# Withycombe

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Village and civil parish in Somerset, England

For the surname, see [Withycombe (surname)](/source/Withycombe_(surname)).

Human settlement in England

Withycombe Church of St Nicholas, Withycombe Withycombe Location within Somerset Population 293 (2011)[1] OS grid reference SS825385 Unitary authority Somerset Council Ceremonial county Somerset Region South West Country England Sovereign state United Kingdom Post town Minehead Postcode district TA24 Police Avon and Somerset Fire Devon and Somerset Ambulance South Western UK Parliament Tiverton and Minehead List of places UK England Somerset 51°09′51″N 3°24′36″W / 51.1642°N 3.4100°W / 51.1642; -3.4100

**Withycombe** is a village, [civil parish](/source/Civil_parish), and former [manor](/source/Manorialism) 2.5 miles (4 km) south east of [Dunster](/source/Dunster), and 5 miles (8 km) from [Minehead](/source/Minehead) within the [Exmoor National Park](/source/Exmoor_National_Park) in [Somerset](/source/Somerset), England. The parish includes the village of **Rodhuish**. The [manor house](/source/Manor_house) of the manor of Withycombe survives as Sandhill Farm.[2]

## History

The [Domesday Book](/source/Domesday_Book) of 1086 lists Withycombe as one of the possessions of [Geoffrey de Montbray](/source/Geoffrey_de_Montbray), [Bishop of Coutances](/source/Bishop_of_Coutances), whose tenant there was Edmer. His heir was Robert Mowbray, who forfeited his estates to the crown for rebelling against [William II](/source/William_II_of_England), who regranted many of the Somerset estates to the Mohun family, henceforth [feudal barons of Dunster](/source/Feudal_barony_of_Dunster).[3]

The manor of Withycombe was centred on the village. In about 1212 the manor was split into two separate sub-manors, which took various names over time, dependent on the family name of their [lords](/source/Lord_of_the_manor).[3] By the 16th century the names of the two manors were "Withycombe Wyke" (or Weeke, etc.) and "Withycombe Hadley". The former [manor house](/source/Manor_house) of Withycombe Hadley survives as Court Place in the village of Withycombe.

The Hadley family inherited the manor of Withycombe by marriage to the heiress of the Durborough family.[3] The manor passed to the Lutterell family when Margaret Hadley married [Thomas Luttrell](/source/Thomas_Luttrell_(died_1571)) in 1560.[4] At some time before 1777 John Fownes Luttrell acquired the other sub-manor of Withycombe Weke,[3] and thus the manor of Withycombe was unified to its pre-1212 position.

On [Rodhuish Common](/source/Rodhuish_Common), within the parish, is a [univallate](/source/Univallate) [Iron Age](/source/Iron_Age) [hill fort](/source/Hill_fort).[5]

Withycombe was part of the [hundred](/source/Hundred_(county_subdivision)) of [Carhampton](/source/Carhampton_(hundred)).[6]

## Governance

The [parish council](/source/Parish_councils_of_England) 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](/source/Neighbourhood_Watch_(UK)) 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](/source/Local_government_in_England) purposes, since 1 April 2023, the parish comes under the [unitary authority](/source/Unitary_authorities_of_England) of [Somerset Council](/source/Somerset_Council). Prior to this, it was part of the [non-metropolitan district](/source/Non-metropolitan_district) of [Somerset West and Taunton](/source/Somerset_West_and_Taunton) (formed on 1 April 2019) and, before this, the district of [West Somerset](/source/West_Somerset) (established under the [Local Government Act 1972](/source/Local_Government_Act_1972)). It was part of [Williton Rural District](/source/Williton_Rural_District) before 1974.[7]

It is also part of the [Tiverton and Minehead](/source/Tiverton_and_Minehead_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) [county constituency](/source/County_constituency) represented in the [House of Commons](/source/House_of_Commons_of_the_United_Kingdom) of the [Parliament of the United Kingdom](/source/Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom). It elects one [Member of Parliament (MP)](/source/Member_of_parliament) by the [first past the post](/source/First_past_the_post) system of election.

