About us

Durleigh Parish council has six members, who are supported by a Clerk, who has administrative and financial responsibility for its activities.

The Council meets bi-monthly at The Hembry Room, Westfield Church. It represents the parish electorate to the higher authorities: Sedgemoor District Council, and Somerset County Council.

It is a statutory consultee on all matters concerning the Town and Country Planning Acts. In addition it is empowered to provide local facilities and services, the cost of which can be met from council tax. Recent investments have been to improve Queenswood Lane and to enhance the Observation Platform over the Durleigh Reservoir in West Bower Lane.

The Parish Council monitors the impact of traffic and transport within the Parish, checks the state of footpaths, signs, and rights of way, reporting to Somerset County Council. It provides information to local people through this web-site and the new notice-board at the east end of Luxborough Road (near the junction with Mayfield Drive). It is also enabled to offer support to local community initiatives, provided they are of proven benefit to a significant proportion of residents in the parish.

What the Council does

The Parish Council works closely with local authorities but also may interact with other agencies such as the Quantock AONB, Wessex Water, the Environment Agency and local Police.

The Parish Council monitors the impact of traffic and transport within the Parish, checks the state of footpaths, signs and rights of way and reports to Somerset County Council. It provides information to local people through this web-site and the new notice-board at the east end of Luxborough Road and can offer support to community initiatives.

The Councillors and Clerk are bound to act in a lawful, ethical, responsible and transparent way as enshrined in Standing Orders (please see the Finance page)and a Code of Conduct (below):

• Code of Conduct

History of Durleigh

Durleigh means “the wood frequented by deer” and the original settlement was undoubtedly a Saxon clearing in the wood to establish a farmstead. By the time of the Domesday Book it was a well-rooted small community held before the Norman Conquest by a Saxon thane called Alfsi. It was awarded, by King William, to Ansger along with Chilton Trinity and other small holdings. The manor contained land for 3 ploughs, and supported 4 villagers, 2 small-holders and 3 slaves, and was worth 20 shillings.

West Bower and Rexworthy were separate manors within the Parish. Rexworthy, an ancient moated manor site, being the worthy or fortified farmstead of the king. It was gifted by William the Conqueror to one of his powerful supporters, Roger of Courceulles, who let it to a Norman knight.

West Bower Manor, which now borders Durleigh Reservoir, has always had an importance that belies its size. It was owned, along with Bridgwater, by Walscin (Walter) of Douai. It was a separate manor to Durleigh until relatively recent times and was associated with Wembdon and the Coker family of Cokerhurst. The present building is just a fragment of what would have been a magnificent late Fifteenth Century gatehouse. The site of the large courtyard manor house is now under the reservoir. There was a rare circular dovecote with thatched roof and perches for 745 birds, which was demolished in 1967. In drought years, when the reservoir levels are very low, the remains of an ancient track, and a bridge over Durleigh Brook, can be seen leading to the Manor House.

The manor has links to notable historic events and people. In the later Fifteenth Centuary it passed to Sir Alexander Hody, Serjeant at Law. During the Wars of the Roses, Hody was a follower of the Lancastrian cause. He was knighted for bravery at the siege of Wakefield but victory went to the Yorkists and he was executed for treason. In the Tudor period the manor was owned by the Seymour family.  Edward Seymour became Lord Protector to Edward VI but was executed for treason in 1553. The legend that Jane Seymour, the favourite wife of Henry VIII, was born here is disputed by historians as it was one of the smaller West Country estates of the Seymour family.