Yeovil is a town and civil parishes in England in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140. The town lies within the local district of South Somerset and the Yeovil (UK Parliament constituency).
It has palaeolithic remains, was on an old Ancient Rome road and was recorded in the Domesday Book as the town of ''Givle'', and later became a centre for the glove making industry. During the Middle Ages the population of the town suffered from the Black Death and several serious fires. In the 20th century it developed into a centre of the aircraft and defence industries, which made it a target for bombing in World War II, with one of the largest employers being AgustaWestland who manufacture helicopters. Several other manufacturing and retail companies also have bases in the town. In the 21st century Yeovil became the first town in Britain to institute a system of biometric fingerprint scanning in nightclubs and the first English council to ban the children's craze Heelys. Plans have been proposed for various regeneration projects in the town.
Yeovil Country Park, which includes Ninesprings, is one of several open spaces in the town. There are a range of educational, cultural and sporting facilities. Religious sites include the 14th century Church of St John the Baptist, Yeovil. It is on the A30 road and A37 road roads and has two railway stations on two separate railway lines. Yeovil Pen Mill railway station is on the Heart of Wessex Line served by First Great Western train operating company services, whilst Yeovil Junction railway station is on the West of England Main Line served by South West Trains. The is also a small Yeovil Railway Centre.
