Dulverton
Encyclopedia
Dulverton is a town and civil parish in the heart of West Somerset
, England, near the border with Devon
. The town has a population of 1,630. The parish includes the hamlets of Battleton and Ashwick which is located approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north west of Dulverton. To the west of the hamlet lies Ashwich House
, built in the Edwardian style in 1901.
Dulverton is a popular tourist destination
for exploring Exmoor
, and is home to the Exmoor National Park Authority headquarters.
records it as Dolvertune and suggests it was a royal manor before the Norman Conquest.
The town lies below the iron age
hillforts of Oldberry Castle
, Mounsey Castle
and Brewer's Castle
.
The manor was granted to the Turbervilles by William I
and in the late 12th century they gave the church and some land to Taunton Priory
. The remainder of the manor passed to the Shete family. The parish of Dulverton was part of the Williton and Freemanners Hundred.
The Middle Ages saw continued growth and the establishment of fairs and markets, with several small industries based upon the traditions of upland farming and the wool trade. These include related works such as laundries
: originally used for the washing of sheep fleeces in the leat
s feeding the wide and fast-flowing River Barle
, the surviving 19th-century industrial laundries continue to provide a service to surrounding businesses. The market house in Fore Street, which is believed to date from 1760, was converted into the town hall in 1866, with the porch and external double staircase being added in 1930 by Sir Albert Richardson
.
The manor was held by the Sydenhams, who had acquired it in 1568, until 1858 when it was sold to the Earl of Carnarvon
.
Exmoor House was built as the Dulverton Union Workhouse in 1855. It is now the headquarters of the Exmoor National Park Authority.
Private housing stock generally ranges from medium-size to substantial Georgian
to late Victorian
family houses, with a small estate of post-war modern houses and bungalow
s towards the north of town.
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 town falls within the Non-metropolitan district
of West Somerset
, which was formed on April 1, 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972
, having previously been part of Dulverton Rural District
. The district council is responsible for local planning
and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health
, market
s and fairs, refuse collection and recycling
, cemeteries and crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism
.
Somerset County Council
is 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.
As Dulverton falls within the Exmoor National Park some functions normally administered by district or county councils have, since 1997, fallen under the Exmoor National Park Authority, which is known as a ‘single purpose’ authority, which aims to "conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Parks" and "promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the Parks by the public", including responsibility for the conservation of the historic environment.
It is also part of the Bridgwater and West Somerset 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 six MEPs using the d'Hondt method
of party-list proportional representation
.
The town lies in the deep, wooded valley
of the River Barle
, at an ancient route convergence and river crossing. The river and the Barle Valley
are both designated as biological Site of Special Scientific Interest. The river passes under the Tarr Steps
a prehistoric clapper bridge
possibly dating from 1000 BC. The stone slabs weigh up to 5 tons apiece. According to local legend, they were placed by the devil to win a bet. The bridge is 180 feet (55 m) long and has 17 spans. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a grade I listed building. The other bridges over the Barle include the five span Barle Bridge which is medieval in origin. It has double rings on the downstream side and single rings on the upstream side. It was repaired in 1624, and subsequently widened in 1819 by John Stone. It was further repaired in 1866 and in 1952–1953 after flood damage. The 18th century Marsh Bridge was altered in 1866 when the central pier was removed and an iron bridge inserted. The parapet was destroyed in 1952 and reconstructed in steel in 1979. Towards Brushford
the River Barle is crossed by the New Bridge dating from 1870, which led to Pixton Park
, which was the home of John Dyke Acland
and his wife Harriet Acland
and later the family of Evelyn Waugh
and Auberon Waugh
.
The other major river in the parish is the River Exe
, which is on the parish boundary with Brompton Regis
, which is crossed by the medieval Chilly Bridge and Hele Bridge, and the 18th century Weir Bridge.
In between the town centre and the river is a large recreation meadow
which recently underwent renovation by locals (including the pupils of Dulverton Middle School) supported by a Barclays Bank New Futures Scheme.
South of the town is Briggins Moor
a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest
which provides an example of unimproved mire of a type which is restricted to south-west England and Wales and which has been significantly reduced in extent in the recent past. Purple Moor-grass (Molinia caerulea) and Meadow Thistle
(Cirsium dissectum) are abundant. There is a large colony of the Marsh Fritillary
butterfly (Eurodryas aurinia).
