CHEDZOY
Chedzoy parish lies immediately east of Bridgwater parish and at the western end of King's
Sedgemoor; Chedzoy village is c. 4 km. from the
centre of Bridgwater. (fn. 27) The second element in
the name, 'eg' or 'ieg', signifies an island (fn. 28) and
the village, with its adjoining arable fields, lies
on an 'island' of Burtle marine sands (fn. 29) at 7.5 m.,
slightly above the surrounding alluvium, which
is mostly below the 4-m. contour. The parish
measures 615 ha. (1,519 a.), c. 136 a. having been
transferred to Weston Zoyland in 1886. (fn. 30)
Chedzoy rhyne on the north is probably the
oldest boundary, following a natural watercourse. Park wall rhyne, on the west and also in
part natural, may be largely the product of
drainage before the late 18th century. The eastern and southern boundaries with King's
Sedgemoor were roughly defined by the drove
around Chedzoy east field until part of the moor
was allotted to the parish. By 1798 the eastern
boundary was marked by King's Sedgemoor
Drain and the southern by Chedzoy New Cut. (fn. 31)
The 'island' forming the heart of the parish
was settled possibly in the Mesolithic period, (fn. 32)
and timber trackways in the 3rd to 1st millennium B.C. linked it with Sowy or Zoy 'island' to
the south-east. (fn. 33) Roman artifacts have been
found in the parish, (fn. 34) and a possible Roman
building was uncovered near Slape, at the northwestern tip of the 'island'. (fn. 35)
Three routes established the later settlement
pattern, formed the village at the centre of the
parish along the arms of a T, and thus defined
the areas of the three open arable fields. Those
fields, east, north, and west, stretched from the
village to the edge of the moors. In 1988 large
areas of north and east fields remained unhedged.
From the junction of the three routes Ward's
Lane runs east to the hamlet of Parchey, which
may be identified with Elney, mentioned between 1332 and the 16th century. (fn. 36) The parish
church and village cross stand in Ward's Lane,
and beyond them the boundary bank of the
north field may have been the site of the 'high
row' of cottages mentioned in 1350. (fn. 37) Northwest from the village Chedzoy Lane leads to
Slape Cross. Slape, a scattered settlement, straddling the boundary with Bridgwater parish, was
recorded c. 1329. (fn. 38) Slapeland was said to have
been the site of a chapel, and the remains of a
large medieval house there (fn. 39) may have been
those of Cauntelos manor house. (fn. 40) South-west
from the village, the route passes along Frog
Street and divides, leading west to Bridgwater
and south to Fowler's Plot. The Bridgwater
route was known as Port Wall in the late 14th
century; (fn. 41) by the mid 19th century it was a drove
in Chedzoy parish; its course beyond is now a
footpath. (fn. 42) The hamlet of Fowler's Plot was so
named in 1373. (fn. 43) Some houses in Chedzoy village are of the 17th century or earlier and are of
rendered cob or rubble; (fn. 44) 19th- and 20th-century infilling is mostly brick.
Portwall and Longwall, (fn. 45) a causeway at Slape
bridge, (fn. 46) a sluice at Slape, (fn. 47) and wiers (fn. 48) were
built by the later 14th century to improve drainage in the meadows and moors; another
causeway and walls, stepping stones, and bridges (fn. 49) played an important part in the exploitation
of this difficult terrain. Features such as the
Langmoor Stone or the Devil's Upping Stock
marked crossing points over watercourses. (fn. 50) Part
of the moor known as Bowlake, under water in
the Middle Ages, was dry by 1576 (fn. 51) but flooding
elsewhere in the parish was common. Significant improvements came when the low-lying
land south and east of the village was inclosed
under Acts of 1795 and 1797, and 344 a. of
King's Sedgemoor were allotted to Chedzoy. (fn. 52)
Meadows to the west of the parish were also
divided and inclosed by 1836. (fn. 53) King's Sedgemoor Drain, constructed in 1797-8, proved
inadequate for draining Chedzoy's moors and in
1861 the Chedzoy Internal Drainage District
built a small pumping station on the Parrett, in
Weston Zoyland parish, to drain the Chedzoy
moors southwards. (fn. 54)
Chedzoy 1836
In 1331 twenty-five people were presented at
the manor court for breach of the assize of ale,
and a further three for selling ale by unlawful
measure. (fn. 55) There was an inn or alehouse in
Chedzoy in 1619 and 1629. (fn. 56) Between 1657 and
1690 the Bond family kept an inn which may
have remained open until 1738 or later. (fn. 57) There
is no further record of an inn until 1859 when
the Crown stood beside the church. (fn. 58) It was last
recorded in 1902. (fn. 59) A beerhouse was in business
west of the church in 1861. (fn. 60) It had become
known as the Manor House inn by 1881 (fn. 61) and it
remained open in 1988. Chedzoy friendly society, established in 1879, was still in existence
in 1891. (fn. 62)
There were 240 communicants in the parish in
1548 (fn. 63) and in 1683 there were 398 people of
whom 62 were not native. (fn. 64) In 1801 the population numbered 457 and thereafter fluctuated
reaching a peak of 549 in 1831 and declining
steadily to 317 in 1891. It has remained stable
since then, totalling 323 normally resident in
1981. (fn. 65)
William of Worcester stayed at Chedzoy on his
travels through the area in 1478. (fn. 66) Forty-six men
of the parish were fined after the 1497 rebellion. (fn. 67) After the battle of Sedgemoor on 6 July
1685 the rebels were pursued through the parish.
Forty-two were killed in the east field, then
under corn. Andrew Paschall, rector of Chedzoy
1662-96, wrote a description of the battle. (fn. 68) The
parish was ordered to pay a share of the charges
for executing the rebels and to provide labour
for making a mound over a mass grave. (fn. 69) James
II visited the site of the battle in 1686 and was
entertained in the village. (fn. 70)