Barton St David
White painted houses with red roofs. In the background is a hill with a tower on it and in the foreground grass and hedgerows
Barton St David and Glastonbury Tor
Barton St David is located in Somerset
Barton St David
Barton St David
Location within Somerset
Population561 (2011)[1]
OS grid referenceST541318
Civil parish
  • Barton St David
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townSOMERTON
Postcode districtTA11
Dialling code01458
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireDevon and Somerset
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
Three arch stone bridge over water.
Tootal Bridge over the River Brue

Barton St David or commonly referred to as Barton is a village and civil parish on the River Brue adjacent to Keinton Mandeville at the foot of Combe Hill in Somerset, England. It is situated 5 miles (8 km) south-east of Glastonbury and 5 miles (8 km) north-east of Somerton. The village has a population of 561.[1]

History

The parish was part of the hundred of Catsash.[2]

Governance

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.

For local government purposes, since 1 April 2023, the village comes under the unitary authority of Somerset Council. Prior to this, it was part of the non-metropolitan district of South Somerset, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Langport Rural District.[3]

It is also part of the Somerton and Frome county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It was part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament prior to Britain leaving the European Union in January 2020, which elected seven MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.

Church

The Church of St David has 12th-century origins. The tower, which is octagonal, is in three stages and probably dates from the 15th century. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building.[4]

Notable inhabitants

Barton St David was the birthplace of Henry Adams (1583–1646), who, after their marriage in nearby Charlton Mackrell, emigrated with his wife Edith and nine children to the new colonies in Massachusetts. He was the great-great-grandfather of John Adams, the first Vice President and second President of the United States. He was also the great-great-great-grandfather of John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the United States. There is a plaque in the parish church which commemorates this link between the village and the United States.

References

  1. 1 2 "Statistics for Wards, LSOAs and Parishes — SUMMARY Profiles" (Excel). Somerset Intelligence. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  2. ↑ "Somerset Hundreds". GENUKI. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  3. ↑ "Langport RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  4. ↑ Historic England. "Church of St David (1176035)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
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