| South Petherton | |
|---|---|
 Church of St Peter and St Paul showing the octagonal tower. | |
  South Petherton Location withinSomerset | |
| Population | 3,737 [1] |
| OS grid reference | ST435165 |
| • London | 131 mi (211 km) ENE |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SOUTH PETHERTON |
| Postcode district | TA13 |
| Dialling code | 01460 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
| 50°56′56″N2°48′32″W / 50.949°N 2.809°W /50.949; -2.809 | |
South Petherton is a large village andcivil parish inSomerset, England, located 5 miles (8 km) east ofIlminster and 5 miles (8 km) north ofCrewkerne. The parish had a population of 3,737 in 2021[2] and includes the smaller village ofOver Stratton and the hamlets ofCompton Durville,Drayton,Wigborough andYeabridge. TheRiver Parrett forms the eastern boundary of the parish. The village is approximately 2 miles (3 km) fromEast Lambrook,Martock andLopen.
The village is distinctive for the traditionalhamstone construction of many of its buildings. In 2005 South Petherton was awarded ‘Somerset Village of the Year’ in a national competition.[3] Historically South Petherton was amarket town, but these days is regarded as a village, with many of its ancient functions including the holding of a market having ended by around 1870,[4] although some town-like characteristics remain.[5]
The village's name may come from theOld English wordPared meaning boundary and theSaxon wordton meaning settlement, forming ’Paredton’.[6]
A site on Lightgate Road, north of the present village, has produced Iron Age occupation material, thougharchaeological evidence of any structures have not yet been discovered.Roman material, mostly consisting of coins, has also been discovered locally and, as it is only 2 miles (3 km) from theFosse Way, Roman occupation is likely, although it may have been abandoned between the 4th and 8th centuries.[7]
TheAnglo-Saxon Chronicle of 680 refers to a major battle on the site of the village and the SaxonIne of Wessex of the Kingdom of Wessex built a palace on present day Silver Street.[8]
A large royal estate of South Petherton was created and the Saxon settlement,Sudperetone (the southern tun on the Parrett), included a minster church, a royal palace and a short-lived 11th centurymint. Most of the royal estate passed directly toWilliam the Conqueror and was still a possession of the Crown in 1086. The parish was part of theSouth PethertonHundred.[9] Part of the estate was also held byBruton Abbey from the 12th century until theDissolution of the Monasteries, then becoming known as the manor of Hele. In 1213 a royal warrant byKing John was granted for a market and fair, but by 1243 the main manor had been granted away from the Crown underHenry II and by 1243 South Petherton manor was owned outright by theDaubeney family, who continued to hold it until the late 15th century,[7] the family dying out after Henry Daubeney acquired the earldom ofBridgwater and then failed to produce an heir to succeed him.[10]
The manor reverted to the Crown in 1553, before passing into the ownership ofCharles Arundell (d. 1587), who left it to his brotherMatthew Arundell, in whosefamily it remained until 1792, when it was sold to John Baker Edmonds. Edmonds also acquired the rectory estate of South Petherton (known also as the manor of Hele), which had had a complicated history of ownership, including purchase in 1753 byHenry Hele, a successful physician fromSalisbury.[11]
Another estate (known as the Manor of Wigborough) was shared by members of the Brome Family from 1581 to 1615, when it passed to the family of Hele of Flete (unconnected to the Henry Hele referred to above) who held it for most of the 17th century.[11][12]
During theEnglish Civil War troops from both sides occupied the town during 1644 and 1645. The town also had a role in theMonmouth Rebellion of 1680 and two townsmen were among those who prosecuted in theBloody Assizes.[7]
It was also recently discovered that South Petherton was, during the 17th century, one of the main centres of bronze cauldron and skillet production. These cooking vessels were used all over the UK.[13]
As acivil parish, South Petherton has its own parish council with 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 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 ofYeovil Rural District before 1974.[14]
Yeovil is acounty 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. The constituency covers the towns ofYeovil,Chard,Crewkerne andIlminster in Somerset. Since July 2024 the MP isAdam Dance,[15] a member of theLiberal Democrats and a resident of the village, and parish and county councillor.
Anelectoral ward in the same name exists.South Petherton is the most populous area the ward, which also includesShepton Beauchamp andSeavington St. Mary. The total ward population at the2011 census was 4,866.[16]
South Petherton is situated between theBlackdown Hills to the west, the flat wetland area of theSomerset Levels and Moors to the north, and the hills ofDorset to the south. 3 miles (4.8 km) to the east, on the other side of the Parrett valley, isHam Hill, the source of much of the village's building stone.
