Collaton St Mary

A Brief History of the village

The village is first mentioned in the Domesday Book, when it was classed as a sub-manor of the Manor of Peintona. In 1166 Alan de Furneaux held Collaton as his fee from the Lord Bishop of Exeter. When the above mentioned Alan died, John de Blakedon paid 100 shillings for the relief of the land of Coletone.

For over 400 years, members of two families held the lands of Collaton and nearby Blagdon. The Deneis family until about 1292, when the estate passed to Robert le Deneis' daughter Agatha who was married to Nicholas Kirkham of Ascombe.

The name of the village then changed to Collaton Kirkham in the honour of the family who lived there through 11 generations.

1630 saw the Kirkham rule over Collaton and Blagdon end with the death of Richard Kirkham. His daughter Mary who was married to George Blount, heir to Sir Walter Blount of Soddington, Worcestershire inherited the estate. George and Mary's third son Edward carried out a complete restoration of the Kirkham family home.

When Edward died the estate was sold to the Parker family of Whiteway, whose name the village Public House still bears, "The Parkers Arms".