| Ruishton | |
|---|---|
_north_side.JPG) | |
  Ruishton Location withinSomerset | |
| Population | 1,473 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | ST265245 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | TAUNTON |
| Postcode district | TA3 |
| Dialling code | 01823 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°00′54″N3°02′57″W / 51.0151°N 3.0491°W /51.0151; -3.0491 | |
Ruishton is a village andcivil parish inSomerset, England, situated on theRiver Tone andA358 road 2 miles (3.2 km) east ofTaunton. The village has apopulation of 1,473.[1] The parish includes thehamlet ofHenlade.
The name Ruishton meanssettlement where rushes grow.[2]
Cambria Farm which is now the site of aPark and ride close to Junction 25 of theM5 motorway was the site of aBronze andIron Age settlement andRoman farm.[3]
Thetithings of Ruishton and Henlade formed part of the manor of Taunton Deane from the 9th century.[2] The parish of Ruishton was part of theTaunton DeaneHundred.[4]
Henlade House was built between 1805 and 1815, by an unidentified Italian architect forJohn Proctor Anderdon. It has been designated as a Grade II*listed building.[5] During World War II, it was host to a private school from Folkestone who were evacuated here.[6] It is now a hotel.[2]
Ruishton House dates from 1893. It was built by a Mr Spiller for Stuart Somerville. The Somerville family owned the paperworks atCreech St Michael, and there is a memorial to them in the Church of St George.[7]
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 to 1974, for local government purposes, Ruishton was part ofTaunton Rural District.[8]
The appropriateelectoral ward is called 'Ruishton and Creech'. The ward stretches fromThornfalcon in the south, throughCreech St. Michael toAdsborough. The total population of this ward is 4,008.[9]
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.
TheNorman parishChurch of St George was built in the 14th and 15th centuries and has been designated as a grade Ilisted building.[10] In the churchyard is the remains of a 15th-century cross.[11]