Two miles from Dulverton is the village of Brushford
, where the Dulverton railway station
on the Taunton
to Barnstaple
line used to be. It opened in 1873 and closed to passengers, who transferred to Dulverton by bus, in 1963. The station buildings are still visible and it is clear where the lines used to run as the railway embankment is still visible and worn in places although the rails have been lifted.
The Congregational Church in Chapel Street was built in the 19th century with adjoining schoolrooms.
have been named HMS Dulverton
after the Dulverton Hunt. The first Dulverton (L63)
, launched in 1941, was a type II Hunt-class
destroyer
. She served in World War II
and was scuttled in 1943 after being severely damaged by German air attack. The second and current Dulverton (M35)
, launched in 1982, is a Hunt-class minesweeper
.
West Somerset
West Somerset is a local government district in the English county of Somerset. The council covers a largely rural area, with a population of 35,075 in an area of ....
, England, near the border with Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. The town has a population of 1,630. The parish includes the hamlets of Battleton and Ashwick which is located approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north west of Dulverton. To the west of the hamlet lies Ashwich House
Ashwick House (near Dulverton)
Ashwick House is a Grade II listed Edwardian mansion in Ashwick, four miles northwest of Dulverton, Exmoor, Somerset, England.The house is located on a hillside overlooking the Barle Valley. It was built in 1901 by a Bristolian businessman as a hunting retreat. It sits in six acres of sprawling...
, built in the Edwardian style in 1901.
Dulverton is a popular tourist destination
Tourist destination
A tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...
for exploring Exmoor
Exmoor
Exmoor is an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England, named after the main river that flows out of the district, the River Exe. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and ...
, and is home to the Exmoor National Park Authority headquarters.
History
The name Dulverton was first recorded in 1084 as dieglaford-tun meaning "hidden ford"-tun. The Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
records it as Dolvertune and suggests it was a royal manor before the Norman Conquest.
The town lies below the iron age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hillforts of Oldberry Castle
Oldberry Castle
Oldberry Castle is an Iron Age hill fort north west of Dulverton, Somerset, England. It lies approximately north-west from Dulverton, close to the Devon border. It has been designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument....
, Mounsey Castle
Mounsey Castle
Mounsey Castle is an Iron Age irregular triangular earthwork of north west of Dulverton, Somerset, England. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument .It is surrounded by the remains of coursed stone walling, with an entrance to the west....
and Brewer's Castle
Brewer's Castle
Brewer's Castle is a defended Iron Age settlement in the West Somerset district of Somerset, England. The hill fort is situated approximately west from the town of Dulverton.The settlement survives as an earthwork situated on Hawkridge Ridge Wood...
.
The manor was granted to the Turbervilles by William I
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
and in the late 12th century they gave the church and some land to Taunton Priory
Taunton Priory
Taunton Priory, or the Priory of St Peter and St Paul, was an Augustinian monastery founded c. 1115 by William Gyffarde , Bishop of Winchester and Chancellor of England near Taunton, Somerset, England....
. The remainder of the manor passed to the Shete family. The parish of Dulverton was part of the Williton and Freemanners Hundred.
The Middle Ages saw continued growth and the establishment of fairs and markets, with several small industries based upon the traditions of upland farming and the wool trade. These include related works such as laundries
Laundry
Laundry is a noun that refers to the act of washing clothing and linens, the place where that washing is done, and/or that which needs to be, is being, or has been laundered...
: originally used for the washing of sheep fleeces in the leat
Leat
A leat is the name, common in the south and west of England and in Wales, for an artificial watercourse or aqueduct dug into the ground, especially one supplying water to a watermill or its mill pond...
s feeding the wide and fast-flowing River Barle
River Barle
The River Barle runs from the Chains on northern Exmoor, in Somerset, England to join the River Exe at Exebridge, Devon. The river and the Barle Valley are both designated as biological Site of Special Scientific Interest....
