Witham Friary

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Witham Friary
Witham Friary (Somerset)
Witham Friary

Witham Friary shown within Somerset
Population 405[1]
OS grid reference ST745409
District Mendip
Shire county Somerset
Region South West
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Postcode district BA11
Police Avon and Somerset
Fire Devon and Somerset
Ambulance South Western
European Parliament South West England
UK Parliament Somerton and Frome
List of places: UK • England • Somerset

Coordinates: 51°10′03″N 2°21′56″W / 51.167491, -2.365589

Witham Friary is a small village and civil parish located between the Somerset (England) towns of Frome and Bruton. It is in the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the ancient Forest of Selwood.

Contents

[edit] History

The village takes its name from the Witham charterhouse a Carthusian Priory, founded in the 1182 by Henry II,[2] which had peripheral settlements including one at Charterhouse and possibly another at Green Ore.[3] It is reputed to be the first Carthusian house in England.[4] One of only 9 Carthusian Houses, the priory did not survive the Dissolution of the Monasteries.[5] At the dissolution it was worth £227; the equivalent of £52,000 today (2006).[6] Excavations in 1921 revealed buttressed wall foundations and building ruble including glazed roof and floor tiles. It is a scheduled ancient monument.[7]

Part of the priory now serves as St. Mary's Parish Church.[8] Although the original building dates from around 1200 it was altered in a transitional style in 1828, and then rebuilt and extended 1875 by William White in "Muscular Gothic" style. It has a 3-bay nave and continuous one bay apsidal chancel, built of local limestone rubble, supported on each side by 4 massive flying buttresses. The plastered interior is entered through a Norman style doorway. Inside the church is scraped octagonal font dating from around 1450. The Jacobean pulpit contains medieval work and there is a royal arms of 1660 at West end. The stained glass windows contain fragments of medieval glass, with those in the south being made by Sir Ninian Comper. It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building.[9]

The village has older roots. A wealth of nearby tumuli is indicative of ancient human settlement. An archaelogical dig in 1985 discovered a neolithic axe and a Roman road.[5] The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book when the village supported 11 villagers.[5]

The former railway station at Witham was the end of a branch line through Shepton Mallet, Wells and Cheddar. The station closed in 1963 although the main line to Exeter remains open. The nearest railway station is Bruton. Part of the redundant line that ran to Shepton Mallet now forms the East Somerset Railway.[10]

[edit] Public House

Coat of arms of the Duke of Somerset
Coat of arms of the Duke of Somerset

The Seymour Arms is a traditionalpublic house. Purpose-built along with farm buildings in 1866 or 1867 for the Duke of Somerset's estate, It takes its name from the family name of the Duke of Somerset.

The pub is noted by CAMRA because of its beautifully preserved interior, included in their National Inventory of Historic Pubs.[11]

[edit] Water Dispute

Since the 19th century, the village water supply has come from the estate of the Duke of Somerset rather than from a commercial water company. The estate's decision to terminate the supply is a cause for local concern.[12][13]

[edit] Geography and Geology

The village lies near the source of the River Frome and at 96 metres above sea level. There is a risk of flooding.[14] The underlying solid geology is Middle Jurassic Cornbrash.

[edit] Building the Dream

In 2004 the village hosted a reality television programme broadcast on Channel 4 called Building the Dream. Hosted by Linda Barker, couples competed to win a dream home in the village[15]. A local production company, Zeal, was responsible[16].

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Mendip Parish Population Estimates 2002. Somerset County Council. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
  2. ^ Witham Friary Somerset. A Vision of Britain through time. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
  3. ^ Reid, Robert Douglas (1979). Some buildings of Mendip. The Mendip Society. ISBN 0905459164. 
  4. ^ Witham-Friary (St. Mary). British History Online. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
  5. ^ a b c Land adjoining Gramarye, Witham Friary, Somerset. (PDF). Context One Archaeological Services. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
  6. ^ [1] Purchasing Power of British Pounds from 1264 to 2006]. Measuring worth.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
  7. ^ Reid, Robert Douglas (1979). Some buildings of Mendip. The Mendip Society. ISBN 0905459164. 
  8. ^ Local History - Witham Friary. Somerset Larders.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
  9. ^ Church of St Mary. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
  10. ^ History of the ESR. East Somerset Railway. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
  11. ^ South West England. CAMRA National Inventory of Heritage Pubs. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
  12. ^ Morris, Steven. "Village left high and dry by lord of manor", The Guardian, 31 May 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-02. 
  13. ^ Water Supply to the village of Witham Friary. Mendip District Council. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
  14. ^ Somerset Frome from Witham Friary to Frome. Environment Agency Flood Warning. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
  15. ^ "UK Game Shows". Retrieved on 28 August 2007.
  16. ^ Zeal TV. Retrieved on 28 August 2007.

Coordinates: 51°10′03″N 2°21′56″W / 51.167491, -2.365589