| Clatworthy | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Clatworthy Location withinSomerset | |
| Population | 101 (2001)[1] |
| OS grid reference | ST052309 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | TAUNTON |
| Postcode district | TA4 |
| Dialling code | 01984 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°04′11″N3°21′12″W / 51.0697°N 3.3532°W /51.0697; -3.3532 | |
Clatworthy is a village andcivil parish inSomerset, England. It is situated 10 miles (16 km) fromWellington and four miles (6 km) fromWiveliscombe on the southern slopes of theBrendon Hills and close to theExmoor National Park.
TheClatworthy Reservoir is run byWessex Water and has a capacity of 5,364,000 cubic metres,[2] supplying some 200,000 homes. It impounds the head waters of theRiver Tone and the surrounding area is used for walking and fishing.
The name of the village means the "homestead where burdock grows".[3][4][5][6] The name appears in the Doomesday Book, 1086, and is the Norman version of the original Anglo Saxon name which was Clota's Wertig [farm]. The Normans changed the name to clateurde which became clatworthy and in some instances Clotworthy.[7]
The parish of Clatworthy was part of theWilliton and FreemannersHundred.[8]
Just west of the village, at the edge ofExmoor National Park, is theClatworthy Reservoir, which impounds the headwaters ofRiver Tone and supplies water to some 200,000 homes and businesses, some as far away asYeovil. AnIron Age enclosure known asClatworthy Castle was sited on the wooded slopes above the reservoir and there areround barrows in the north of the parish.[3]
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 parish 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 ofWest Somerset (established under theLocal Government Act 1972). It was part ofWilliton Rural District before 1974.[9]
It is also part of theTiverton and Minehead 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 parishChurch of St Mary Magdalene has a 12th-century tower. The nave was rebuilt in 1872, while the chancel was rebuilt and the tower altered between 1860 and 1883.[10]
Media related toClatworthy at Wikimedia Commons
