NunneyVoice Summer 2026
Nunney Voice
Nunney Fayre Day 2026
Nunney’s first Fayre was in 1260 … and it is still going, organised by the Nunney Community Association (NCA). We look forward to welcoming you and your families on 25th July.
What to expect
- Over 60 stalls — craft, fashion, interiors, novelties, gifts, plants & much more.
- Food — pizza, hot dogs, burgers, pastries, ice-creams, crepes; coffee, tea, sandwiches and cakes in the church.
- In and around the Village Hall — the Dog Show is back! Free arts and crafts activities for children. Try out archery and a football shoot-out; donkey rides, face-painting, ice cream and the bouncy castle.
- Quarry Gardens — live music, food stalls, and the Palmer Street Bar.
And of course, The George, the Spar, and the Cafe will be open. A great day out for everyone.
Stalls: if you are interested in a stall, we are still taking bookings — get in touch at nunneyfayrenca@gmail.com
Volunteers: if you can offer just two hours of your time it would be so helpful. It’s a significant effort to close the roads, attract stall holders, and organise entertainment, music and food for the thousands who come. You can help by working in the car park or stewarding the different areas and activities — all in a high-viz jacket! With your help, we can offer the village and visitors a great day at Nunney Fayre.
A Fayre history
Way back in 1260 a Market Charter was granted by King Henry III for the Nunney Fayre to take place every Wednesday and so it did for hundreds of years. The King also authorised a three-day St Martin’s Fair each November. But by the early 20th century the Fayre had stopped. The 1950s saw several one-off fairs until 1975, when the tradition of an annual Summer Street Fayre was revived, and last year’s Fayre marked 50 years since its re-establishment. The Times has described our Fayre as one of the best village fetes in the country.
By helping or attending the Fayre you will be maintaining a Nunney tradition stretching back over 750 years. You will also be helping the NCA to provide Christmas trees at the marketplace and village school, and presents from Santa to our schoolchildren.
Update on the Castle Bridge
Progress is slow but sure. We have a good working relationship with English Heritage (EH) and together have considered the pros and cons of various types of bridge. The preferred design consists of steel main beams spanning the moat of around 8 metres, which will support hardwood decking with composite steel/hardwood parapets (handrails). The overall width of the deck will be 2 metres.
The choice was based on overall life expectancy, ease of maintenance, compatibility with the site and cost. Development of the design will make sure it fits in with its historic surroundings. This design was outlined at the Annual Parish Meeting in April and well received by attendees. EH will now seek the necessary agreement from Historic England followed by detailed drawings and costings.
EH are committed to replacing the castle bridge, and had ring-fenced a sum of money for it and hoped to carry out the work this year, but, like many charities and businesses, income has been badly affected by the general economic downturn and, more recently, geopolitical events in the Middle East have further impacted cost of materials. This, along with time needed to finalise the design and costings, means the project has been delayed until next year. This is hugely disappointing but outside our control.
When we have the likely cost of the bridge construction, we can begin fundraising. EH welcome this and we have their assurance that everything raised will go exclusively to the castle bridge. EH will be at Nunney Fayre on 25th July and will be happy to share the image of the draft design and further details. In the meantime, please think of ways to raise funds together which will be fun, and help us feel we are doing something to restore full access to this unique castle which is a great asset to the village and so special to us all.
Fred and Nora LeStrange
Unless you’re very new to Nunney, most everyone knows or has heard about Fred and Nora. Fred sadly died in March. This was the opening of one of his family tributes:
“Today we are remembering Fred — a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, builder, volunteer, and friend to an entire village. He lived a long life shaped by hard work, kindness, and quiet humour. For many of us, it feels impossible to think of Nunney without him.”
Fred was born in Portsmouth and had seven siblings. Portsmouth was badly bombed during the Second World War so he came with his family to Frome, then Nunney, before settling in Cloford.
Nora grew up on Alice Street Farm, Cloford. She and Fred first met at Sunday School; he was fourteen, she was six. Fred moved away to do an apprenticeship with a builder in Southsea and when he returned he learned to dance where he met Nora again, then in her teens. They became excellent partners in dancing, in marriage and life. After their wedding they moved to Ridgeway and never left. With Nora’s help, Fred set up his own business, which spanned fifty years. He renovated many old houses in Nunney, trained ten apprentices and was a much respected, decent employer and mentor.
