Chardstockis situated in the beautiful county of Devon 4 miles
equal distance from
Chard in Somerset and Axminster
in Devon.
The earliest
reference is in King Ethelwulf's reign (839-859) under the name of
C(h)erdel
meaning 'rough common land valley', later confirmed by King Edward in
1065 as
C(h)erdren. In the Domesday Book in 1086 it was called
C(h)erdestoche
and came under the Bishop of Salisbury, and finally the Manor of
Chardstock
was granted by Henry II in 1164 to Gilbert de Percy, Sheriff of
Somerset and Dorset.
Today it is a thriving village with
a Church, School, two Inns, Post Office/Shop and a Community
Hall, with 675 on the electoral roll.
Apart from the village of
Chardstock itself, the parish includes smaller communities at Bewley
Down, Birchill,
Burridge, Holy City and Tytherleigh.