Buckland St Mary

Coordinates: 50°54′51″N 3°02′33″W / 50.9141°N 3.0424°W / 50.9141; -3.0424
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Buckland St Mary
Avon and Somerset
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UK
England
Somerset
50°54′51″N 3°02′33″W / 50.9141°N 3.0424°W / 50.9141; -3.0424

Buckland St Mary is a village and

Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
and includes the hamlet of Birchwood.

History

Nearby is

hill fort.[2]

The name of the village is thought to mean "land granted by charter" with the addition of the church's dedication.[3]

Buckland was part of the

Abdick and Bulstone.[4][5]

The village was chosen as Village of the Year for Somerset in the Calor 2008 competition.[6]

Governance

The

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 purposes, since 1 April 2023, the parish comes under the unitary authority of Somerset Council. Prior to this, it was part of the non-metropolitan district of South Somerset (established under the Local Government Act 1972). It was part of Chard Rural District before 1974.[7]

It is also part of the

first past the post
system of election.

Geography

biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest
.

School

The school was built in 1851 and enlarged in 1883.[8] The boundary wall incorporates a wellhouse with a drinking fountain which dates from 1876.[9]

Religious sites

The Church of St Mary was built between 1853 and 1863 by Benjamin Ferrey on the site of an earlier church, and has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building.[10] Buckland House was built in 1832 as the vicarage but is now a private house.[11]

Birchwood Chapel was built in 1887 when the expansion of Birchwood was, confidently anticipated however this failed to materialise and the chapel now stands in the midst of fields and orchards behind the hamlet.[12]

Cultural references

The parish features in the 1985 book Larksleve and other novels by Patricia Wendorf.

In folklore Buckland St. Mary is said to have a special significance. In folklore Pixies and Fairies are antagonists. They battled at Buckland St. Mary; the Pixies were victorious and still visit the area, whilst the Fairies are said to have left after their loss. Peer-reviewed proof of their presence is scarce.[13]

Notable people

References

  1. ^ a b "Statistics for Wards, LSOAs and Parishes — SUMMARY Profiles" (Excel). Somerset Intelligence. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  2. ISBN 0-946159-94-7
    .
  3. ISBN 1-874336-26-1
    .
  4. ^ "Abdick and Bulstone Hundred Through Time". A Vision of Britain Through Time. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  5. ^ "Abdick and Bulstone in South Somerset". A Vision Britain Through Time. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  6. ^ "Parish of the Year". Buckland St Mary. Archived from the original on 27 November 2010. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  7. ^ "Chard RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  8. ^ Historic England. "The school (1277949)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 December 2008.
  9. ^ Historic England. "Wellhouse and boundary walls to school (1248388)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 December 2008.
  10. ^ Historic England. "Church of St. Mary (1277983)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 December 2007.
  11. ^ Historic England. "Buckland House (1248316)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 December 2007.
  12. ^ Historic England. "Birchwood Chapel (1248315)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 December 2007.
  13. Katherine Mary Brigs
    : The Faires in Tradition and Literature, page 179.
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