| Sparkford | |
  Sparkford shown within Somerset |
|
| Population | 500[1] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| District | South Somerset |
| Shire county | Somerset |
| Region | South West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Yeovil |
| Postcode district | BA22 |
| Dialling code | 01963 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| European Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | Somerton and Frome |
| List of places: UK • England • Somerset | |
Sparkford is a village and civil parish in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England. Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government South Somerset is a local government district in Somerset, England. Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system Yeovil (ˈjovɪl is a town in south Somerset, England, on the A30 and A37. UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The, also known as the Bath postcode area, is a group of postal districts around Bath, Bradford on Avon, Bruton, Castle Cary, The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Avon & Somerset Constabulary is the Home Office Police force in England responsible for policing the non-metropolitan county of Somerset and The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service or FRS, covering the counties of Devon and Somerset; it Divisions & Stations The trust is split into 2 divisions West - Devon and Cornwall including West Divisional HQ 999 and PTS Control at South West England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Somerton and Frome is a Constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a list of cities, Towns Villages and hamlets in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. South Somerset is a local government district in Somerset, England. Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The parish includes the village of Weston Bampfylde.
It is situated near the junction of the A303 from London to Exeter and the A359 from Frome to Yeovil. The A303 is a Trunk road in England. It is the main road between Basingstoke in Hampshire and Honiton in Devon. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Exeter ( (IPA ˈeksɪtər is a city, district and County town of Devon, England. List of A roads beginning with 3 in Great Britain starting west of the A3 and south of the A4. Frome ( (ˈfruːm is a medium-sized Town and Civil parish in Somerset, England, near the Mendip Hills. Yeovil (ˈjovɪl is a town in south Somerset, England, on the A30 and A37. In 1996 a bypass was built to take the main traffic on the A303 around the north of the village. The population is about 500, mostly living along the old A303 and Church Road,[1] which runs down to the former water mill and the church.
Contents |
History
The village is listed in the Domesday Book for Somerset as Spercheforde. The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey [1] It was held in 1086 by Fulwin from Walter de Douai having been held by Alwakin before the Norman Conquest. It paid tax for 5 hides and 1 virgate of land. There was land for 5 ploughs, with 2 1/2 ploughs in nlordship. There were 6 slaves, 9 villagers and 7 smallholders with 4 ploughs. There was a mill which paid 7 1/2 shillings, meadow of 100 acres, and woodland which was 1 furlong in length and width. There were 18 cattle, 19 pigs and 72 sheep. Its value before the conquest was £4 but now 100 shillings.
In about 1335 the manor was held by Nicholas de Hanyton, while by 1370 it was held by John Lovel of Titchmarsh. Titchmarsh is a village forming part of the district of East Northamptonshire in the English county of Northamptonshire. The next known owner is Sir Thomas Essex who held the manor in about 1554. Richard Newman acquired Sparkford manor in 1610 and this family held it until 1792. It then passed to the Bennett family of North Cadbury. North Cadbury is a village west of Wincanton in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England.
In the National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland of 1868[2] it was described :-
"Sparkford, a parish in the hundred of Catash, county Somerset, 6 miles from Ilchester its post town and 5 1/4 SW of Castle Carey. It is a station on the Great Western railway. The village is of small extent and chiefly agricultural. The soil is a sandy loam, with a subsoil of blue clay and marl. The living is a recory in the diocese of Bath and Wells, value £266. The Diocese of Bath and Wells is a Diocese in the Church of England Province of Canterbury in England. The church, dedicated to St Mary Magdalen, has a tower containing three bells; it was rebuilt, with the exception of the tower, in 1824. The register dates from 1729. There are day and Sunday schools for both sexes. Sparkford Hall is the principal residence. The Rev H Bennett is lord of the manor. Roman and British antiquities have been found here. "
The village appears formerly to have been situated south of the church, rather than to to the north of it as at present. There are still signs of earthworks in the field that used to be called Lickhill. Some archaeological investigations have recently been carried out but the results are not yet known.
Roads
The present main roads have been important for many years. In 1656 the parish asked for assistance to repair the bridge over the river Cam:-
"there is a bridge uppon a very great road from the West towards London fallen of late in soe great decay that it is in continuall danger to crush and fall together, under the heavy waggons that weekly pass to and fro over it, and that the new building of the said bridge is likely to be a matter of very great charge. The parishioners of Sparkford, who are mostly of a poor and low condition, request that the bridge may be repaired or newly built at a common charge. "
The bridge was widened in 1815. [3] The road to Ilchester was taken over by the Ichester Turnpike Trust in 1626 and the road to Wincanton in 1817 by the Wincanton Trust. Ilchester is a Village and Civil parish, situated on the River Yeo five Miles north of Yeovil, in the English county of Wincanton is a small Town in south Somerset, southwest England. The toll house for the turnpike to Wincanton still exists but is now a private house (The Octagon). [4] The Sparkford Inn, dating from the 15th century,[5] was an important coaching house and continues to be a popular hostelry. It used to be a meeting place for the local hunt but this is now combined with the Blackmore Vale one. The Blackmore Vale (less commonly spelt Blackmoor) is a Vale, or wide Valley, in North Dorset, and to a lesser extent South
Railway
When the railway was built through Sparkford in 1877, there was a rearrangement of the roads, but the lines of the old ones can still be seen. The track was part of the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway (later Great Western Railway) and ran from Thingley Junction in Wiltshire to Weymouth. The Wilts Somerset and Weymouth Railway was a Broad gauge railway that linked the Great Western Railway at Chippenham Wiltshire with Weymouth The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye Weymouth (ˈweɪməθ is a town in Dorset, England situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey on the English Channel coast There was a station, which served a wide district, and later a siding for milk trains for the Milk Factory, but both are now gone. However, the track is still in use.
