| Great Elm | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Bridge over Mells River | |
  Great Elm Location withinSomerset | |
| Population | 171 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | ST745495 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | FROME |
| Postcode district | BA11 |
| Dialling code | 01373 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°14′29″N2°21′48″W / 51.24139°N 2.36333°W /51.24139; -2.36333 | |
Great Elm is a village andcivil parish betweenMells andFrome inSomerset, England. The parish includes the hamlet ofHapsford. In 2011 the parish had a population of 171.
The name Great Elm was recorded asTelma in theDomesday Book of 1086, and then asTeames in 1236 which is a contraction ofaet elmat the elm tree. Little Elm developed into the village ofChantry.[2]
AtTedbury Camp southwest of the village a pot of Roman coins was dug up in 1961.[2]
After theNorman Conquest the manor was held by the Giffards and later by the Hidges family and then the Stracheys.[2]
The parish was part of thehundred ofFrome.[3]
For many years in the 18th and 19th centuries Great Elm was the site of water powered mills owned byJames Fussell IV.[4]
The Stracheys owned Rock House for a period early in the 20th century.
Hapsford House on Hapsford Hill is a 19th-century country house.[5]
TheJackdaws Music Education Trust has been based in the village since 1993.
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.
Until 2023 it was in theNon-metropolitan district ofMendip, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under theLocal Government Act 1972, having previously been part ofFrome Rural District.[6]
Somerset Council is responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such aseducation,social services,libraries, main roads,public transport,policing andfire services,trading standards,waste disposal and strategic planning.
It is also part of theFrome and East Somersetcounty 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.
The village lies above theMells River in theMendip Hills.
Vallis Vale is a biological andgeological Site of Special Scientific Interest which includes anancient woodland and exposes some of Britain's most classic rock outcrops, exhibiting several of the most easily demonstrated examples ofangular unconformity available.[7]
TheMacmillan Way long-distance path passes through the village, theMendip Way passes by on the far side of the river, and the village is just off the Colliers Way,National Cycle Route 24.
The parish is crossed by aMendip Rail railway line which carries aggregate trains fromWhatley Quarry. On 6 October 2008 a freight train was hit from behind by a runaway train near Great Elm on the private line from Whatley Quarry. There were no serious injuries.[8][9]
TheChurch of St Mary Magdalene dates from the 12th century and is a Grade Ilisted building.[10]
Media related toGreat Elm at Wikimedia Commons