Life was full with bringing up three children, William, Sally and Claire and running the business. But Fred and Nora were hugely involved in activities around the village — street parties, barn dances, carnivals, banquets, inter-street skittles, quizzes, burns suppers, bonfire nights — all manner of fun and fundraising for the village. Fred was keen to draw in young people. He joined the Nunney Fellowship which ran the Nunney Fayre, a legacy which, along with the Duck Race, Easter bonnet parade, Carols at the Castle, the village Christmas tree and Christmas presents for the village school children, continues to be organised by the NCA to this day.
Nunney School was very important to Fred. He was a governor for 19 years, which included being chair. He set up the ROSPA accredited cycling proficiency classes, dressed up for Christmas parties, helped with fetes, did repair jobs around the school, and with Nora talked to the children about hardships during the war. Fred served on Nunney Parish Council for forty years and was Chair for a time.
Nora was on the rotas of both Nunney and Cloford churches and held the office of Churchwarden at Cloford for a long time. She spent years on the flower show committee, was long serving secretary on the NCA committee and clerk to the parish council at Trudoxhill. In the 70’s she started a playgroup in the scout hut and was a great supporter ‘behind the scenes’ of Nunney Players. Nora wrote for Somerset Standard, Western Daily Press and Western Gazette covering local village events, including special anniversaries and funerals.
Family was at the centre of life for Fred and Nora; they were ‘hands on’ grandparents to their nine grandchildren. Where did they find the time and energy for all this? Hard working, interested in everyone and everything, always ready to help, serve their community using their individual skills that contributed to making Nunney a special place to live. Fred and Nora have left quite a legacy! Maybe they don’t make them like that anymore… or do they? It would be nice to think that we today can continue Fred and Nora’s legacy, along with others no longer with us but fondly remembered. We continue to hold them in our memories and hearts with gratitude and affection.
Thank you Fred and Nora. For many of us, it feels impossible to think of Nunney without you.
Nunney & District Flower Show
This year we will be opening the doors earlier than usual, at 1pm. The Show is about our local talented and creative people showing their home-grown flowers, vegetables, fruit, home-made produce, crafts, art, photography and creative writing in a bit of friendly competition. Some of our trophies, such as the Shore Bowl and Shore Cup, were first awarded back in the 1880’s.
There is the fun of our Village Fête activities — with a raffle, tombola, face-painting, games stalls including Splat-the-Rat and the Coconut Shy, together with Maypole dancing and a friendly Tug-of-War competition. Lunch stalls, ice cream van, bar, and cafe with cakes and cream teas.
Why not get together a Tug-of-War team with friends, family, work colleagues or neighbours and enter your team by emailing us at nunneyflowershow@gmail.com
Nunney Open Gardens — 25 May 2026
The day of the Open Gardens was not too hot, just cool enough for strolling around the 20 gardens opened by their generous and green-fingered owners. From the small to the large, they were all special, whether manicured and immaculate, to artfully relaxed, each was a gem and gave joy to the many visitors.
Congratulations to the Nunney Flower Show team for creating another special day in Nunney.
Heal Somerset
Our mission is to revive healthy, resilient ecosystems by giving nature the freedom it needs to recover. This means creating space for trees, plants and wildflowers to re-generate naturally, enabling wildlife to move and thrive, and supporting the comeback of species under pressure. To track our progress, we’re gathering detailed habitat and species data that will help us demonstrate, with scientific rigour, the real impact of our work. www.healsomerset.org.uk
Nunney First School
Outdoor learning flourishes with new pond and tipi
Pupils at Nunney First School near Frome are embracing outdoor learning thanks to the opening of a newly refurbished pond and the arrival of a brand-new tipi.
A grant from Somerset Council enabled the school to transform its existing pond into a vibrant learning environment where children can explore pond wildlife, life cycles and natural habitats. The new tipi, funded by the Friends of Nunney School, will support year-round outdoor learning, providing a sheltered space for activities such as Forest School and Gardening Club in all weathers.
The pond was officially opened on Wednesday 3 June by Christina Pickard, a gardener at The Newt in Somerset. Christina said:
“I just wanted to say thank you for the lovely opportunity of coming to the pond opening — and how wonderful it is that these children have the opportunity to grow up with this as part of their childhood and school experience! It was so lovely to see their excitement when they spotted things.”
Caroline Ford, Head Teacher at Nunney First School said:
“It was wonderful to welcome Christina to Nunney First School to open our Pond area. She spent time with small groups of children sharing her vast knowledge on newts and habitats. We all found out about attracting more newts to our pond and creating a ‘perfect’ environment. I would also like to thank Somerset Council for their support in developing the pond, and the Friends of Nunney School and South West Marquees for the Tipi.”
