Chedzoy

Chedzoy (alternatively Chedzey) is a civil parish village 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Bridgwater in Somerset, England.

Chedzoy
Stone building with square tower.
Chedzoy is located in Somerset
Chedzoy
Chedzoy
Location within Somerset
Population404 (2011)[1]
OS grid referenceST335376
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBRIDGWATER
Postcode districtTA7
Dialling code01278
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireDevon and Somerset
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament

History

The village is at the western end of King's Sedgemoor and lies on an 'island' of Burtle marine sands, close to King's Sedgemoor Drain. The area was settled possibly in the Mesolithic period, and timber trackways from the 3rd to 1st millennium B.C. provided routes to other settlements on the Somerset Levels. Roman artifacts have been found in the parish.[2][3]

The village is very close to the site of the 1685 Battle of Sedgemoor.

The name of the village is pronounced "Chidgey" or "Chedzey",[4] and derives its name from being Cedd's Island.[5] The "zoy" part of the name being derived from eg or ieg meaning island.[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.

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 Sedgemoor, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Bridgwater Rural District.[7]

It is also part of the Bridgwater and West Somerset 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, and 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.

Religious sites

The church of St Mary dates from the 13th century and has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building.[8] It still bears marks from the forces of The Duke of Monmouth during the Monmouth Rebellion who sharpened their swords before battle.[9]

References
  1. "Statistics for Wards, LSOAs and Parishes — SUMMARY Profiles" (Excel). Somerset Intelligence. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  2. "Chedzoy". British History Online. Retrieved 6 December 2007.
  3. Havinden, Michael (1981). The Somerset Landscape. The making of the English landscape. London: Hodder and Stoughton. p. 74. ISBN 0-340-20116-9.
  4. Plea Rolls of the Court of Common Pleas; CP 40/541; year 1396; http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT6/R2/CP40no541a/bCP40no541adorses/IMG_0037.htm, seen as 'Chedesye'; third entry
  5. Ekwall, Eilert (1960). The concise dictionary of English place-names. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 99. ISBN 0198691033.
  6. R W Dunning, C R Elrington (Editors), A P Baggs, M C Siraut (1992). "Chedzoy". A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 6: Andersfield, Cannington, and North Petherton Hundreds (Bridgwater and neighbouring parishes). Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 28 December 2012. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. "Bridgwater RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  8. Historic England. "Church of St Mary (1060110)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 December 2007.
  9. Leete-Hodge, Lornie (1985). Curiosities of Somerset. Bodmin: Bossiney Books. p. 81. ISBN 0-906456-98-3.
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