, the surviving 19th-century industrial laundries continue to provide a service to surrounding businesses. The market house in Fore Street, which is believed to date from 1760, was converted into the town hall in 1866, with the porch and external double staircase being added in 1930 by Sir Albert Richardson
Albert Richardson
Sir Albert Edward Richardson K.C.V.O., F.R.I.B.A, F.S.A., was a leading English architect, teacher and writer about architecture during the first half of the 20th century...
.
The manor was held by the Sydenhams, who had acquired it in 1568, until 1858 when it was sold to the Earl of Carnarvon
Earl of Carnarvon
Earl of Carnarvon is a title that has been created three times in British history. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1628 in favour of Robert Dormer, 2nd Baron Dormer. For more information on this creation, which became extinct in 1709, see the Baron Dormer.The title was created...
.
Exmoor House was built as the Dulverton Union Workhouse in 1855. It is now the headquarters of the Exmoor National Park Authority.
Private housing stock generally ranges from medium-size to substantial Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
to late Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
family houses, with a small estate of post-war modern houses and bungalow
Bungalow
A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...
s towards the north of town.
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 watchNeighbourhood Watch (UK)
The Neighbourhood Watch scheme in the United Kingdom is a partnership where people come together to make their communities safer. It involves the Police, Community Safety departments of local authorities, other voluntary organisations and, above all, individuals and families who want to make their...
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 town falls within the Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
of West Somerset
West Somerset
West Somerset is a local government district in the English county of Somerset. The council covers a largely rural area, with a population of 35,075 in an area of ....
, which was formed on April 1, 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, having previously been part of Dulverton Rural District
Dulverton Rural District
Dulverton was a rural district in Somerset, England, from 1894 to 1974.It was created in 1894 under the Local Government Act 1894.In 1974 it was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 and responsibilities transferred to West Somerset....
. The district council is responsible for local planning
Planning permission
Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...
and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health
Environmental health
Environmental health is the branch of public health that is concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment that may affect human health...
, market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
s and fairs, refuse collection and recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
, cemeteries and crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
.
Somerset County Council
Somerset County Council
Somerset County Council is the county council of Somerset in the South West of England, an elected local government authority responsible for the most significant local government services in most of the county.-Area covered:...
is responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as education
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
, social services, libraries
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, main roads, public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
, policing
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
and fire services, trading standards
Trading Standards
Trading Standards is the name given to local authority departments in the UK formerly known as Weights and Measures. These departments investigate commercial organisations that carry out trade in unethical ways or outside the scope of the law.-History:...
, waste disposal and strategic planning.
As Dulverton falls within the Exmoor National Park some functions normally administered by district or county councils have, since 1997, fallen under the Exmoor National Park Authority, which is known as a ‘single purpose’ authority, which aims to "conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Parks" and "promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the Parks by the public", including responsibility for the conservation of the historic environment.
It is also part of the Bridgwater and West Somerset county constituency represented in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP)
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
by the first past the post system of election, and part of the South West England constituency
South West England (European Parliament constituency)
South West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation, reduced from 7 in 2004.-Boundaries:...
of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
which elects six MEPs using the d'Hondt method
D'Hondt method
The d'Hondt method is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. The method described is named after Belgian mathematician Victor D'Hondt who described it in 1878...
of party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation systems are a family of voting systems emphasizing proportional representation in elections in which multiple candidates are elected...
.
Geography
Barle Valley
Barle Valley is a 104.2 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Devon and Somerset, notified in 1997.The site includes the Somerset Wildlife Trust's Mounsey Wood Nature Reserve and Knaplock and North Barton SSSI notified in 1954...
of the River Barle
River Barle
The River Barle runs from the Chains on northern Exmoor, in Somerset, England to join the River Exe at Exebridge, Devon. The river and the Barle Valley are both designated as biological Site of Special Scientific Interest....
