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Donyatt

Coordinates:50°55′34″N2°56′51″W/ 50.9261°N 2.9475°W/50.9261; -2.9475
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Donyatt
Stone building with square tower
Donyatt is located in Somerset
Donyatt
Donyatt
Location withinSomerset
Population347 (2011)[1]
OS grid referenceST335145
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townILMINSTER
Postcode districtTA19
Dialling code01460
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireDevon and Somerset
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Somerset
50°55′34″N2°56′51″W/ 50.9261°N 2.9475°W/50.9261; -2.9475

Donyattis a village andcivil parishinSomerset,England, situated at the source of theRiver Isle5 miles (8.0 km) north ofChardin theSouth Somersetdistrict. The village has apopulationof 347.[1]The parish includes the hamlet ofPeasmarsh.

History

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The village was recorded asDunnyetemeaningDunna's gatein 725.[2]

In theDomesday Booka park at Donyatt was held by Drogo from theCount of Mortain.[3]

Donyatt was part of thehundredofAbdick and Bulstone.[4][5]

In 1328 it was the birthplace ofWilliam Montacute, 2nd Earl of Salisbury,whose family held the manor and built a castle or fortified manor house. It had a manorial chapel and it is from this that aSheela na Gigwas recovered and is now incorporated into a private house.[6]

Thealmshousesin Church Street date from 1624,[7]and were founded under the will of John Dunster of London (died 1625).[2]Next to them is the old school house, which was built in the early 19th century,[8]and the old school which dates from 1871.[9]

The Old clay puddling house, a circular thatched building, is a former pottery dating from the 18th century,[10]when there were also woollen-mills in the village. Thirty-three examples of pottery from Donyatt have been identified from five sites inVirginiaandMaryland.[11]They were part of a wider pottery industry during the 17th and 18th centuries. Sites from which were excavated in the 1960s and 1970.[12][13]

The "Sea Bridge" carries the road over a stream. It was built in the 18th century with three semi-circular arches.[14]

The site of Donyatt Halt, between Chard and Ilminster on the B&ER branch line

Donyatt had a small halt along theChard Branch Linejust beforeIlminster,which served the local community, it was constructed from sleepers laid horizontally and pegged together to form a basic platform structure, a small over canopy "shed" served as a shelter during the winter months, access to the platform was gained by crossing over the bridge and accessing an inclined path. The Halt is next to someWorld War IIdefences used on theTaunton Stop Line,with anti-tank traps around the station. During the threat of invasion, an inspection post could be quickly set up between Donyatt and Ilminster to stop and check the trains before proceeding on the down line "to" and "from" Chard. This was achieved by placing a barrier on some cut out stones entering the Donyatt Halt, you can see these if you wonder why there are two opposite stones on the cycle path, one will have a hole cut into it to act as a pivot for the barrier.

In 2017, the village was part of anITV Newsspecial, focussing on the2017 United Kingdom general electionand how it had repercussions for residents of the area.[15]

Governance

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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 village 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.[16]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.

Religious sites

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TheAnglicanparishChurch of St Maryis a 15th rebuild of earlier church, where the first recorded rector was in 1255. It has been designated as a grade II*listed building.[17]

References

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  1. ^ab"Statistics for Wards, LSOAs and Parishes — SUMMARY Profiles"(Excel).Somerset Intelligence.Retrieved4 January2014.
  2. ^abBush, Robin (1994).Somerset: The Complete Guide.Dovecote Press. pp.84.ISBN978-1-874336-26-6.
  3. ^Bond, James (1998).Somerset Parks and Gardens.Somerset Books. p. 25.ISBN978-0861834655.
  4. ^"Abdick and Bulstone Hundred Through Time".A Vision of Britain Through Time.Retrieved24 December2016.
  5. ^"Abdick and Bulstone in South Somerset".A Vision Britain Through Time.Retrieved9 September2011.
  6. ^"The Donyatt Figure".The Sheela Na Gig Project. Archived fromthe originalon 23 March 2009.Retrieved4 January2009.
  7. ^Historic England."The Almshouses (1174641)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved4 January2009.
  8. ^Historic England."School House (1057076)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved4 January2009.
  9. ^Historic England."The Old School (1057077)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved4 January2009.
  10. ^Historic England."Old clay puddling house (1057080)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved4 January2009.
  11. ^Coleman-Smith, Richard; Kiser, R.Taft; Hughes, Michael J. (September 2005). "Donyatt-type pottery in 17th- and 18th-century Virginia and Maryland".Post-Medieval Archaeology.39(2): 294–310.doi:10.1179/007943205X62679.S2CID161766594.
  12. ^"Donyatt Pottery Kilns".Pastscape.English Heritage.Retrieved21 September2014.
  13. ^"Pottery kilns (Donyatt Site 2), south of Whitney Bottom, Donyatt".Somerset Historic Environment Record.Somerset County Council.Retrieved21 September2014.
  14. ^Historic England."Sea Bridge, about 160 metres northwest of Sea Mill Farmhouse (1295611)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved4 January2009.
  15. ^TheSethLucanChannel (21 June 2017),ITV News with Seth Dellow & others,retrieved10 November2017[dead YouTube link]
  16. ^"Chard RD".A vision of Britain Through Time.University of Portsmouth.Retrieved4 January2014.
  17. ^Historic England."Church of St Mary (1057074)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved4 January2009.
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