The Benefice Community
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The Benefice Setting The Benefice covers a number of welcoming and varied rural communities in a wonderful part of Somerset, where the church is often at the heart of that community. Set close to the Blackdown Hills, the area offers all the pleasures of rural life, with its outstanding countryside. The villages benefit from being only a few miles from Ilminster and Taunton, with a range of shops, schools, entertainment facilities, and ease of access to other areas by either road or rail. The M5 is within 10 minutes and the A358 which connects the A303 and the M5 runs through the Benefice. All seven villages are predominantly rural based and have all developed from a farming background.
The villages are predominantly middle-class, with owner-occupied housing. There are some housing association properties in most of the villages but on the whole the cost of housing makes it difficult for young families to move into the villages. There are approximately 300 children and young people living in the Benefice, nearly half of this number in Hatch Beauchamp and Curry Mallet. Each village has its own Parish Council and they are situated in either Somerset West and Taunton Council or South Somerset District Council areas. The populations are as obtained from the civil electoral rolls and do not include anyone under 18 years old: There are five well maintained village halls in the Benefice at Curry Mallet, Hatch Beauchamp, Staple Fitzpaine (Neroche), Stoke St Mary and West Hatch. They are well used by many local clubs and organisations. Beercrocombe (pop 134) Website www.beercrocombe.org
Curry Mallet (pop 345)Website
Stoke St Mary (with Thurlbear) (pop 426) Web www.stokestmary.info
MINISTRY TEAM Rector: Rev. Joanna Porter T: 01823 974716 Revd STEPHEN JONES, The Rectory, Station Road, Hatch Beauchamp, TA3 6AB T 01823 710712 E: srjones49@greenbee.net
Reader Emeritus: Brian Crudge,
Reader Emeritus: Clive Hayward
Sue McKen, The Shippen, Capland, Hatch BeauchampTA3 6TP T: 481014 susanmcken15@gmail.com
Children and Families Workers: Holly Stevens holly.stevens.csf@gmail.com
CHURCHWARDENS BEERCROCOMBE, TA3 6AQMARK HUMBLE, Beer Farm, Beercrocombe, TA3 6AJ T: 480388 markhumble888@gmail.com
CURRY MALLET, TA3 6TDMICHAEL BAWLER, 9 Popes Cross, Curry Mallet, TA3 6SS. T: 480163 HATCH BEAUCHAMP, TA3 6AASue McKen, The Shippen, Capland, Hatch Beauchamp T: 481014 susanmcken15@gmail.com
ORCHARD PORTMAN, TA3 7BQ DAVID CAVILL, Broughton Farm, Shoreditch T: 284517 RICHARD BAILEY, 29 Calway Road, Taunton TA1 3EG, T 971025 richard.bailey@sky.com
STAPLE FITZPAINE, TA3 5SW ALISON BROWN, Battens Farm, Bickenhall, TA3 6TS T: 480441 aabrown.battens@gmail.com MARK PORTER , Winterwell, Thurlbear Rd, Taunton TA3 5AY T:01823 481132 markp@hoki.com
STOKE ST MARY, TA3 5BY JOHN PUGH, Grove House, Stoke St Mary, TA3 5BX T: 442025 arthurjohnpugh@gmail.com WEST HATCH, TA3 5RJMARION KERR Old School House,West Hatch,TA3 5RJ Tel. 01823 480621 email: thekerrsat64@aol.com
HATCH BEAUCHAMP BAPTIST CHURCH
METHODIST MINISTER Revd DEBORAH KIRK, 36 Craig Lea, Taunton TA2 7SY T: 01823 334854 STOKE CHAPEL Secretary: Graham Salter, Stone Croft, Stoke St Mary T: 443431
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Farming and the countryside are still at the heart of the communities which include farms, smallholdings, stables and nurseries, although fewer people are employed in these areas than in the past. Most working residents (mainly professional) commute daily to Taunton, Yeovil and further afield for their employment. There are also many people who have moved to the villages on their retirement.