Cricket St Thomas

Cricket St Thomas
Church of St Thomas, Cricket St Thomas
Cricket St Thomas Location withinSomerset
Population	50 (2011)
OS grid reference	ST375084
Civil parish	Cricket St Thomas
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
UK Parliament	Yeovil

Cricket St Thomasis aparishinSomerset,England, situated in a valley betweenChardandCrewkerneand was formerly within theSouth Somersetadministrative district. TheA30 roadpasses nearby. The parish has a population of 50.It is noted for the historicmanor houseknown as Cricket House, and its estate in recent times formerly home to awildlife park.

Etymology

The name Cricket St Thomas is derived from theAnglo-Saxonword "cruc", meaning a hill or ridge.

Descent of the manor

Themanoris listed in theDomesday Bookof 1086, where it is described as "Land of the Count of Martin" paying tax to the king for sixhides,or about 720 acres (291.4 ha). It had two slaves, six villagers, fivesmallholdersand a variety of livestock and was valued for tax purposes at 100shillings. It was at that time within theHundredofSouth Petherton.

In the 11th century the manor washeldby thede Cricketfamily.In 1328-9 Michael de Cricket sold the manor to Walter de Rodney, who subsequently conveyed it to John of Clevedon.In 1466 it was acquired by Stephen Preston, whose great-grandson and last male descendant was John Preston, whose daughter and heiress Margaret Preston (d.1672), married John Hippisley ofSton Eastonin Somerset, and thus Cricket St Thomas passed to her Hippisley descendants. In 1775 Richard Hippisley-Coxe sold it to AdmiralAlexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport, 1st Baron Bridport(1726-1814), who although having married twice died childless and thus bequeathed it to his younger great-nephewSamuel Hood, 2nd Baron Bridport(1788-1868) (who inherited his Irish barony byspecial remainder), the husband ofCharlotte Mary Nelson, 3rd Duchess of Bronté(1787–1873), daughter and heiress ofWilliam Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson, 2nd Duke of Bronté(1757–1835), elder brother and heir of the great AdmiralHoratio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté(1758–1805). Samuel and Charlotte's sonAlexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport, 3rd Baron Bridport(1814-1904) (Viscountcy created 1868), 4thDuke of Brontéin Sicily, sold it in 1898 to the chocolate manufacturer Francis Fry (d.1918), the estate having become heavily mortgaged.

Modern governance

Today theparish councilhas 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, andneighbourhood watchgroups 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 parish falls within theNon-metropolitan districtofSouth Somerset,which was formed on 1 April 1974 under theLocal Government Act 1972,having previously been part ofChard Rural District.The district council is responsible forlocal planningandbuilding control,local roads,council housing,environmental health,marketsand fairs,refuse collectionandrecycling,cemeteriesandcrematoria,leisure services, parks, andtourism.

Somerset County Councilis responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such aseducation,social services,libraries,main roads,public transport,policingandfire services,trading standards,waste disposaland strategic planning.

It is also part of theYeovilcounty constituencyrepresented in theHouse of Commonsof theParliament of the United Kingdom.It elects oneMember of Parliament (MP)by thefirst past the postsystem of election. It was part of theSouth West England constituencyof theEuropean Parliamentprior toBritain leaving the European Unionin January 2020, which elected sevenMEPsusing thed'Hondt methodofparty-list proportional representation.

Church of St Thomas

The parishChurch of St Thomas,aGrade II* listedbuilding.,was almost totally rebuilt in 1819-20 bySamuel Hood, 2nd Baron Bridport,and traces of the earlier ancient Saxon and medieval building have largely been lost. The church contains monuments to the Nelson family (Earl Nelson) and its successor the Hood family (Viscount Bridport),lords of the manor,seated at Cricket House from the 18th century until 1898.

