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Tatworth
Tatworth
	St John's Church
	Tatworth Location within Somerset
Population	2,660 (2011)
OS grid reference	ST325055
Civil parish	Tatworth and Forton;
District	South Somerset;
Shire county	Somerset;
Region	South West;
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	CHARD
Postcode district	TA20
Dialling code	01460
Police	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Devon and Somerset
Ambulance	South Western
UK Parliament	Yeovil;
	List of places UK England Somerset 50°50′42″N 2°57′36″W / 50.8450°N 2.9601°W

Tatworth is a village 2 miles (3 km) south of Chard in the South Somerset district of the county of Somerset, England. It is within Tatworth and Forton civil parish.

Tatworth is a large village, consisting of a number of smaller villages including South Chard, Perry Street and Chard Junction which are close together. The hamlet of Forton lies to the north, towards Chard; an area southwest of Forton is called White Gate.^[2]

History

A white lias limestone Roman tessera measuring 25.7 millimetres (1.01 in) x 20.18 millimetres (0.79 in) x 17.75 millimetres (0.70 in) and regularly cut on two faces was found in the area,^[3] and may be connected with the remains of a Roman villa or farmhouse by St Margaret's Lane. Part of this building was excavated in 1967 and pottery and paving found there are displayed in the Chard Museum.^[4]

The name of the village comes from the Old English tat and worp meaning 'A cheerful farm'.^[5] In 1254, the spelling was Tattewurthe and was a sub-manor of Chard.^[6] In 1554 Thatteworh was granted to William Petre as the 'manor and park of Tatworthy' and remained in the family until 1790. Tatworth in the 1850s extended to 1,552 acres (6.28 km²) and had a population of 852.^[6]

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.

The parish was known as Chard parish (distinct from the town of Chard) until 1985 when boundary changes were made, and it was reduced in size.^[7]

The village falls within 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 Chard Rural District.^[8] 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.

Somerset County Council is responsible for running the most expensive local services such as education, social services, libraries, main roads, public transport, policing and fire services, trading standards, waste disposal and strategic planning.

It is also part of the Yeovil county constituency, represented in the House of Commons.

Amenities

St John's Church, which dates from 1851, is designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building.^[9]^[10]

Tatworth has a primary school,^[11] two pubs – Ye Olde Poppe Inn and the Golden Fleece – and the Perry Street Club, a members-only club. It also has a McColl's shop which is also a post office.

Tatworth has a number of local sports clubs. The Perry Street & District Football League was formed in Tatworth in 1903 by Charles Edward Small, the owner of the Perry Street Lace Works.^[12] Perry Street Football Club still play in the league today. There is also a cricket club and local skittles league based at Perry Street Club.^[13]

Stowell Meadow is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest.

References

^ "Statistics for Wards, LSOAs and Parishes — SUMMARY Profiles" (Excel). Somerset Intelligence. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
^ "Map of White Gate, Somerset". Streetmap.co.uk. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
^ "Tessera". Portable Antiquities Scheme. Retrieved 23 November 2007.
^ "The Story of Tatworth & Forton, briefly told". Retrieved 23 November 2007.
^ Robinson, Stephen (1992). Somerset Place Names. Wimborne, Dorset: Dovecote Press. ISBN 1-874336-03-2.
^ ^a ^b "Chapter 5" (PDF). Open Windows Learning. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
^ Tatworth and Forton Parish Council History
^ "Chard RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
^ "Church of St John, Tatworth". Somerset Historic Environment Record. Retrieved 23 November 2007.
^ Historic England. "Church of St John (1248929)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 November 2007.
^ "Tatworth Primary School". Retrieved 9 December 2020.
^ "Perry Street & District League". TheFA.com. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
^ "Perry Street Skittles League". Yeovil Express. Retrieved 8 May 2012.