Kingston St Mary | |
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Kingston St. Mary's church |
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Kingston St Mary shown within Somerset | |
Population | 921 (2011) |
OS grid reference | ST225295 |
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | TAUNTON |
Postcode district | TA2 |
Dialling code | 01823 |
Police | Avon and Somerset |
Fire | Devon and Somerset |
Ambulance | South Western |
EU Parliament | South West England |
UK Parliament | |
Kingston St Mary is a village and parish in Somerset, England, situated at the southern end of the 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district. The village has a population of 921.
The parish includes the hamlets of Yarford which includes the grade II Cutley Farmhouse and Fulford where Fulford House was built about 1830, which has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II listed building.
The first part of the village name comes from the kings settlement having belonged to the kings of the West Saxons before being ceded to the Bishop of Winchester as part of the manor of Taunton Deane, with the church's dedication being added in the 20th century.
The parish of Kingston was part of the Taunton Deane Hundred.
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 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.
The village falls within the Non-metropolitan district of Taunton Deane, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Taunton Rural District. The district council is responsible for local planning and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection and recycling, cemeteries and crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism.