Taunton

Taunton is the centre of Somerset in more ways than one, the county's roads system make it central, it's the home of local government, a district general hospital and the judiciary. Its valley or deane lies between the Quantocks and the Blackdowns, and it is here where the apple blossom sprouts in spring and the produce harvested later makes the county's most famous product cider. During recent years orchards have been allowed to disappear, but now there is renewed demand for English cider apples, and one Somerset cider maker is offering to replant the orchards, a move very much welcomed.
Just east of Taunton the famous Levels lap up against the River Tone. Many years ago the waterways in this area were used for commercial purposes. Another route used to export Taunton's highly regarded woollen products was over the Blackdowns to the south.

Taunton is rare in that it has a hill and valley where Kingston St Mary on the Quantock boundary and Staple Fiztpaine, Corfe and Pitminster all have hidden histories. Approaching Taunton on the motorway from Exeter, the Wellington Monument stands like a needle on the left, and on the other side is West Buckland church tower set on a hill with its illuminated cross attracting the eye on a dark night. The valley below the Blackdowns has three Saxon churches to boast, and Wellington itself, a fast growing area, has so much to offer the shopper.

Wiveliscombe is a fascinating small town, in old world style where the horse and rider takes equal precedence with the motor car. It was here that art treasures from London were evacuated during the Second World War. Nearby Milverton was once a borough.

Along the Tone Valley eastwards is Athelney, an 'island' once surrounded by marshland. It was here, according to the famous legend that King Alfred sheltered from the Danes and cooked his cakes until they burnt.

Along the road towards Glastonbury the roadside ditches are edged with willows and some fields are converted to withy beds. The willows when they have been cut and dried are converted into basketware. Visitors can often watch this local craft in operation at wayside centres or by visiting the signposted Willow Centre.

The valley is criss-crossed by a patchwork of water-ways which provide habitat for many different species of wildlife. Their activities attract ornithologists worldwide because so many of the birds are rare.
But Taunton is a hub which has had a long tradition of fighting for its independence. Clothiers supported the Duke of Monmouth in large numbers during the 17th century. They suffered for their opinions and their actions, but those who survived are the ancestors of today's successful market town.

A newly designed road pattern within the central area has created a shopping centre which is growing in its popularity. Most of the major High Street names trade in Taunton. It's also the home of Somerset Cricket Club and television enthusiasts will recognise the outstanding church towers which dominate the ground when matches are televised. Taunton also has a castle which is now the home of the County Museum, the county's Local History Library and the headquarters of Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society. Its summer flower show brings together the best of local growers who compete for a vast array of trophies. Vivary Park is also must for a daytime stroll. This county town is not short of amenities from theatres and a sports centre to canal boating, restaurants, nature trails and ornamental parks. In fact the Taunton Vale and Blackdown area rates extremely high for its range of interesting attractions and activities. Taunton, a busy regional shopping town, with a good range of shops in the centre, and out-of-town shopping complex which also has cinemas and 10 pin bowling. There is a horse racing course just south west on the B3170.

In 1497 Perkin Warbeck seized the town and said he was King Richard IV, the town was also involved in the Civil War and Monmouth's rebellion. The town has some old pubs, and a few old street such as Hammet Street with its 18th century houses, near the church. Quite a lot to see and do around this area, and the M5 gives good access north and south, the A358 will take up to Exmoor and the north coast.

Taunton Somerset

Taunton ‘Town on the Tone’ - The county town of Somerset, founded by king ‘Ine’ in the 7th century, has had a turbulent past at the centre of many violent uprisings, notably the determined anti-royalist stance the town took during the Civil War (1642 - 1652) and later the duke of Monmouth’s rebellion in 1685.

Set in the Vale of Taunton, rich in orchards and pastures, the town was once dependent on the local agricultural economy symbolised by the 18th century Market House at the Parade in the centre.

