[1] The village is included in the Domesday Book under its old name Bere, which is from the Old English for pasture or possibly grove.

The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning.

Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council.

[7] It is also part of a county constituency, Glastonbury and Somerton, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

The Anglican parish Church of St James dates from the 13th century but the current building is predominantly from the 15th.