Evercreech: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=SeptemberJuly 20112020}}

|static_image= Evercreech Church.jpg

|static_image_width= 240px

|static_image_caption= [[Church of St Peter, Evercreech]]

|coordinates = {{coord|51.1445|-2.5068|display=inline,title}}

| shire_county lieutenancy_england= [[Somerset]]

|region= South West England

|post_town= SHEPTON MALLET

|postcode_district= BA4

|dial_code= 01749

'''Evercreech''' is a village and [[Civilcivil parishesparish]] in England|civil parish[[Somerset]], England. The village is {{convert|3|mi|km|10}} south eastsoutheast of [[Shepton Mallet]], and {{convert|5|mi|km|10}} north eastnortheast of [[Castle Cary]], in the [[Mendip District|Mendip]] district of [[Somerset]], England. The parish includes the hamlet of '''Stoney Stratton''' and the village of '''Chesterblade'''.

[[Small Down Knoll]], (or Small Down Camp), is a [[Bronze Age]] [[hill fort]] above the village which rises to {{convert|728|ft|m|10}}.

The parish was part of the [[Hundred (county subdivision)|hundred]] of [[Wells Forum (hundred)|Wells Forum]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Somerset Hundreds|url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SOM/Miscellaneous/|publisher=GENUKI|accessdateaccess-date=12 September 2011}}</ref>

The [[Parish councils of England|parish council]] has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council’scouncil'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 (UK)|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.

TheFrom village1894 fallsto within1974, the [[Non-metropolitan district]] of [[Mendip District|Mendip]], whichvillage was formed on 1 April 1974 under the [[Local Government Act 1972]], having previously been part of [[Shepton Mallet Rural District]],<ref name=sheptonrd>{{cite web |title=Shepton Mallet RD |url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10001559 |work=A visionVision of Britain Through Time |publisher=[[University of Portsmouth]] |accessdateaccess-date=4 January 2014}}</ref> whichand isfrom 1974 to 2023, it fell within the [[non-metropolitan district]] of [[Mendip District|Mendip]]. Mendip District Council was responsible for [[planning permission|local planning]] and [[Building regulations in the United Kingdom|building control]], local roads, [[council housing]], [[environmental health]], [[Market (place)|market]]s and fairs, [[refuse collection]] and [[recycling]], [[cemeteries]] and [[crematoria]], leisure services, parks, and [[tourism]].

[[Somerset County Council]] is responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as [[Local Education Authority|education]], [[social services]], [[library|libraries]], main roads, [[public transport]], [[police|policing]] and [[fire service]]s, [[Trading Standards|trading standards]], [[waste disposal]] and strategic planning.

The village falls in 'Creech' [[Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom|electoral ward]]. The area and population of this ward isare describedstated above.{{Fix|text=where?}}

It is also part of the [[SomertonFrome and FromeEast Somerset (UK Parliament constituency)|SomertonFrome &and FromeEast Somerset]] [[county constituency]] represented in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]. It elects one [[Member of Parliament|Member of Parliament]] (MP)]] by the [[first past the post]] system of election, and was part of the [[South West England (European Parliament constituency)|South West England constituency]] of the [[European Parliament]] whichprior electsto [[Brexit|Britain leaving the European Union]] in January 2020. This constituency elected seven [[Members of the European Parliament|MEPs]] using the [[d'Hondt method]] of [[party-list proportional representation]].

EvercreechThere hasare two [[Public house|pubs]] withinin it,the village: ''The Bell Inn'' and the "''Pickled Inn"'' (formerly ''The Shapway Inn''). ''The Pecking Mill'' is within a very short distance to the south. Historically, one of the local pubs, ''The Brewers Arms'', celebrated New Year's Eve with fireworks, but greeted faithful locals the very next day,on New Years Day 2005, withit noticeannounced that it had closed forever. Rumours were rife around the reasons for the closure (most likely due to the non-profitability of such a local enterprise) - popularly noting that the real estate value of the site was extremely high.

