Bickenhall

Bickenhall is a hamlet and parish in Somerset, England, situated 5mi south east of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district. The parish, which includes the hamlet of Batten's Green, has a population of 122.Bickenhall is a widely scattered hamlet lying between the A358 and the village of Staple Fitzpaine.The village consists of farms, houses and smallholdings. It has no shops or pubs, barring a recently opened sculpture studio at Bickenhall Farm. Bickenhall is also home to Neroche Parish Hall, formerly St. Pauls church (though has the appearance of a Methodist type church rather than one with a tower).HistoryThe name of the village comes from Bica's hall or hill. The manor was held by Robert, Count of Mortain at the time of the Domesday Book in 1086. It later passed to the Portman family of Orchard Portman, who founded the Portman Estate.Bickenhall was part of the hundred of Abdick and Bulstone.Bickenhall was a haunt of smugglers at various times in the past. Aptly named Brandy Bridge in Bickenhall was the location of the "Cat and Rags" pub, which was used as a stop-off for goods smuggled from the south Dorset coast.The village was once larger than the neighbouring Staple Fitzpaine due to a roaring trade in Teasels that were used in the wool trade but in the 19th century this declined dramatically and as a result many homes became derelict and are now only seen as stones in many of the fields. The Portland Estate that dominated the area also accommodated a manor house within the parish that sadly went the same way as the village homes. The land is generally now owned by The Crown and cultivated by a number of farms including arable and more recently a growth in Equestrian activities taking full use of the Bridlways and droves.