Vivary Park - In the early 13th century the bishops of Taunton Priory maintained parklands for food and sport, such as Poundisford and Nailsbourne. In the area of the present Vivary Park there were two great ponds in which large quantities of fish were stocked, the bishop’s ‘vivarium’. The public park was laid out and opened in the mid 1890’s, with very elaborate ironwork gates and a bandstand, both by Henry Phillips and Son of Taunton. In 1907 a highly detailed fountain, cast by the Walter McFarlane and Co. Foundry of Glasgow, was unveiled by the Mayor in memory of Queen Victoria. The war memorial dates from 1922 and is by Ivor F Shellard. The artificially straight stream is a remnant of a former leat which was dug in the 14th century to carry water from the Sherford Stream to drive Poolwall Mill in Upper High Street and to supply the castle moat, as well as the market via sluices along the High Street.

The Church of St. George is a perpendicular style church was almost entirely rebuilt in the 19th century. There are traces of Saxon work in the west wall of the north aisle and in the nave some 13th century responds.

Taunton , The High Street

Vivary Park War Memorial

Sherford Stream flowis down from the Blackdown Hills and into the River Tone at Tangier, the name of this stream is said to derive from ‘the brook in which dung is thrown’.

The oldest part of the Church of All Saints, Trull is the base of the tower, which dates from the mid to late 13th century. At that time the church consisted of nave, chancel and tower. A north aisle was added in the 14th century and a south aisle a century later. The north doorway is thought to have been moved from the north wall of the 13th century nave. The rood screen dates from the late 15th century and is an example of the fan-vaulted type that originated in Devon. The original tracery has now gone. Note the richly carved cornice. There is a remarkably well preserved 15th century wooden pulpit with undamaged carved figures of saints in canopied niches. Many of the benches and bench ends date from the early 16th century and among the fine carving is an unusual collection of figures comprising a religious procession. In the churchyard the old stocks can be seen under a yew tree. The Chantry Cottage to the north west of the churchyard is late medieval in origin and was possibly the priest’s house.

Amberd Farmhouse is a late medieval cross passage farmhouse with 16th century ceiling (a private dwelling).

To the south and west of Taunton can be seen the Blackdown Hills (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), rising to 315 metres at Staple Hill. Formed by an extensive outcrop of Upper Greensand from the Cretaceous period, they are characterised by a dramatic, steep, wooded scarp slope facing north, and a gently sloping plateau to the south which is deeply dissected by the valleys of the Rivers Culm, Otter and Yarty. To the north are theQuantock Hills (AONB), a narrow ridge of Devonian slates rising to 386 metres at Will’s Neck. They represent the eastern end of a belt of Devonian rocks, collectively known as Old Red Sandstone, which extends from the coast near Ilfracombe eastwards to embrace Exmoor and the Brendon Hills.

There are numerous listed houses in Mount Street. Taunton Deane has a rich inheritance of listed buildings. Approximately two thousand are grouped according to their importance, Grade 1, Grade 2* and Grade 2. They are part of a national database, the Statutory List of Buildings of Architectural or Historic Interest. Rising above Mount Street is ‘Jellalabad’, the former barracks of Prince Albert’s Light Infantry completed in 1880.

Industry developed around wharves by Tone Bridge or on tributary streams of the navigable River Tone. The medieval trade and manufacture of wool was succeeded in the late 18th century by the manufacture of silk, lace and cotton.

Imported bar iron led to the establishment of foundries and the suitability of the water encouraged several breweries to flourish.

Taunton Castle and Museum is in a building that was an important Norman castle, originally that of the Bishops of Winchester. The bishop’s hall was converted into a castle between 1107 and 1129 by Bishop William Giffard. His successor Henry of Blois added the keep in 1138. Many additions and alterations have been made throughout history, notably the building of the Great Hall by Bishop William Ralegh between 1245 and 1249. It was in this hall that assize courts were held, famously the ‘Bloody Assize’ of 1685 when Judge Jeffreys condemned over 500 supporters of the failed Monmouth Rebellion to death or transportation.

Castle Green was formerly the large outer bailey of the castle added in 1215-16 and was also the site of Taunton’s only burial ground from Saxon times until the 12th century. A Saxon minster is believed to have stood here. The castle now houses the Somerset County Museum.

Goodland Gardens named after the Goodland family who played a major role in the water-borne coal trade locally and were involved in the work of the Tone Conservators who annually inspected the river to ensure that it was navigable. The gardens were laid out in 1971 on the site of the town’s original fulling mill built in 1219.

