| Goathurst | |
|---|---|
 Halswell House | |
 Temple of Harmony | |
  Goathurst Location withinSomerset | |
| Population | 193 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | ST255345 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BRIDGWATER |
| Postcode district | TA5 |
| Dialling code | 01278 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°06′11″N3°03′50″W / 51.103°N 3.064°W /51.103; -3.064 | |
Goathurst is a small village andcivil parish in theEnglish county ofSomerset, around 3 miles from the town ofBridgwater. The parish includes thehamlets ofAndersfield andHuntstile. The village is on the route of theSamaritans Way South West.
Goathurst was part of thehundred ofAndersfield.[2]
Originally part of theRoyal Forest of North Petherton, its first squire owned[3] Goathurst'sSt Edward's church, a Grade Ilisted building[4] which includes a 19th-century monument to three-year-old Isabella Kemeys, showing the child lying on a pillow holding a broken flower.[5]
Goathurst was the location of a 300-personprisoner of war camp duringWorld War II, initially housingItalian prisoners from theWestern Desert Campaign, and laterGerman prisoners following theBattle of Normandy.[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 ofSedgemoor, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under theLocal Government Act 1972, having previously been part ofBridgwater Rural District.[7]
It is also part of theBridgwatercounty 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, and was part of theSouth West England constituency of theEuropean Parliament prior toBritain leaving the European Union in January 2020, which elected sevenMEPs using thed'Hondt method ofparty-list proportional representation.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
