Shepton Montague


Shepton Montague is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is situated on the River Pitt in the South Somerset district midway between Wincanton, Bruton and Castle Cary.
It is known for its dairy farming and one of the country's main centres of organic farming.

History

The first part of the name originates from Sheep Town. The second part comes from the family of Drew de Montagu, who held the manor under the count of Mortain, from the Norman invasion until 1421.
The parish of Shepton Montague was part of the Norton Ferris Hundred.
The manor was held from 1765 by the Phelps family of Montacute.

Governance

The parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept 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 and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council.
The village falls within the Non-metropolitan district of South Somerset, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Wincanton Rural District. The district council 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 a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.

Geography

is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest which exposes the most important known section of Fuller's Earth Rock in England.

Religious sites

The parish Church of Saint Peter has 13th-century origins and has been designated as a Grade II listed building. It was seriously damaged by a fire in 1964 and restored two years later.
Alfred Edwin Eaton was an English clergyman and entomologist who served as the vicar of Shepton Montague. His main interests among insects were the Diptera and Ephemeroptera.