imported>Hughbe98 at 07:56, 15 September 2025

2025-09-15T07:56:14Z

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{{Short description|Village in Somerset, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox UK place
|country = England
|static_image_name = Ashcott.jpg
|static_image_alt=Street scene showing road junction with houses and cars
|static_image_caption=Chapel Hill, Ashcott
|coordinates = {{coord|51.12|-02.81|display=inline,title}}
|official_name =Ashcott
| population = 1,186
| population_ref =(2011)<ref name="popn">{{cite web|title=Statistics for Wards, LSOAs and Parishes — SUMMARY Profiles|url=http://www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/files/Somerset%20Census%20Key%20Statistics%20-%20Summary%20Profiles.xls|publisher=Somerset Intelligence|access-date=4 January 2014|format=Excel}}</ref>
| unitary_england = [[Somerset Council]]
| lieutenancy_england = [[Somerset]]
|region= South West England
|constituency_westminster= [[Wells and Mendip Hills (UK Parliament constituency)|Wells and Mendip Hills]]
|post_town= BRIDGWATER
|postcode_district = TA7
|postcode_area=TA
|dial_code=01458
|os_grid_reference= ST4337
}}

'''Ashcott''' is a small village and [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] located in the [[Sedgemoor]] area of [[Somerset]] in the south-west of England. The village has a [[population]] of 1,186.<ref name="popn"/> The parish includes the hamlets of '''Ashcott Corner''', '''Berhill''', '''Buscott''', '''Nythe''' and '''Pedwell'''.

The village has five [[Public houses|pubs]] and its own brewer, [[Moor Beer]]. It has a church, shop, a primary school and an all-through independent school.

The annual Ashcott BeerFest is held on the Coronation playing fields at the end of June/beginning of July each year. It raises money for the Playing Fields, Cheeky Chimps Pre-School and the Ashcott Primary School PTA.

==History==

The parish of Ashcott was part of the [[Whitley (hundred)|Whitley]] [[Hundred (county subdivision)|Hundred]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Somerset Hundreds|url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SOM/Miscellaneous/|publisher=GENUKI|access-date=22 October 2011}}</ref>

[[File:John Nixon - Nixon-98260 - The Bath to Exeter coach at ‘The Piper’s Inn’ Ashcott, Somerset - 1794.jpg|thumb|''The Bath to Exeter coach at ‘The Piper’s Inn’, Ashcott, Somerset'' (1794) by [[John Nixon (artist)|John Nixon]] ]]

The village was a stop for [[mail coach]]es running from [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] to [[Exeter]], and later had a station on the [[Evercreech Junction railway station|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]].<ref>Somerset Railway Stations, by Mike Oakley (Dovecote Press, 2002)</ref>

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]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Jacobs|first=Mike|title=The Narrow Gauge Railway at Ashcott|journal=The Southern Way|year=2013|volume=23|pages=57–63}}</ref>

==Governance==

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.

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 [[Sedgemoor]], which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the [[Local Government Act 1972]], having previously been part of [[Bridgwater Rural District]].<ref name=bridgwaterrd>{{cite web|title=Bridgwater RD|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10025527|work=A vision of Britain Through Time|publisher=University of Portsmouth|access-date=4 January 2014}}</ref>

The village is part of 'East Polden' [[Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom|electoral ward]]. Although Ashcott is the most populous area the ward stretches to [[Moorlinch]] and [[Shapwick, Somerset|Shapwick]]. The total population of the ward at the [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]] was 2,130.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukcensusdata.com/east-polden-e05008906#sthash.39Hl5UxV.dpbs|title=East Polden ward 2011|access-date= 6 March 2015}}</ref>

It is also part of the [[Wells and Mendip Hills (UK Parliament constituency)|Wells and Mendip Hills]] 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.

==Religious sites==

[[File:Ashcott Church.jpg|thumb|left|All Saints Church, Ashcott, Somerset]]
The [[Anglican]] parish [[Church of All Saints, Ashcott|Church of All Saints]] dates from the 15th century and has been designated as a Grade II* [[listed building]].<ref>{{NHLE|num=1058957|desc=Church of All Saints|accessdate=2009-02-20}}</ref>

==Notable residents==

Ashcott was the birthplace of [[Joseph Trutch]], a [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[engineer]], [[surveying|surveyor]] and [[politician]]. It is also the home to Bradley Middleton, former professional footballer and founder of The Levels School.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2008-08-21|title=Full-back Middleton joins Weston|language=en-GB|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_conf/7575093.stm|access-date=2020-12-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=New specialist school set to open near Bridgwater next year|url=https://www.bridgwatermercury.co.uk/news/18911019.levels-school-ashcott-set-open-next-year/|access-date=2020-12-07|website=Bridgwater Mercury|language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Ashcott}}
*[http://www.ashcott.net/ Ashcott Village Website]
*[http://www.ashcott.somerset.sch.uk/ Ashcott primary school]
*[https://www.thelevelsschool.co.uk/ The Levels School website], based in Ashcott
*[http://www.ashcottbeerfest.org/ Ashcott BeerFest]
*{{OpenDomesday|ST4337|ashcott|Ashcott}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150607212755/http://www.sedgemoor.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=9815&p=0 Sedgemoor DC - Ashcott Parish Boundary]

{{Sedgemoor}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Villages in Sedgemoor]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Somerset]]

Ashcott - Revision history

imported>Hughbe98 at 07:56, 15 September 2025