Puriton

Puriton
Stone building with square tower
Puriton Parish Church, constructed from local Blue Lias stone
Puriton is located in Somerset
Puriton
Puriton
Location within Somerset
Population1,968 (2011)[1]
OS grid referenceST321415
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBRIDGWATER
Postcode districtTA7
Dialling code01278
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireDevon and Somerset
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Somerset
51°10′19″N 2°58′23″W / 51.172°N 2.973°W / 51.172; -2.973

Puriton is a village and parish at the westerly end of the Polden Hills, in Somerset, England. The parish has a population of 1,968.[1] The local parish church is dedicated to St Michael and All Angels. A chapel on Woolavington Road was converted to a private house some 20 years ago. The parish includes the hamlets of Dunball and Down End.

In 1996, the village was described as "now becoming a rural commuter village".[2] The built-up area is mostly between 5 and 50 metres above sea level.

The village has a full range of facilities, such as a primary school, parish church, pub, post office, butcher and hairdresser. It started to expand considerably in the 1960s and 1970s when new houses were built on former farm land, a former infilled stone Blue Lias quarry, Puriton Park, and on fields between the existing houses. The old Victorian school near the church was converted into homes and a new school built elsewhere. The Manor House was sold in 1960 and four houses were built on its former tennis courts; the House is in multiple occupancy.

  1. ^ a b "Statistics for Wards, LSOAs and Parishes — SUMMARY Profiles" (Excel). Somerset Intelligence. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  2. ^ Hollingrake, Charles and Nancy (1996). A Desk Top Survey on Land Proposed for Roadside Services on the A39 Puriton Hill, Puriton, Bridgwater. Glastonbury: Charles and Nancy Hollingrake (Report No. 78), on behalf of Lyndon Brett Partnership, page 11.