Wiveliscombe (pop. c2500) is hub of the Ten Parishes (total pop. c8000): Ashbrittle, Bathealton, Brompton Ralph, Chipstable,Clatworthy, Fitzhead, Huish Champflower, Milverton, Stawley and Wiveliscombe itself.

With the exception of Milverton, a delightful, larger Georgian village with a strong musical tradition, the parishes are small ancient settlements tucked into the hills down winding, wooded lanes.

It is a friendly part of the world, where neighbours still know each other, and a sense of community thrives.

Wiveliscombe serves the needs of many scattered farms and small communities throughout this part of west Somerset.

It has a prosperous business population, with 300 small to medium-sized enterprises located within a five-mile radius.

Agriculture - mainly pasture and grazing in the surrounding hills - is still a source of employment for many.

The hedgerows are well-maintained and teem with wildlife: you'll see badgers, hares, foxes and the occasional stoat or weasel.

The temperate West Country climate shows through in a profusion of wild flowers.

Ashbrittle (pop c 200) is equidistant between Wellington and Wiveliscombe, situated near the old Western canal.
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The village hosts a film club and is one of the constituents of the Ashbrittle, Stawley and Clayhanger Cricket Club.

The Village Hall is in active use, and hosts occasional musical and entertainment events.

There is a fifteenth church at Ashbrittle, St John the Baptist, whose churchyard is home to one of the oldest living things in the UK, a 3000-year-old English Yew, named one of the "Fifty Great British Trees" chosen to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee.
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Bathealton nestles in the beautiful, green rolling countryside of West Somerset bordered by the Quantocks and Brendon Hills on one side and the Blackdown Hills on the other.

The parish of Bathealton is small and scattered with St Bartholomew's Church and a cluster of approximately a dozen or so houses forming the heart of this friendly and active community.

Bathealton technically can boast the title of village as it boasts a Village Hall, previously the Church Hall, but previously the Village School until its last intake of pupils in the early 1950's.

The Community is lively and friendly with a firm, farming base. The strength of the community was evident during the many problems the farming community have faced in recent years, principally the foot and mouth epidemic when the last outbreak for this area was reported in Bathealton.

​It is in times such as these that the strength of the community is tested and Bathealton came up trumps confirming that it is not only a beautiful place scenically but a lovely place in which to live. Truly a jewel in Somerset's crown.
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Brompton Ralph lies three miles to the north of Wiveliscombe, and is situated in a pleasant wooded district at the eastern extremity of Brendon Hill.

St Mary's Church was partly rebuilt about 1740 and there are vestiges of a Roman camp in the near vicinity. The population is approximately 250.Click to Edit..
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The parish of Chipstable (including the villages of Waterrow & Raddington) lies northwest of Wiveliscombe and is situated just off the B3227.

Bordered on the south side by the River Tone, it is surrounded by soft green hills, wooded valleys. The Parish boasts two active and long-established churches, one in the village of Chipstable itself and one in Raddington.

​The Inn at Waterrow is a popular meeting place for the surrounding area, and welcomes guests with a number of well-appointed rooms. Self-catering accommodation is also available in the immediate vicinity.
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Clatworthy is a small and peaceful hamlet to the North West of Wiveliscombe with a population of approximately 100.

​The dominant feature of the parish is Clatworthy Reservoir, which along with Wimbleball Reservoir further west, suppplies water to some 200,000 homes and businesses in Somerset, as far away as Yeovil.

The Reservoir is a great place to walk (no dogs allowed) or to fish.
The Parish church is called St Mary Magdalene.
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Fitzhead (pop c250) nestles in a valley three miles east of Wiveliscombe, down a narrow lane off the B3577 between Wiveliscombe and Taunton.

St James' Church plays an active role in the community, and the old Tithe Hall has been converted to a venue that hosts local parties and events.

​The village has a popular pub, the Fitzhead Inn, which offers bed and breakfast, as well as excellent evening and lunchtime meals. 

Fitzhead Court was once the principal residence of Lord Ashburton, related to the Baring banking dynasty, who built the Town Hall in Wiveliscombe in the late 19th century.
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​Mentioned in the Domesday Book, Huish Champflower (population approx 270) is approximately 3 miles northwest of Wiveliscombe, close to the source of the River Tone that flows through Taunton.

St Peter's Church is the main focal point of the village, which consists of a few houses and outlying farms.

The church tower houses five bells, four of which were rung on the occasion of Admiral Nelson's victory at Trafalgar.

There is an active cricket club, based on the green near the Village Hall, situated off the road towards Upton.

Milverton (Pop c1400) is a very active and pretty village lying two miles south of Wiveliscombe, just off the Taunton Road.

A former cloth-working town, the Somerset Urban Archaeological Survey notes that it probably has its origins in Saxon times.

The Domesday Book refers to a mill in the location, suggesting the roots of Milverton's name.

Milverton has a beautiful church, a number of shops and pubs serving the local population together with many community-led societies and associations, focused on the arts and other activities.
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​Stawley sits on the Somerset Devon border to the south of Wiveliscombe.  A small parish of less than 280 people it nevertheless has three churches. Those of Stawley and Kittisford illustrate the long history of quiet living in the area.  Stawley dates back to the 11^th Century and Kittisford to the 15^th Century.  St Nicholas church in Kittisford is unusual in having wooden columns instead of the usual stone.  The population of the parish has fallen since the 19^th century as agriculture became mechanised but farms still dominate the land and tractors the roads.  There is still a village Primary School though, a shop next to the school, The Globe Inn at Appley and a village hall at Appley Pavilion.