Oake lies at the heart of the four communities with a population of just over 650 people stretching over an area of approximately 5 square miles situated in the Vale of Taunton Deane, about six miles to the west of the county town of Taunton in Somerset. The post office and school are situated on the road running from the B3227 to Bradford on Tone, passing the new village hall and Oake Manor Golf Club. Although surrounded by farm land, it is now largely a residential area which has grown significantly over the last ten years with the building of nearly fifty new houses in Saxon Close. Oake Close provides amenity housing, particlarly for the elderly.
Businesses within the village include an aromatherapist, photographers and a fencing company.
Visitors often ask why the church is so far from the village: in fact, it is not, because the original village was centred around the church, as it is shown on ancient maps, but most of the cottages and other buildings, including a Chapel and a Poor House, have long since disappeared. Even today, the Ordnance Survey places Oake at the church and the mileage on signposts is measured to the church. After all, the church has been where it is since at least the 13 th century, whereas most of the present village is of post-war construction!
The ancient village of Oake is mentioned in history as early as AD 897 where, in Codex Diplomaticus Aevi Saxonici, it is referred to as ‘ Acon’. In Domesday Book, after the coming of the Normans, it is spelt as ‘ Acha’ and this, through the ages, has become Oake.
The name obviously derides from the abundance of oak trees in the neighbourhood – sadly depleted over the years, although a few still remain, notably around the church. It is probable that there was a place of worship in the Saxon settlement, although whether the present church was built on its site is not known. The Cache is located in the last remaining wood in the village, protected from being felled or interfered with. Populated with Horse Chestnut and of course...Oake trees, native to huge parts of England many centuries ago. The wood can be approached from several public footpaths which converge on the wood.
From the Cache site you can see the village Church of St Bartholomew's, and Wellington Monument seated on the Blackdown Hills.
A church has been on the site for at least 700 years, though the base of the font is said to be Saxon and the oldest thing in the church.
The porch has been used by worshippers for 500 years, the chancel, the north wall of the nave and the base of the tower, have been dated to the 13th century.
The windows, which represent mostly 14th and 15th century work are remarkable in that every one is different. The north window is of particular interest and is said to have been brought to Oake from Taunton Priory after the Priory Church was dissolved in 1535. There it was probably a cloister window but it was installed in Oake the wrong way round, with the outerface of stone and bars on the inside. There is a glazier's inscription in beautiful copper plate half way up on the right hand side.
The oak chair dates from the 16th century and the coffin stool and pulpit 100 years later.
There are records of baptisms, marriages and funerals going back as far as 1594.
Visitors often ask why the church is so far from the village. The bulk of the 'new' village was built at the end of the 19th century where there was a rail link and proximity to a road leading to Taunton. The ancient village probably did exist around the church.
One theory is that Oake was affected by the Black Death in the mid 14th century and little remains of that old village. In fact reference to 'Blagroves' linking the Taunton Road directly to the church is almost certainly a reference to BLAck death GRAVES, as found in other parts of the country.
So a great deal of history sits within the church walls, the Saxons, the people at the time of the Domesday book and the Black Death, the people of the Tudor period, not knowing which way the king would want them to worship and the monks of Taunton who knew that part of their monastery had been preserved in a sacred building.
Following the footpath from the main road through the village, you will pass the primary school.
HISTORY OF OAKE AND BRADFORD SCHOOL
The school, originally called Hillfarrance Oake and Heathfield Board school, was built in1879. It was renamed Oake Primary school in 1961. In 1984 Bradford school closed and was amalgamated with Oake school becoming Oake and Bradford County Primary school. In 2010 the local primary school of Nynehead closed and amalgamated with Oake and Bradford, to become as it is today, Oake , Bradford and Nynehead VC School. The familiar Victorian school building is still very much part of the new school.
The pre school at Oake Bradford and Nynehead has re opened as part of the Foundation Stage Unit of the school. It is called Little Acorns and runs in close partnership with the school.
From Oake and Bradford school pupils progress to one of the secondary schools in the area. The majority go toKingsmead Community School and Court Fields Community School.