Geography Fieldwork Project by Nigel Cavill

- written in 1982 -

Chiselborough is a small stone village built in a deep valley formed by two large hills, Gawlers to the north and Brympton to the south. The main building has taken place between one and two hundred feet above sea level.

It has a population of 300, of which 239 are on the electoral roll.

In the Domesday book it was spelt CEOLSEBERGE and held by Alured, a tenant of the Count of Mortaigne. In 1341 in records at Wells it was CYCELBERGE and the Rector was Peter de Cote. In 1633 it had changed to CHESILBERGE (Chesil = gravel Berge = hill).

It was probably in existence before Norton (Northtown) as Norton is north of Chiselborough.

The church is usually the oldest building and there is a restored Norman arch in the church.

The village was owned by the Strangways, ancestors of Lord Ilchester, so many of the records are in the Dorset record office, because they lived at Melbury Osmond in Dorset. The estate was sold in 1914.

The links with the surrounding areas are by road. The nearest main road being the B3165 (soon to become the A365) which runs past to the West, and connects Chiselborough with Crewkerne, A30, and the A303. There are also roads to Norton and Stoke-sub-Hamdon, West Chinnock, Odcombe and West Coker; all of which continued to Yeovil via the A3088 or A30.

The nearest railway stations are Crewkerne, the southern line from Waterloo to Exeter, and Yeovil Pen Mill, the Bristol to Weymouth line. When there are fewer cars people depended more on the railway for travel, and there was also the Yeovil to Taunton line, with stations at Montacute and Martock. This line was closed in the mid 1960s. In the early 1900s people travelled to the station by pony and trap or wagonette or even walked.

Chiselborough was built where it is probably for the following reasons.

Firstly the site is sheltered from the north, east, south by several hills, Brympton, Pease, Penn, Balham and most significantly Gawlers which dominates Chiselborough to the North.

Another reason is that water was available from springs and wells. The houses were supplied with water from these and some houses had pumps to draw water. Houses in North Street obtained water from the spring at Roundwell opposite ‘Roundwell House’. There is still a pump at the old Post Office. At our house in Fairplace there is still a well from which water can be drawn.

Thirdly there was good agricultural land, and the hills with grazed by sheep. There is still a field called ‘Ham’ and a lane, ‘Ham Lane’, and ‘hams’ were the richest meadows or pasture land. Ham Hill probably got its name from the fact that it is a hill among meadows. There was a Mill Pond and a Mill Wheel at Manor Farm.

Water was piped from Chinkwell Buddle (Tinkers Bubble) at Little Norton, now it comes from Sutton Bingham reservoir.

From 1813 the occupation of the father was recorded in the baptisms’ register.

There were:-

Labourers (many) probably mainly agricultural.

Thatcher, Carpenter - there was a carpenters and stonemasons’ yard at Norton, well known over a wide area.

Farmer, Mason, Baker, Tailor, Weaver, Licensed Hawker, Huckster (a hawker or peddler), Higgler (to higgle is to argue over a price), Dealer, Shopkeeper, Blacksmith, Sawyer, Sailcloth maker - there was a factory at Crewkerne.

Butcher, Shoemaker, Basketmaker, Gypsy 9abode uncertain), Flaxdresser, Police clerk, Master Builder, Railway Guard (of Durston) This was a descendent of Roger Langdon, a Doctor of Music who served as Parish Clerk from 1769 to 1791, who became an astronomer and had his biography written by his granddaughter.

Mechanic 1864 (the first recorded)

Shepherd, Prison Warder (Dartmoor), Quarrymaster (Norton), Soldier (1871), Innkeeper, Dairyman, Gamekeeper, Yeoman. Wheelwright, Glovecutter, Chauffeur (1916 first recorded).

1881 - Schoolmaster Mr Mahoney. The school was then at Lower Strapp Farm. The building is now derelict. Demolished in 1983. A new school was built in 1870 at a cost of between £500 and £600. It has been closed for over 30 years and it has been given to the village by Lord Ilchester for use as a village hall, the Ilchester Hall.

My grandmother wrote in her school book in 1907:

“People get their living here by farming or digging out stones from the hills around. The women do gloving from a factory at Tintinhull.”

At that time there were several small farms employing many men whereas now there are only two larger farms and because of mechanisation they employ very few people. These two farms are Manor Farm and the newer Balham Hill Farm, built to replace Strapp Farm House in the village built in 1576. The quarries on Ham Hill and Chiselborough Hill, at North Quarr, are no longer used.

A little gloving is still done in some homes.

Today, apart from a self-employed builder, a carpenter and decorator and a market gardener, most people are employed in a variety of jobs and professions outside the village, e.g. engineers and electricians at Westlands and Normalair, service men at the Fleet Air Arm at Yeovilton and various other industries. People rely on private cars for transport.

It cannot be said to be a village of retired people for there is a wide age range including 60 children of school age and under.

Children of Primary School age attend Norton-sub-Hamdan (C of E) VC Primary School while those of secondary school age go to Stanchester. There is also a sixth-form college at Yeovil.

In 1906 my grandmother wrote that there were 51 children at Chiselborough School, this encompassing all age groups, but they left school at 14 or possibly before.

