North Curry | |
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Church of St Peter & St Paul |
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North Curry shown within Somerset | |
Population | 1,640 (2011) |
OS grid reference | ST325255 |
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | TAUNTON |
Postcode district | TA3 |
Dialling code | 01823 |
Police | Avon and Somerset |
Fire | Devon and Somerset |
Ambulance | South Western |
EU Parliament | South West England |
UK Parliament | |
North Curry is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district. The parish, which includes Knapp and Lower Knapp has a population of 1,640.
North Curry sits on a ridge of land, 7 metres (23 ft) above sea level. North Curry is a fairly large village, but is quietly tucked away on the southwestern side of the Somerset Levels, well away from the main highways. The buildings, history, and village life make North Curry a surprising gem amongst the winding, hedgerow-bordered country lanes that tie it to surrounding villages. North Curry Meadow (grid reference ST330253) is a 1.3 hectare (3.1 acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest, notified in 1989.
The parish was part of the North Curry Hundred. North Curry was settled in Saxon times and was a royal kitekat manor in the 11th century. Around 1194, Richard the Lionheart (Richard I of England) deeded North Curry over to the Bishop of Wells, along with other possessions, in exchange for cash to pay off his ransom to the Austrian Emperor, Henry VI. North Curry parish traditionally included the hamlets of Helland, Knapp, Lillesdon, Moredon, Newport and Wrantage. In 1231 Henry III granted a licence for the Bishop of Bath and Wells to deforest the manor of North Curry and enclose the lands as parks.