## Religious sites

The [Church of St Nicholas](/source/Church_of_St_Nicholas%2C_Withycombe) dates from the 13th century and has been designated by [English Heritage](/source/English_Heritage) as a grade I [listed building](/source/Listed_building).[8] Hidden in a wall recess is a figure of an unknown man with long hair and a hat, which is one of the earliest church monuments to include a hat. He is carrying a heartcase to show he died elsewhere and only his heart was brought to the church for burial.[9]

The [Church of St Bartholomew, Rodhuish](/source/Church_of_St_Bartholomew%2C_Rodhuish) was built in the 15th century. It is a Grade II* [listed building](/source/Listed_building).[10]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-popn_1-0)** ["Statistics for Wards, LSOAs and Parishes — SUMMARY Profiles"](http://www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/files/Somerset%20Census%20Key%20Statistics%20-%20Summary%20Profiles.xls) (Excel). Somerset Intelligence. Retrieved 4 January 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Sandhill Farmhouse and Walls Enclosing Forecourt on South Front with Mounting Block Attached"](https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1175321?section=official-listing). *Historic England*.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-VCH_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-VCH_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-VCH_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-VCH_3-3) [Victoria County History, Withycombe Manors and Estates](http://www.victoriacountyhistory.ac.uk/sites/default/files/work-in-progress/withycombe_landownership_0.pdf)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Jim Lee (11 November 2016). [*The Ladies of Dunster Castle*](https://books.google.com/books?id=xTOMDgAAQBAJ&pg=PT132). Mereo Books. pp. 131–132. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781861516961](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781861516961).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Historic England](/source/Historic_England). ["Rodhuish Common (1139717)"](https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1139717&resourceID=19191). *Research records (formerly PastScape)*. Retrieved 26 March 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Carhampton Hundred"](https://web.archive.org/web/20121008052003/http://www.domesdaymap.co.uk/hundred/carhampton/). *Domesday Map*. Archived from [the original](http://www.domesdaymap.co.uk/hundred/carhampton/) on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-willitonrd_7-0)** ["Williton RD"](http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10042021). *A vision of Britain Through Time*. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 5 January 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Historic England](/source/Historic_England). ["Church of St Nicholas (1057311)"](https://HistoricEngland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1057311?section=official-list-entry). *[National Heritage List for England](/source/National_Heritage_List_for_England)*. Retrieved 2 February 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-curio_9-0)** Leete-Hodge, Lornie (1985). *Curiosities of Somerset*. Bodmin: Bossiney Books. pp. 55–57. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-906456-98-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-906456-98-3).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** [Historic England](/source/Historic_England). ["Church of St Bartholomew (1175299)"](https://HistoricEngland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1175299?section=official-list-entry). *[National Heritage List for England](/source/National_Heritage_List_for_England)*. Retrieved 4 September 2017.

## External links

Media related to [Withycombe](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Withycombe) at Wikimedia Commons

v t e Towns, villages and hamlets in the former Somerset West and Taunton district of Somerset, England Allerford Ashbrittle Ash Priors Ashbeer Bathealton Bickenhall Bicknoller Bishop's Hull Bishops Lydeard Bradford-on-Tone Brandish Street Brompton Ralph Brompton Regis Brushford Burrowbridge Carhampton Cheddon Fitzpaine Chipstable Churchstanton Clatworthy Cockercombe Combe Florey Comeytrowe Corfe Cotford St Luke Cothelstone Creech St Michael Crowcombe Culbone Curland Cutcombe Dulverton Dunster Durston East Quantoxhead Elworthy Exford Exton Fitzhead Halse Hatch Beauchamp Holford Huish Champflower Kilve Kingston St Mary Langford Budville Lilstock Luccombe Luxborough Lydeard St Lawrence Malmsmead Milverton Minehead Monksilver North Curry Norton Fitzwarren Nynehead Oare Oake Old Cleeve Orchard Portman Otterford Pitminster Porlock Roadwater Ruishton Sampford Arundel Sampford Brett Selworthy Simonsbath Skilgate Staple Fitzpaine Stawley Stogumber Stogursey Stoke St Gregory Stoke St Mary Stringston Taunton Thornfalcon Timberscombe Tolland Treborough Trull Upton Washford Watchet Wellington Wellington Without West Bagborough West Buckland West Hatch West Monkton West Quantoxhead Williton Winsford Withycombe Withypool Wiveliscombe Wootton Courtenay

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