| West Monkton | |
|---|---|
 | |
  West Monkton Location withinSomerset | |
| Population | 2,787 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | ST2628 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | TAUNTON |
| Postcode district | TA2 |
| Dialling code | 01823 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°03′04″N3°02′42″W / 51.051°N 3.045°W /51.051; -3.045 | |
West Monkton is a village andcivil parish inSomerset, England, situated 2 miles (3.2 km) north east ofTaunton. The parish includes thehamlets ofMonkton Heathfield,Bathpool, andBurlinch and the western parts ofCoombe andWalford,[1] and had apopulation of 2,787 at the 2011 census.[2]
The charter for West Monkton was given toGlastonbury Abbey by theSaxon kingCentwine in 682.[3] The monks from the abbey gave the village its name Monkton, and it was called West as being west of the other estates of the abbey.[4]
The parish of West Monkton was part of theWhitleyHundred.[5]
After thedissolution of the monasteries the manor was granted to William Paulet, Marquess of Winchester, passing in 1616 to the Warres of Hestercombe and in 1872 to Viscount Portman ofOrchard Portman.[4]
Milling at Bathpool in theRiver Tone had a chequered history. There had been a mill at this location for several centuries, which had been rebuilt or adapted as required. In March 1812, the structure was burnt down by a fire, caused, according to theTaunton Courier, by"the excessive friction excited in the stones used in the process of shelling clover seeds". Stocks of flour, grain and flax valued at £2,500 were destroyed. The mill was rebuilt and later owned by Captain George Beadon. The mill was purchased by Thomas Redler in 1889 on the death of Beadon, but another fire damaged much of it two years later. Redler rebuilt it with safety in mind, and installed a steam-driven turbine as water levels were often inadequate to power the wheels. Two more turbines followed, and the water wheels were removed. Steam from the turbines was also used to heat bread ovens, which were amongst the first in the country to be heated in this way. In September 1915, another fire gutted the building, which was not rebuilt, and the ruins were demolished in the 1920s.[6]
In the 1820s theBridgwater and Taunton Canal was constructed. The work included the construction of several bridges to carry roads over the canal,[7] one of which is now theA38 road.[8] During the restoration of the canal in the 1980s the condition of the swing bridge at Bathpool caused a change in policy. There were objections to the plan to replace it with a fixed bridge with limited headroom, and the planning application was deferred.[6]
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 village comes under theunitary authority ofSomerset Council. Prior to this, it was part of thenon-metropolitan district ofSomerset West and Taunton (formed on 1 April 2019) and, before this, the district ofTaunton Deane (established under theLocal Government Act 1972). From 1894-1974, for local government purposes, West Monkton was part ofTaunton Rural District.[9]
There is anelectoral ward with the same name. AlthoughWest Monkton parish covers certain additional hamlets the ward extends toCheddon Fitzpaine. The total population of the ward at the2011 census was 4,304.[10]
It is also part of theTaunton and Wellingtoncounty 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.
Within the parish isHestercombe House and gardens designed by SirEdwin Lutyens.[11] Its restoration toGertrude Jekyll's original plans (1904–07) have made it "one of the best Jekyll-Lutyens gardens open to the public on a regular basis",[12] visited by approximately 70,000 people per year. The estate is Grade Ilisted on theEnglish HeritageRegister of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.[13] The site also includes a 0.08hectarebiological Site of Special Scientific Interest as it is used as a roost site byLesser Horseshoe Bats and has been designated as aSpecial Area of Conservation (SAC).[14] The house was used as the headquarters of the British8th Corps in theSecond World War, and has been owned bySomerset County Council since 1951.
Walford house was built in the late 18th century but in 1985 was converted into flats. It is a Grade II*listed building.[15]
Creech Castle was built around 1850 and was the home of the Beadon family, but was converted into a hotel[16] and is now a managed office.[17] It is named after the characteristic shaped hill opposite it.[18]
Monkton Heathfield is home toHeathfield Community School astatesecondary school with 1,181 students aged 11 – 16 and has anArts College specialist status.[19]
Theparish church of St Augustine has an 88-foot tower, four stories, with no pinnacles or fancy tracery on the windows, giving the tower a slender, austere look compared to the medievalSomerset towers of churches in nearbyTaunton, for example.Nikolaus Pevsner proposes that St Augustine's tower is older than the surrounding church towers, with a tower arch that may date to 1300 as part of a previous church building.[20] The churchyard includes astocks and whipping post under a canopy.[21]
West Monkton is home to the West Monkton Cricket Club, who play on Saturdays in the 1st and 4th divisions of the West Somerset Cricket League.[22]
