Berkley, Somerset

Berkley is a village and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. According to the 2011 census it had a population of 344.[1] The village is north-east of Frome.

Berkley

Church of St Mary, Berkley
Berkley
Location within Somerset
Population344 [1]
OS grid referenceST810493
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townFROME
Postcode districtBA11
Dialling code01373
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireDevon and Somerset
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament

Governance

The parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council’s operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council.

The village falls within the Non-metropolitan district of Mendip, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Frome Rural District,[2] which is responsible for local planning and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection and recycling, cemeteries and crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism.

Somerset County Council is responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as education, social services, libraries, main roads, public transport, policing and fire services, trading standards, waste disposal and strategic planning.

It is also part of the Somerton and Frome county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election, and was part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament prior to Britain leaving the European Union in January 2020, which elected seven MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.

Church

The Church of St Mary, which was erected in 1751, is dedicated to St Mary, and includes a recently restored organ.[3] It is a Grade II* listed building.[4]

School

Berkley First School is a small village school catering for 4 to 9 year olds.

Famous residents

Alexander Barclay, author of The Ship of Fools, was a native of this village. He died in 1552.

Other Listed Buildings

References
  1. "Berkley Parish". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  2. "Frome RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  3. "St Mary's Church, Berkley, Somerset, UK BA11 5JH". Beckington.org. Retrieved 28 June 2006.
  4. Historic England. "Church of St Mary (1295976)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 June 2006.

Media related to Berkley at Wikimedia Commons

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