Coordinates: 51°14′37″N 2°28′01″W / 51.2437°N 2.4670°W
| Holcombe | |
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  Holcombe shown within Somerset |
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| Population | 993 [1] |
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| OS grid reference | |
| District | Mendip |
| Shire county | Somerset |
| Region | South West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| European Parliament | South West England |
| List of places: UK • England • Somerset | |
Holcombe is a small village and civil parish (estimated population 1,000) in North Somerset, England. The parishs contains the hamlet of Barlake and Edford. It is within easy commuting distance of both Bristol and Bath.
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History
Its place name is derived from the Old English Hol, meaning deep or hollow and cumb meaning valley.[2]
The original medieval village was buried at the time of the plague and the old parish church, which survives, is surrounded by the mounds that bear testimony to this burial. It is suggested that the rhyme 'Ring a Ring o' Roses' began there as a result. The village has two pubs: The Duke of Cumberland, which can be found at the bottom of the village's hill and the Holcombe Inn, which recently changed its name from The Ring O' Roses to its original 1960s name.[3] It was named the Ring O' Roses as a reminder of the plague that previously destroyed the village. The Ring O' Roses is known locally as the Guns 'n' Roses following an infamous incident during the late 1980s involving the (then) landlord and a shotgun.
Holcombe also has a post office and four churches, two of which are in use.
Holcombe was the site of several mines on the Somerset coalfield; however these are all now closed.[4]
Holcombe quarry - although no longer in use, dangerous, boarded off and the place of many an accident - remains a popular swimming destination during the summer months for the young local adventurer.
Within the village there is a large house known as Holcombe Manor which is now separated into flats.
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 Shepton Mallet Rural District,[5] 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 a 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
St Andrew which has late Saxon-early Norman origins and was rebuilt in the 16th century.[6]
Notable residents
For a time Scott of the Antarctic's parents lived at and ran the brewery in Holcombe. Members of his family are buried in a family grave (a memorial accrediting Scott's interment in the Antarctic) in the Holcombe old church.
Bob Braham, a decorated airman, was born in the village.
References
- ^ "Mendip Parish Population Estimates 2002". Somerset County Council. http://www.somerset.gov.uk/media/030F1/mendip_02mye.pdf. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
- ^ Robinson, Stephen (1992). Somerset Place Names. Wimborne, Dorset: Dovecote Press. ISBN 1874336032.
- ^ "The Ring 0' Roses". Images of England. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=267911. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
- ^ "Mining and quarrying". Holcombe Village Design Statement. http://www.mendip.gov.uk/Documents/Holcombe%20Village%20Design%20Statement.pdf. Retrieved on 2006-11-14.
- ^ A Vision of Britain Through Time : Shepton Mallet Rural District
- ^ "Church of St Andrew". Images of England. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=267901. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
