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Coordinates: 51°10′08″N 2°21′58″W / 51.169°N 2.366°W / 51.169; -2.366
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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox UK place
{{Infobox UK place
|static_image=[[File:Witham Friary church and cottages.jpg|alt=A row of cottages, partially obscured by vegetation. In the background is the bell tower of a much large building.|240px]]
|static_image_name=Witham Friary church and cottages.jpg
|static_image_alt=A row of cottages, partially obscured by vegetation. In the background is the bell tower of a much larger building.
|static_image_caption= [[Church of St Mary, Witham Friary]]
|static_image_caption= [[Church of St Mary, Witham Friary]]
|country = England
|country = England
|official_name= Witham Friary
|official_name= Witham Friary
|coordinates = {{coord|51.169|-2.366|display=inline,title}}
|latitude= 51.169
|longitude= -2.366
|civil_parish=
|civil_parish=
| population = 399
|population = 399
| population_ref =(2011)<ref name="popn">{{cite web|title=Witham Friary Parish|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=11130810&c=Witham+Friary&d=16&e=61&g=6461348&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1388578249216&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2491|work=Neighbourhood Statistics|publisher=Office for National Statistics|accessdate=1 January 2014}}</ref>
|population_ref =(2011)<ref name="popn">{{cite web|title=Witham Friary Parish|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=11130810&c=Witham+Friary&d=16&e=61&g=6461348&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1388578249216&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2491|work=Neighbourhood Statistics|publisher=Office for National Statistics|access-date=1 January 2014}}</ref>
| unitary_england = [[Somerset Council]]
|shire_district= [[Mendip]]
| shire_county = [[Somerset]]
| lieutenancy_england = [[Somerset]]
|region= South West England
|region= South West England
|constituency_westminster= [[Somerton and Frome (UK Parliament constituency)|Somerton and Frome]]
|constituency_westminster= [[Frome and East Somerset (UK Parliament constituency)|Frome and East Somerset]]
|post_town=FROME
|post_town=FROME
|postcode_district= BA11 5
|postcode_district= BA11
|postcode_area=BA
|postcode_area=BA
|dial_code=01373
|dial_code=01373
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== History ==
== History ==
The parish was part of the [[Hundred (county subdivision)|hundred]] of [[Frome (hundred)|Frome]].<ref name=genuki>{{cite web|title=Somerset Hundreds|url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SOM/Miscellaneous/|publisher=GENUKI|accessdate=8 October 2011}}</ref>
The parish was part of the [[Hundred (county subdivision)|hundred]] of [[Frome (hundred)|Frome]].<ref name=genuki>{{cite web|title=Somerset Hundreds|url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SOM/Miscellaneous/|publisher=GENUKI|access-date=8 October 2011}}</ref>


