my safari is taking up too much space

I have the same problem, except that my safari is using ridiculous 4Gb!!!

I have whipped history and cleared data several times with absolute no effect.

Is the below what you did?

Try double clicking the Home button or swipe up from the bottom of the screen and swipe Safari upwards. Go to Settings/Safari and clear History and Website Data. Open Safari and test.

Safari - Clear the history and cookies on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.    

Safari website data on your iPhone or iPad - How to clear.