Taunton
Taunton shown within Somerset
Population	88,241
OS grid reference	ST228250
District	Taunton Deane
Shire county	Somerset
Region	South West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	TAUNTON
Postcode district	TA1, TA2, TA3, TA4
Dialling code	01823
Police	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Devon and Somerset
Ambulance	South Western
European Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	Taunton
Website: www.tauntondeane.gov.uk
List of places: UK • England • Somerset

Coordinates: 51°01′09″N 3°06′00″W / 51.0191, -3.1

Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government Taunton Deane is a local government district with Borough status in Somerset, England. Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The, also known as the Taunton postcode area, is a group of postal districts around Bridgwater, Burnham-on-Sea, Chard, Crewkerne, The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Avon & Somerset Constabulary is the Home Office Police force in England responsible for policing the non-metropolitan county of Somerset and The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service or FRS, covering the counties of Devon and Somerset; it Divisions & Stations The trust is split into 2 divisions West - Devon and Cornwall including West Divisional HQ 999 and PTS Control at South West England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Taunton is a County constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a list of cities, Towns Villages and hamlets in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A county town is the 'capital' of a County in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The unparished area (or former municipal borough) of Taunton has a population of 88,241. In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a Civil parish. Municipal boroughs were a type of Local government which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974 in Northern Ireland from 1840 to In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology ^[1] Suburbs of the town include Bishop's Hull, Staplegrove and Galmington, giving a total population for the "Taunton Urban Area" of 102,304 according to the 2001 census, up 4. South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. Bishop's Hull is a village and Parish in Somerset, England, situated in the western Suburbs of Taunton in the Taunton Deane Staplegrove is a village and Parish in Somerset, England, situated in the northern Suburbs of Taunton in the Taunton Deane Galmington is a Parish in Somerset, England, situated in the south western Suburbs of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district 4% since 1991. It is the largest town in Somerset, and the site of Musgrove Park Hospital. Musgrove Park Hospital is a large NHS hospital located in Taunton, Somerset.

It is home to the County Cricket Ground where Somerset County Cricket Club play and home to the 40 Commando, Royal Marines. The County Cricket Ground, is the most southwesterly of the English First Class Cricket grounds located in Taunton, Somerset. Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic Cricket structure representing the historic county 40 Commando RM is a Battalion sized formation of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade, the principal Commando The Royal Marines ( RM) are the marine corps and amphibious Infantry of the United Kingdom and along with the Royal Navy Central Taunton is part of the annual West Country Carnival circuit. The West Country Carnival is an annual celebration featuring a Parade of illuminated floats (termed "carts" locally in the English It hosts the famous Taunton flower show, which has been held in Vivary Park since 1866. Taunton Flower Show is an annual flower show held in Taunton, Somerset, England. The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office is located in Taunton on Admiralty Way. The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (or UKHO) is an organisation within the UK government responsible for providing Navigational and other hydrographic

Contents 1 History 2 Governance 2.1 Borough Council 2.2 County Council 2.3 United Kingdom Parliament 2.4 European Parliament 3 Geography 3.1 Geology 3.2 Climate 4 Demography 5 Economy 6 Landmarks 6.1 Public parks 7 Transport 8 Education 9 Health Services 10 Religious sites 11 Popular culture references 12 Sport 13 Notable residents 14 Twinning 15 References 16 External links

