Penselwood

Coordinates: 51°04′56″N 2°21′04″W / 51.0822°N 2.3511°W / 51.0822; -2.3511
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Penselwood
Avon and Somerset
FireDevon and Somerset
AmbulanceSouth Western
List of places
UK
England
Somerset
51°04′56″N 2°21′04″W / 51.0822°N 2.3511°W / 51.0822; -2.3511

Penselwood is a village and civil parish in the English county of Somerset. It is located 4 miles (6.4 km) north east of Wincanton, 4 miles (6.4 km) south east of Bruton, 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Mere, and 5 miles (8.0 km) north west of Gillingham. The south-east of the parish borders Zeals and Stourhead in Wiltshire, and Bourton in Dorset. In 1991 the parish occupied 523 hectares (1,292 acres).[2]

Name

The medieval form of the name was "Penn in Selwood", where pen (

Bishop Ussher believed the listing referred to Exeter instead.[6]

History

A couple of miles north of the village amidst the trees are the remains of

Cnut the Great
in 1016.

Pen Pits quern quarries north of Combe Bottom are a series of bowl shaped pits which were used as stone quarries during the

Romano-British and Middle Ages.[8]

The parish of Penselwood was part of the

Nicholas Wadham (1531-1609), co-founder of Wadham College, Oxford with his wife Dorothy Wadham, the Manor of Penselwood formed part of the estates of the Wadham family.[2]

Just outside the village is the site of the

motte and bailey castle known as Ballands Castle.[10]

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.

The village falls within the

crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism
.

waste disposal
and strategic planning.

It is also part of a

first past the post
system of election.

Geography and amenities

Moldrums Ground includes a dry woodland surrounding unimproved grassland. Ponds on the site provide a habitat for northern crested newt.[12] It is a local nature reserve.[13]

Penselwood is near the start of the

Ham Hill Country Park.[14]

Religious sites

The Church of St Michael and All Angels was built in the 15th century. It is a Grade II* listed building.[15]

In media

Penselwood is the setting for James Long's books, Ferney and its sequel The Lives She Left Behind, which mention many of the historical events that took place in or near the village.

References

  1. ^ "Statistics for Wards, LSOAs and Parishes — SUMMARY Profiles" (Excel). Somerset Intelligence. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  2. ^ a b Baggs, A P; Siraut, M C (1999). Currie, C R J; Dunning, R W (eds.). "'Penselwood', A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 7: Bruton, Horethorne and Norton Ferris Hundreds". pp. 184–192. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  3. ^
    ISBN 1-874336-26-1
    .
  4. ^ Nennius (attrib.). Theodor Mommsen (ed.). Historia Brittonum, VI. Composed after AD 830. (in Latin) Hosted at Latin Wikisource.
  5. ^ Ford, David Nash. "The 28 Cities of Britain Archived 15 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine" at Britannia. 2000.
  6. ^ Newman, John Henry & al. Lives of the English Saints: St. German, Bishop of Auxerre, Ch. X: "Britain in 429, A. D.", p. 92. Archived 21 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine James Toovey (London), 1844.
  7. ISBN 0-340-20116-9
    .
  8. ^ Historic England. "Pen Pits (202568)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  9. ^ "Somerset Hundreds". GENUKI. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  10. ISBN 0-946159-94-7
    .
  11. ^ "Wincanton RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  12. ^ "Moldram's Ground". Pen Selwood. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  13. ^ "Moldrums Ground". Natural England. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  14. ^ "The Leland Trail". Discover South Somerset. Archived from the original on 30 October 2009. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
  15. ^ Historic England. "Church of St. Michael and All Angels (1238353)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 April 2018.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Penselwood.
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