The village takes its name from the [[Witham charterhouse]], a [[Carthusian]] [[Priory]] founded in 1182 by [[Henry II of England|Henry II]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/13415 |title=Witham Friary Somerset |accessdate=15 December 2015 |format= |work=A Vision of Britain through time }}</ref> which had peripheral settlements including one at [[Charterhouse, Somerset|Charterhouse]] and possibly another at [[Green Ore, Somerset|Green Ore]].<ref name="reid"/> It is reputed to be the first Carthusian house in England.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=51418#s11 |title=Witham-Friary (St Mary) |accessdate=2 September 2007 |format= |work=British History Online }}</ref> One of only nine Carthusian Houses, the priory did not survive the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]].<ref name="contextone">{{cite web |url=http://www.contextone.co.uk/online_reports/downloads/EVA_WFS_report.pdf |title=Land adjoining Gramarye, Witham Friary, Somerset. |accessdate=2 September 2007 |format=PDF |work=Context One Archaeological Services |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070820141744/http://www.contextone.co.uk/online_reports/downloads/EVA_WFS_report.pdf <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 20 August 2007}}</ref> At the dissolution it was worth £227; the equivalent of £52,000 today (2006).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.measuringworth.com/calculators/ppoweruk/result.php?use%5B%5D=CPI&year_early=1550&pound71=227&shilling71=&pence71=&amount=227&year_source=1550&year_result=2006 |title=Purchasing Power of British Pounds from 1264 to 2006 |accessdate=2 September 2007 |format= |work=Measuring worth.com }}</ref> Excavations in 1921 revealed buttressed wall foundations and building rubble including glazed roof and floor tiles. It is a [[scheduled ancient monument]].<ref name="reid">{{cite book |last=Reid |first= Robert Douglas |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Some buildings of Mendip |year=1979 |publisher=The Mendip Society |location= |isbn=0-905459-16-4 }}</ref>
The village takes its name from a technically confused reference (a friary is generally a house of Franciscans and in any case not of Carthusians) to the [[Witham Charterhouse]], a [[Carthusian]] [[Priory]] founded in 1182 by [[Henry II of England|Henry II]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/13415 |title=Witham Friary Somerset |access-date=15 December 2015 |work=A Vision of Britain through time }}</ref> which had peripheral settlements including one at [[Charterhouse, Somerset|Charterhouse]] and possibly another at [[Green Ore]].<ref name="reid"/> It is reputed to be the first Carthusian house in England.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=51418#s11 |title=Witham-Friary (St Mary) |access-date=2 September 2007 |work=British History Online }}</ref> One of only nine Carthusian Houses in the country, the priory did not survive the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]].<ref name="contextone">{{cite web|url=http://www.contextone.co.uk/online_reports/downloads/EVA_WFS_report.pdf |title=Land adjoining Gramarye, Witham Friary, Somerset. |access-date=2 September 2007 |work=Context One Archaeological Services |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070820141744/http://www.contextone.co.uk/online_reports/downloads/EVA_WFS_report.pdf |archive-date=20 August 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> At the Dissolution it was worth £227; the equivalent of £52,000 today (2006).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.measuringworth.com/calculators/ppoweruk/result.php?use%5B%5D=CPI&year_early=1550&pound71=227&shilling71=&pence71=&amount=227&year_source=1550&year_result=2006 |title=Purchasing Power of British Pounds from 1264 to 2006 |access-date=2 September 2007 |work=Measuring worth.com }}</ref> Excavations in 1921 revealed buttressed wall foundations and building rubble including glazed roof and floor tiles. It is a [[scheduled ancient monument]].<ref name="reid">{{cite book |last=Reid |first= Robert Douglas |title=Some buildings of Mendip |year=1979 |publisher=The Mendip Society |isbn=0-905459-16-4 }}</ref>


Part of the priory now serves as [[Church of St Mary, Witham Friary|St Mary's Parish Church]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.somersetlarders.com/localhistory/historypages.php?page=Witham%20Friary |title=Local History&nbsp;— Witham Friary |accessdate=2 September 2007 |format= |work=Somerset Larders.com }}</ref> Although the original building dates from around 1200 it was altered in a transitional style in 1828, and then rebuilt and extended 1875 by [[William White (architect)|William White]] in "Muscular Gothic" style. It has a three-bay nave and continuous one bay [[apsidal]] chancel, built of local limestone rubble, supported on each side by four massive flying [[buttress]]es. The plastered interior is entered through a [[Norman architecture|Norman]] style doorway. Inside the church is a scraped octagonal font dating from around 1450. The [[Jacobean architecture|Jacobean]] pulpit contains medieval work and there is a royal arms of 1660 at the west end. The stained glass windows contain fragments of medieval glass, with those in the south being made by Sir [[Ninian Comper]]. It has been designated by [[English Heritage]] as a Grade I [[listed building]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Church of St Mary | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=266932 | accessdate=2 September 2007}}</ref>
Part of the priory now serves as [[Church of St Mary, Witham Friary|St Mary's Parish Church]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.somersetlarders.com/localhistory/historypages.php?page=Witham%20Friary |title=Local History&nbsp;— Witham Friary |access-date=2 September 2007 |work=Somerset Larders.com }}</ref> Although the original building dates from around 1200 it was altered in a transitional style in 1828, and then rebuilt and extended 1875 by [[William White (architect)|William White]] in "Muscular Gothic" style. It has a three-bay nave and continuous one bay [[apsidal]] chancel, built of local limestone rubble, supported on each side by four massive flying [[buttress]]es. The plastered interior is entered through a [[Norman architecture|Norman]] style doorway. Inside the church is a scraped octagonal font dating from around 1450. The [[Jacobean architecture|Jacobean]] pulpit contains medieval work and there is a royal arms of 1660 at the west end. The stained glass windows contain fragments of medieval glass, with the windows in the south being made by Sir [[Ninian Comper]]. It has been designated by [[English Heritage]] as a Grade I [[listed building]].<ref>{{NHLE | desc=Church of St Mary | num=1058224 | access-date=2 September 2007}}</ref>