The River Tone flows for 33km down from Beverton Pond in the Brendon Hills, north of Clatworthy Reservoir, due south at first before turning east to flow into the River Parrett at Burrowbridge. This then continues out to the Bristol Channel through Bridgwater. It is an important wildlife corridor through the Borough and notable species to be seen are kingfisher, bank vole and otter, as well as the more common grey heron, moorhen, and mute swan.

Parliamentary Cut was the name given to the short length of canal built in 1834 and intended to connect the Grand Western Canal to the River Tone.

Weirfield Riverside is a section of the old canal, between the River Tone and the site of the old Weirfield School, has now been designated a Local Nature Reserve. Recolonisation has created habitat for a wide variety of mammals, birds and insects. The mixture of vegetation heights forms ‘edge’ habitats much loved by dragonflies, butterflies and other invertebrates.

The Grand Western Canal was a short-lived canal was one of the few canals in the country to employ mechanised lifts and inclines to overcome steep hills. Born of a plan in the late 1700’s to build a waterway to connect the English Channel with the Bristol Channel (thereby saving the small wooden freight ships from a treacherous journey around Lands End), the canal was not actually started until 1810 when work began on the 17.5km section between the limestone quarries at Lowdwells (near the Devon and Somerset border) and Tiverton. It was not until the 1830’s, once the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal had been completed, that work continued to take the canal across the 22.5 hilly kilometres of Somerset to reach Taunton. Opened in 1838, the Grand Western Canal Company did not enjoy the commercial success it had anticipated, and the building of the railway between Taunton and Tiverton ten years later quickened the demise of the canal, which was abandoned in 1867.

Roughmoor Farmhouse, this late 18th century building is now the HQ for English Nature in Somerset, a Government agency that champions the conservation of wildlife and geology throughout England.

Silk Mills Road is the name of a busy road which remembers the importance of silk weaving in this area from the late 1770’s until the mid 1800’s. Isaac Hawkins set up a silk-throwing factory at a former cloth works near here in 1810, and continued production until 1860.

Bridge House (The Old Mill) Mill and millhouse dating from the late 18th and early 19th century.

Netherclay Community woodland was purchased by Taunton Deane and this four hectare site plans to create a new community woodland which has now been planted with a mixture of native species.

In the village of Bishops Hull the church of St Peter and St Paul is chiefly noted for its 13th century octagonal tower and 16th century bench ends.

Netherclay House is a grade 2 listed Georgian house built late 18th century.

Longaller Mill was a flour mill converted in 1823 to replace the previous fulling and tucking mill. It retains all its machinery and its low breastshot wheel, which was built in Wellington in 1880 and is 3.6 metres in diameter and 1.8 metres wide. It was fed by a leat from the River Tone and was described in 1828 as being “very powerful and roomy”.

Taunton is the centre of Somerset in more ways than one -the county's roads system make it central, it's the home of local government, a district general hospital and the judiciary. Its valley or deane lies between the Quantocks and the Blackdowns, and it is here where the apple blossom sprouts in spring and the produce harvested later makes the county's most famous product - cider.

Just east of Taunton the famous Levels lap up against the River Tone. Many years ago the waterways in this area were used for commercial purposes. Another route used to export Taunton's highly regarded woollen products was over the Blackdowns to the south. Approaching Taunton on the motorway from Exeter, the Wellington Monument stands like a needle on the left, and on the other side is West Buckland church tower set on a hill with its illuminated cross attracting the eye on a dark night. The valley below the Blackdowns has three Saxon churches to boast, and Wellington itself, a fast growing area, has so much to offer the shopper. Wiveliscombe is a fascinating small town, in old world style where the horse and rider takes equal precedence with the motor car. It was here that art treasures from London were evacuated during the Second World War. Nearby Milverton was once a borough.

Along the Tone Valley eastwards is Athelney, an 'island' once surrounded by marshland. It was here, according to the famous legend that King Alfred sheltered from the Danes and cooked his cakes until they burnt. Along the road towards Glastonbury the roadside ditches are edged with willows and some fields are converted to withy beds. The willows when they have been cut and dried are converted into basketware. Visitors can often watch this local craft in operation at wayside centres or by visiting the signposted Willow Centre.