Many of the houses are built of Chiselborough Hill stone, some with millions of Ham Hill stone as it is easier to carve because it is softer. Both types of stone are shelly limestone.

All the old cottages have been modernised and only ‘in-filling’ has been allowed for new houses. Most of the thatch roofing has been replaced by tiles or slates. Parts of the village are conservation areas. Electricity is available but there is no gas main in the village.

When there were no maps, boundaries were usually rivers, hills or valleys and perambulation or walk-arounds, known as ‘beating the bounds’, were necessary because of paying to keep paupers and tithes - from teotha, a tenth part - money land or stock paid over for the support of church and clergy. Hedges and boundaries were looked after by the ‘Hayward’ who reported to the Court Leet. This was probably held in ‘Court House’, next to the church, one of the oldest houses in the village.

There were also Manor courts and Lord Ilchester, Lord of the Manor, left at Melbury Osmond.

Part of Burridge Copse is a conservation area. Some people know it as Single’s Copse, the reason why revealed below!

Burridge Copse…. 28th October, 1737 - At the Court of Baron Thomas Strangways.

“In the eleventh year of the Reign of our Sovereigne Lord George the Second now king of Great Britaine and so forth and in the yeah of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & thirty seven amongst other records is enrolled as follows to wit”….

The holding of this land was transferred from Thomas and Mary Burridge to Caleb Single along with Scales Yates (now called Skillgate).

Caleb single paid a fine of 200 pounds “and By the rent therefore of 12 shillings and 2 pence” which was paid quarterly and also:

“one good and well fed Capon at the feast of All Saints yearly and for an Heriot when as often as the same shall happen the Best Beast or Goods of the person on whose death the same shall become payable.”

(Note: Burridge Copse and Singles Copse are adjacent, but separate : CPC now owns Burridge, but not Singles)

Fairplace is common land on which there are many interesting and rare wildflowers, unfortunately it is no longer grazed and so the small flowers are dying out. A Fair used to be held there which was founded in 1257 and continued until the 19th century, it is thought until 1894.

In the Reverend Saunders’ ‘History of the parish church of Chiselborough’ of 1932, he wrote about the fair as follows:

'“Once a year this quiet little village in the hills made merry at the fair held there on Saint Luke’s Day, October 18th, (Collinson says that it was held on October 29th). Good business was done in horses, cattle and toys”, and Gerard (in his ‘Particular Description of Somerset’ 1633) mentions especially “hasel-nuts” as being “a very vendable comoditie”.

The legend goes that men from Hinton-St-George came to the fair and when they did not return home their wives made lanterns from hollowed out mangolds and cut faces in them, then came to look for them. ‘Punky Night’ is still held annually in Chiselborough on the last Thursday in October when the children make lanterns and walked through the streets to the village hall, with the best ones winning prizes.

In my grandmother’s school book in 1909 she wrote,

“On Whit Monday it was Chinnock Club day. The club men went to Mr Cheshire’s (the rector), Mr Lemon’s, Mr Clarke’s, Mr Masters, Mr Harrison and then down to Chinnock to a dinner.”

The club had a pole with an emblem on it as did the other villages. (Teacher comments: “-made of brass and now to be found in the NT property Buckland Abbey on Dartmoor – once belonging to Sir Francis Drake.”)

Years ago, people made their own entertainment with concerts at school and in the old ‘Hut’, which was the village hall where ‘Roundwell House’ now stands.

Now there is a Ladies Group, Norton and Chiselborough Flower Show, the W.E.A. evening classes, the Youth Club, Church and Handbell ringing etc for leisure time. The Parish Magazine shows some of the activities and forthcoming events.

Cider making used to be common until recently using hand pulpers and presses and locally grown cider apples. It was made in the Cider House shown in the photograph and also at Lower Strapp Farm.

The church is situated to the west of the main part of Chiselborough, down a no-through road by the pub, the ‘Cat Head’. Originally the church was one with a short nave, chancel and a low tower. The upper stages of the tower, and the spire, where added in the 13th century. The present chancel, now used as a vestry, hidden from view by a modern screen behind the altar, was built in the 17th century. The bellringers now stand underneath the tower, in front of the altar.

The church has been repaired or restored regularly, notably in 1842 (the nave was extended); 1911-12 (the discovery of a Norman arch) and the redecoration and repair of the ceiling in 1980-81. The Norman arch discovered in 1911 was found in pieces in the tower wall and is now visible from the nave.

The font is 15th or 16 century. (This correction is overwritten by another hand: ‘No – circa 1900’) There is an Elizabethan cup and cover but the plate now used is Victorian.

The registers of christenings, marriages and burials date from 1588, with Churchwardens accounts 1576, and accounts of the overseers of the poor 1577.

In the churchyard there is a yew tree. The wood of this tree used to be made into bows, but as yew is poisonous to cattle no trees were planted in the fields, only in churchyard.

There is a road in Chiselborough called ‘Behind Butts’. Butts were used by archers to practice shooting so the field nearby was probably used for this.

The bells which date from 1381 are amongst the oldest rings in the country and are rung regularly for services.

Teacher’s comment: Well done, a pleasure to read.