Somerset Historic Environment Record (HER)

Our application

At a Management Committee meeting in March 2022, it was noted that The Thomas Poole Library would have the requirements needed to be added to the Local Heritage List. A nomination form was completed and sent with photos to the Somerset Heritage Centre in April 2022. We received confirmation that the nomination form was received. Accordingly, Somerset Heritage Centre made an entry on the Somerset Historic Environment Record (HER) and has put the library forward as a candidate for the new Local Heritage List.

We are on the HER

And now, we are delighted to announce that The Thomas Poole Library building is registered on the Somerset Historic Environment Record.

The Somerset HER aims to record all aspects of the County’s rich heritage, including archaeological sites, archaeological events (excavations, surveys etc. historic landscapes and Listed Buildings.

For more information, click on this link: https://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/record/46804

• 1812   At his own expense and on his land, Thomas Poole erected the building as the village’s free school. Poole’s cousin, the Reverend John Poole, had established the first free school in Somerset at nearby Enmore in 1810, and he inspired Thomas to provide a free school for the benefit of local children. It was only the second free school to be opened in Somerset

• 1813 – A day school was opened, with 118 children with two teachers.  The school was maintained by subscriptions and fees

• 1826 – The school taught reading, writing, and arithmetic to 130 children, including some from neighbouring parishes

• 1835 – There was a separate infant school

• 1847 – The school was united with the National Society and, at this time, had three different buildings, though only two paid teachers, with 112 children attending daily.

• 1903 – There were 55 children and 38 infants on the register, though, by 1912, numbers were falling

• 1917 – An evening school was begun

• 1925 – An extension was built, which provided accommodation for a total of 130 children

• 1979 – A new school was constructed among new houses west of the village

• 1980 – The old schoolroom became a public library, museum, and exhibition centre

• 2019 – It became a community library partnership with Somerset Library Service and is now managed by a charity and run by volunteers. The library was then re-named The Thomas Poole Library Nether Stowey.

To find out more, visit The History of Thomas Poole Library.