West Chinnock is a village in

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, England, north east of Crewkerne, both in the South Somerset district. It occupies a central position east of the road that links Crewkerne to the A303 road and is mainly south of a brook that feeds nearby into the

Parrett The River Parrett flows through the counties of Dorset and Somerset in South West England, from its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset. Flowing northwest through Somerset and the Somerset Levels to it ...

. The village forms the civil parish of West and Middle Chinnock with the neighbouring village of

Middle Chinnock Middle Chinnock is a village in Somerset, England, north east of Crewkerne, both in the South Somerset district. It lies east of the larger village of West Chinnock, with which it forms the civil parish of West and Middle Chinnock. Middle Ch ...

. The parish has a

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of 592 (2011 census). West Chinnock was a separate civil parish until 1884. It then absorbed the parish of Middle Chinnock. In 2003 the parish was renamed West and Middle Chinnock.

History

The origin of the name Chinnock is uncertain. It may be derived from the

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

''cinu'' meaning ''ravine'' or ''cinn'' meaning ''a chin shaped hill'', with the addition of ''ock'' meaning ''little''. An alternative derivation may be an old hill-name of Celtic origin. The Chinnocks were held as one estate in Saxon times by Wynflaed under Shaftesbury Abbey but by the time of the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...

in 1066 East Chinnock, West Chinnock and Middle Chinnock had been separated.

Governance

The parish council has co-responsibility for some local issues so sets an annual precept (local rate) to cover its costs and makes annual accounts for public scrutiny. It can submit its evaluation report into all planning applications and works with police, other councils' officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime/security, traffic and highways. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and the environment can be in its reports and initiatives. It maintains and repairs some of, and consults with both higher-tier councils, as to more of, sports/leisure facilities, verges, parks, surface water drainage, paths, public transit and street cleaning. The village is in the

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 (colloquially ''shire counties'') in a two-tier arrangement. Non-m ...

of South Somerset, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...

from part of

Yeovil Rural District Yeovil 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 when it became part of South Somerset. The parishes w ...

. It is responsible for local planning and

building control Building automation (BAS), also known as building management system (BMS) or building energy management system (BEMS), is the automatic centralized control of a building's HVAC, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), electrical, ligh ...

, most of the streetscenes and parks,

council housing Public housing in the United Kingdom, also known as council estates, council housing, or social housing, provided the majority of rented accommodation until 2011 when the number of households in private rental housing surpassed the number in so ...

environmental health Environmental health is the branch of public health concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment affecting human health. In order to effectively control factors that may affect health, the requirements that must be met in ...

market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: * Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand * Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market Geography *Märket, a ...

s and fairs,

refuse collection Waste collection is a part of the process of waste management. It is the transfer of solid waste from the point of use and disposal to the point of treatment or landfill. Waste collection also includes the curbside collection of recyclable m ...

and

recycling Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. The recovery of energy from waste materials is often included in this concept. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the p ...

cemeteries A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

and

crematoria Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre i ...

, leisure services, and

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

. As to those councillors it is in its 'Parrett'

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...

. This stretches from Chiselborough in the north, via East Chinnock to

North Perrott North Perrott is a village and civil parish in the South Somerset district of the English county of Somerset. History The name Perrott comes from the River Parrett. There is evidence of Ancient Rome, Roman and Iron Age settlement in the village ...

in the south. The ward population at the 2011 census was 2,336.

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. On 1 April 2023 the county counc ...

is responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...

, libraries, main roads,

public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

policing The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

and fire services, trading standards, waste disposal and strategic planning. It is served by the

Yeovil Yeovil ( ) is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the district of South Somerset, England. The population of Yeovil at the last census (2011) was 45,784. More recent estimates show a population of 48,564. It is close to Somer ...

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...

in the House of Commons of the

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...

Landmarks

The Manor Farmhouse in West Chinnock retains large parts from the late 16th or early 17th century thus is in the middle category of

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

Church

Ecclesiastically the parish of West Chinnock is now part of the united benefice of

Norton-sub-Hamdon Norton-sub-Hamdon is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the South Somerset district of the English county of Somerset, situated five miles west of Yeovil. The village has a population of 743. The village of Chiselborough i ...

, West Chinnock, Chiselborough and Middle Chinnock. The parish Church of Saint Mary has 13th-century origins but was totally rebuilt in the 19th century.

Notable residents

* The second of the

Austin baronets The Austin Baronetcy, of Red Hill in the parish of Castleford in the West Riding of the County of York, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 16 July 1894 for John Austin, Liberal member of parliament A membe ...

, died November 1940, was finally resident here. *Retired brigadier Cyrus Greenslade, OBE, MBE,

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

(U.S.): Commander died aged 93, owner-occupier of the Manor House. *Retired director of the British Banking Association, then AIB, Timothy Patrick Sweeney (born 1944) – a resident of West Chinnock. *Retired major

Ronald Williams (Liberal politician) Ronald Samuel Ainslie Williams (2 April 1890 – 10 December 1971) was an English Liberal Party politician. Family and education Williams was the second son of Frank Williams of Brasted Hall in Kent. He was educated at Repton School and the Ro ...

, the 1923–1924 MP of the Sevenoaks seat, Kent, died 1971 – his latter home at: West Chinnock."Williams, Major Ronald Samuel Ainslie, (1890–10 Dec. 1971)." WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 1 Dec. 2007; Accessed 10 Dec. 2020. https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-161048.

Gallery

File:West Chinnock church.jpg, File:West Chinnock - geograph.org.uk - 1500095.jpg, File:Farmland near West Chinnock - geograph.org.uk - 542179.jpg, File:Well at West Chinnock - geograph.org.uk - 857977.jpg, File:Duckpool Lane West Chinnock - geograph.org.uk - 1016447.jpg, File:Old Garage West Chinnock - geograph.org.uk - 1016488.jpg, File:New pavilion, West Chinnock - geograph.org.uk - 1505112.jpg, File:Scotts Way near West Chinnock - geograph.org.uk - 1208079.jpg, File:Fruit orchards near West Chinnock - geograph.org.uk - 1548794.jpg, File:Manor Farm House West Chinnock - geograph.org.uk - 1016473.jpg, File:The Old Chapel West Chinnock - geograph.org.uk - 1016454.jpg, File:Barn, West Chinnock - geograph.org.uk - 1500043.jpg, File:St Marys Church West Chinnock - geograph.org.uk - 1016460.jpg, File:The " Muddled Man" West Chinnock - geograph.org.uk - 1016480.jpg,

References

External links

{{South Somerset Villages in South Somerset