Curry Mallet

Coordinates: 50°59′20″N 2°57′47″W / 50.9889°N 2.9630°W / 50.9889; -2.9630

Curry Mallet
Church of St James, Curry Mallet
Curry Mallet  Curry Mallet shown within Somerset
Population	302 [1]
OS grid reference	ST325215
District	South Somerset
Shire county	Somerset
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	TAUNTON
Postcode district	TA3
Police	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Devon and Somerset
Ambulance	South Western
EU Parliament	South West England
List of places: UK • England • Somerset

Curry Mallet (anciently "Cory Mallett")^[2] is a village and parish in Somerset, England. It is on the Fivehead River (also known as the River Ile), 7 miles (11.3 km) east of Taunton in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 302.^[1]

History

At the time of the Domesday Book in 1086 the manor was held by Roger de Courselles, also the owner of Fisherton in Wiltshire, which was held under Curry.^[3] It later passed to the Malet (misspelled Mallet) family,^[4] with William Malet, one of the guarantors of the Magna Carta, was lord of the manor in 1215. It passed own though the descendants of the Malet family until 1356 when it was sold to Sir Matthew Gourney and his family until 1443 when the estate passed to the king and became part of the Duchy of Cornwall.^[5]

Curry Mallet was part of the hundred of Abdick and Bulstone.^[6][7]

The Manor house, (Mallet Court) includes a great hall (or perhaps a barn) of the 15th century, and a small irregular manor house of the late 16th century,^[8] stands on the site of, and incorporates parts of the castle built by Gilbert Mallet, a Norman knight who fought at the Battle of Hastings, built the first castle on the site in 1068. It has been visited by William the Conqueror, King John and Henry II and was damaged during the Civil War.^[9] The most important private house in the village is the Manor House. Manor Court a separate new build circa 1960 is located in part of the garden of the Manor House sold off. Manor Court was constructed by Dita Matilde Mallet Du Cros (desceased, named changed to Mallet by Deed Poll) a of the Mallet family who returned to the village after many centuries of absence. The Manor House was lived in by the Pyne family and is more properly associated with them, evidence for which, is a grand Elizabethan family tomb of Sir John Pyne to be found in the misnamed Mallet Chapel in the village church more properly, the Pyne Chapel. The Manor House listed grade 2* includes a Great Hall formerly used as a barn, or a barn of the 15th century now aggradized with 20th Century gothic style windows, and is now attached to the small irregular manor house of the late 16th century, which stands on the site of the reputed castle built by Gilbert Mallet. The entrance hall extension and other parts were upgraded and connected with the main house c1939 by Clough Williams-Ellis whose client was the Selous family. The Manor House reputedly incorporates earlier parts and was formerly known as the Gate House. Only at a very early date is the site associated with Mallet family, the head of which was a Norman knight who fought at the Battle of Hastings, and reputedly built the first castle on the site in 1068. A wooden stockade built by the Saxon Prince Bitric may have been an earlier foundation and it is this structure which may have been visited by William the Conqueror, King John and Henry II and was damaged during the Civil War however, the date of the current structures precludes any knowledge of the present house by these illustrious persons although Elizabeth II visited the house as part of her duties when she was head of the Duchy of Cornwall and most of the surrounding farm land is Duchy Land, the house having been sold by the Duchy at some unknown date. The house is associated with the memory of Derek Jarman, film-maker, artist and gay activist. It is mentioned by his biographer, Tony Peake, and in his own diaries. His parents rented the house at the end of the second world war. The biographer considered the Manor House had a profound influence on the young Derek who historical interests were kindled and reflected in his later radical artistic work. The current co-owners are Professor B. F. Robinson FRCP and the artist and printmaker, Sheridan F. Tandy whose work may be seen in the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery and the collection of the Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton.

In World War II pillboxs were placed in the village as part of the Taunton Stop Line. the scho

Legends and Haunting of the Manor

Although unsubstantiated, numerous reports exist of the haunting of the manor house. The most frequently reported apparition is that of a woman in Elizabethan costume.^[10] In addition, the Great Hall is said to be haunted by a pacing man.^[11] The sound of metallic clashes, possibly resulting from a ghostly duel, have been heard echoing in the courtyard.^[12]

In legend three streams are said to run under the manor leading directly to the holy well at the foot of Glastonbury Tor.^[11]

Governance

Pope's Cross

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 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Langport Rural District.^[13] 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 a 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.

Religious sites

The parish Church of St James has 13th-century origins and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.^[14]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "South Somerset population estimates for 2002". Somerset County Council. http://www.webcitation.org/5lRyCVNCk. Retrieved 27 December 2009. 
2. ^ Old spelling used especially in genealogies of the Poyntz family, "lords of Cory Mallett", who inherited the manor by marriage c.1217 to Helewise Malet (Sanders, I.J. English Baronies, Oxford, 1960, pp.38-9)
3. ^ William Henry Jones, Domesday for Wiltshire: extracted from accurate copies of the original (1865), p. 216 online at books.google.co.uk
4. ^ "Malet/Mallet of Curry Mallet Somerset c1130". Mallett Family History. http://www.mallettfamilyhistory.org/families/fip00993.htm. Retrieved 4 January 2009. 
5. ^ Bush, Robin (1994). Somerset: The Complete Guide. Dovecote Press. pp. 79. ISBN 1874336261. 
6. ^ "Abdick and Bulstone Hundred Through Time". A Vision of Britain Through Time. http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10133830. Retrieved 9 September 2011. 
7. ^ "Abdick and Bulstone in South Somerset". A Vision Britain Through Time. http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/place_page.jsp?p_id=21175. Retrieved 9 September 2011. 
8. ^ "The Manor House". Images of England. English Heritage. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/Default.aspx?id=430846. Retrieved 4 January 2009. 
9. ^ "Curry Mallet". Mysterious Britain & Ireland. http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/england/somerset/hauntings/curry-mallet.html. Retrieved 4 January 2009. 
10. ^ Williams, Yona. "Haunted Manors in Somerset, England". Unexplainable.Net. http://www.unexplainable.net/artman/publish/article_7311.shtml. Retrieved 18 August 2009. 
11. ^ ^{a b} "The History of Curry Mallet Hall". Haunted UK. http://www.northern-ghost-investigations.com/haunted-uk/south-west/curry-mallet-hall.html. Retrieved 18 August 2009. 
12. ^ "Curry Mallet". Mysterious Britain. http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/england/somerset/hauntings/curry-mallet.html. Retrieved 18 August 2009. 
13. ^ A Vision of Britain Through Time : Langport Rural District
14. ^ "Church of St James". Images of England. English Heritage. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/Default.aspx?id=431242. Retrieved 12 October 2008. 

External links

Media related to Curry Mallet at Wikimedia Commons