This village is on the northern slopes of the Blackdown Hills, four miles south of Taunton. The name is said to be derived from an ancient word meaning "gap" or "pass". the cleft in the hillside which takes the road to Honiton from the village to run over the Blackdowns. Although not mentioned in Domesday Book, it has existed from Norman times and in the Middle Ages a priory farm was established here. St. Nicholas' Church, originally Norman (the first reference to it was in 1158), was rebuilt in the 19th century in Norman style. The font is Norman with Saxon features. There is a wooden coat of arms of the House of Hanover on the south wall, dated about 1801.

In the chancel is a blue chandelier, unearthed in a derelict state below a grating in the floor by Mr Edgar Lang. He soaked the metail in salt for some time to clean it, and installed modern electric fittings. It is thought the chandelier was abandoned because of change in fashion in the 1920s.

The chancel bears a memorial to Francis Milner Newton who was the first secretary to the Royal Academy and was an acquaintance of Gainsborough who painted 'Pitminster Boy'.

The Newton family, owners of Barton Grange, were responsible for lighting the church, with power generated by a dynamo, long before electricity was supplied to the village.

There is a beautiful rose window which was erected by children of the Leigh family to their parents in 1859. Three of these were teachers and in 1906 the choir stalls were carved with their initials as a memorial to them.

The millennium window at the back of the church is an interesting modern feature

The peal of St Nicholas consists of six bells (tenor 6 cwt 1 qr 15 lbs). Sunday ringing: 45 minutes prior to services. Practice on Wednesdays at 7.30 pm. Contact J. Dugdale, The Old Mill House, Mill Lane, Corfe - 01823 421780.

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