Carhampton

Iron Age occupation of the parish is evident from the remains of Bat's Castle hillfort and associated earthworks. Carhampton is on either side of the main A39 road between Williton and Minehead. It has a red sandstone church, St John the Baptist, built in the perpendicular style, which has a magnificent painted screen. The former village school is now converted into private homes and local schoolchildren attend the nearby Dunster School. Archaeological excavation in the mid-1990s suggested the existence of early Christian settlement and burial to the east of the village.

HMS Carhampton

Carhampton is famous for its wassailing celebration. Wassailing in Carhampton takes place on January 17th in the orchard of the Butchers Arms Pub. This is preceded by a smaller event in the Community Orchard in the centre of the village next to the pub.

Carhampton Church - Saint John the Baptist

Carhampton Wassailing Song

Old apple tree, we wassail thee, And hoping thou wilt bear For the Lord doth know where we shall be Till apples come another year. For to bear well, and to bear well So merry let us be, Let every man take off his hat, And shout to the old apple tree! Old apple tree, we wassail thee, And hoping thou wilt bear Hatfuls, capfuls and three bushel bagfuls And a little heap under the stairs, Hip, Hip, Hooray!

The church has been restored and in parts rebuilt. It still contains a fine and richly coloured screen, evidently copied from the one at Dunster (cp. Timberscombe), but there are no indications of a stairway. Note (1) piscinas in S. aisle and chancel, (2) carved wall-plate in S. aisle. There is the base of a cross in the churchyard. On the road to Blue Anchor there is an ancient manor-house, called Marshwood Farm, which has in its porch some curious plaster figures.

Wassailing the Apple Trees takes place on 17th January, Old Twelfth Night, in Carhampton. A set of customs is grouped under the name of'wassailing. At Carhampton the wassail celebration takes place in the old orchard behind the Butcher's Arms and includes the libation of the apple trees with cider, shooting guns, a bonfire and the singing of the Carhampton wassail song. It is held on Old Twelfth night. Similar celebrations may be found at Roadwater and Churchstanton and Brent Knoll.

The Carhampton Wassail Song

Old apple tree, we wassail thee,
And hoping thou wilt bear
For the Lord doth know where we shall be
Till apples come another year.
For to bear well, and to bloom well
So merry let us be,
Let every man take off his hat,
And shout to the old apple tree!
Old apple tree, we wassail thee,
And hoping thou wilt bear
Hatfuls, capfuls and three bushel bagsful
And a little heap under the stairs,
Hip, Hip, Hooray!

On Twelfth Night men 'go with their wassail bowl into the orchard and go about the trees to bless them and put a piece of toast upon the roots, in order to encourage it'

Apple Blossom - image supplied by kind permission of Somerset Tourism, Somerset County Council

St john the Baptist, Carhampton

Carhampton is unusual in that it had two churches from the early medieval (pre-Norman) period until the Reformation. The earlier church was sited with its graveyard to the east of the present church and was dedicated to St Carantoc, a Welsh missionary who settled in this area in the fifth century. Legend records that he encountered Prince Arthur and killed a dragon that was causing havoc in the area.

Whether Carhampton is named from Carantoc is not certain. Recent excavations and research suggest that there may have been an early monastic site near Carantoc's church. When John Leland travelled through the district during the reign of Henry VIII he mentioned two churches in Karemtokes Town. Recent excavations have identified the early burial around

The church of St John the Baptist as we know it today was mainly built m the fifteenth century although the first recorded priest mas Thomas m 1297, This church mas entirety restored between 1862 and 1864.

St john the Baptist, Carhampton

St john the Baptist, Carhampton

Wassailing at Carhampton - Carhampton is a village and a parish in Somerset; the parish borders the British Channel and moves inland to Exmoor. The village of Carhampton is located at the northeast edge of Exmoor National Park just to the east of Minehead.

Carhampton may have been the centre for a Saxon royal estate used for visits, with royal court being held to collect local estate taxes. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles refer to a bloody battle at Carhampton involving Danes with crews from 35 ships. Viking raids are only part of Carhampton history; there is evidence that this area is rife in pre-history dating back to early settlements from 5,000-8,000 BC. Bat's Castle hillfort is one example of an ancient site near Carhampton; and excavation just east of the village suggests early Christian settlement. Within and around Carhampton, one can find significant history and archaeological data for many ages. For information concerning past and present excavations, contact Exmoor National Park.

For legend enthusiasts, there is King Arthur who is associated with Saint Carantoc who is credited with taming (or slaying) a serpent terrorising the people of the village. For this worthy deed, Arthur allowed Carantoc to build a monastery in the village. Many believe that Carhampton is named after this Welsh Saint, however there is also the Old English derivation which roughly means: beloved grassland in a village by a river meadow.

From pre-Norman time to the Reformation, records indicate there may have been two churches in Carhampton at that time. An early church and graveyard dedicated to St. Caratoc, the Welsh missionary was located to the east of the present church. The Church of St. John the Baptist which exists today is dedicated to its namesake and was probably erected sometime during the late 1200's; with Thomas recorded as the first priest in 1297. The red sandstone church that stands today was built in the fifteenth century, restored during 1862-1863; with the tower being redone five to ten years later, when a vestry was added. No Saxon work is evident in the building today. It is a Grade I listed building in the perpendicular style, and has an exquisite painted screen dating from late 15th to early 16th century.

With all of the abounding history, Carhampton is most well known for its wassailing celebration which takes place in January at the orchard of the Butchers Arms Pub, and is preceded by a small event in the Community Orchard in the center of the village. Although wassailing is an ancient celebration, it was the Taunton Cider Company that began the Carhampton event in the 1930's. The event of Wassailing is a festivity where a good deal of drinking occurs, as people drink to good health, not only for each other but for the apple trees, crops and animals. Tradition includes shooting guns overhead in the orchard, to scare away the evil spirits and to ensure a good harvest during the coming year. There is also a bonfire and the singing of the Carhampton wassail song. Wassailing is a word that comes from the Old English which leads us to believe that the event predates the Norman Conquest in 1066, and may in fact be an Anglo-Saxon pagan harvest celebration.

Whether you come just for the wassailing, the excavations, or the history there is more to explore than can be seen in just one day. The landscape is lovely, the trails are rich in spectacular scenic views and Exmoor National Park is a doorway to the past.

Contributed by: Sue Littlemore, Brian Evans, Douglas Field