| Norton-sub-Hamdon | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Aerial view of main village centre | |
  Norton-sub-Hamdon Location withinSomerset | |
| Population | 743 (2011)[2] |
| OS grid reference | ST470159 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | STOKE-SUB-HAMDON |
| Postcode district | TA14 |
| Dialling code | 01935 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
| 50°56′26″N2°45′20″W / 50.9406°N 2.7555°W /50.9406; -2.7555 | |
Norton-sub-Hamdon is a village andcivil parish in theSouth Somerset district of the English county ofSomerset, situated ten miles west ofYeovil. The village has a population of 743.[2]
The village ofChiselborough is 0.5 miles (0.8 km) to the south, and the village ofStoke-sub-Hamdon 1 mile (1.6 km) to the north.
The majority of the houses and cottages in the village are made from the local stone,hamstone, which is taken from the nearbyHam Hill, from which the village gets its name: Norton sub Hamdon means "north farm below the hill farm".[3]
After theNorman Conquest the manor was granted to Robert, Count of Mortain, who gave it toGrestein Abbey inNormandy, which administered it throughWilmington Priory inSussex until it was confiscated by the crown in the 14th century. It was then given to theDe la Pole family and inherited with the dukedom of Suffolk by the Seymours and in 1671 by the Earl of Aylesbury, before being broken up and sold off.[3]
The parish was part of thehundred ofHoundsborough.[4]
There is aparish council.
The village falls within theNon-metropolitan district ofSouth Somerset, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under theLocal Government Act 1972. It has previously been part ofYeovil Rural District,[5] and the county ofSomerset.
It is also part of theGlastonbury and Somertoncounty constituency represented in theHouse of Commons of theParliament of the United Kingdom. The constituency elects oneMember of Parliament (MP) by thefirst past the post system of election.
Little Norton is a more or less contiguous hamlet to the east that includes the western fringe ofHam Hill an ancienthillfort (and scheduledAncient Monument[6] and extends also to its southeast to High Wood andBagnel Farm which is listed building.[7]
The only other listed building in the neighbourhood is the central Little NortonMill, which is also Grade II listed;[8] its overshot waterwheel is 13 feet 9 inches (4.19 m) in diameter and was cast by G. Parsons of the Parrett engineers.
Homefield in Rectory Lane was previously known as Folly's. It dates from the 17th century and has been designated as a Grade II*listed building.[9]
The manor house was built in the 17th century and is now in multiple occupation.[10]
The villagepub, the Lord Nelson Inn, also has 17th-century origins.[11]
The original primary school dates from the mid 18th century. It is situated next to the churchyard and its dovecote.[12] A new school beside the Recreation Field was opened in 1997.[13]
Church of St Mary the Virgin in Norton sub Hamdon has 13th century origins, but was largely rebuilt between 1500 and 1510. Furtherrestoration was undertaken by Henry Wilson in 1894 and 1904. The five-stage tower, which rises 98.5 feet (30 m) was damaged by lightning and fire on 29 July 1894, but restored within a year, preserving the original design.[14] It has a double plinth, offset cornerbuttresses, dividing strings, battlementedparapet with pairs of cornerpinnacles extended from buttresses, and central paired pinnacles corbelled offgargoyles.[15] The dovecote in the churchyard dates from the 17th century,[16] and was associated with a manor house which was demolished around 1850.[3]
Media related toNorton Sub Hamdon at Wikimedia Commons
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
