Allerford
Encyclopedia
Allerford is a village in the county of Somerset
, England, located within Exmoor National Park, and is part of the parish of Selworthy
in the district of West Somerset
. It appears in Domesday Book
as “Alresford – forda Ralph de Limesy Mill”.
The parish was part of the hundred of Carhampton
.
One of the village's main attractions is the much-photographed Packhorse Bridge. Built as a crossing over the River Aller
(from which the village gets its name), is thought to have been constructed in the 18th Century. Nearby is the New Bridge where the A39 road
crosses Horner Water. The 18 feet (5.5 m) wide pointed arch rises 8 feet (2.4 m) with a 4 feet (1.2 m) span half arch onj the side for flood relief. Originally the bridge was 12 feet (3.7 m) wide but another 6 feet (1.8 m) was added in 1866.
The village is also home to Allerford House, childhood home of Admiral John Moresby
, who explored the coastline of New Guinea
and for whom Port Moresby
, the capital city of Papua New Guinea
, was named. Other traditional sights in the village include thatched cottages, a forge and an old-fashioned red telephone box
. There is also a Reading Room, built by the Acland family to foster adult education.
One of the thatched cottages operated as the local Primary School between 1821 and 1981 and is now a museum containing the West Somerset Rural Life Museum and Victorian School
. The museum houses the West Somerset Photographic Archive.
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England, located within Exmoor National Park, and is part of the parish of Selworthy
Selworthy
Selworthy is a small village and civil parish from Minehead in Somerset, England. It is located in the National Trust's Holnicote Estate on the northern fringes of Exmoor. The parish includes the hamlets of Bossington, Tivington, Lynch, Brandish Street and Allerford.At Selworthy Beacon, which is...
in the district of West Somerset
West Somerset
West Somerset is a local government district in the English county of Somerset. The council covers a largely rural area, with a population of 35,075 in an area of ....
. It appears in Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as “Alresford – forda Ralph de Limesy Mill”.
The parish was part of the hundred of Carhampton
Carhampton (hundred)
The Hundred of Carhampton is one of the 40 historical Hundreds in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, dating from before the Norman conquest during the Anglo-Saxon era although exact dates are unknown. Each hundred had a 'fyrd', which acted as the local defence force and a court which was...
.
One of the village's main attractions is the much-photographed Packhorse Bridge. Built as a crossing over the River Aller
River Aller
The River Aller is a small river on Exmoor in Somerset, England.It rises as several small streams around Tivington and Huntscott and flows through the Holnicote Estate past Holnicote and through Allerford, where it passes under a packhorse bridge of medieval origin. It then joins the River Horner,...
(from which the village gets its name), is thought to have been constructed in the 18th Century. Nearby is the New Bridge where the A39 road
A39 road
The A39 is an A road in south west England. It runs south-west from Bath in Somerset through Wells, Glastonbury, Street and Bridgwater. It then follows the north coast of Somerset and Devon through Williton, Minehead, Porlock, Lynmouth, Barnstaple, Bideford, Stratton, Camelford, Wadebridge and St...
crosses Horner Water. The 18 feet (5.5 m) wide pointed arch rises 8 feet (2.4 m) with a 4 feet (1.2 m) span half arch onj the side for flood relief. Originally the bridge was 12 feet (3.7 m) wide but another 6 feet (1.8 m) was added in 1866.
The village is also home to Allerford House, childhood home of Admiral John Moresby
John Moresby
Captain John Moresby was a British Naval Officer who explored the coast of New Guinea and discovered the site of Port Moresby.Moresby was born in Allerford, Somerset, England, the son of Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby...
, who explored the coastline of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and for whom Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
, the capital city of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, was named. Other traditional sights in the village include thatched cottages, a forge and an old-fashioned red telephone box
Red telephone box
The red telephone box, a public telephone kiosk designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, is a familiar sight on the streets of the United Kingdom, Malta, Bermuda and Gibraltar, and despite a reduction in their numbers in recent years, red boxes can still be seen in many places and in current or former...
. There is also a Reading Room, built by the Acland family to foster adult education.
One of the thatched cottages operated as the local Primary School between 1821 and 1981 and is now a museum containing the West Somerset Rural Life Museum and Victorian School
West Somerset Rural Life Museum and Victorian School
The West Somerset Rural Life Museum is a small museum in Allerford, Somerset, England.The building was built in 1821 as the village school and was closed in 1981. It is now rented from the National Trust...
. The museum houses the West Somerset Photographic Archive.