The standing stone on Church Hill, Writhlington, has been registered by South West Heritage Trust, thanks to the efforts of villagers. Known locally as the Monmouth Stone, as local legend has it that The Duke of Monmouth sat on the stone on his way to Norton St Philip, during the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685, it was not listed until members of Writhlington Action Group approached South West Heritage.

The Trust, part of Taunton Museum, is responsible for keeping records of local monuments and archaeological finds in the South West of England. Both villagers and the Trust have expressed delight at the exciting find!

Although the Monmouth Stone has yet to be dated, standing stones can be up to 4,000 years old. Its size and the position of the stone on a bank adjacent to trackways has been sufficient evidence to create a monument record.

The Writhlington Action Group was set up following the application for outline planning permission to build 160 homes on the field adjacent to the stone. 236

objections were made against the application, which the Bath and Northeast Somerset Planning Officer has recently rejected. Five key matters formed the basis of the decision; the site is outside the Radstock/Writhlington Housing Development Boundary, there are significant problems with access to the site for pedestrians and vehicles, the site sits within a landscape of scenic beauty and is home to, and a corridor for, protected species, and there is a high likelihood of archaeological finds on the site. The registration of the stone adds to the picture of an area rich in heritage, which is already known to contain Middle Iron Age finds, following the Knobsbury Lane Development, Roman remains and industrial archaeology from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Gladman Land has six months to appeal the Planning Officer’s decision and Writhlington Action Group continues with its work to contest the proposal. One of the heart-warming outcomes from the establishment of the Group has been that villagers have been brought together and many have expressed a wish to build on this community spirit.

To this end, an informal meeting will be held on Wednesday, 15th May to which all are invited with the aim of getting as many views as possible on the development of Writhlington Village. It is hoped that people will give their views on such issues as employment, housing, infrastructure and amenities and that these can be reflected in the establishment of a Local Plan for Writhlington. The meeting will be held in Writhlington Village Hall at 7 p.m.

Lavinia Corrick