History

The town name derives from "Town on the River Tone" — or Tone Town. The River Tone is a river in Somerset, that flows through Taunton and joins the River Parrett. ^[2] There was perhaps a Romano-British village near the suburb of Holway,^[3] and Taunton was a place of considerable importance in Saxon times. Romano-British culture is that of the Romanized Britons under the Roman Empire and later the Western Roman Empire, and of those exposed to Roman culture in the years Holway is a suburb of Taunton the county town of the English county of Somerset. For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south ^[4] King Ine of Wessex threw up an earthen castle here about 700, and a monastery was founded before 904. Ine was King of Wessex from 688 to 726 He was unable to retain the territorial gains of his predecessor Cædwalla, who had brought much of Southern ^[5] 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. See also List of bishops of Winchester The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England Edward the Elder ( Old English: Ēadweard se Ieldra) (c 870 &ndash 17 July 924) was King of England (899 &ndash At some time before the Domesday Survey Taunton had become a borough with very considerable privileges, and a population of around 1,500^[4] governed by a portreeve appointed by the bishops. The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey This article refers to the political appointment portreeve; for the town in Canada see Portreeve. Somerton took over from Ilchester as the county town in the late thirteenth century,^[6] but it declined in importance and the status of county town transferred to Taunton about 1366. Somerton is a town in the English County of Somerset, on the River Cary, near Yeovil and Street, northeast of Ilchester is a Village and Civil parish, situated on the River Yeo five Miles north of Yeovil, in the English county of A county town is the 'capital' of a County in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. ^[7]

Taunton Castle changed hands several times during the great Civil War of 1642-45 but only along with the town. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. ^[8] During the Siege of Taunton it was defended by Robert Blake, from July 1644 to July 1645. The Siege of Taunton occurred during the English Civil War. In 1645 Parliamentary forces commanded by Colonel Robert Blake were besieged in Robert Blake (1599 — August 17, 1657) was one of the most important military commanders of the Commonwealth of England, and one of the most famous After the war, in 1662, the keep was demolished and only the base remains. ^[9] On 20 June 1685 the Duke of Monmouth crowned himself king of England at Taunton during the Monmouth Rebellion and in the autumn of that year Judge Jeffreys was based in the town during the Bloody Assizes that followed the Battle of Sedgemoor. James Crofts, later James Scott 1st Duke of Monmouth and 1st Duke of Buccleuch ( April 9 1649 &ndash July 15 1685) was an English The Monmouth Rebellion of 1685, also known as the Pitchfork Rebellion, was an attempt to overthrow James II, who had become King of England at George Jeffreys 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem, PC ( May 15 1645 &ndash April 18 1689) also known as " The Hanging Judge The Bloody Assizes were a series of trials started at Winchester on 25th August 1685 in the aftermath of the Battle of Sedgemoor, which ended the Monmouth Rebellion The Battle of Sedgemoor was fought on 6 July 1685 and took place at Westonzoyland near Bridgwater in Somerset, England ^[10]

The town did not obtain a charter of incorporation until 1627,^[4] which was renewed in 1677. The charter lapsed in 1792 owing to vacancies for the members 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. ^[11]

In 1839 the Grand Western Canal reached Taunton aiding trade to the south. The Grand Western Canal ran between Tiverton in Devon and Taunton in Somerset in the United Kingdom ^[12] 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. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Bridgwater and Taunton Canal is a Canal in the south west of England between Bridgwater and Taunton, linking with the River Parrett The Taunton Stop Line was a World War II defensive line in southwest England. Pillboxes can still be seen along its length. British anti-invasion preparations of World War II entailed a large-scale division of military and civilian mobilization in response to the threat of invasion

Governance

Borough Council

Taunton is the main settlement and administrative centre of the local government district of Taunton Deane. Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially ' shire districts', are a type of local government district in England. Taunton Deane is a local government district with Borough status in Somerset, England. The district was formed on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by a merger of the municipal borough of Taunton, Wellington urban district, Taunton Rural District, and Wellington Rural District. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. The Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c 70 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in England and Wales Municipal boroughs were a type of Local government which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974 in Northern Ireland from 1840 to Wellington is a small industrial town in rural Somerset, England, situated seven Miles south west of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of Local government district that covered an Urbanised area Taunton Deane was granted borough status in 1975, perpetuating the mayoralty of Taunton. Borough status in the United Kingdom is granted by Royal charter to Local government Districts in England, Wales and Northern A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government The district was given the name of an alternate form of the Taunton hundred.