It lies on low lying undulating land of Yeovil Sands at the foot of alimestone ridge, which has been quarried for Petherton stone, and for sands and clays suitable for brick and tile making.[7]
Along with the rest ofSouth West England, South Petherton has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country.[17] The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50.0 °F).Seasonal temperature variation is less extreme than most of the United Kingdom because of the adjacent sea temperatures. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately 21 °C (69.8 °F). In winter mean minimum temperatures of 1 °C (33.8 °F) or 2 °C (35.6 °F) are common.[17] In the summer theAzores high pressure affects the south-west of England, howeverconvective cloud sometimes forms inland, reducing the number of hours of sunshine. Annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600 hours.[17] In December 1998 there were 20 days without sun recorded at Yeovilton. Most of the rainfall in the south-west is caused byAtlantic depressions or byconvection. Most of the rainfall in autumn and winter is caused by the Atlantic depressions, which is when they are most active. In summer, a large proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. Average rainfall is around 700 mm (28 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west.[17]
Agriculture has traditionally been an important local industry, although South Petherton has also been a centre for glove making, cider production and other cottage industries at various points in its history.
Cloth manufacture, continued into the late 18th and 19th century although this was largely replaced by sailcloth and then leather working.[7] The importance of this industry can be seen by the number of mills which remain including; the former flax mill or granary in Hayes End,[18] Joylers Mill,[19] Shutlers Mill,[20] and the former flax mill immediately north of Flaxdrayton Farmhouse.[21]
In Silver Street is a 14th-century manor house.[22] It was restored in the 19th century and nicknamed 'King Ina's Palace'.[23]
The 15th or 16th centuryWigborough Manor House was never completed to its original plans and has subsequently been modified many times;[12] it is a grade Ilisted building.
Approximately 1 mile (2 km) from South Petherton isEast Lambrook Manor Gardens created byMargery Fish who was known as the 'Leading Lady of Gardening' from the 1950s until her death in 1969.[23] It holds the national collection ofgeraniums,[24] and a collection ofsnowdrops.[25]
The "David Hall" (located in the oldUnited Reformed Church) is a local social centre run by the Petherton Arts Trust, a non-profit making organisation formed in 1986 and registered as a charity in 1990.[26] There is also "The Blake Hall" which has a social club downstairs and a hall upstairs where a market is held on the first Sunday of every month, as well as various other activities.
AFives court wall survives, located just off Crown Lane, and is grade II listed.[27]
During 2007 Somerset Primary Care Trust consulted local residents about proposals for the redevelopment of South Petherton Community Hospital, which provides Out Patient Assessment and Reablement services.[28] In March 2012, the new hospital was opened bySophie, Countess of Wessex.[29] A doctors' surgery and pharmacy are located adjacent to the Hospital, also in a new building.[30]
Education is provided within the village by two nurseries for pre-school children, an infants’ school (ages 5–7) and a junior school (ages 7–11). The nearest secondary schools are inStoke-sub-Hamdon (Stanchester Academy),Crewkerne (Wadham School) andHuish Episcopi (Huish Episcopi Academy). There is a public library.[31]
TheA303 main road passes through the parish, immediately to the south of South Petherton and north ofOver Stratton, and the villages can be accessed from the A303 at Hayes End Roundabout.
The nearest railway stations areCrewkerne andYeovil. Formerly there were closer stations atMartock andIlminster, but both of these were closed in the 1960s. South Petherton is served by a twice-dailySuperfast coach service to and from London (Hammersmith) operated byBerrys Coaches[32] as well as a regular bus service toMontacute, Stoke-sub-Hamdon and Yeovil.[33]
National Cycle Network Route 339, which connectsLangport with Route 33 atBarrington, passes through the village.[34] TheRiver Parrett Trail, a walking route that follows the course of the river, also passes through the village.[35]
TheChurch of EnglandChurch of St Peter and St Paul hasSaxon origins. It retains a 13th-century crosswing, with the remainder of the buildings dating from the 15th century, however it underwent major restorations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It has been designated byEnglish Heritage as a grade Ilisted building. The tower is an irregular octagon on plan, wider on east–west axis,[36] which is believed to be the tallest octagonal church tower in the UK.[37] It houses aring of twelve bells.[38]
TheCoke Memorial Methodist Church was built in 1881–82 to replace an earlier chapel of 1809.[39] It was named afterThomas Coke, who was curate of the village 1772-76 and important, along withJohn Wesley, amongst the founders of Methodism.
AUnited Reformed Church was built in 1863. This is now the 'David Hall' and hosts various public events.[40]
The village also has aRoman Catholic church, dedicated to St Michael, located on Lightgate Road.[41]
The South Petherton Walking Group is aimed at the over 50's and aims to encourage this healthy, social activity amongst residents and visitors.[42]
The Recreation Ground provides pitches forfootball andcricket clubs and there are also facilities fortennis andbowls and a children's play area. The football pitch is particularly large for the standard of football that the club compete in, being over 120 yards long and 90 yards wide. South Petherton Football Club were relegated from the Premier Division of thePerry Street & District League in 2013 after a highly successful run in recent years,[43] but gained promotion at the first attempt and have since competed well back in the premier division.
The Vaux ParkPolo Club are based at Wigborough Manor, using the grounds of the house, which is situated in the southeast corner of the parish.[44]
