North Petherton
| North Petherton | |
|---|---|
 Church of St Mary, North Petherton |
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 North Petherton
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| North Petherton shown within Somerset | |
| Population | 6,730 |
| OS grid reference | ST290329 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BRIDGWATER |
| Postcode district | TA6 |
| Dialling code | 01278 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | |
North Petherton is a small town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the edge of the eastern foothills of the , and close to the edge of the Somerset Levels. The town has a population of 6,730. The parish includes Hamp, Melcombe, Woolmersdon and Huntworth.
Dating from at least the 10th century and an important settlement in Saxon times, North Petherton became a town only in the late 20th century, until then claiming to be the largest village in England.
A former market and administrative centre, North Petherton is now largely a dormitory town for workers in Bridgwater, 3 miles (5 km) to the north east, and Taunton, 8 miles (13 km) to the south west. The centre of the town is designated an Area of High Archaeological Potential (AHAP), and a number of buildings have been given listed building status.
The town is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Nortperet. The name derives from the area's location to the north side of the River Parrett, from the Latin Paradæ 'barge' and from the Old English nor tun.
Long before the Norman Conquest, during Saxon times North Petherton was at the centre of a large royal estate, located on one of the historic communication routes through Somerset, and was both an important centre and the meeting place for the Hundred of North Petherton although the Petherton limit tithing of North Petherton was in the Hundred of Andersfield from the 1670s.
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Wikipedia