Skilgate

Skilgate is a village and civil parish 5 miles (8 km) east of Dulverton and 8 miles (13 km) west of Wiveliscombe in the Somerset West and Taunton district of Somerset, England. It has a population of 96.[1]

Skilgate

St John the Baptist

Village Hall
Skilgate
Location within Somerset
Population96 (2001)[1]
OS grid referenceSS985275
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townTaunton
Postcode districtTA4
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireDevon and Somerset
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament

The parish, which covers an area of 866 ha,[1] straddles the boundary of the Exmoor National Park lying on the southern edge of the Brendon Hills, and is close to the border with Devon.

History

In the Domesday Book the village was recorded as Scheligate, possibly meaning 'the opening on the boundary'.[1] At that time it was held by Robert de Gatemore under Roger Arundel along with another manor in the parish known as Milton. They passed in the 20th century to the Ferguson Davie baronets.[2]

The parish of Skillgate was part of the Williton and Freemanners Hundred.[3]

Governance

The Parish Meeting has responsibility for local issues, there being no Parish Council.[4]

The village falls within the non-metropolitan district of Somerset West and Taunton, which was established on 1 April 2019. It was previously in the district of West Somerset, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, and part of Dulverton Rural District before that.[5] 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 largest and 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 Bridgwater and West Somerset county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Prior to Brexit in 2020, it was part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.

Religious sites

The Church of St John has a 14th-century tower, but the rest of the church was rebuilt in 1872. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building.[6]

References
  1. "Skilgate". Exmoor National Park. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  2. Bush, Robin (1994). Somerset: The Complete Guide. Dovecote Press. pp. 184. ISBN 1-874336-26-1.
  3. "Somerset Hundreds". GENUKI. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
  4. "Skilgate Parish council - West Somerset Council". West Somerset Council. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  5. A Vision of Britain Through Time : Dulverton Rural District Archived 23 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Historic England. "Church of St John (1248077)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
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