Donyatt

"DONYATT, a parish in the hundred of Abdick, in the county of Somerset, 2½ miles S.W. of Ilminster, its post town, and 3 N.E. of Chard. It is situated on the river Ile, which is here crossed by four bridges. The inhabitants are chiefly employed in the potteries and woollen-mills. A third of the parish is comprised within the limits of Donyatt Park. The village is small, and the land chiefly pasture. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Bath and Wells, value £197, in the patronage of R. T. Combe, Esq., who is lord of the manor. The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, is an ancient stone structure in the Gothic style of architecture, with tower and clock. The interior has recently been restored. Dunster's almshouse is endowed with £48 per annum. The register commences in 1669. There are village and Sunday schools." From The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) Transcribed by Colin Hinson © 2003