Nature Explorer Day
We had a fantastic afternoon of nature discovery in the school field on a glorious day in June when Caroline and Henry Pomeroy set up a series of activities for the children to explore the wonderful environment around them.
There was a bug hotel building project that has created a permanent living home in the field for the children to visit and nurture insects and creepy-crawlies. Caroline had caught over 200 moths in her special moth box and allowed the children to closely examine these beautiful creatures before letting them fly away. There was a hands-on plant identification workshop and a flower exploration and naming session. All the children created vibrant pictures from leaf-rubbing collected from the trees in the field. And after the quiz everyone had a well-deserved ice pop.
We all saw how much the children and teachers enjoyed the closeness with nature and the awe and wonder that was sparked. Thank you to all involved.
Have your say on travel & transport in Nunney
How easy is it for you to get around? Can you access the services you need? Does your street feel safe and enjoyable? What works well, and what could be improved?
Frome Town Council and Somerset Council are working with neighbouring parishes to develop a new plan for travel, transport and public spaces in the Frome area. We want the plan to be informed by the experiences, needs and priorities of local people.
Over the coming months, there will be opportunities to share your views on issues such as walking, cycling, public transport, road safety, accessibility, parking and connections between villages and nearby towns. Whether you travel by car, bus, bike, mobility scooter, wheelchair or on foot, your experiences can help shape future improvements.
Register and follow the “Frome Area Movement and Place Plan”. If you would like to hear about surveys, events and other opportunities to get involved, please register at www.myfrome.co.uk
Help us build a better understanding of how people move around the area and what matters most to local communities.
Sustainable Nunney
A walk on the wild side
Thanks to all who came to the first Sustainable Nunney Wild Walk on Saturday 16th May. From the Market Place, we went over the bridge to see the ducks and up Castle Hill to Old Quarry Gardens. Through the old and new willow arches, into the ‘Fairy Grotto’, spotting a robin and a crab apple tree. Through the horse eventing field among wildflowers including pink campion, down to the ford spotting mayflies, over the old bridge and back up the Combe smelling the wild garlic. Along Donkey Lane we found some elm saplings and lots of goose grass!
We had worksheets with ten things to identify — plants, trees, birds, insects & edible fruits. Some did very well, ticking off nearly all, except for birds: not a sign of a kite nor a buzzard, but lots of noisy rooks! The children had a great time and the adults enjoyed the opportunity for a leisurely walk and chat. Come the autumn! Come the next Wild Walk.
Wild Memories Nature and Wildlife Group
Mondays weekly, 2–4pm, free — Nunney Allotments / Village Hall
Weekly sessions for anyone living with dementia in Nunney and the surrounding area. Along with tea drinking and biscuit munching, activities include gardening, nature conservation, seasonal arts and crafts, seed planting, willow weaving, clay modelling, felt making, foraging, outdoor cooking, bird watching and song listening, silly games, poetry, painting, drawing, nature walks, meditation, wood work, and anything else we can think of!
Get outdoors and connect with one another. Sessions are free but please get in touch in advance. We are also always looking for volunteers, so do not hesitate to get in touch if you are interested.
Email: zak.mathergratton@froglife.org · Phone: 07949 572849
An update from the Church
The recently discovered major water leak between the road and the church will soon be repaired. We are re-routing the water supply under the path to avoid future problems. The church remains open but please take care and avoid fenced off areas in the churchyard.
This expense will run into thousands of pounds, and will be borne from our own funds — there is no government or central church funding for repairs and maintenance to church buildings or staffing. Our new ‘1 in 100’ campaign invites everyone in the village to consider giving a modest regular monthly donation to help cover rising costs and keep the church open and thriving. More details will be coming through your letter box soon, or head to www.postleburychurches.org/Donate to set up a regular donation.
We’re grateful to Tim and Dede Sanderson for allowing us to use Marston House for this year’s Postlebury Garden Party.
Services and events
- Family Communion — all ages welcome, 9.30am on the second Sunday of each month (12th July, 9th August, 13th September). The service lasts about an hour, with a Sunday Club for children, and time to chat over refreshments afterwards.
- Harvest Festival — 13th September, celebrating all that is grown in and around Nunney, with input from all sections of the community.
- Book of Common Prayer Communion — alternate Fridays at 10am.
- Soul Food services — live worship from the Soul Food band, Sunday 21st June and 20th September at 6pm.
- Messy Church Goes Wild — Sunday 19th July. We’ll be in the churchyard having fun, exploring faith and eating together. For all the family — come and join us from 4 ’til 5.30pm.
