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Henstridge

Coordinates:50°58′27″N2°23′35″W/ 50.9742°N 2.3930°W/50.9742; -2.3930
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Henstridge
Stone building with arched windows and square tower partially obscured by trees. In the foreground are gravestones.
Henstridge is located in Somerset
Henstridge
Henstridge
Location withinSomerset
Population1,814 (2011)[1]
OS grid referenceST725195
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townTemplecombe
Postcode districtBA8
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireDevon and Somerset
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Somerset
50°58′27″N2°23′35″W/ 50.9742°N 2.3930°W/50.9742; -2.3930

Henstridgeis a village andcivil parishin Somerset, England, situated 5 miles (8.0 km) east ofSherbornein theSouth Somersetdistrict, near the border withDorset.The parish includes the hamlet ofYenston.In 2011, the village had a population of 1,814.[1]

History

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The village name means "the ridge where stallions are kept".[2]

The parish was part of thehundredofHorethorne.[3]

Yenston Priorywas a 16th-century house ofBenedictinemonks.

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 Somersetwhich was formed on 1 April 1974 under theLocal Government Act 1972,having previously been part ofWincanton Rural District.[4]The district council is responsible forlocal planningandbuilding control,local roads,council housing,environmental health,marketsand fairs,refuse collectionandrecycling,cemeteriesandcrematoria,leisure services, parks and tourism.

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

It is also part of theGlastonbury and Somertoncounty constituencyrepresented in theHouse of Commonsof theParliament of the United Kingdom.It elects oneMember of Parliament (MP)by thefirst past the postsystem of election.

Landmarks

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Inwood House was built in 1881 by the Welsh industrialist Thomas Merthyr Guest on the site of an earlier house. The circular crenellated water tower was retained,[5]as was the small doric Temple of Laocoon[6]and an Oriental Summerhouse.[7][8]Guest married the writer LadyTheodora Guestwho died here in 1924.[9]

Transport

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The village is situated at the junction of theA30andA357 roads.Henstridge railway stationwas on the formerSomerset and Dorset Joint Railway,and is now the location of theGartell Light Railway

Just east of the village isHenstridge Airfield(ICAOcode – EGHS). It was built during theSecond World Waras a training base for theFleet Air Arm,which commissioned it asHMSDipper.Visitors can still see the concrete outline of an aircraft carrier deck embedded into theits one surviving runway. TheMinistry of Defencesold the airfield in 1957 and today it is mainly used as a base forgeneral aviationand is an active training centre forautogyros(gyrocopters). The airfield is the base for theDorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.The airfield also hosts a weeklyparkrun.

Religious sites

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The parishChurch of St Nicholasdates from the 12th century, but was largely rebuilt in 1872–3 by J.M Allen.[10]

The two former chapels in the High Street are now private residences.

References

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  1. ^ab"Statistics for Wards, LSOAs and Parishes – SUMMARY Profiles"(Excel).Somerset Intelligence.Retrieved4 January2014.
  2. ^Bush, Robin(1994).Somerset: The Complete Guide.Dovecote Press. pp.114.ISBN1-874336-26-1.
  3. ^"Somerset Hundreds".GENUKI.Retrieved9 October2011.
  4. ^"Wincanton RD".A vision of Britain Through Time.University of Portsmouth.Retrieved4 January2014.
  5. ^Historic England."Folly tower, 20 metres South of Stables complex (1174578)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved11 January2009.
  6. ^Historic England."Pavilion with sculpture, 10 metres South-East of stables complex (1056345)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved11 January2009.
  7. ^Historic England."The Summer House, 50 metres North-West of Inwood House (1056346)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved11 January2009.
  8. ^Holt, Jonathan (2007).Somerset Follies.Bath: Akeman Press.ISBN978-0-9546138-7-7.
  9. ^"Guest [née Grosvenor], Lady Theodora (1840–1924), author and benefactor".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/59926.Retrieved29 September2020.
  10. ^Historic England."Church of St Nicholas (1366325)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved11 January2009.
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