Combe Florey is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated 6 miles (9.7 km) northwest of Taunton, on the West Somerset Railway. The village has a population of 261.[1] The parish includes the hamlet of Eastcombe which is a linear settlement along the A358 Taunton-Wiliton Road.
The first part of the name Combe Florey comes from cwm meaning valley, and the second part from Hugh de Fleuri who was lord of the manor around 1166.[2]
The parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council.
Sydney Smith was rector of the parish of Combe Florey from 1829 until his death in 1845.[6]Combe Florey House was the home of the novelist Evelyn Waugh, and later of his son, Auberon. Auberon Waugh is buried in St Peter and Paul's churchyard. Evelyn Waugh is buried in a private plot of land next to the churchyard. The writers Daisy Waugh and Alexander Waugh both grew up at Combe Florey House, but their mother, Auberon Waugh's widow, sold the house in 2008.[7]