- Little Saplings toddler group — weekly, 9.30–11am each Wednesday during term time. Open to all carers, parents and grandparents with babies and pre-school children — you will receive a warm welcome and great coffee!
To keep up to date with all our activities, check out www.postleburychurches.org and www.facebook.com/allsaintsnunney
Annual report from Nunney Parish Council
At the NPC’s Annual General Meeting, held in May, the Chair — Cllr. Simon Clegg — highlighted some of the Council’s key achievements across the last twelve months:
- Creation of the Sensory Zen Garden in Old Quarry Gardens
- Implementation of the 20mph zone
- Repair of the zip wire at the playground
- Health & wellness activity programme in Old Quarry Gardens
- Refurbishment of the iron mushrooms opposite the church
- Replacement of rubbish bins
- Planting of additional bulbs around the village
- Replacement of the noticeboard in the Market Place
Vacancies for Nunney Parish Council
Nunney Parish Council are looking to fill vacancies for three Parish Councillors. This is your chance to get involved in a wide range of aspects of the village — from developing health, sports and well-being activities for all age groups to finding ways to make Nunney look its best and work best for all residents and visitors. You will have a chance to make a valuable and rewarding contribution to the way the village runs. You will be part of a small and friendly team, working together on the aspects most important to you, whether it might be Communications, Estates Management, Planning, Transport or Community — be truly involved in making the village the best it can be.
Individuals of any adult age, from any part of Nunney are very welcome to apply. To apply or to find out more, get in touch with the Parish Clerk at clerk@nunneyparishcouncil.com
BMX track refurbishment
The BMX track in Quarry Gardens was built in 2016 and after 10 years of wear and tear the Parish Council decided that it needed to be repaired and resurfaced. This was quite a big operation. The Council hired a one and half tonne digger, a dumper truck and a “whacker plate” from Sydenhams and the 20 tonnes of scalpings and 15 tonnes of Mendip Dust came from Torr Works.
We were fortunate to get Chris Rose to do the work — he completed the final design and surfacing of the track in 2016. He is amazingly good at his job from the experience of building dozens of BMX tracks and finished the whole job in five days. We are grateful to Cllr. Ken Lloyd who meticulously organised and oversaw the project.
Polite notice
A couple of reminders about being a considerate member of the community.
- Parking — please avoid parking on junctions, this is a real safety issue. Park close to the kerbside, so that cars can drive past.
- Bins — we have been asked by the council to remind residents to bring in your bins as soon as possible after they have been emptied. They can create an obstruction and are unsightly.
Book your COVID-19 vaccine
The NHS is offering the COVID-19 vaccine to people aged 75+, those with a weakened immune system (aged 6 months+) and residents of care homes for older adults. Housebound patients will be contacted by their GP or the Somerset Foundation Trust Vaccination Team to arrange a home vaccination.
The Victorian Workhouse at Nunney Catch
During the 18th and 19th centuries Nunney had its own parish workhouse that formed part of the area’s system of ‘poor relief’. Records show that by 1777 Nunney had a workhouse capable of accommodating around 60 inmates, serving some of the poorest members of the local community. The institution stood on the site of the petrol station, next to The Theobald Arms.
A workhouse was an institution established to provide food, shelter and basic care for people who could not support themselves. Under the Victorian Poor Law system, particularly after the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, those seeking assistance were often required to enter a workhouse in return for accommodation and meals. Conditions were deliberately austere, with strict rules, hard work and the separation of families intended to discourage all but the most desperate from seeking some respite.
During the Victorian era, Nunney became part of the Frome Poor Law Union, which was established in 1836. Responsibility for caring for the poor was increasingly centred on the larger Union Workhouse in Frome, built in 1837–38 on Weymouth Road. Nunney was one of the parishes represented within this system. Today, little remains to remind visitors of the former workhouse at Nunney Catch. The Theobald Arms was a former coaching inn with origins dating back to the seventeenth century. The site offers a glimpse into a period when poverty was managed through institutions that combined welfare with strict discipline, reflecting Victorian attitudes towards hardship and social responsibility.
Nunney Photography Competition
Please send your best images of the village or an event. Whether it’s the summer fayre, a group of mates hanging out at The George, the smiling faces of the people in the shop, or flowers in the fields — please do not send pictures of people, particularly children, without permission.
Send your entries by email to nunneyvoice@nunneyparishcouncil.com. The winning image will be featured on the next cover of Nunney Voice.