Elworthy

This article is about the Somerset village. For other uses, see Elworthy (disambiguation).
Elworthy
Stone building with tiled roof and square tower, surrounded by vegetation.
Church of St Martin, Elworthy
Elworthy
 Elworthy shown within Somerset
Population 103 [1]
OS grid referenceST083349
DistrictWest Somerset
Shire countySomerset
RegionSouth West
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town TAUNTON
Postcode district TA4
Dialling code 01483
Police Avon and Somerset
Fire Devon and Somerset
Ambulance South Western
EU Parliament South West England
UK ParliamentBridgwater and West Somerset
List of places
UK
England
Somerset

Coordinates: 51°06′23″N 3°18′36″W / 51.1064°N 3.3101°W

Elworthy is a small village and civil parish in the Brendon Hills 5 miles (8 km) south-east of Watchet, and 12 miles (19 km) west of Taunton, in the West Somerset district of Somerset, England. The parish includes the hamlet of Willett.

History

On the Brendon Hills, about a 1 mile (1.6 km) from the village, are the Elworthy Burroughs, a British encampment, and several tumuli.[2]

The parish of Elworthy was part of the Williton and Freemanners Hundred.[3]

Willett House was built around 1816 as a country house by Richard Carver for Daniel Blommert.[4] In the grounds is the Willett Tower a 15 metres (49.2 ft) high folly in the form of a ruined church tower.[5] Its date of construction is uncertain but it was recorded in 1791 and is believed[6] to have been built in 1774 with funds raised of £130 by public subscription.[6]

Governance

The parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council’s operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. 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.

The village falls within the Non-metropolitan district of West Somerset, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Williton Rural District.[7] The district council is responsible for local planning and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection and recycling, cemeteries and crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism.

Somerset County Council is responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as education, social services, libraries, main roads, public transport, policing and fire services, trading standards, waste disposal and strategic planning.

It is also part of the Bridgwater and West Somerset county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election, and part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament which elects seven MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.

Religious sites

The Church of St Martin, dedicated to St Martin of Tours, dates from the 13th century and has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building.[8] The church is in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.[9]

Notable residents

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Samuel Charles Elworthy, Baron Elworthy KG GCB CBE DSO LVO DFC AFC (23 March 1911 – 4 April 1993) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force and was made a life peer as Baron Elworthy, of Timaru in New Zealand and of Elworthy.

References

  1. ↑ "Parish Population Statistics". ONS Census 2001. Somerset County Council. Retrieved 2009-12-13.
  2. ↑ Bush, Robin (1994). Somerset: The Complete Guide. Dovecote Press. p. 94. ISBN 1-874336-26-1.
  3. ↑ "Somerset Hundreds". GENUKI. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
  4. ↑ "Willett House". Images of England. English Heritage. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
  5. ↑ "Willett Tower". Images of England. English Heritage. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Holt, Jonathan (2007). Somerset Follies. Bath: Akeman Press. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-9546138-7-7.
  7. ↑ A Vision of Britain Through Time : Williton Rural District
  8. ↑ "Church of St Martin". Images of England. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
  9. ↑ "St Martin of Tours, Elworthy". Churches Conservation Trust. Retrieved 2010-01-14.

External links

Media related to Elworthy at Wikimedia Commons