Beckington
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Beckington is a village and
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
in
Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...
, England, across the River Frome from Lullington about three miles north of Frome. According to the 2011 census the parish, which includes the
hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
of Rudge, which has a population of 983, and the hamlet of Standerwick.


History

Beckington is mentioned in the
Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...
of 1086, when it was held by a Roger Bushell, in the place of Æthelfrith, and it was taxed for ten hides, thereby suggesting that the cultivated area was around 1200 acres. The parish was part of the
hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numerals, Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 (number), 99 and preceding 101 (number), 101. In mathematics 100 is the square of 10 (number), 10 (in scientific notation it is written as 102). The standar ...
of Frome and, given that a Hundred comprised one hundred hides, the estate would appear to have made up a significant proportion of its hundred. During the medieval period, Beckington was a major centre for the wool trade. By the 15th century, fulling mills had been built along the banks of the River Frome which supported the spinning and weaving cottage industries. The English antiquary
John Aubrey John Aubrey (12 March 1626 – 7 June 1697) was an English antiquary, natural philosopher and writer. He was a pioneer archaeologist, who recorded (often for the first time) numerous megalithic and other field monuments in southern England ...
(1626–1697) noted in his '' Brief Lives'': "Carrots were first sown at Beckington in Somersetshire. Some very old Man there did remember their first bringing hither." In September 1766, rioters marched to Beckington and set on fire a mill and other property, in spite of being offered money and parish relief for their families.


Governance

The parish council has 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, and
neighbourhood watch A neighborhood watch or neighbourhood watch (see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences), also called a crime watch or neighbourhood crime watch, is an organized group of civilians devoted to crime a ...
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 Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...
purposes, since 1 April 2023, the parish comes under the
unitary authority A unitary authority is a type of local government, local authority in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Unitary authorities are responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are ...
of
Somerset Council Somerset Council, known until 2023 as Somerset County Council, is the Local government in England, local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England. Since 2023 it has been a Unitary authorities of England, unita ...
. Prior to this, it was part of the
non-metropolitan district Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially "shire districts", are a type of Districts of England, local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties (colloquially ''s ...
of Mendip (established under the
Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
). It was part of
Frome Rural District Frome was a rural district in Somerset, England, from 1894 to 1974. The district was created in 1894 under the Local Government Act 1894. It was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 when it became part of the district of Men ...
before 1974. The village falls in the 'Beckington and Selwood'
electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...
. The ward stretches from ''Beckington'' south to East Woodlands but avoiding Frome. The total population of the ward at the 2011 census was 2,125. It is also part of the Frome and East Somerset
county constituency In the United Kingdom (UK), each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one member to the House of Commons. Within the United Kingdom there are five bodies with members elected by electoral districts called " constituen ...
represented in the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...
of the
Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace ...
. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the
first past the post First-past-the-post (FPTP)—also called choose-one, first-preference plurality (FPP), or simply plurality—is a single-winner voting rule. Voters mark one candidate as their favorite, or First-preference votes, first-preference, and the cand ...
system of election.


Transport

Beckington was on the A36 until a bypass was built in 1989. For years, the T-junction in the centre of the village was in grid-lock during the busy commuter times and holiday season. The location was marked by a large, evergreen bush that was cleverly snipped to the shape of a battle-tank.


Education

Beckington school is a Church of England Voluntary Controlled First School which was built in 1852. Springmead Preparatory School is also based in the village.


Landmarks

Seymours Court Farmhouse dates from the 15th century and is Grade I listed. It was once the home of Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, who married Queen
Catherine Parr Catherine Parr ( – 5 September 1548) was Queen of England and Ireland as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 12 July 1543 until Henry's death on 28 January 1547. Catherine was the final queen consort o ...
.
Beckington Castle Beckington Castle is a historic house in the village of Beckington, Somerset, England. It is a Grade II* listed building. It was built in the early 17th century on the site of a medieval building. It has been home to various nobility and local b ...
, which housed Ravenscroft School between 1945 and 1970, was originally built in the 17th century. It is now home to a company providing technical and procurement support to the Ministry of Defence. The Wool Hall, next door, dates from the 16th century, was substantially restored in the 19th century, and served as a recording studio from the early 1980s until its closure in 2004. Artists who recorded at the studio include
Tears for Fears Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath in 1981 by Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the synth-pop bands o ...
(who set up the studio),
The Smiths The Smiths were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (musician), Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwrit ...
,
Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...
(who owned the studio between 1994 and 2002),
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...
,
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...
, Tom Jones,
Stereophonics Stereophonics are a Welsh pop and rock music, Welsh rock band formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in the Cynon Valley. The band consists of Kelly Jones (lead vocals, lead guitar, keyboards), Richard Jones (Stereophonics), Richard Jones (n ...
,
The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Reev ...
,
The Pretenders The Pretenders are a British rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete Farndon (ba ...
, and many others. The cottages along Church Street date from around 1720. Like the Wool Hall, the Woolpack Inn took its name from the village trade and opened as a coaching inn in the 16th century, but the current building was rebuilt on the site in the late 18th. Beckington is also home to two village pumps. One of these is near the church under a hooded wooden structure, whilst the other is located on a parkway.


Religious sites

It has a Norman Church of St George dating from the 14th century. The tower contains two bells dating from 1756 and made by Thomas Bilbie of the Bilbie family. It has been designated by
English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...
as a Grade I
listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
. The Abbey, Beckington, dating from 1502, is a former
monastic grange Monastic granges were outlying landholdings held by Monastery, monasteries independent of the Manorialism, manorial system. The first granges were owned by the Cistercians, and other orders followed. Wealthy monastic houses had many granges, mo ...
and college for priests later adapted as a house.


Standerwick

The hamlet of Standerwick within the parish of Beckington includes the Frome Agricultural Market and has one
public house A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...
, ''The Bell''. Its existence is recorded as far back as 1660. Buildings include Standerwick Court, a manor house in the grounds of which is said to be an ancient encampment, perhaps a connecting station between
Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...
and King Alfred's Tower at Stourton. Foxes Drove Farm dates from around 1750.


Notable people

*
Samuel Daniel Samuel Daniel (1562–1619) was an English poet, playwright and historian in the late-Elizabethan and early- Jacobean eras. He was an innovator in a wide range of literary genres. His best-known works are the sonnet cycle ''Delia'', the epic ...
(1562 – 1619),
poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...
and
historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...
retired to a farm called "The Ridge" in the village and is buried in the parish churchyard. * Thomas Beckington (also spelt Beckyngton) (c. 1390 – 1465) was born in the village before becoming
Bishop of Bath and Wells The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England. The present diocese covers the overwhelmingly greater part of the (ceremonial) county of Somerset and a small area of D ...
and King's Secretary * Sir Lislebone Long (1613–1659) (baptised Loveban) was born in the village and became Speaker of the House of Commons in 1659. * William Roger Brown (1831–1902), lord of the manor * Alfred Parsons (1847–1911), artist


References


External links


Beckington Castle

Village website

Village life in Beckington
{{Authority control Villages in Mendip District Civil parishes in Somerset