Monuments

Monuments in the church and churchyard include those to:

• AdmiralAlexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport(1726-1814) (title created 1800), on the chancel south wall, who first acquired the estate. Designed by SirJohn Soaneand bearing his signature, it comprises a blackmarblebase topped by white marbleIoniccolumns framing an inscribed tablet.

Monument toAlexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport(1814-1904), Cricket St Thomas Church

• Alexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport(1814-1904) (title created 1868), 4th Duke of Bronté in Sicily, the Admiral 1st Viscount's great-great nephew. Situated in the churchyard next to the church it consists of a white marble lifesize standing figure ofSt Michaelthe Archangel. A note in the church states that for many years the statue was laid flat, as the white figure at night scared too many locals.
• John Northcote (d.1738), commemorated in the churchyard by one of two 18th-century chest tombs made fromhamstone.

Mounted on the north nave wall is a fragment of the altar cloth used in the Coronation Service ofQueen Elizabeth IIin 1952.

Cricket House

Cricket House

The survivinggrade II listedGeorgianmanor house,known as "Cricket House", was built in 1786 by AdmiralAlexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport(1726-1814), to the designs of the architect SirJohn Soane(1753-1837).The Admiral had purchased the estate in 1775 from Richard Hippisley Coxe. It is unknown whether the new house incorporated elements of the earlier 14th century house or whether it was completely new.Soane completed further alterations in 1801–7. The Georgianorangeryattached to the house was later turned into a parrot house but is now used for bowling by Warner holiday guests.In the grounds is a small garden house known as "The Admirals Seat".In 1999 the house was developed into aWarner Leisure Hotelsresort.

Fictionalised as "Grantleigh Manor"

Cricket House was filmed as the fictitious "Grantleigh Manor" in theBritish sitcomtelevision seriesTo the Manor Born,broadcast from 1979 to 1981 and written byPeter Spence,whose father-in-law was then the owner of the house. Despite the closeness depicted on screen, the Manor and Lodge are in fact about one mile (1.6 km) apart. The Lodge was given additional features such as gateposts to give the impression it was agatehouse,following various previous alterations.The house was again used as "Grantleigh Manor" in a 25th anniversary special ofTo The Manor Bornshown in 2007.

Heritage at Risk Register

In 2009 the estate was added toEnglish Heritage'sHeritage at Risk Registerdue to pressure from the development of the hotel and leisure facilities. Its vulnerability is now classed as 'Medium'. Some parts of the grounds have been restored throughNatural England's Environmental Stewardship Scheme.

Wildlife park

Wildlife Park at Cricket St Thomas

The formerdeer parkof the house, known as "Cricket Park", were designed by D.D (David) Davis, a noted horticulturist at the start of the 19th Century,and were later turned into a wildlife park. the wildlife park was home to 600 rare and endangered species including lemurs, primates, camels, reptiles and wildfowl.Questions were raised in the UK parliament in 1995 after a rareAsian elephantwas euthanised at the park.The wildlife park closed in 2009 and most of the larger animals were moved to other zoos around the country. Some of the smaller animals, such as the lemurs, were kept and the park was returned to gardens and lakes, re-opening in mid-2010.The park has since closed again and very little remains of the enclosures or buildings.

Crinkley Bottom theme park

In 1994 the grounds also became home toCrinkley Bottom,a theme park created by the broadcasterNoel Edmondsthemed on the "Mr Blobby"character from his hitBBCtelevision seriesNoel's House Party.The project was short-lived and closed within four years, shortly afterNoel's House Partywent off air,when the grounds reverted to their previous use.

Mr Blobby's house, named 'Dunblobbin' was situated at the rear of the park. Other attractions at the park included a TV-themeddark rideand a walkthrough exhibit ofNoddy's Toyland Adventures.Remains of the house and its 'Blobbyland' theme park could still be seen until 2014,overgrown and strewn with fallen leaves and mud. Mr Blobby's house was demolished in late 2014.

External links

• Cricket St Thomas manor house photos andTo the Manor Borntrivia(link not working)