Early History of Chewton Mendip Parish Council

1894

The first Parish meeting, under the Local Government Act (1894), for Chewton Mendip was held in the Parish School Room on 4th December 1894 for the purpose of electing six Parish Councillors. Over forty villagers attended and from sixteen nominations, six councillors were elected. The first Council meeting was held on 1st January 1895, at a hire charge of one shilling per meeting, in the School Room.

Later in 1895, the water was contaminated at Chew Head and this was the beginning of taps and pipes for conveying water. Over the next few years various tasks were undertaken e.g. cleaning the brook, repair to Church gates, direction posts around the village, drains instead of ditches from Bathway to the village. In 1902, the Brass Band folded and instruments eventually sold to Paulton Brass Band for £5. In 1905, there were complaints about speeding traffic and in 1907, three accidents in the village resulted in Red Danger boards being erected on all crossroads. These boards were provided by Somerset Auto Club. In 1913, the Parish Council asked Wells Rural District Council for tar spray on the main road.

During World War One, meetings were held at the Estate Office as the School Room had no blinds. Now that Bristol Tramway Co. had a route through the village, a request was made for a bus stop at Bathway. Another accident in 1928 when a motorbike and sidecar drove into the Co-op, resulted in white lines being put onto the roads. In 1929, the Parish Council wrote to North Somerset Power Co. asking for electric lighting in the Parish. Also in 1929, complaints were made that steam lorries were passing through the village, filling tanks from the brook and leaving ash outside the Waldegrave Arms (in those days on the opposite side of the road). Household rubbish was dumped in various locations around the village and more complaints resulted. In 1932, telephone lines and cables were laid in the village and in 1936, rubbish collections started, done by a local contractor. Requests for an electricity supply in Bathway, East End and Nedge were made in 1944 eventually arriving in the mid-50s.

From April 1944, meetings were held in the Village Hall and in 1946, Council members were increased from six to nine. Water purity was not up to standard in 1947, so the supply was taken over by the Waldegrave Estate. Ten council houses were offered at this time but only two applicants came forward, but eventually four were built at The Folly. In 1949, the Women’s Institute wrote deploring the lack of proper sanitation, but this didn’t change until the ‘90s. The Youth Club was formed in 1952 but folded in 1956 with residual funds given to the Boy Scouts. 1957 saw the hire charge of the Hall rise from 5 shillings to seven shillings and sixpence.