By far the most important and authoritative source for the structure, history and development of Winterstoke Hundred is a seminal paper by Dr Frank Thorn.

[1] Each hundred had a 'fyrd', which acted as the local defence force and a court which was responsible for the maintenance of the frankpledge system.

[4] It consisted of the ancient parishes of: Axbridge, Badgworth, Banwell, Blagdon, Bleadon, Cheddar, Christon, Churchill, Compton Bishop, Congresbury, East Harptree, Hutton, Kenn, Kewstoke, Locking, Loxton, Puxton, Rodney Stoke, Rowberrow, Shipham, Uphill, Weston-super-Mare, Wick St Lawrence, Winscombe, Worle, Yatton.

It also included the extra parochial area of Charterhouse-on-Mendip,[5] covering in total approximately 62,030 acres (25,100 ha).

Although the Hundreds have never been formally abolished, their functions ended with the establishment of county courts in 1867[10] and the introduction of districts by the Local Government Act 1894.