| Nether Stowey | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Nether Stowey Location withinSomerset | |
| Population | 1,373 [1] |
| OS grid reference | ST194398 |
| 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°09′07″N3°09′14″W / 51.152°N 3.154°W /51.152; -3.154 | |
Nether Stowey is a large village inSomerset, South West England. It sits in the foothills of theQuantock Hills (England's firstArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty), just belowOver Stowey. Theparish of Nether Stowey covers approximately 4 km2, with a population of 1,482 (2021 census).[1]
TheIron Age fort ofDowsborough lies about one and a half miles west of the village.
In theDomesday Book of 1086 it was recorded asStawei, the name coming from theOld Englishstanweg, or paved road.[2]
The parish of Nether Stowey was part of theWilliton and FreemannersHundred.[3]
Nether Stowey may have been a borough as early as 1157 or 1158 but by 1225 it is officially recorded as such. The economy of the medieval town was based on textiles and pottery, and it had both a weekly market and a yearly fair after 1304.[2]
During the "Bloody Assizes" in the autumn of 1685, in the aftermath ofDuke of Monmouth'sRebellion, men from Nether Stowey who were caught up in the rebellion are said to have beenhanged, drawn and quartered in the village after they were sentenced to death byJudge Jeffries. Their body parts were then displayed around the village to discourage others from rebellion against theKing. Many villages throughout theSouth West were witness to the same bloody retribution.
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.[4]
The village is part of the 'Quantocks'electoral ward. The ward stretches fromNether Stowey north east toStockland Bristol and south east toGoathurst. The total ward population at the2011 census was 4,471.[5]
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.
Stowey Castle is aNormanmotte-and-bailey castle, built in the 11th century. The blue lias rubble walling is the only visible structural remains of the castle which stand on a conical earthwork with a ditch approximately 250 metres (820 ft) in circumference.[6] The castle was destroyed in the 15th century, which may have been as a penalty for the localLord Audley's involvement in theSecond Cornish Uprising of 1497 led byPerkin Warbeck.[7]
The castle is ascheduled monument[8] and the foundations of the keep are a Grade Ilisted building.[9]
TheChurch of St Mary the Virgin has a 15th-century tower, with the remainder of the church being rebuilt in 1851 byRichard Carver andCharles Edmund Giles. It has been designated as a Grade II* listed building.[10]
Stowey Court may contain part ofLord Audley's original house which was left unfinished after his execution in 1497 until his descendants rebuilt the half-finished dwelling.[11] Most of the current building is 19th and 20th-century.[12] In 2008 theBritish Museum exhibited a hoard of silverware that was found near Stowey Court. The spoons, a goblet and a bell shaped salt cellars are thought to date from the time of theEnglish Civil War and they were recently discovered in a brokenearthenware jar using a metal detector.[13]
Stowey Court is a Grade II listed building.[14]
Coleridge Cottage was, between 1797 and 1799, the home ofSamuel Taylor Coleridge, one of the founders of theRomantic Movement in poetry (along withWilliam Wordsworth, who himself lived three miles away). It was here he wrote the poemsThe Rime of the Ancient Mariner andKubla Khan.
The cottage is a Grade II* listed building.[15]
TheColeridge Way starts at the cottage and celebrates his walks in the area.[16]
Poole House is thought to have been built in the late 17th century although some parts may be even older. Local tanner, politician and philanthropistThomas Poole lived in the house in the late 18th and early 19th century. Poole provided a cottage, Coleridge Cottage, for the use of the romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Coleridge spent much time in Poole House, reading and writing in the barrel room. William Wordsworth and his sister were also frequent visitors.
Poole House is now a grade II listed building[17] and many original features remain including fireplaces and the Georgian interior.[18]
The Clock Tower in St Mary Street was built in 1897. During 2011, the Clock Tower underwent a major refurbishment job which saw the replacement of several components of the bell chiming system. The tower also received a fresh coat of paint.[19]
The Clock Tower is a Grade II* listed building.[20]
In the last 50 years, the building nearby ofHinkley Point A andHinkley Point Bnuclear power stations has produced small growth, including the building of a second new (last 20 years) housing development.
Local amenities include twopubs (The Ancient Mariner, and "The George Hotel, a doctor's surgery, aRetained / Part Time Fire Station and aprimary school. There are also severalshops, apost office, and places offeringbed and breakfast. There is a tourist information centre in thelibrary, which is housed in the old primary school building. Adjacent to this is a smallcar park withpublic toilets.
In July 1789, local resident John Walford murdered his wife after a visit toCastle of Comfort Farm (a pub that still exists). He was tried and found guilty. He was executed in the spot where he committed his crime and hung in a gibbet. Walford's gibbet is a local landmark. The cage in which he was hung is now held at theMuseum of Somerset in Taunton. Walford attained notoriety due to the brutality of the crime in an otherwise quiet and peaceful village.[21] His relatives still live in the village to this day.
Thomas Poole was a localtanner who became wealthy and founded the Nether Stowey Women'sFriendly Society in 1807. The Society continued (under several different names) until 1975 and is still celebrated annually.[22] Poole was also a patron of Coleridge and Wordsworth.[21]
The village was the birthplace ofJesuit priestRobert Parsons.
The poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge lived in the village between 1797 and 1799, as noted above.
The village is twinned withTheillay in the Loir-et-Cher department of France, and the Nether Stowey Twinning Association was established in 1996 by Glyn Legge and Steve Darch.[23]Every year Theillay and Nether Stowey organise an annual trip to each village, taking turns every year.
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