Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. Taunton civil parish has a population of 44,050.[1] Suburbs of the town include Bishop's Hull, Staplegrove and Galmington, giving a total population for the "Taunton Urban Area" of 58,241 according to the 2001 census, up 4.4% since 1991. It is the largest town in Somerset (est. 60,000 inhabitants in 2006) and is its administrative capital.
The town is home to Somerset County Museum and the County Cricket Ground where Somerset County Cricket Club play. It is part of the annual West Country Carnival circuit. It hosts the famous Taunton Flower Show that has been held in Vivary Park since 1866.
History
The town name derives from Town on the River Tone — or Tone Town. There was perhaps a Romano-British village near the suburb of Holway, and Taunton was a place of considerable importance in Saxon times. King Ine of Wessex threw up an earthen castle here about 700, and a monastery was founded before 904. The bishops of Winchester owned the manor, and obtained the first charter for their "men of Taunton" from King Edward in 904, freeing them from all royal and county tribute.
At some time before the Domesday Survey Taunton had become a borough with very considerable privileges, governed by a portreeve appointed by the bishops. It did not obtain a charter of incorporation until that of 1627, which was renewed in 1677. The corporation existed until 1792, when the charter lapsed owing to vacancies in the number of the corporate body, and Taunton was not reincorporated until 1877. The medieval fairs and markets of Taunton (it still holds a weekly market today), were celebrated for the sale of woollen cloth called "Tauntons" made in the town. On the decline of the west of England woollen industry, silk-weaving was introduced at the end of the 18th century.[2]
In the autumn of 1685 Judge Jeffreys was based in Taunton during the Bloody Assizes that followed the Battle of Sedgemoor.
In World War II the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal formed part of the Taunton Stop Line, designed to prevent the advance of a German invasion. Pillboxes can still be seen along its length.
Attractions
The Almshouses along East Street, an attractive row of 17th century dwellings, are still occupied.
The Taunton Castle area of town includes the Somerset County Museum and The Castle Hotel both on the grounds of the former Taunton Castle and together with the municipal buildings, form an attractive three-sided group of buildings just beyond an archway off Fore Street. Though the effect is spoilt somewhat by the centre of this square being used as a car park, and the huge plain brick edifice of a bingo hall making up the west side of it.
The Mary Street Unitarian Chapel, located on Mary Street in Taunton has an interesting history.[1] In the later part of the 17th century, Taunton had two dissenting places of worship: "Paul’s Meeting" and the Baptist Meeting.[3] Paul’s Meeting was built at the top of Paul Street soon after 1672 on part of a bowling green behind the Three Cups Inn, now The County Hotel, and rapidly became one of the largest congregations in the county. After Mayor Timewell sacked both Paul’s Meeting and the Baptist Meeting in 1683, the dissenters were driven to worship in private houses on the outskirts of Taunton, where their assemblies were regularly raided by the Justices. Paul’s Meeting survived attempts to turn it into a workhouse and, with the coming of William and Mary, followed by the Toleration Act of 1689, was reopened. The Baptist Meeting became the Baptist New Meeting was registered in 1691 and rebuilt in 1721 as Mary Street Chapel.
Since the 18th century, the congregation of Mary Street Chapel has been Unitarian. Known associations of Mary Street Unitarian Chapel include the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. While Coleridge was living at Nether Stowey (16 miles away from Taunton), Coleridge came to the chapel to preach on several occasions. The minister at the time was Dr. Joshua Toulmin, who was unable to take services because he was grieving for the loss of his daughter who had been drowned on April 15th, 1798. Wesley also preached in the chapel on two or three occasions when wet weather drove him and his followers indoors. Another notable is Dr. Malachi Blake, who founded the Taunton and Somerset Hospital in East Reach, Taunton, in 1809 in celebration of the fiftieth year of George the Third's reign. Mary Street Unitarian Chapel still has the original interior including Flemish oak pillars in the Corinthian style. The pews and pulpit are also in oak, and there also is an early 18th century candelabra.
The Parish church of St. Mary Magdalene, built of sandstone more in the South Somerset style, preserves an attractive painted interior, but its most notable aspect is its 15th/16th century tower (rebuilt in the mid-19th century), which is one of the best examples in the country and a highly visible landmark. It was described by Simon Jenkins, an acknowledged authority on English churches, as “the finest in England. It makes its peace with the sky not just with a coronet but with the entire crown jewels cast in red-brown stone.” The tower itself has 12 bells and a clock mechanism. Unfortunately, two of the hammers on the clock mechanism are not striking at the present time.
The area by the river suffers from a disappointing lack of development, with supermarkets and car parks predominating. It is to be hoped that the forthcoming development of the County Cricket Ground will render this part of town, with its attractive setting and outstanding potential, livelier and more illustrious. (Such potential was recently demonstrated by the hosting of a concert by Elton John).
On the whole it is probably fair to say that the countryside and the villages around Taunton are more attractive than the town itself, though the town does make a comfortable base for excursions.
Public parks
There are a number of public parks dotted around Taunton, the most notable of which is Vivary Park, located near the centre of the town. It contains two main wide open spaces, as well as a war memorial, fountain, mini-golf course, tennis courts, a children's playground and located next to it is a golf course. Flowing through the park is a tributary of the River Tone.
Major Church Buildings
- Holy Trinity Church, Trinity Street
- North Street Congregational Church, North Street
- St. Andrew's Church, Greenway Avenue
- St. George's CofE, Fons George
- St. Georges R.C Church, Billet Street
- St. James Church, St. James Street
- St. Mary Magdalene, Church Square
- Taunton Baptist Church, Silver Street
- Wellsprings Chapel, Quantock Road
Transport
Taunton has a railway station on the Great Western Main Line and the Cross-Country Route, with services to Manchester, Bristol, London and Exeter. The former railway route to Minehead has become the heritage West Somerset Railway, with a bus service providing the normal link between Taunton and Minehead.
Pop culture references
Taunton plays a role in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and is mentioned in The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, Scoop by Evelyn Waugh and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carre. Taunton has also made an appearance in a number of other British comedy series, including Monty Python's Flying Circus, Blackadder, Men Behaving Badly, Vic Reeves Big Night Out, and also The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer. Comedian Bill Bailey also mentions the town in his stand-up DVD Part Troll, claiming to have taken part in a teleportation experiment sponsored by Taunton cider.
Taunton was also mentioned in a recent Doctor Who episode The Shakespeare Code.
Notable residents
- Lee Martin - Footballer who plays for Manchester United.
- Andy Robinson - Former England rugby union international and head coach.
- 40 Commando - one of three infantry formations that make up the main fighting units of the Royal Marines.
- Marcus Trescothick - England Cricketer.
Twinning
The town is twinned with:
References
- ^ Somerset County Council, 2002. Population estimates.
- ^ From the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica
- ^ Bush, Robin, (1977). The Book of Taunton.