| Shepton Mallet Rural District | |
|---|---|
| Area | |
| • 1911 | 46,561 acres (188.43 km2) [1] |
| • 1961 | 47,193 acres (190.98 km2) [1] |
| Population | |
| • 1911 | 10,183 [2] |
| • 1961 | 9,823 [2] |
| History | |
| • Created | 1894 |
| • Abolished | 1974 |
| Status | Rural district |
| • HQ | Shepton Mallet |
Shepton Mallet was a rural district in Somerset, England, from 1894 to 1974.
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.
Somerset is a county in South West England which borders Gloucestershire and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east and Devon to the south-west. It is bounded to the north and west by the Severn Estuary and the Bristol Channel, its coastline facing southeastern Wales. Its traditional border with Gloucestershire is the River Avon. Somerset's county town is Taunton.
It was created in 1894, under the Local Government Act 1894.
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888. The 1894 legislation introduced elected councils at district and parish level.
In 1974 it was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 when it became part of the Mendip district.
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974.
Mendip is a local government district of Somerset in England. The district covers a largely rural area of 285 square miles (738 km2) with a population of approximately 112,500, ranging from the Wiltshire border in the east to part of the Somerset Levels in the west. The district takes its name from the Mendip Hills which lie in its northwest. The administrative centre of the district is Shepton Mallet but the largest town is Frome.
The parishes which were part of the district included Ashwick, Batcombe, Binegar, Cranmore, Croscombe, Ditcheat, Doulting, Downhead, East Pennard, Emborough, Evercreech, Holcombe, Lamyat, Lydford-on-Fosse, Milton Clevedon, Pilton, Pylle, Stoke St Michael, Stratton on the Fosse and West Bradley.
Ashwick is a village in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, about three miles north of Shepton Mallet and seven miles east from Wells. It has also been a civil parish since 1826. The parish had a population of 1,352 according to the 2011 census, and apart from Ashwick village also includes Gurney Slade and Oakhill.
Batcombe is a village and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, situated in the steep valley of the River Alham five miles south-east of Shepton Mallet. The parish has a population of 439. Batcombe village is at the heart of the parish, which also includes the hamlets of Westcombe, Spargrove and Eastcombe.
Binegar is a small village and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is located on the A37, 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Wells, between Shepton Mallet and Chilcompton. Its population in 2011 was 313. Binegar and Gurney Slade on the opposite side of the A37 are effectively a single village and share a sign on the main road. In Gurney Slade, the quarry and houses on the north side of Tape Lane are in Binegar parish whilst the south side is in Ashwick parish. In Binegar, some houses on the south side of Station Road are in Ashwick parish and some on the north side of the village are in Emborough parish.