The former Village Reading Rooms are in a thirteenth-century building which was once a dovecot associated with the Priory. They are [[grade II*]] [[listed building]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/Default.aspx?id=266936&mode=quick|title=Former Village Reading Room, Witham Friary|publisher=Images of England|accessdate=5 September 2016}}</ref> but are included on Mendip District Council Historic Buildings at Risk Register.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mendip.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=3111&p=0|title=Historic Buildings at Risk Register|publisher=Mendip District Council|page=Entry 44|accessdate=5 September 2016}}</ref>
The former Village Reading Rooms are in a thirteenth-century building which was once a dovecote associated with the Priory. They are [[grade II*]] [[listed building]]<ref>{{NHLE|num=1175244|desc=Former Village Reading Room, Witham Friary|access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref> but are included on Mendip District Council Historic Buildings at Risk Register.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mendip.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=3111&p=0|title=Historic Buildings at Risk Register|publisher=Mendip District Council|page=Entry 44|access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref>


The village has older roots. A wealth of nearby [[Tumulus|tumuli]] is indicative of ancient human settlement. An [[Archaeology|archaeological]] dig in 1985 discovered a [[neolithic]] axe and a [[Roman Britain|Roman]] road.<ref name="contextone"/> The village is mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]] when it supported 11 villagers.<ref name="contextone"/>
The village has older roots. A wealth of nearby [[Tumulus|tumuli]] is indicative of ancient human settlement. An [[Archaeology|archaeological]] dig in 1985 discovered a [[neolithic]] axe and a [[Roman Britain|Roman]] road.<ref name="contextone"/> The village is mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086, when it supported 11 villagers.<ref name="contextone"/>


The [[Witham (Somerset) railway station|former railway station]] at Witham was the end of a branch line through [[Shepton Mallet]], [[Wells, Somerset|Wells]] and [[Cheddar, Somerset|Cheddar]]. The station closed in 1963 although the main line to Exeter remains open. The nearest railway station is [[Bruton]]. Part of the redundant line that ran to Shepton Mallet now forms the [[East Somerset Railway]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eastsomersetrailway.com/about/timeline.php |title=History of the ESR |accessdate=2 September 2007 |format= |work=East Somerset Railway }}</ref>
The [[Witham (Somerset) railway station|former railway station]] at Witham was the end of a branch line through [[Shepton Mallet]], [[Wells, Somerset|Wells]] and [[Cheddar, Somerset|Cheddar]]. The branch closed to passengers in 1963, but Witham station stayed open for another 3 years (last day of service on Saturday 1 October 1966) although the main line to Exeter remains open. The nearest railway station is [[Bruton]]. Part of the redundant line that ran to Shepton Mallet now forms the [[East Somerset Railway]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eastsomersetrailway.com/about/timeline.php |title=History of the ESR |access-date=2 September 2007 |work=East Somerset Railway |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008173755/http://www.eastsomersetrailway.com/about/timeline.php |archive-date=8 October 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


== Governance ==
== Governance ==
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The [[Parish councils of England|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 (UK)|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 [[Parish councils of England|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 (UK)|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 1 April 1974 under the [[Local Government Act 1972]], having previously been part of [[Frome Rural District]],<ref name=fromerd>{{cite web|title=Frome RD|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10025539|work=A vision of Britain Through Time|publisher=University of Portsmouth|accessdate=4 January 2014}}</ref> which is responsible for [[planning permission|local planning]] and [[Building regulations in the United Kingdom|building control]], local roads, [[council housing]], [[environmental health]], [[Market (place)|market]]s and fairs, [[refuse collection]] and [[recycling]], [[cemeteries]] and [[crematoria]], leisure services, parks, and [[tourism]].
For [[local government in England|local government]] purposes, since 1 April 2023, the village comes under the [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authority]] of [[Somerset Council]]. Prior to this, it was part of the [[non-metropolitan district]] of [[Mendip District|Mendip]], which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the [[Local Government Act 1972]], having previously been part of [[Frome Rural District]].<ref name=fromerd>{{cite web|title=Frome RD|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10025539|work=A vision of Britain Through Time|publisher=University of Portsmouth|access-date=4 January 2014}}</ref>


