Spaxton is a small village and civil parish on the

Quantocks The Quantock Hills west of Bridgwater in Somerset, England, consist of heathland, oak woodlands, ancient parklands and agricultural land. They were England's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, designated in 1956. Natural England have desi ...

in the

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 (or "moor" in its older sense). The eastern part is known as King's Sedgemoor, and the western part Wes ...

district of Somerset, South West England.

History

Spaxton was part of the hundred of Cannington. The modern parish includes the ancient parishes of Aisholt and Charlynch. Aisholt is one of the Thankful Villages - those villages that suffered no fatalities during the Great War of 1914–1918. 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 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 ...

''spæcas'' and tun. It was the property of Alfred of Spain. During the 19th century, Henry James Prince, former curate of Charlynch founded the notorious religious cult of the

Agapemone The Agapemonites or Community of The Son of Man was a Christian religious group or sect that existed in England from 1846 to 1956. It was named from the el, italic=yes, agapemone meaning "abode of love". The Agapemone community was founded by ...

at Four Forks.

Governance

The parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council. The village falls within the Non-metropolitan district of

, 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 ...

, having previously been part of Bridgwater Rural District, which 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 ...

, local roads,

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, markets 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,

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, parks, and tourism.

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,

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,

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 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.

Geography

Near the village is

Hawkridge 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, which continues below the reservoir in a northeast direction ...

which supplies water for

Bridgwater Bridgwater is a large historic market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. Its population currently stands at around 41,276 as of 2022. Bridgwater is at the edge of the Somerset Levels, in level and well-wooded country. The town lies alon ...

, constructed between 1960 and 1962, and the

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. Originally the reservoir was ...

which was constructed in 1932.

Landmarks and Notable Buildings

Gothelney Hall Gothelney Hall, also known as Gothelney Manor Farmhouse, located in the parish of Spaxton, Somerset, England was built in the 15th century and has been designated as a Grade I listed building. The site was used for an earlier building dated by de ...

at Gothelney Green was built in the 15th century and has been designated as a Grade I listed building. *

Barford Park Barford Park is a Georgian country house and park to the south of Spaxton, west of Bridgwater, Somerset, England. It was designated a grade II* listed building on 29 March 1963. The name "Barford" comes from owners of the land, who had a house on ...

is in the South of the parish. * Parts of Court Farm near St Margaret's Church date from c.1500

Religious sites

* The Church of St Margaret has some parts from the 12th and 13th centuries but is predominantly from the 15th century, and was

restored ''Restored'' is the fourth studio album by American contemporary Christian music musician Jeremy Camp. It was released on November 16, 2004 by BEC Recordings. Track listing Standard release Enhanced edition Deluxe gold edition Standard ...

in 1895. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. * The

Church of All Saints, Aisholt All Saints Church in Aisholt, Somerset, England, is the Anglican parish church for the ancient parish of Aisholt, now part of the Quantock Villages Benefice in the Diocese of Bath and Wells, and lying in the Civil Parish of Spaxton. It is a Grad ...

dates from the 14th and 15th centuries. * In Charlynch (or Charlinch) the Church of St Mary has been deconsecrated. * The Methodist Chapel is on the main road through the village.

Gallery

File:Spaxton school - geograph.org.uk - 94662.jpg, Spaxton school File:The Lamb Inn Spaxton - geograph.org.uk - 160227.jpg, The Lamb Inn

References

External links

Bygone Spaxton

Spaxton Parish Council

Spaxton information from British History Online

Charlinch at British History Online
* * {{Sedgemoor Villages in Sedgemoor Civil parishes in Somerset