Litton

This is one of the most iconic photographs of Litton in Somerset. It shows some customers of the Kings Arms standing outside what is now the rear entrance but was probably the front door at the time.

The man in the centre has been reliably identified as Fred Payne by a direct descendent, David Clarke,. The other people have not yet been identified.

Although Litton is only a mile away from Chewton Mendip, it was part of a different hundred and was directly owned by the Bishop of Bath and Wells so much of the history of the villages is quite different although the family ties were strong between the two villages.

This picture is a general view of Litton. It was taken many years ago from a field close to the parish boundary with Chewton Mendip. This picture is published courtesy of Pat and Dave Hellard.

There are a significant number of records about Litton in Somerset held by the Hampshire Archives because ownership of the village passed to Winchester Cathedral. However, there is also a Litton in Hampshire so care must be taken when searching the records. Some of the records about Litton in Somerset may be new to local historians but many appear to be copies of the records held in Taunton.

The memorandum signed by the parishioners of Litton in 1616 has relevance to the wider community as it is evidence of the religious tensions in the area.

The pictures below show a happier side of village life. The first is from a fete held in Litton in the 1920s. This young lady who can be seen on the right of the picture was Tilly Emery. She was the mother of Pat Hellard who provided most of the following pictures. The copy of the first picture of the fete was supplied by Gilbert Prior. His mother was the young lady on the horse on the right. She was Gladys Speed at the time.

The next picture was taken c1929 and is titles a ‘peace pageant’.

The next view is of the centre of the village. The pub is to the right of this picture.

The last picture shows the reservoir when it was first created and shows how farmland was submerged. The banks are now covered in trees making it look even more picturesque and ‘natural’.