⚫
It is also part of the [[Frome and East Somerset (UK Parliament constituency)|Frome and East Somerset]] [[county constituency]] represented in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]. It elects one [[Member of Parliament|Member of Parliament (MP)]] by the [[first past the post]] system of election.
[[Somerset County Council]] is responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as [[Local Education Authority|education]], [[social services]], [[library|libraries]], main roads, [[public transport]], [[police|policing]] and [[fire service]]s, [[Trading Standards|trading standards]], [[waste disposal]] and strategic planning.

⚫
It is also part of the [[Somerton and Frome (UK Parliament constituency)|Somerton and Frome]] [[county constituency]] represented in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]. It elects one [[Member of Parliament|Member of Parliament (MP)]] by the [[first past the post]] system of election, and part of the [[South West England (European Parliament constituency)|South West England constituency]] of the [[European Parliament]] which elects seven [[Members of the European Parliament|MEPs]] using the [[d'Hondt method]] of [[party-list proportional representation]].


== Public House ==
== Public House ==
[[File:Duke of Somerset coa.png|thumb|right|150px|Coat of arms of the Duke of Somerset]] The ''Seymour Arms'' is a traditional [[public house]]. Purpose-built along with farm buildings in 1866 or 1867 for the Duke of Somerset's estate, it takes its name from the family name of the [[Duke of Somerset]].
[[File:Duke of Somerset coa.png|thumb|right|150px|Coat of arms of the Duke of Somerset]] The ''Seymour Arms'' is a traditional [[public house]]. Purpose-built along with farm buildings in 1866 or 1867 for the Duke of Somerset's estate, it takes its name from the family name of the [[Duke of Somerset]].
The pub is noted by [[Campaign for Real Ale|CAMRA]] because of its beautifully preserved interior, and is included in their National Inventory of Historic Pubs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.heritagepubs.org.uk/pubs/pubguide-print-region.asp?SelectRegion=South%20West%20England |title=South West England |accessdate=2 September 2007 |format= |work=CAMRA National Inventory of Heritage Pubs }}</ref>
The pub is noted by [[Campaign for Real Ale|CAMRA]] because of its beautifully preserved interior, and is included in their National Inventory of Historic Pubs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.heritagepubs.org.uk/pubs/pubguide-print-region.asp?SelectRegion=South%20West%20England |title=South West England |access-date=2 September 2007 |work=CAMRA National Inventory of Heritage Pubs }}</ref>


== Water Dispute ==
== Water Dispute ==
Since the 19th century, the village water supply has come from the estate of the [[Duke of Somerset]] rather than from a commercial water company. The estate's decision to terminate the supply is a cause for local concern.<ref>{{cite news |first=Steven |last=Morris |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=
Since the 19th century, the village water supply has come from the estate of the [[Duke of Somerset]] rather than from a commercial water company. The estate's decision to terminate the supply is a cause for local concern.<ref>{{cite news |first=Steven |last=Morris |title= Village left high and dry by lord of manor |url=https://www.theguardian.com/water/story/0,,1786430,00.html |work=The Guardian |date=31 May 2006 |access-date=2 September 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mendip.gov.uk/NewsArticle.asp?id=SX9452-A7817B48 |title=Water Supply to the village of Witham Friary |access-date=2 September 2007 |work=Mendip District Council |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927210604/http://www.mendip.gov.uk/NewsArticle.asp?id=SX9452-A7817B48 |archive-date=27 September 2007 }}</ref>
Village left high and dry by lord of manor |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/water/story/0,,1786430,00.html |work=The Guardian |publisher= |date=31 May 2006 |accessdate=2 September 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mendip.gov.uk/NewsArticle.asp?id=SX9452-A7817B48 |title=Water Supply to the village of Witham Friary |accessdate=2 September 2007 |format= |work=Mendip District Council }}</ref>