Milk factory
Sparkford Vale Cooperative Dairy Society had a factory by the railway from 1918 until 1938. Water for its use was taken from the river Cam. This factory was taken over by the Haynes Publishing company (renowned for its car manuals) in the 1960s and has since greatly expanded. The Haynes Owners Workshop Manuals (commonly known as simply Haynes Manuals) are a series of practical manuals from the Haynes Publishing Group aimed at both the
Schools
The village school was erected in 1849 and enlarged in 1892. It was for 80 children with an average attendance of 61, with a master and mistress. It is now closed and has become the village hall. [6] The village's primary age children now generally go to the school in Queen Camel. Queen Camel is a village and Civil parish in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England, about seven miles north of Yeovil.
Just to the north of Sparkford is Hazlegrove Preparatory School, which is a private preparatory school for King's School, Bruton. Hazlegrove Preparatory School is an independent Preparatory school (UK located near Sparkford, Somerset, England. King's Bruton is an independent co-educational secondary school based in Bruton, Somerset, England.
Church
The Church of St Mary Magdalene is still as described in 1868, but the parish is now combined with Weston Bampfield and Sutton Montis. Weston Bampfield (also Weston Bampfylde is a village in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England. Sutton Montis is a Village in the Civil parish of South Cadbury, near Yeovil, in the English county of Somerset. The building dates from the 14th century with the nave built in 1824 by Thomas Ellis of local grey lias stone cut and squared, with Hamstone dressings. In Romanesque and Gothic Christian Abbey, Cathedral Basilica and church Architecture, the nave is the Hamstone is the colloquial name given to stone from Ham Hill, Somerset, England The first known incumbent of the church was in 1297 and the Monumental Inscriptions date back to Johes Clyke, who died in 1513. It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II* listed building. English Heritage is a Non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government ( Department for Culture Media and Sport) with a broad remit of A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance [7]
The former rectory, which was used by the Navy in World War II and then used as an egg packing station, is now used for private housing. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The former glebe land was also sold off for housing.
Amenities
Sparkford has a picturesque cricket field by the old A303 with a successful local team. There is a playing field for children off Church Road, run by a trust. Another trust looks after Sparkford Hill copse to the west of the village.
Sparkford Wood, to the north of the village, is privately owned and is a site of special scientific interest. Sparkford Wood ( is a 84 Hectare (207 acre Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest at Sparkford in Somerset, notified in A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a Conservation designation denoting a Protected area in the United Kingdom. [8] It is generally opened to the public for charity at bluebell time.
Motor Museum
The Haynes motor museum has over 340 cars and bikes and is continually growing. Haynes International Motor Museum at Sparkford near Yeovil in Somerset, England, contains over 350 cars and Motorcycles and a collection It is often used as a start/finish point for car and motorcycle rallies.
Local businesses
Sparkford is still a centre for milk distribution. There is a well known sawmill which makes sheds and many other things. There is a camping site near the inn that is a convenient stop between London and Cornwall as well as being a place from which to explore local attractions such as South Cadbury castle (Camelot?), and the Fleet Air Arm Museum for example. South Cadbury is a Village and Civil parish in the South Somerset council area of the English county of Somerset. The Fleet Air Arm Museum is located north of Yeovil, and south of Bristol.
At one time Sparkford had three garages, but one has since been demolished after the bypass was built. Wakes Garage was the centre for a bus company for many years,[9] but the site has now been redeveloped as a filling station and McDonalds. What was the well known "Frying Pan" cafe was redeveloped as a filling station and Happy Eater.
Sparkford was formerly the site of a weekly cattle market, which was held behind the inn. Associated with this there were several activities opposite the inn, including a bank. However the market and businesses have now gone, except that a storage company is now behind the houses which have been built on the site of the businesses.
Local organisations
The Cubs and Scouts meet locally while there is also a thriving Young Farmers Club.
See also
References
- ^ a b c Sparkford. Queen Camel is a village and Civil parish in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England, about seven miles north of Yeovil. South Cadbury is a Village and Civil parish in the South Somerset council area of the English county of Somerset. Yeovilton is a village in Somerset, England, situated five Miles north of Yeovil near the left bank of the River Yeo, in the Sparkford village web site. Retrieved on 2007-10-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a
- ^ Sparkford. GENUKI. Retrieved on 2007-10-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a
- ^ Sparkford Bridge. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-10-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a
- ^ The Octagon. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-10-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a
- ^ Sparkford Inn. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-10-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a
- ^ Sparkford Hall. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-10-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a
- ^ Church of St Mary Magdalene. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-10-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a
- ^ Sparkford Wood SSSI (PDF). English Nature. Retrieved on 2007-10-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a
- ^ Wakes services. Country Bus. Retrieved on 2007-10-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a
External links
- Village web site
- Sparkford Vale Rabbit Dogs
- Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt Homepage
- St Mary Magdalene, Sparkford
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