Curry Mallet

Coordinates: 50°59′20″N 2°57′47″W / 50.9889°N 2.9630°W / 50.9889; -2.9630

Curry Mallet (anciently "Cory Mallett") is a village and parish in Somerset, England. It is on the Fivehead River (also known as the River Ile), 7 miles (11.3 km) east of Taunton in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 306.

History

At the time of the Domesday Book in 1086 the manor was held by Roger de Courselles, also the owner of Fisherton in Wiltshire, which was held under Curry. It later passed to the Malet (also spelt as Mallet or Mallett) family, with William Malet, one of the guarantors of the Magna Carta, lord of the manor in 1215. It passed on through the descendants of the Malet family until 1356 when it was sold to Sir Matthew Gourney and his family until 1443 when the estate passed to the king and became part of the Duchy of Cornwall.

Curry Mallet was part of the hundred of Abdick and Bulstone.

The Manor house, (Mallet Court) is a Grade II* listed building, includes a Great Hall (or perhaps a barn) of the 15th century, and a small irregular manor house of the late 16th century. It stands on the site of, and incorporates parts of, the castle built by William Malet, a Norman knight, who fought at the Battle of Hastings.The entrance hall extension and other parts were upgraded and connected with the main house c 1939 by Clough Williams-Ellis whose client was the Selous family. The Manor House was lived in by the Pyne family who are buried in an Elizabethan family tomb to be found in the Mallet Chapel in the village Church of St James. Elizabeth II visited the house as part of her duties when she was head of the Duchy of Cornwall. The house is associated with the memory of Derek Jarman, film-maker, artist and gay activist.