, at an ancient route convergence and river crossing. The river and the Barle Valley
Barle Valley
Barle Valley is a 104.2 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Devon and Somerset, notified in 1997.The site includes the Somerset Wildlife Trust's Mounsey Wood Nature Reserve and Knaplock and North Barton SSSI notified in 1954...
are both designated as biological Site of Special Scientific Interest. The river passes under the Tarr Steps
Tarr Steps
The Tarr Steps are a prehistoric clapper bridge across the River Barle in the Exmoor National Park, Somerset, England. They are located in a National Nature Reserve about south east of Withypool and north west of Dulverton....
a prehistoric clapper bridge
Clapper bridge
A clapper bridge is an ancient form of bridge found on the moors of Devon and in other upland areas of the United Kingdom including Snowdonia and Anglesey...
possibly dating from 1000 BC. The stone slabs weigh up to 5 tons apiece. According to local legend, they were placed by the devil to win a bet. The bridge is 180 feet (55 m) long and has 17 spans. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a grade I listed building. The other bridges over the Barle include the five span Barle Bridge which is medieval in origin. It has double rings on the downstream side and single rings on the upstream side. It was repaired in 1624, and subsequently widened in 1819 by John Stone. It was further repaired in 1866 and in 1952–1953 after flood damage. The 18th century Marsh Bridge was altered in 1866 when the central pier was removed and an iron bridge inserted. The parapet was destroyed in 1952 and reconstructed in steel in 1979. Towards Brushford
Brushford, Somerset
Brushford is a village and civil parish south of Dulverton and north of Tiverton in Devon, in the West Somerset district of Somerset, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 535 in 243 households...
the River Barle is crossed by the New Bridge dating from 1870, which led to Pixton Park
Pixton Park
Pixton Park is a country house in the parish of Dulverton, Somerset, England. It is associated with at least three historically significant families or dynasties: the Acland Baronets, the politicians and diplomats the Herberts, and the Waughs, a series of writers...
, which was the home of John Dyke Acland
John Dyke Acland
Major John Dyke Acland , son of Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 7th Baronet, was a British officer who fought in the American War of Independence and, later, a politician....
and his wife Harriet Acland
Harriet Acland
Lady Harriet Acland was a British noblewoman, nurse and diarist.She was born Lady Christian Henrietta Caroline Fox-Strangways, the daughter of Stephen Fox-Strangways, 1st Earl of Ilchester, and married Major John Dyke Acland...
and later the family of Evelyn Waugh
Evelyn Waugh
Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh , known as Evelyn Waugh, was an English writer of novels, travel books and biographies. He was also a prolific journalist and reviewer...
and Auberon Waugh
Auberon Waugh
Auberon Alexander Waugh was a British author and journalist, son of the novelist Evelyn Waugh. He was known to his family and friends as Bron Waugh.-Life and career:...
.
The other major river in the parish is the River Exe
River Exe
The River Exe in England rises near the village of Simonsbath, on Exmoor in Somerset, near the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lies in Devon. It reaches the sea at a substantial ria, the Exe Estuary, on the south coast of Devon...
, which is on the parish boundary with Brompton Regis
Brompton Regis
Brompton Regis is a village and civil parish in the West Somerset district of Somerset, England about north-east of Dulverton. It is situated on the River Haddeo in the Brendon Hills within the Exmoor National Park, close to Wimbleball Lake, a water supply reservoir constructed in the 1970s and...
, which is crossed by the medieval Chilly Bridge and Hele Bridge, and the 18th century Weir Bridge.
In between the town centre and the river is a large recreation meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
which recently underwent renovation by locals (including the pupils of Dulverton Middle School) supported by a Barclays Bank New Futures Scheme.
South of the town is Briggins Moor
Briggins Moor
Briggins Moor is a 15.3 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset, notified in 1994. The site is south of Dulverton and close to the border with Devon....
a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
which provides an example of unimproved mire of a type which is restricted to south-west England and Wales and which has been significantly reduced in extent in the recent past. Purple Moor-grass (Molinia caerulea) and Meadow Thistle
Cirsium
Cirsium is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistles. They are more accurately known as Plume thistles. These differ from other thistle genera in having feathered hairs to their achenes...
(Cirsium dissectum) are abundant. There is a large colony of the Marsh Fritillary
Marsh Fritillary
The Marsh Fritillary, Euphydryas aurinia, is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family.It is widespread in the Palaearctic region from Ireland in the West to Yakutia in the East, and to North-west China and Mongolia in the South.E. aurinia is represented by many subspecies.The most widely accepted...
butterfly (Eurodryas aurinia).
Transport
Brushford, Somerset
Brushford is a village and civil parish south of Dulverton and north of Tiverton in Devon, in the West Somerset district of Somerset, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 535 in 243 households...
