Spaxton
Encyclopedia
Spaxton is a small village and civil parish
on the Quantocks
in the Sedgemoor
district of Somerset
, South West England
.
.
The parish includes the village of Aisholt which is one of the Thankful Villages
- those villages that suffered no fatalities during the Great War of 1914-1918, and contains the 14th century Church of All Saints. Also in the parish is the village of Charlynch (or Charlinch) where, around 1850 Henry James Prince the founder of the Agapemonites
was ordained to the curacy of Charlinch, where he had sole charge in the illness and absence of the rector, the Rev. Samuel Starkey. The Church of St Mary
was an Anglican Parish Church, but has now been deconsecrated. It dates from the 11th century with a tower probably of 1867. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building. It contains monuments and tablets to the family of Admiral Robert Blake
.
The name of Spaxton originates from "Spakr", a Dane who settled in the area in about the 9th century. An alternative derivation relies on it being recorded as Spacheston in the Domesday Book
, meaning 'The councillor's enclosure', from the Old English spæcas and tun
. It was the property of Alfred of Spain.
During the 19th century, the village was home to the notorious religious cult of the Agapemone
.
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 Sedgemoor
, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972
, having previously been part of Bridgwater Rural District
, which 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.
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 seven MEPs using the d'Hondt method
of party-list proportional representation
.
which supplies water for Bridgwater
, constructed between 1960 and 1962, and the Ashford Reservoir
which was constructed in 1932.
at Gothelney Green was built in the 15th century and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.
has some parts from the 12th and 13th centuries but is predominantly from the 15th century, and was restored
in 1895. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
on the Quantocks
Quantock Hills
The Quantock Hills is a range of hills west of Bridgwater in Somerset, England. The Quantock Hills were England’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty being designated in 1956 and consists of large amounts of heathland, oak woodlands, ancient parklands and agricultural land.The hills run from...
in the Sedgemoor
Sedgemoor
Sedgemoor is a low lying area of land in Somerset, England. It lies close to sea level south of the Polden Hills, historically largely marsh . The eastern part is known as King's Sedgemoor, and the western part West Sedgemoor. Sedgemoor is part of the area now known as the Somerset Levels...
district of Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, South West England
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
.
History
Spaxton was part of the hundred of CanningtonCannington (hundred)
The Hundred of Cannington is one of the 40 historical Hundreds in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, dating from before the Norman conquest during the Anglo-Saxon era although exact dates are unknown. Each hundred had a 'fyrd', which acted as the local defence force and a court which was...
.
The parish includes the village of Aisholt which is one of the Thankful Villages
Thankful Villages
Thankful Villages are settlements in both England and Wales from which all their then members of the armed forces survived World War I. The term Thankful Village was popularised by the writer Arthur Mee in the 1930s...
- those villages that suffered no fatalities during the Great War of 1914-1918, and contains the 14th century Church of All Saints. Also in the parish is the village of Charlynch (or Charlinch) where, around 1850 Henry James Prince the founder of the Agapemonites
Agapemonites
Agapemonites or Community of The Son of Man was a religious sect existing from 1846–1956, named for the meaning 'Abode of Love'.Founded in 1846 by the charismatic priest Henry James Prince this sect was based upon the theories of various German religious mystics and its primary object was the...
was ordained to the curacy of Charlinch, where he had sole charge in the illness and absence of the rector, the Rev. Samuel Starkey. The Church of St Mary
Church of St Mary, Spaxton
The Church of St Mary at Charlynch in the parish of Spaxton, Somerset, England was an Anglican Parish Church, but has now been deconsecrated. It dates from the 11th century with a tower probably of 1867. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building....
was an Anglican Parish Church, but has now been deconsecrated. It dates from the 11th century with a tower probably of 1867. 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. It contains monuments and tablets to the family of Admiral Robert Blake
Robert Blake (admiral)
Robert Blake was one of the most important military commanders of the Commonwealth of England and one of the most famous English admirals of the 17th century. Blake is recognised as the chief founder of England's naval supremacy, a dominance subsequently inherited by the British Royal Navy into...
.
The name of Spaxton originates from "Spakr", a Dane who settled in the area in about the 9th century. An alternative derivation relies on it being recorded as Spacheston in the Domesday Book
Domesday 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...
, meaning 'The councillor's enclosure', from the Old English spæcas and tun
Tun
- Science and technology :* TUN/TAP, a computer network device driver* TUN , a Danish product standard for building materials* Tun , a part of the Mayan long count calendar system* A unit of time in the Mayan Long Count calendar...
. It was the property of Alfred of Spain.
During the 19th century, the village was home to the notorious religious cult of the Agapemone
Agapemone
Agapemone, or "The A" was a Christian religious group and community founded in 1846 by Reverend Henry Prince in Spaxton, Somerset, England. He had been fired earlier in his career for his 'radical teachings'. The Agapemonites predicated the imminent return of Jesus Christ...
.
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 village 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 Sedgemoor
Sedgemoor
Sedgemoor is a low lying area of land in Somerset, England. It lies close to sea level south of the Polden Hills, historically largely marsh . The eastern part is known as King's Sedgemoor, and the western part West Sedgemoor. Sedgemoor is part of the area now known as the Somerset Levels...
, which was formed on 1 April 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 Bridgwater Rural District
Bridgwater Rural District
Bridgwater 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 becoming part of Sedgemoor....
, which 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.
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 seven 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
Near the village is Hawkridge ReservoirHawkridge Reservoir
Hawkridge Reservoir is a reservoir near Spaxton, Somerset, England. The inflow is from several streams in the Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty including Peart Water and water flows out into Cannington Brook, which is dammed further downstream to make the Ashford Reservoir which was...
which supplies water for Bridgwater
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
, constructed between 1960 and 1962, and the Ashford Reservoir
Ashford Reservoir
Ashford Reservoir is a small reservoir on the eastern side of the Quantock Hills near the villages of Charlynch and Spaxton in Somerset, England. It was constructed 1934 as a water supply reservoir for Bridgwater...
which was constructed in 1932.
Landmarks
Gothelney Manor FarmhouseGothelney Manor Farmhouse, Spaxton
Gothelney Manor Farmhouse at Gothelney Green in the parish of Spaxton, Somerset, England was built in the 15th century and has been designated as a Grade I listed building....
at Gothelney Green was built in the 15th century and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.
Religious sites
The Church of St MargaretChurch of St Margaret, Spaxton
The Church of St Margaret in Spaxton, Somerset, England has some parts from the 12th and 13th centuries but is predominantly from the 15th century, and was restored in 1895. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building....
has some parts from the 12th and 13th centuries but is predominantly from the 15th century, and was restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in 1895. 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.