- Combe St Nicholas
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Coordinates: 50°53′45″N 2°59′37″W / 50.8957°N 2.9936°W
Combe St Nicholas 
The village
St Nicholas's church
Combe St Nicholas
Combe St Nicholas shown within SomersetPopulation 1,336 [1] OS grid reference ST302111 Parish Chard District South Somerset Shire county Somerset Region South West Country England Sovereign state United Kingdom Post town CHARD Postcode district TA20 Dialling code 01460 Police Avon and Somerset Fire Devon and Somerset Ambulance South Western EU Parliament South West England UK Parliament Yeovil List of places: UK • England • Somerset Combe St Nicholas is a village and parish in Somerset, England, situated 2 miles (3.2 km) north west of Chard and 10 miles (16 km) from Taunton in the South Somerset district on the edge of the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The parish, which includes Wadeford and Scrapton, has a population of 1,336.[1]
Contents
History
At the time of the Domesday Book the manor was held by Bishop Gisa. The parish was known as Combe Episcopi until the dedication of the church to St Nicholas in 1239.
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 South Somerset, which was formed on April 1, 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Chard Rural District.[2] The district council is responsible for local planning and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection and recycling, cemeteries and crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism.
Somerset County Council is responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as education, social services, libraries, main roads, public transport, policing and fire services, trading standards, waste disposal and strategic planning.
It is also part of the Yeovil 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, and part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament which elects seven MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.
Geography
To the east of the village is Woolhayes Farm a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The source of the River Isle is at Scrapton.[3]
Religious sites
The current Church of St Nicholas is Norman in origin, with the chancel and lower stage of the tower dating from the 13th century. It was enlarged and aisles added in the 15th century, with further restoration in 1836. It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building.[4]
References
- ^ a b "South Somerset population estimates for 2002". Somerset County Council. http://www.webcitation.org/5lRyCVNCk. Retrieved 27 December 2009.
- ^ A Vision of Britain Through Time : Chard Rural District
- ^ "River Isle". Somerset Rivers. http://somersetrivers.org/index.php?module=Content&func=view&pid=18. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
- ^ "Church of St Nicholas". Images of England. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=430052. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
External links
Categories:- Villages in South Somerset
- Civil parishes in Somerset
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