== Geography and Geology ==
== Geography and Geology ==
The village lies near the source of the [[River Frome, Somerset|River Frome]] and at 96 metres above [[sea level]]. There is a risk of flooding.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/riverlevels/riverstation.aspx?StationId=3004&RegionId=5&AreaId=7&CatchmentId=30 |title=Somerset Frome from Witham Friary to Frome |accessdate=4 October 2010 |format= |work= Environment Agency Flood Warning}}</ref> The underlying solid geology is Middle [[Jurassic]] [[Cornbrash]].
The village lies near the source of the [[River Frome, Somerset|River Frome]] and at 96 metres above [[sea level]]. There is a risk of flooding.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/riverlevels/riverstation.aspx?StationId=3004&RegionId=5&AreaId=7&CatchmentId=30 |title=Somerset Frome from Witham Friary to Frome |access-date=4 October 2010 |work= Environment Agency Flood Warning}}</ref> The underlying solid geology is Middle [[Jurassic]] [[Cornbrash]].


== Building the Dream ==
== Building the Dream ==
In 2004 the village hosted a [[reality television]] programme broadcast on [[Channel 4]] called ''Building the Dream'', hosted by [[Linda Barker]]. Couples competed to win a dream home in the village.<ref>{{cite web | author= | title=UK Game Shows | work= | url=http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Building_the_Dream | accessdate=28 August 2007 }}</ref> A local [[production company]], Zeal, was responsible.<ref>{{cite web | author= | title=Zeal TV| work= | url=http://www.zealtv.net/|accessdate=28 August 2007 }}</ref>
In 2004 the village hosted a [[reality television]] programme broadcast on [[Channel 4]] called ''Building the Dream'', hosted by [[Linda Barker]]. Couples competed to win a dream home in the village.<ref>{{cite web | title=UK Game Shows | url=http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Building_the_Dream | access-date=28 August 2007 }}</ref> A local [[production company]], Zeal, was responsible.<ref>{{cite web | title=Zeal TV| url=http://www.zealtv.net/|access-date=28 August 2007 }}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
Line 65: Line 62:
{{Commons category|Witham Friary}}
{{Commons category|Witham Friary}}
* [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SOM/WithamFriary/index.html GENUKI page]
* [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SOM/WithamFriary/index.html GENUKI page]
* [http://www.gomezsmart.free-online.co.uk/places/witham/wfmenu.htm Genealogy records and transcripts]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051125094251/http://www.gomezsmart.free-online.co.uk/places/witham/wfmenu.htm Genealogy records and transcripts]


{{Mendip}}
{{Mendip}}


[[Category:Villages in Mendip]]
[[Category:Villages in Mendip District]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Somerset]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Somerset]]
[[Category:Structures on the Heritage at Risk register in Somerset]]
[[Category:Structures on the Heritage at Risk register in Somerset]]

Latest revision as of 17:56, 30 September 2024

Witham Friary
A row of cottages, partially obscured by vegetation. In the background is the bell tower of a much larger building.
Witham Friary is located in Somerset
Witham Friary
Witham Friary
Location within Somerset
Population399 (2011)[1]
OS grid referenceST745409
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townFROME
Postcode districtBA11
Dialling code01373
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireDevon and Somerset
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Somerset
51°10′08″N 2°21′58″W / 51.169°N 2.366°W / 51.169; -2.366

Witham Friary is a small English village and civil parish located between the towns of Frome and Bruton in the county of Somerset. It is in the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the ancient Forest of Selwood.

History

[edit]

The parish was part of the hundred of Frome.[2]

The village takes its name from a technically confused reference (a friary is generally a house of Franciscans and in any case not of Carthusians) to the Witham Charterhouse, a Carthusian Priory founded in 1182 by Henry II,[3] which had peripheral settlements including one at Charterhouse and possibly another at Green Ore.[4] It is reputed to be the first Carthusian house in England.[5] One of only nine Carthusian Houses in the country, the priory did not survive the Dissolution of the Monasteries.[6] At the Dissolution it was worth £227; the equivalent of £52,000 today (2006).[7] Excavations in 1921 revealed buttressed wall foundations and building rubble including glazed roof and floor tiles. It is a scheduled ancient monument.[4]