, where the Dulverton railway station
Dulverton railway station
Dulverton railway station was the largest intermediate station on the Devon and Somerset Railway, which ran from Taunton to Barnstaple. The station served the town of Dulverton and from 1884 acted also as the junction station for the Exe Valley Railway, which ran through Bampton, Devon and Tiverton...
on the Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
to Barnstaple
Barnstaple
Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
line used to be. It opened in 1873 and closed to passengers, who transferred to Dulverton by bus, in 1963. The station buildings are still visible and it is clear where the lines used to run as the railway embankment is still visible and worn in places although the rails have been lifted.
Religious sites
The parish Church of All Saints in Bank Square has a tower from the 15th century, which was extensively restored between 1853 and 1855 when the rest of church was rebuilt by Edward Ashworth. It has been designated as Grade II* listed buildingThe Congregational Church in Chapel Street was built in the 19th century with adjoining schoolrooms.
Cultural references
Two ships of the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
have been named HMS Dulverton
HMS Dulverton
Two ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Dulverton after the Dulverton hunt:* The first Dulverton , launched in 1941, was a type II Hunt-class destroyer...
after the Dulverton Hunt. The first Dulverton (L63)
HMS Dulverton (L63)
HMS Dulverton was a Type II Hunt class destroyer of the Royal Navy. Launched in 1941, she saw service during the Second World War until being damaged by German aircraft in 1943 during the Battle of Leros, and was scuttled....
, launched in 1941, was a type II Hunt-class
Hunt class destroyer
The Hunt class was a class of Destroyer escort of the Royal Navy. The first vessels were ordered early in 1939, and the class saw extensive service in World War II, particularly on the British East Coast and Mediterranean convoys. They were named after British fox hunts...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
. She served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and was scuttled in 1943 after being severely damaged by German air attack. The second and current Dulverton (M35)
HMS Dulverton (M35)
HMS Dulverton was a Hunt-class mine countermeasure vessel of the British Royal Navy, launched in 1982 and converted in 1997 into a patrol vessel. The ship was declared surplus to requirement and put on the MoD list for disposal in 2004...
, launched in 1982, is a Hunt-class minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
.
Notable Dulvertonians
- Aubrey HerbertAubrey HerbertAubrey Nigel Henry Molyneux Herbert was a British diplomat, traveller and intelligence officer associated with Albanian independence. Twice he was offered the throne of Albania...
, diplomat, traveller and intelligence officer, was given Pixton ParkPixton ParkPixton Park is a country house in the parish of Dulverton, Somerset, England. It is associated with at least three historically significant families or dynasties: the Acland Baronets, the politicians and diplomats the Herberts, and the Waughs, a series of writers...
by his mother - Auberon Herbert (landowner)Auberon Herbert (landowner)Auberon Herbert was a British landowner and advocate of Eastern European causes after World War II.Herbert was the son of Aubrey Herbert, Member of Parliament , who died the year after his birth, and brother-in-law of the famous novelist, Evelyn Waugh...
opened up Pixton Park to Eastern Europeans after World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... - John NelderJohn NelderJohn Ashworth Nelder FRS was a British statistician known for his contributions to experimental design, analysis of variance, computational statistics, and statistical theory.-Contributions:...
, statistician - Auberon WaughAuberon WaughAuberon Alexander Waugh was a British author and journalist, son of the novelist Evelyn Waugh. He was known to his family and friends as Bron Waugh.-Life and career:...
, writer and journalist, born in 1939 at Pixton Park, Dulverton - George WilliamsGeorge Williams (YMCA)Sir George Williams , was the founder of the YMCA.Williams was born on a farm in Dulverton, Somerset, England. As a young man, he described himself as a "careless, thoughtless, godless, swearing young fellow" but eventually became a devout Christian.He went to London and worked in a draper's shop...
, founder of the YMCAYMCAThe Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, born in Dulverton in 1821 - The WillsSir Frederick Wills, 1st BaronetSir Frederick Wills, 1st Baronet was a businessman in the United Kingdom. He was a director of W. D. & H. O. Wills, which later merged into the Imperial Tobacco Company....
family hold the title of Lord Dulverton