About The Seavingtons
Two Villages, One Community
Situated about 3 miles east of Ilminster, today, the combined civil Parish of The Seavingtons comprises two villages – Seavington St Mary and Seavington St Michael – which lie in a hollow within a larger area of low-lying hills and valleys running broadly east-west.
Seavington St Mary is the larger of the two villages and is home to the Village Store & Cafe, Millenium Hall, playing fields and play park. Seavington St Michael houses the village pub (Volunteer Inn). Both villages have a church, but it is only the Church of St Michael that has remained open.
The villages are supported by an active Parish Council who are also in the process of taking responsibility for the Hall, Playing fields and land which the shop occupies. The Council assist with certain aspects of Parish life, including planning applications, footpaths, highways and more.
The hall has historically been used for a variety of groups and activties and is available for hire for occasions and meetings.
A little bit of history
A part of the South Petherton Hundred, originally the area included seven settlements (seven tons) which have gradually merged or vanished; even in the last century Seavington Abbots was recognised as a separate entity.
Seavington St Mary is the larger of the two villages with some 163 dwellings and 361 inhabitants at the 2000 census. Seavington St Michael, whilst smaller with 57 dwellings and 125 inhabitants, appears to have become the more important since the motor car forced the building of New Road to straighten the London to Exeter route early in the 20th century, thus by-passing Seavington St Mary.
Since then, in 1988 the new Ilminster by-pass has taken away much traffic, although the road through Seavington St Michael is still a major access route to the market town of Ilminster.
For more information on the history of The Seavingtons please visit the local history site.