Cutterne Mill is an old [[watermill]].<ref>{{NHLE |num=1222268 |desc=Cutterne Mill |accessdateaccess-date=10 January 2009}}</ref> which is now being used for electricity generation as part of the [[South Somerset Hydropower Group]].

The [[market cross]] dates from the 15th century. It stands on four steps and a {{convert|3|m}} high shaft. In the 19th century the cruciform head was restored. It is a Grade II* [[listed building]] and has been scheduled as an [[ancient monument]].<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Medieval standing cross 50m west of St Peter's Church|num=1016232|accessdateaccess-date=14 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{NHLE|desc=Village Cross to West of Church of St Peter|num=1059174|accessdateaccess-date=14 February 2015}}</ref>

Historic industries in Evercreech include quarrying of [[blue lias]] and clay; brick making; milk processing; and agriculture, which remains the leading industry today. From the late 18th century until just after WW1World War I, [[silk]] processing was an important industry for Evercreech, a spillover from mills at nearby [[Bruton]] and [[Sherborne]]. The workforce for the village's three silk factories was made up almost entirely of young women and girls, some of whom started working as young as seven or eight years of age. Fulfilling orders from London, two of the factories were throwing mills which produced high quality spun silk thread. The third mill wove silk thread into cloth. Bales of raw silk were imported to the mills from France, Italy, and India by London merchants .

Employment in the mills was erratic, driven by highly volatile demand for English woven silk. This volatility, in turn was caused by embargoes on imported woven silk, duty taxes, and then the lifting of import restrictions in 1860.<ref name="Evercreech Silk">{{cite book|last=Doble|first=Jim|title=The Silk Industry in Evercreech|year=2001|publisher=Evercreech & District Local History Society|pages=1–2|display-authors=etal}}</ref>

The [[Church of St Peter, Evercreech|Church of St Peter]] dates from the 14th century and is a Grade I [[listed building]]. The three-stage tower has set-back buttresses ascending to pinnacles, with a very tall transomed two-light bell-chamber with windows on each face The embattled parapet has quatrefoil piercing, with big corner pinnacles and smaller intermediate pinnacles. The four-light west window has extensively restored tracery. This tower is of the East Mendip type.<ref>{{NHLE |num=1059172 |desc=Church of St Peter |accessdateaccess-date=25 November 2006}}</ref> On the north wall of the tower is a roll of honour to victims of [[World War I]]. It is within a rectangular wooden case with a glazed door crowned by a triangular pediment and plaque below.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/record/23481 |title=Church of St Peter and churchyard, Evercreech |accessdateaccess-date=5 March 2008 |format= |work=Somerset Historic Environment Record }}</ref>

The church's clock features anis unusual mistakein asthat it is missing the 10th hour number, usually shown as the romanRoman numeral 'X'. The romanRoman numeral at the 10th hour placementposition is XI (11) and it is followed by the romanRoman numeral for twelve (XII). TheThus the numbers of the last quarter read IX (9) - XI (11) - XII (12) - XII (12). Local rumour suggests that the person who paid for the clock to be made, was instructed by his wife that he had to be home from the pub by 10 o'clock. Therefore, he ensured that the 10 o'clock numeral (X) was missing.<ref>{{cite web|title=Saint Peter's Church Evercreech|url=http://www.stpetersevercreech.co.uk/assets/files/church%20booklet%202013.pdf|publisher=Saint Peter's Church Evercreech|accessdateaccess-date=31 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Chiefs call time on pub's clock signs|url=http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Chiefs-time-pub-s-clock-signs/story-11791724-detail/story.html|accessdateaccess-date=31 October 2014|publisher=Express & Echo|date=24 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924004840/http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Chiefs-time-pub-s-clock-signs/story-11791724-detail/story.html|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The sounds of the bells at Evercreech church were used in the opening credits of BBC's ''Songs of Praise'' for many years. There were many complaints.

At Chesterblade the tiny [[Church of St Mary, Chesterblade|Church of St Mary]] dates from the 12th century.<ref>{{NHLE |num=1222368 |desc=Church of St Mary |accessdateaccess-date=10 January 2009}}</ref>

*[httphttps://www.angelfire.com/or/evercreech/ Evercreech village website]