The valley is criss-crossed by a patchwork of water-ways which provide habitat for many different species of wildlife. Their activities attract ornithologists worldwide because so many of the birds are rare.

But Taunton is a hub which has had a long tradition of fighting for its independence. Clothiers supported the Duke of Monmouth in large numbers during the 17th century. They suffered for their opinions and their actions, but those who survived are the ancestors of today's successful market town. Taunton is the home of Somerset Cricket Club. Taunton also has a castle which is now the home of the County Museum, the county's Local History Library and the headquarters of Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society.

Its summer flower show brings together the best of local growers who compete for a vast array of trophies. Vivary Park is also must for a daytime stroll. This county town is not short of amenities from theatres and a sports centre to canal boating, restaurants, nature trails and ornamental parks.

Castle Bow - This is the last surviving remnant of the Castle's Outer Bailey, the Keep being destroyed on the orders of Charles II. Originally, this was the East Gate of the Castle and had a drawbridge - note the modern portcullis, set in the original grooves.

Old Municipal Buildings - The section to the right of the main door was built in 1522 to house the town's Grammar School. Founded by Richard Fox, then Bishop of Winchester, it cost £226 to build. Badly damaged in 1645 during the Civil War, it was restored and continued as a school until 1885.

Somerset County Cricket Museum ("Priory Barn") - This building is likely to have been part of the medieval Augustinian Priory. The latter disappeared in 1539 with the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII. The "barn" now houses the Cricket Club Museum.

St Mary Magdalene Church - There has been a church on this site since at least the 12th century. The magnificent 163-foot tower was rebuilt to its original design in 1862. To raise the stone during construction, a pulley system was used, operated by a donkey walking down Hammet Street. When the work was completed, the donkey was hauled to the top of the tower to admire the view it had helped to create!

Taunton is the centre of Somerset in more ways than one - the county's roads system make it central, it's the home of local government, a district general hospital and the judiciary. Its valley or deane lies between the Quantocks and the Blackdowns, and it is here where the apple blossom sprouts in spring and the produce harvested later makes the county's most famous product - cider. During recent years orchards have been allowed to disappear, but now there is renewed demand for English cider apples, and one Somerset cider-maker is offering to replant the orchards, a move very much welcomed. Just east of Taunton the famous Levels lap up against the River Tone. Many years ago the waterways in this area were used for commercial purposes. Another route used to export Taunton's highly regarded woollen products was over the Blackdowns to the south. Taunton is rare in that it has a hill and valley where Kingston St Mary on the Quantock boundary and Staple Fiztpaine, Corfe and Pit-minster all have hidden histories.

Approaching Taunton on the motorway from Exeter, the Wellington Monument stands like a needle on the left, and on the other side is West Buckland church tower set on a hill with its illuminated cross attracting the eye on a dark night. The valley below the Blackdowns has three Saxon churches to boast, and Wellington itself, a fast growing area, has so much to offer the shopper. Wiveliscombe is a fascinating small town, old world style where the horse and rider takes equal precedence with the motor car. It was here that art treasures from London were evacuated during the Second World War. Nearby Milverton was once a borough. Along the Tone Valley eastwards is Athelney, an 'island' once surrounded by marshland. It was here, according to the famous legend that King Alfred sheltered from the Danes and cooked his cakes until they burnt.

Along the road towards Glastonbury the roadside ditches are edged with willows and some fields are converted to withy beds. The willows when they have been cut and dried are converted into basketware. Visitors can often watch this local craft in operation at wayside centres or by visiting the signposted Willow Centre. The valley is criss-crossed by a patchwork of water-ways which provide habitat for many different species of wildlife. Their activities attract ornithologists worldwide because so many of the birds are rare.

But Taunton is a hub which has had a long tradition of fighting for its independence. Clothiers supported the Duke of Monmouth in large numbers during the 17th century. They suffered for their opinions and their actions, but those who survived are the ancestors of today's successful market town. The central area boasts a shopping centre which is growing in popularity. Most of the major High Street names trade in Taunton. It's also the home of Somerset Cricket Club. Taunton also has a castle which is now the home of the County Museum, the county's Local History Library and the headquarters of Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society.

Contributed by: John Roberts