchard, and may have been built as part of a system of fortifications to control the surrounding area. By 1086 the surrounding land was held by Walter of Douai, although no documentary evidence of the castle remains. The parish of Wincanton was part of the Norton Ferris Hundred. Wincanton was probably the site of a market in the medieval period but did not gain a market and fair charter until 1556. The town was the scene of one of the few armed skirmishes in England during the Revolution of 1688. In the Wincanton Skirmish a troop of Horse Guards under Patrick Sarsfield, loyal to James II, defeated an advance party of troops fighting for William of Orange, on 20 November 1688. A great part of the town was destroyed by fires in the years 1707 and 1747. In the early 19th century Wincanton was a depot for French officers, during the Napoleonic Wars. By 2010 there had been an influx of foreign nationals, especially Portuguese and Polish citizens. Governance Wincanton is within the area of Somerset County Council and the Non-metropolitan district of South Somerset, with its own town council. The town council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The town council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police,