Combwich
Encyclopedia
Combwich is a village in the parish of Otterhampton
within the Sedgemoor
district of Somerset
, between Bridgwater
and the Steart Peninsula
.
The village lies on Combwich Reach as the River Parrett
flows to the sea and was the site of an ancient ferry crossing. In the Domesday book
it was known as Comich which means 'The settlement by the water' from the Old English cumb and wic. It was here, or in the immediate vicinity, that Hubba, the Danish raider, was defeated and killed by Earl Oddune of Devon
in 878.
It served as a port for the export of local produce and the import of timber from the 15th century. It also served the local brick and coal yard until the creek silted up in the 1930s. Brick and tile making was first recorded in the village in 1842.
The Steart peninsula has flooded many times during the last millennium. The most severe
recent floods occurred in 1981. By 1997, a combination of coastal erosion, sea level rise and wave action had made some
of the defences distinctly fragile and at risk from failure. As a result in 2002 The Environment Agency
produced the Stolford to Combwich Coastal Defence Strategy Study to examine options for the future.
Otterhampton
Otterhampton is a village and civil parish in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, England, between Bridgwater and the Steart Peninsula.The village lies on Combwich Reach as the River Parrett flows to the sea.-History:...
within the Sedgemoor
Sedgemoor
Sedgemoor is a low lying area of land in Somerset, England. It lies close to sea level south of the Polden Hills, historically largely marsh . The eastern part is known as King's Sedgemoor, and the western part West Sedgemoor. Sedgemoor is part of the area now known as the Somerset Levels...
district of Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, between Bridgwater
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
and the Steart Peninsula
Steart Peninsula
The Steart Peninsula is a peninsula in Somerset, England. At its outermost tip is Fenning Island, at the tip of which is Steart Point. It consists largely of low-lying flat farmland, and projects northwards on the west side of Stockland Reach, the lower stretches of the estuary of the River...
.
The village lies on Combwich Reach as the River Parrett
River Parrett
The River Parrett flows through the counties of Dorset and Somerset in South West England, from its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset...
flows to the sea and was the site of an ancient ferry crossing. In the Domesday book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
it was known as Comich which means 'The settlement by the water' from the Old English cumb and wic. It was here, or in the immediate vicinity, that Hubba, the Danish raider, was defeated and killed by Earl Oddune of Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
in 878.
It served as a port for the export of local produce and the import of timber from the 15th century. It also served the local brick and coal yard until the creek silted up in the 1930s. Brick and tile making was first recorded in the village in 1842.
The Steart peninsula has flooded many times during the last millennium. The most severe
recent floods occurred in 1981. By 1997, a combination of coastal erosion, sea level rise and wave action had made some
of the defences distinctly fragile and at risk from failure. As a result in 2002 The Environment Agency
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
produced the Stolford to Combwich Coastal Defence Strategy Study to examine options for the future.