Part of the priory now serves as St Mary's Parish Church.[8] Although the original building dates from around 1200 it was altered in a transitional style in 1828, and then rebuilt and extended 1875 by William White in "Muscular Gothic" style. It has a three-bay nave and continuous one bay apsidal chancel, built of local limestone rubble, supported on each side by four massive flying buttresses. The plastered interior is entered through a Norman style doorway. Inside the church is a scraped octagonal font dating from around 1450. The Jacobean pulpit contains medieval work and there is a royal arms of 1660 at the west end. The stained glass windows contain fragments of medieval glass, with the windows in the south being made by Sir Ninian Comper. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building.[9]

The former Village Reading Rooms are in a thirteenth-century building which was once a dovecote associated with the Priory. They are grade II* listed building[10] but are included on Mendip District Council Historic Buildings at Risk Register.[11]

The village has older roots. A wealth of nearby tumuli is indicative of ancient human settlement. An archaeological dig in 1985 discovered a neolithic axe and a Roman road.[6] The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, when it supported 11 villagers.[6]

The former railway station at Witham was the end of a branch line through Shepton Mallet, Wells and Cheddar. The branch closed to passengers in 1963, but Witham station stayed open for another 3 years (last day of service on Saturday 1 October 1966) although the main line to Exeter remains open. The nearest railway station is Bruton. Part of the redundant line that ran to Shepton Mallet now forms the East Somerset Railway.[12]

Governance

[edit]

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.

For local government purposes, since 1 April 2023, the village comes under the unitary authority of Somerset Council. Prior to this, it was part of the non-metropolitan district of Mendip, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Frome Rural District.[13]

It is also part of the Frome and East 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.

Public House

[edit]
Coat of arms of the Duke of Somerset

The Seymour Arms is a traditional public house. Purpose-built along with farm buildings in 1866 or 1867 for the Duke of Somerset's estate, it takes its name from the family name of the Duke of Somerset.

The pub is noted by CAMRA because of its beautifully preserved interior, and is included in their National Inventory of Historic Pubs.[14]

Water Dispute

[edit]

Since the 19th century, the village water supply has come from the estate of the Duke of Somerset rather than from a commercial water company. The estate's decision to terminate the supply is a cause for local concern.[15][16]

Geography and Geology

[edit]

The village lies near the source of the River Frome and at 96 metres above sea level. There is a risk of flooding.[17] The underlying solid geology is Middle Jurassic Cornbrash.

Building the Dream

[edit]

In 2004 the village hosted a reality television programme broadcast on Channel 4 called Building the Dream, hosted by Linda Barker. Couples competed to win a dream home in the village.[18] A local production company, Zeal, was responsible.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Witham Friary Parish". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  2. ^ "Somerset Hundreds". GENUKI. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  3. ^ "Witham Friary Somerset". A Vision of Britain through time. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  4. ^ a b Reid, Robert Douglas (1979). Some buildings of Mendip. The Mendip Society. ISBN 0-905459-16-4.
  5. ^ "Witham-Friary (St Mary)". British History Online. Retrieved 2 September 2007.
  6. ^ a b c "Land adjoining Gramarye, Witham Friary, Somerset" (PDF). Context One Archaeological Services. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2007.
  7. ^ "Purchasing Power of British Pounds from 1264 to 2006". Measuring worth.com. Retrieved 2 September 2007.
  8. ^ "Local History — Witham Friary". Somerset Larders.com. Retrieved 2 September 2007.
  9. ^ Historic England. "Church of St Mary (1058224)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 September 2007.
  10. ^ Historic England. "Former Village Reading Room, Witham Friary (1175244)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  11. ^ "Historic Buildings at Risk Register". Mendip District Council. p. Entry 44. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  12. ^ "History of the ESR". East Somerset Railway. Archived from the original on 8 October 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2007.
  13. ^ "Frome RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  14. ^ "South West England". CAMRA National Inventory of Heritage Pubs. Retrieved 2 September 2007.
  15. ^ Morris, Steven (31 May 2006). "Village left high and dry by lord of manor". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 September 2007.
  16. ^ "Water Supply to the village of Witham Friary". Mendip District Council. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2007.
  17. ^ "Somerset Frome from Witham Friary to Frome". Environment Agency Flood Warning. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  18. ^ "UK Game Shows". Retrieved 28 August 2007.
  19. ^ "Zeal TV". Retrieved 28 August 2007.
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