Coordinates: 51°05′55″N 2°40′40″W / 51.0987°N 2.6777°W
| Butleigh | |
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  Butleigh shown within Somerset |
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| Population | 1,000 |
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| OS grid reference | |
| District | Mendip |
| Shire county | Somerset |
| Region | South West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | GLASTONBURY |
| Postcode district | BA6 |
| Dialling code | 01458 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| European Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | Wells |
| List of places: UK • England • Somerset | |
Butleigh is a small village and civil parish, located in Somerset. The nearest village to it is Barton St David, and it is located a short distance from Glastonbury and Street. Its population is approximately 1,000, and is home to a church, small village shop and a Church of England school, Butleigh School [1] and Butleigh Nursery School.
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History
Butleigh Court, which was abandoned for many years and has now been brought back into use, is noted for its interesting architecture including the tall carved chimney stacks, which are all different. Local legend has it that the family was cursed to die out within a hundred years, which subsequently happened. Another interesting landmark is the cedar avenue, just outside the village. It was built in 1845 by
The village history is told in a slim book, Butleigh - One thousand years of an English Village, by E F Synge, former vicar at the parish church. A reconstruction of life of one farm worker, John Hodges, who lived in the village during the Victorian era is illustrated at the Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury.
There is the lofty column of the Admiral Hood Monument raised to the memory of Sir Samuel Hood on a hill near Butleigh and in Butleigh Church is another memorial,[2] with an inscription written by Robert Southey.
There is also a 16th century pub in Butleigh called The Rose and Portcullis.
Governance
The parish 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, and neighbourhood 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.
The village falls within the Non-metropolitan district of Mendip, which was formed on April 1, 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Wells Rural District,[3] who are responsible for local planning and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection and recycling, cemeteries and crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism.
Somerset County Council are responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as education, social services, libraries, main roads, public transport, policing and fire services, trading standards, waste disposal and strategic planning.
It is also part of the Wells county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election, and part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament which elects seven MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.
Religious sites
The Church of St. Leonard dates from the 14th century, and was restored and extended in the mid 19th century by J. C. Buckler. It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II* listed building.[4]
References
- ^ "Butleigh Court". Images of England. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=267748. Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
- ^ "Hood family monument". Images of England. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=267723. Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
- ^ A Vision of Britain Through Time : Wells Rural District
- ^ "Church of St. Leonard". Images of England. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=267722. Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
External links
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