What are Quantock settlements like?

Most settlements in the Quantock Hills are quite small. There are scattered farms, small hamlets, larger villages, and small towns. Each settlement is special in its own particular way.

  • Friarn sign

What counts as a village?

The first villages began when people decided it was sensible to cluster together, instead of living on isolated farmsteads. Of course, they chose the best places for their needs. Most of the Quantock villages are dotted round the edges of the hills. Here they have a natural water supply and they are more sheltered from bad weather.

Sharing

In a village, people could share some things and do some tasks together. Some places belonged to everyone, such as the village green and pond, the village well and even the village stocks. Most of these have gone now, but in some villages you can still see them. And, of course, everyone used the church, which is often the oldest surviving building in the village.

In every village you can still see buildings that are for everyone to use: shops, petrol stations, pubs, schools, bus shelters, village hall, even public toilets! Can you think of any others?

What are hamlets?

Hamlet is an old English word; it describes a place that is more than just a farmstead but not really big enough to be a village. Sometimes it is difficult to decide whether a place is a village or a hamlet. Hamlets don't usually have churches or many other shared buildings.

For example, Plainsfield, Aley, Adscombe, Friarn and Bincombe are all hamlets in the parish of Over Stowey.

  • Plainsfield Hamlet

Triscombe, Heathfield, Timbercombe, Merridge, Lower Aisholt, Yarford, Clavelshay and Halsway could also be thought of as hamlets.

There was a hamlet in East Quantoxhead called Perry. Now it is just a farm.

..and I always thought hamlets were special fillings for small sandwiches!

  • Aley phone box
  • Aley Scout hut
  • Aley signs