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Alhampton
Alhampton
	The Alhampton Inn, reopened in 2023
	Alhampton Location within Somerset
OS grid reference	ST 62789 34825
Civil parish	Ditcheat;
Unitary authority	Somerset Council;
Ceremonial county	Somerset;
Region	South West;
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SHEPTON MALLET
Postcode district	BA4
Dialling code	01749
Police	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Devon and Somerset
Ambulance	South Western
UK Parliament	Frome and East Somerset;
	List of places UK England Somerset 51°06′41″N 2°31′58″W / 51.1115°N 2.5329°W

Alhampton is a small village 5 miles (8 km) south of Shepton Mallet, and 2 miles (3 km) north-west of Castle Cary, in Somerset, England. It lies within the civil parish of Ditcheat.

Administration

Historically, Alhampton was classed as a tything of Ditcheat.^[1] Between 1894 and 1974 the village was administered within Shepton Mallet Rural District. and from then until 2023 it fell within Mendip District. It now comes under the unitary authority of Somerset Council.

River Alham

The River Alham flows through Alhampton. It was known as the Alauna in Roman times, and supported several mills between the Domesday Book and the 18th century.^[2] One of them, at Alhampton, had an Archimedes' screw turbine installed in 2010 to generate hydro-electric power.^[3]

Alhampton Chapel

Alhampton Chapel, also known as Alhampton Mission Church, forms part of the Fosse Trinity Benefice within the Church of England.^[4] The building is a tin tabernacle erected in 1892 as a chapel of ease to the parish church of St Mary Magdalene at Ditcheat.^[5] In 1887, the rector of Ditcheat, Rev. C. E. Leir, determined to supply a chapel for Alhampton, in particular to serve those who struggled or were unable to get to the parish church, such as the elderly and sick.^[6] The chapel cost £250, opened in 1892, and was almost free from debt by the beginning of 1893.^[6] It now holds regular monthly and other occasional services.^[4]

Alhampton Inn

The Alhampton Inn, also known as the Knave of Clubs, is claimed to have been an alehouse from at least the seventeenth century, and a public house from the nineteenth century.^[7] After it closed in late 2022, a community initiative supported by the Plunkett Foundation was set up to reopen the pub, and this was successfully achieved in August 2023.^[8] In 2024, the pub won a Prince of Wales Award of Honour,^[9] and was listed by the Daily Mail as one of the hundred best pubs in Britain.^[10]

Buildings

Alhampton has ten listed buildings, all of grade II status, including Alhampton Court, built in about 1650 of Cary stone, a local form of limestone.^[11]

Haddon Wood

A new woodland, Haddon Wood, was established at Alhampton on 28 acres (11 ha) of land donated by the owner in 2013 to the Woodland Trust for the benefit of the local community.^[12] The land has been planted with native and orchard trees, and has a pond.^[13]

Gardens

Alhampton runs an Open Gardens Scheme weekend each year.^[14] The village is home to horticulturalist Charles Dowding.^[15]

Transport

Alhampton is located close to the A37 road, linking Bristol and Bath to the north with Yeovil and Dorchester to the south; and to the A371 between Shepton Mallet and Castle Cary. The village is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Castle Cary station, on the main rail line between Exeter St. Davids and London Paddington.