Pitminster | |
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Blagdon Hill |
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Pitminster shown within Somerset | |
Population | 956 (2011) |
OS grid reference | ST225195 |
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 | |
Pitminster is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district. The parish has a population of 956. The parish also includes the villages of Angersleigh, Blagdon Hill and Staplehay. The village of Blagdon is now officially known as Blagdon Hill to distinguish it from Blagdon in North Somerset. Hillside hamlets in the parish comprise Feltham and Woodram, those on the lower plain in the north are Sellicks Green which is contiguous with Blagdon Hill, Duddlestone and Poundisford.
The name Pitminster means the minster or mother church of Pippa's people.
In 938 King Athelstan gave the estate, along with nearby Corfe as a tithing to the Bishop of Winchester. By the early 13th century the bishops had established a deer park in the parish which was visited by King John in 1208.
The parishes of Angersleigh and Pitminster were 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.