Bowlish
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bowlish | |
  Bowlish shown within Somerset |
|
| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| District | Mendip |
| Shire county | Somerset |
| Region | South West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Shepton Mallet |
| Postcode district | BA4 |
| Dialling code | 01749 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| European Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | Wells |
| List of places: UK • England • Somerset | |
Bowlish is a hamlet on the A371 road between Shepton Mallet and Croscombe in Somerset, England. Although it is on the periphery of Shepton Mallet, Bowlish is still very much its own place - separate from Shepton Mallet.
There is an infants school and a public house, The Horseshoe Inn, [1] which was formerly a blacksmith's forge, hence the name.
Bowlish contains three grade II* listed buildings:
- Old Bowlish House[2] dates from the first half of the 17th century and was remodelled in about 1720 in the Palladian style. It now houses a contemporary art gallery.[3]
- Bowlish House[4], also in the Palladian style was built in 1732 by a prosperous local clothier. A spring is reported to rise in the cellar. It is now a hotel and restaurant.[5]
- Park House, Forum Lane[6] dates to about 1700 and modified about 1750.
Among the 19 grade II listed buildings are:
- Coombe House,[7] built circa 1820.
- 14, 15 and 16 Combe Lane[8] which were built around 1700 with 18th century alterations.
- 26 to 29 Combe Lane[9] is a former mill built around 1700 and enlarged in 1850.
- 30 and 31 Combe Lane[10] are two weaver's cottages dating to about 1850.
- The Silk Drying Shed to the north of Darshill House.[11] This is a curious looking building, locally known as a handle house, of which three walls are full of holes to allow the passage of air to aid in the process of drying teasle heads which were used to raise the nap on cloth in the textile process.[12]
What is now the John Yeo Stained Glass studio in Ham Lane was formerly a coal store attached to a stable which belonged to the public house next door, The Butcher’s Arms, which ceased trading in 1860. The studio has provided stained glass for, among others, the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Ghost, Midsomer Norton.
As a consequence of the historic nature of the hamlet it has been designated as a conservation area[13] and site of special archaeological interest.
[edit] References
- ^ A grade II listed building: Images of England: Horseshoe Inn, Bowlish, Shepton Mallet. Although closed for 18 months, The Horseshoe Inn has just (29.01.08) been bought by Ken & Steph Turner (formally of the Poacher's Pocket Public House, Chelynch) and is to undergo refurbishment prior to opening by late spring 2008.
- ^ Images of England: Old Bowlish House
- ^ Old Bowlish House Contemporary Art Galley website
- ^ Images of England: Bowlish House; Images of England: Bowlish House Gate Piers and Mounting Block
- ^ Bowlish House website
- ^ Images of England: Park House, Forum Lane, Bowlish, Shepton Mallet
- ^ Images of England: Combe House, Bowlish, Shepton Mallet
- ^ Images of England: 14, 15 and 16 Combe Lane, Bowlish, Shepton Mallet
- ^ Images of England: 26-29 Combe Lane, Bowlish, Shepton Mallet
- ^ Images of England: 30 and 31 Combe Lane, Bowlish, Shepton Mallet
- ^ Images of England: Silk Drying Shed, Darshill House, Bowlish, Shepton Mallet
- ^ See glossary definition at Images of England thesaurus
- ^ See the Shepton Mallet Conservation Area Appraisal and the general conservation areas page on the Mendip District Council website.
