Drayton is a village andcivil parish inSomerset, England, focussed less than a mile fromCurry Rivel and five miles southwest ofSomerton in theSouth Somerset district. It adjoins theRiver Isle, near its confluence with theParrett, and the formerWestport Canal. The parish includes the hamlet ofMidelney.
The village has apopulation of 379[1] and is home toSt Catherine's parish church and theDrayton Crownpub.
It is trite in Anglo-Saxon language the name of the village means literally "drawing-town", the word dray being largely obsolete save fordray horse being one that drags or draws a load, at a time when the inceptive form of townton had not turned into its larger sense today. Locally this may refer to "ledges or drays" being used for boats or for the drawn plough as in most other examples.[2]
The probable site of a Roman house has been identified west of the vicarage.[3]
Drayton was part of thehundred ofAbdick and Bulstone.[4][5]
Theparish 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, andneighbourhood 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.
Forlocal government purposes, since 1 April 2023, the parish comes under theunitary authority ofSomerset Council. Prior to this, it was part of thenon-metropolitan district ofSouth Somerset (established under theLocal Government Act 1972). It was part ofLangport Rural District before 1974.[6]
It is also part of theGlastonbury and Somertoncounty constituency represented in theHouse of Commons of theParliament of the United Kingdom. It elects oneMember of Parliament (MP) by thefirst past the post system of election.
Midelney Manor is a Grade I manor house in landscaped grounds. It is sited on a former island site, and was the property ofMuchelney Abbey, passing to the Trevillian family after thedissolution of the monasteries. The present house was built in the late 16th century in two distinct halves by Richard and Thomas Trevillian.[7] Drayton Manor is more recent and was built in the late 18th or early 19th century.[8]
St Catherine's exterior isBlue Lias and goldenhamstone. It dates from the 15th century, beingrestored in 1855 by Maurice Davis of Langport and again in 1896. It has been designated byEnglish Heritage as a Grade Ilisted building.[9] The 15th century cross in the churchyard has a sculpture ofSt Michael with a sword and shield in the act of vanquishing a dragon.[10] The rectory, known as Drayton Court, which dates from the early 19th century, is now a private house[11] and the seat of theEarls of Cromer.[citation needed]
Drayton is one of the few villages in the UK that still practice house-visitingwassailing, not to be confused with orchard-visiting wassailing, which has now been almost entirely displaced bycarolling. The annual event is held on 5 January and involves the Wassailers traveling to a handful of houses around the village before ending at the Drayton Crown.[12] In 2021, the event was held though online video due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in the UK.
Media related toDrayton at Wikimedia Commons
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