Elworthy
Elworthy is a small village and civil parish in the Brendon Hills south-east of Watchet, and west of Taunton, in Somerset, England. The parish includes the hamlet of Willett.
History
On the Brendon Hills, about from the village, are the Elworthy Burroughs, a British encampment, and several tumuli.The parish of Elworthy was part of the Williton and Freemanners Hundred.
Willett House was built around 1816 as a country house by Richard Carver for Daniel Blommert. In the grounds is the Willett Tower a high folly in the form of a ruined church tower. Its date of construction is uncertain but it was recorded in 1791 and is believed to have been built in 1774 with funds raised of £130 by public subscription.
Governance
The parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept 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 and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council.For local government purposes, since 1 April 2023, the parish comes under the unitary authority of Somerset Council. Prior to this, it was part of the non-metropolitan district of Somerset West and Taunton and, before this, the district of West Somerset. It was part of Williton Rural District before 1974.
It is also part of the Tiverton and Minehead county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.