Winsford, Somerset

infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 51.0993
longitude= -3.5652
official_name= Winsford
population= 370
shire_district= West Somerset
shire_county = Somerset
region= South West England
constituency_westminster= Taunton
post_town=
postcode_district = TA24
postcode_area=TA
dial_code=
os_grid_reference=SS905345

Winsford is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, located approximately convert|5|mi|km|1 north west of Dulverton.

It is within the borders of the Exmoor National Park and around convert|10|mi|km|1 south-west of the coastal town of Minehead. The village has two hotels, Karslake House Hotel [cite web | title=Karslake House and mounting block | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=265564 | accessdate=2007-10-03] and the Royal Oak, [cite web | title=The Royal Oak Inn | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=265569 | accessdate=2007-10-03] both of which date back to before the start of the 16th century, and a single shop that also serves as a Royal Mail post office. In addition to these amenities Winsford has a tea garden and a service station, although this station does not serve fuel for motor vehicles.

Geography

The name comes from the ford across the Winn Brook, where it meets the River Exe. There are eight bridges, providing crossing points over the many small streams that run through the village, one of which is a packhorse bridge, [cite web | title=Edbrooke Bridge | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=265556 | accessdate=2007-10-03] [cite web | title=Packhorse bridge | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=265558 | accessdate=2007-10-03] [cite web | title=Packhorse bridge | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=265566 | accessdate=2007-10-03] [cite web | title=Packhorse bridge | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=265567 | accessdate=2007-10-03] [cite web | title=Vicarage Bridge | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=265571 | accessdate=2007-10-03] which is thought to be several hundred years in age.cite web |url=http://www.everythingexmoor.org.uk/_W/Winsford.php |title=Winsford |accessdate=2007-10-03 |format= |work=Everything Exmoor ]

Winsford Common is situated in a hollow in the surrounding countryside (which itself is within a valley), somewhat akin in shape to that of a punchbowl, and thus has gained the common name of "the Punchbowl" in local parlance. It was a meeting point for the Tiverton hounds and Dulverton harriers.cite web |url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SOM/Winsford/index.html |title= Winsford|accessdate=2007-10-03 |format= |work=GENUKI ]

The subsoil of Winsford consists of rock shillet, whereas the topsoil is of more of a clay-like and loamy character. Iron ore can be found in the mineral deposits of the village, and the mining of this formerly was greatly important to Winsford's economy in ages past.

History

Winsford Hill, is the location of the Wambarrows, a number of bronze age burial sites, and the Cartacus Stone, a standing stone believed to have been erected by pagan inhabitants of the village, possibly as a religious memorial, bearing the inscription "CARAACI NEPUS" (kinsman of Caratacus) possibly from the 5th century,cite book |last=Bush |first=Robin |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Somerset: The complete guide |year=1994 |publisher=Dovecote press |location=Wimbourne |isbn=187433627X ] and found for the first time in a documented reference of the year of 1219.

The village is listed in the Domesday Book of 1085, which lists presence of 34 smallholders, 41 villagers, 52 sheep and 9 slaves, the whole area being capable of supporting 64 ploughs, despite 40 acres of it being woodland.

Some of the farms in the village of Winsford include Nethercote, Staddon, Bradley, Halse, Upcott and Knaplock, all of which have retained their original names since tax records of the year of 1327, in which England was under the reign of King Edward III.

In the 17th century, Tom Faggus, a Highwayman and a gentleman, was said to have held up travelers near to the Inn in Winsford.

On August 20 1907 the very first registered sale and show of the Exmoor Horn Sheep Breeders' Society, which was founded only a year earlier, in 1906, was held in the village, in which "1,200 ewes were sold by auction, at an average price per head of 42 Shillings" [cite web |url=http://www.exmoorhornbreeders.co.uk/history.htm |title=History of the breed |accessdate=2007-10-03 |format= |work=Exmoor Horn Sheep Breeders’ Society ] .

In 2002 Winsford hill was the location of the Winsford Murder, which cost the police £120,000 in investigation expenses. [cite web |url=http://www.everythingexmoor.org.uk/_W/Winsford_Hill_Murder.php |title=Winsford Hill Murder |accessdate=2007-10-03 |format= |work=Everything Exmoor ]

Church

The church of Winsford, which is dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene, was restored in part in the year of 1858. The peal of the church's tower, which is convert|90|ft|m|1 in heightcite book |title=Curiosities of Somerset |last=Leete-Hodge |first=Lornie |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1985 |publisher=Bossiney Books |location=Bodmin |isbn=0906456983 |pages=61-63 ] and was constructed in three stages, is of 6 bells, the heaviest four of which were made by Thomas Bilbie in the town of Cullompton in the year of 1765. [cite book |last=Moore |first=James |authorlink= |coauthors=Roy Rice & Ernest Hucker |title=Bilbie and the Chew Valley clock makers |year=1995 |publisher=The authors |location= |isbn=0952670208 ]

Within this church is an example of a painted panel created in 1609 during the reign of King James I, which is regarded as one of the best examples of such panels from that period in history in the whole of Great Britain [cite web |url=http://www.winsfordexmoor.co.uk/winsfordhistory_church.html |title=Winsford History |accessdate=2007-10-03 |format= |work=Winsford on Exmoor ] . The ironwork on the inner doors of Winsford church is thought to date back in time to the 13th century, originating from the priory of St Nichola in Barlynch, and the origin of the church's font is in the Norman period. The church organ was installed in around the year of 1900, being delivered to Winsford by means of horse-drawn wagon from nearby Dulverton. The register of the same church dates back to 1660, six years before the Great fire of London. It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building. [cite web | title=Church of St Mary Magdalene | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=265562 | accessdate=2007-10-03]

Famous inhabitants

In 1881 the village was the place of birth of the Labour politician and Lord Privy Seal, Ernest Bevin. [cite web | title=Bevins House | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=265563 | accessdate=2007-10-03]

References

External links

* [http://www.winsfordexmoor.co.uk/ Winsford on Exmoor]
* [http://www.somerset3d.co.uk/logos%20&%20pictures/town%20&%20village%20pages/winsford.htm.htm.htm Photos of Winsford in 3d (Anaglyphs)]