Tellisford
{{Short description|Village and civil parish in Somerset, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox UK place
|static_image=Tellisford All Saints.JPG
|static_image_width=180px
|static_image_caption=All Saints church
|country = England
|official_name=Tellisford
|coordinates = {{coord|51.300|-2.283|display=inline,title}}
|civil_parish=
| population = 182
| lieutenancy_england = Somerset
| unitary_england = Somerset Council
|region= South West England
|constituency_westminster= Frome and East Somerset
|post_town=BATH
|postcode_district= BA2
|postcode_area= BA
|dial_code= 01373
|os_grid_reference= ST804557
}}
Tellisford is a village and civil parish {{convert|6|mi|0}} north-east of Frome in the county of Somerset, England. The parish includes the village of Woolverton.
History
The village was known as Tefleford in 1001 and Tablesford in 1086 meaning Theabul's ford or ford at a flat place.{{cite book|last=Bush|first=Robin|title=Somerset: The Complete Guide|publisher=Dovecote Press|date=1994|pages=[https://archive.org/details/somersetcomplete0000bush/page/206 206]|isbn=1-874336-26-1|url=https://archive.org/details/somersetcomplete0000bush/page/206}} The parish of Woolverton was part of the hundred of Frome, while Tellisford was part of the Wellow Hundred.{{cite web|title=Somerset Hundreds|url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SOM/Miscellaneous/|publisher=GENUKI|accessdate=22 October 2011}}
The manor was acquired by the Hungerfords of Farleigh Hungerford in the early 15th century who used the fulling mill to endow their chantry chapel. The cloth making industry continuing until 1912.
The village was partially destroyed by a serious fire in 1785.
Tellisford is one of the Thankful Villages which lost no men in World War I.{{Cite web|title=The Thankful Villages - Where no men from the village died in the First World War|url=https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Thankful-Villages/|access-date=2021-12-08|website=Historic UK|language=en-GB}} It also lost no men in World War II.
Governance
Tellisford has a Parish Meeting, where all village electors are automatically members. It is required to meet at least twice a year and does not levy a precept.
For local government purposes, since 1 April 2023, the parish comes under the unitary authority of Somerset Council. Prior to this, it was part of the non-metropolitan district of Mendip (established under the Local Government Act 1972). It was part of Frome Rural District before 1974.{{cite web|title=Frome RD|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10025539|work=A vision of Britain Through Time|publisher=University of Portsmouth|accessdate=4 January 2014}}
It is also part of the Frome and East Somerset 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.
River Frome
The packhorse bridge over the Frome was extensively overhauled in 1692 by John Ducey of Tellisford and is a Grade II listed building.{{NHLE | desc= Bridge over River Frome at Tellisford | num=1180360 | accessdate=25 November 2006}} The cobbled roadway is {{convert|6|ft|10|in}} wide and the bridge has a total span of {{convert|66|ft}} in three segmental arches.{{cite book|last1=Hinchliffe|first1=Ernest|title=Guide to the Packhorse Bridges of England|date=1994|publisher=Cicerone|isbn=978-1852841430|page=152}}
There is a weir, and an Environment Agency monitoring station on the river {{convert| 600|m}} north of the village. Tellisford Mill is a water mill recently converted to hydroelectric generation.
Religious sites
Tellisford's Church of All Saints dates from the 12th century and is Grade II listed.{{NHLE | desc= Church of All Saints | num=1344982 | accessdate=25 November 2006}} Its tower was added in 1490 and restoration was carried out in 1854. William Parry, an antiquarian, was the rector from 1712 until his resignation in 1715.{{cite web|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/21439|title=Parry, William (bap. 1687, d. 1756)|last=Cooper|first=Thompson|date=2004|work=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online edition, subscription access)|publisher=Oxford University Press}} Today the church is part of the Hardington Vale benefice, centred on Norton St Philip.{{cite web|title=Parish of Hardington Vale - Our History|url=http://www.hardingtonvale.org.uk/?Our_History|accessdate=15 March 2016}}
The former Church of St. Lawrence at Woolverton dates from the 14th century and is also Grade II listed.{{NHLE|num=1176241|desc=Church of St. Lawrence|accessdate=8 February 2009}} The church was declared redundant in 1995 and is now in private ownership.{{cite web|title=Parish of Hardington Vale - Woolverton|url=http://www.hardingtonvale.org.uk/?Our_History:Hist_Woolverton|accessdate=15 March 2016}}{{cite web|title=Closed churches - Diocese of Bath and Wells|url=https://www.churchofengland.org/media/810289/bathandwells.pdf|publisher=Church of England|accessdate=15 March 2016|page=6|date=1 October 2012}}
References
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