The Allerton History Society

The Allerton History Society was first started in 2003 with the objective of raising funds to produce a book on the History of Allerton which was in the process of being written. This was successfully launched in November 2004 and has sold over 300 copies. (We have 17 copies remaining, priced £10 each)

At the recent AGM the accounts of the society show a positive balance £3,376.00p, of this £1,800 is reserved for the restoration of the Allerton Cope.

We try and organise 2 evening talks of a historical nature per year and one visit.

(Also see our About The Allertons page)

Badgworth: the story of a village in its landscapes

Allerton History Society
David Roberts will speak on his researches covering the Iron Ages to Medieval Period
on Wednesday 9th February 2011
in The Old Schoolroom, Stone Allerton

Coffee and Tea will be served from 7.30 and the talk will be preceded by a short AGM

No charge but Donations towards expenses please

Explore Your Somerset

The Heritage Service, in partnership with the Museums in Somerset group, has recently launched a joint promotional touring exhibition: Explore your Somerset Routes.

The exhibition highlights over 100 of the best heritage locations to visit in Somerset, celebrating some of the most fascinating, quirky, important and breathtaking sights in the county.

Set out in the form of a “tube” map, the county has been broken down into seven different “lines” showing the best sights and things to do along the way. Each line takes you to the museums, historic railways, castles, gardens, stately homes and archaeological sites that make Somerset’s heritage unique.

All the information relating to the exhibition, including the touring map and itineraries, are available to download www.visitsomerset.co.uk/touring-map and taster videos are also available at www.youtube.com/somersetmuseums

Sedgemoor DC press release

New seat at Ashton Windmill site in memory of Joe Phillips, wartime evacuee to Chapel Allerton.

A new seat has been donated by an American family to Ashton Windmill at Chapel Allerton, between Weare and Wedmore, in memory of Joe Phillips who was a war time evacuee to Chapel Allerton. Members of his family, including his daughter and granddaughter, will be visiting Ashton Windmill from the USA, will be at the Windmill site to celebrate Joe’s life and commission the new seat at 3 p.m. on Monday 22nd June.

The family approached Sedgemoor District Council about the possibility of making a donation for the Windmill site to Joe’s memory, as he always held fond memories of the place from his childhood. The Council is very grateful to the family for their generous gift, which will benefit many visitors to the Windmill.

Joe Phillips died in California in January 2008. Ashton Windmill was a place he loved: “No one truly leaves this place who loved it so” is inscribed on the seat.
The new seat - some information about Joe Phillips

The Phillips children were evacuated to Chapel Allerton in the early years of the Second World War and the family stayed on after the War was over. Joe emigrated to Canada in 1956 and then followed a distinguished career in aviation engineering there and in the United States.
Joe was born in 1932 in London, the ninth of eleven children. At the time of the London blitz, all the children were evacuated first to East Anglia, and then Chapel Allerton, where their parents came to join them. The family loved the countryside so much that they stayed on after the War was over. Joe went to the local two-room school and then attended Sexey’s School at Blackford, before entering an apprenticeship at the Bristol Aeroplane Company and Bristol College of Technology, where he obtained an HNC in Mechanical Engineering.

In 1956, Joe emigrated to Canada and became an engineer with Rolls-Royce in Montreal, then moved to Calgary to teach maths and physics at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. In 1965 he moved into the USA to Seattle to work for the Boeing Company, in 1975 to Rockford, Illinois, to work for Sundstrand Aviation, and in 1977 to Los Angeles to work for Garrett AiResearch. In 1988 he founded Aircraft Environmental Systems, an aerospace engineering firm which he operated for almost 20 years.

Joe possessed a rare combination of analytical and practical engineering knowledge and skills. In his long career, he conceptualised, analysed, designed, and built many environmental and thermal systems for aircraft, spacecraft and ground equipment applications. His work now flies daily on commercial and military airplanes and helicopters around the world, as well as in customised advanced development aircraft.

Joe also had tremendous creative energy, imagination, language skills, musical sensibility, and wit. He loved all creatures great and small, and said that he felt privileged to have had the opportunity to experience life on this planet.

Joe Phillips died in California in January 2008. Ashton Windmill was a place he loved: “No one truly leaves this place who loved it so” is inscribed on the seat.
Information provided by his widow, Catha Paquette

The Allerton Cope

See the Allerton Cope section of this website for details of the cope history and restoration.

Ashton Windmill

The history of our local windmill and other interesting information is available in the Windmill section of this website.