Besides the village of Stringston itself, the parish includes the settlements of Lilstock and Kilton. Administratively, the civil parish falls within the Somerset West and Tauntonlocal government district within the Somerset shire county, with administrative tasks shared between county, district and parish councils.[2]
History
The name of the village means Strenge's settlement and was part of the Acland-Hood estate.[3]
Kilton and Lilstock were separate ancient parishes, part of the Williton and FreemannersHundred.[4] Kilton took its name from Kilve Hill. It was first mentioned in 873, when King Alfred gave his estate at Kilton to his son Edward the Elder under his will.[5] Kilton became a civil parish in 1866, but in 1886 was combined with Lilstock to form the civil parish of Kilton cum Lilstock, itself abolished in 1933 and absorbed into Stringston.[6]
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 Church of St. Nicholas in Kilton has a 14th-century chancel, with the lower stages of the tower and nave being added in the late 15th or early 16th century.[11]
^"West Somerset"(PDF). Parish Population Estimates for 2002. Somerset County Council. Archived from the original(PDF) on 21 November 2009. Retrieved 8 October 2008.
^R.W. Dunning (editor), A.P. Baggs, R.J.E. Bush, M.C. Siraut (1985). "Parishes: Kilton". Victoria County History. A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 5. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 3 December 2014. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)