Ashcott

History

The parish of Ashcott was part of the Whitley Hundred.

The village was a stop for mail coaches running from Bath to Exeter, and later had a station on the Evercreech Junction to Burnham-on-Sea branch of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. The station was two miles away from the village, and was originally called "Ashcott and Meare", reflecting the fact that Meare was also nearby (in fact, nearer). "Meare" was dropped from the official name in 1876, though the station "running board" – the large sign on the platform – continued to give the double name until the railway line closed in 1966 under the Beeching Axe.

A narrow gauge railway operated by Eclipse Peat operated from 1922 to 1983 and crossed the branch line on the level about 1/2-mile east of Ashcott station. On 29 August 1949 a train on the branch collided with a narrow gauge engine and the locomotive ended up in the adjacent Glastonbury Canal.

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.

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 Sedgemoor, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Bridgwater Rural District.

The village is part of 'East Polden' electoral ward. Although Ashcott is the most populous area the ward stretches to Moorlinch and Shapwick. The total population of the ward at the 2011 census was 2,130.

It is also part of the Wells and Mendip Hills 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.

Religious sites

The Anglican parish Church of All Saints dates from the 15th century and has been designated as a Grade II* listed building.

Notable residents

Ashcott was the birthplace of Joseph Trutch, a Canadian engineer, surveyor and politician. It is also the home to Bradley Middleton, former professional footballer and founder of The Levels School.

References

References

1. "Statistics for Wards, LSOAs and Parishes — SUMMARY Profiles". Somerset Intelligence.
2. "Somerset Hundreds". GENUKI.
3. Somerset Railway Stations, by Mike Oakley (Dovecote Press, 2002)
4. Jacobs, Mike. (2013). "The Narrow Gauge Railway at Ashcott". The Southern Way.
5. "Bridgwater RD". University of Portsmouth.
6. "East Polden ward 2011".
7. {{NHLE
8. (2008-08-21). "Full-back Middleton joins Weston".
9. "New specialist school set to open near Bridgwater next year".