Taunton Deane Borough Council consists of 55 councillors, of whom 20 are elected for wards in the town of Taunton. In Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, a ward is an Electoral district The wards are: Blackbrook & Holway; Eastgate; Fairwater; Halcon; Lyngford; Manor & Wilton and Pyrland & Rowbarton. Eastgate ward returns two councillors, with the remaining wards each returning three. At the council elections in May 2007, 17 Liberal Democrats were elected and 3 members of the Conservative Party. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. ^[13]

County Council

Somerset County Council is based at County Hall in Taunton, and consists of 58 councillors. Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county The town of Taunton is included in six electoral divisions, each returning a single county councillor: Taunton East; Taunton Fairwater; Taunton North; Taunton South; Taunton West and taunton and Trull (which also includes rural areas). Five councillors are members of the Liberal Democrats, and one is a Conservative. ^[14]

United Kingdom Parliament

Taunton is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Taunton is a County constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. In the United Kingdom (UK, each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. The plurality voting system is a Single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member Following the review of parliamentary representation in Somerset, the Boundary Commission for England has created a modified Taunton constituency with the name change Taunton Deane, to reflect the district name. Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county Taunton Deane is a local government district with Borough status in Somerset, England. It is based on the town of Taunton but extends to include Wellington, many small villages and parts of Exmoor. Wellington is a small industrial town in rural Somerset, England, situated seven Miles south west of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district Exmoor is a National Park situated on the Bristol Channel coast of south west England Following a review of parliamentary representation in Somerset, this seat will be renamed Taunton Deane at the next UK general election. Taunton Deane will be a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The current MP is Jeremy Browne, a member of the Liberal Democrats. Jeremy Richard Browne (born 17 May 1970, Islington) is a British Politician. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the ^[15]

European Parliament

Residents of Taunton also form part of the electorate for the South West England constituency for elections to the European Parliament. South West England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU ^[16]

Geography

Taunton lies on the River Tone between the Quantock, Blackdown and Brendon hills in an area known as the Vale of Taunton. The River Tone is a river in Somerset, that flows through Taunton and joins the River Parrett. The Quantock Hills are a range of Hills west of Bridgwater in Somerset, England. The Blackdown Hills are a range of hills along the Somerset - Devon border in south-western England, which were designated an Area of Outstanding The Brendon Hills are composed of a lofty ridge of hills in the west of Somerset, England.

The Firepool area on the northern edge of Taunton town centre, adjacent to the main line railway station, currently includes a high proportion of vacant or undeveloped land. The Council is currently promoting a sustainable, high quality, employment-led mixed use development. The scheme also offers the opportunity to secure the development of a substantial number of residential units. ^[17] These are intended to create more than 2,000 new homes in the town centre, at least 14,000 new homes across the whole of Taunton, 80,000m² of employment space, 50,000m² of new retail space and at least 7,000 jobs. ^[18]

Geology

In the Taunton area Permian (295-250 million years ago) red sandstones and breccia outcrop, while rocks of Triassic age (248-204 million years ago) underlie much of Somerset and form the solid geology to the Somerset Moors and Levels. The Permian is a geologic period and system that extends from 299 Breccia (ˈbrɛtʃiə ˈbrɛʃiə breach is a rock composed of angular fragments of several Minerals or rocks in a matrix, that is a cementing material The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 251 to 199 Ma (million years ago The Somerset Levels (or Somerset Levels and Moors as they are less commonly but more correctly called is a sparsely populated Wetland area of central Somerset ^[19] Other nearby areas including the cultural quarter, Tangier and the town centre retail area fall within the regeneration plans of Project Taunton. ^[20]

Climate

Along with the rest of South West England, Taunton has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country. South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. 0 °F) and shows a seasonal and a diurnal variation, but due to the modifying effect of the sea the range is less than in most other parts of the UK. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 Diurnal motion is an astronomical term referring to the apparent daily motion of Stars around the Earth, or more precisely around the two January is the coldest month with mean minimum temperatures between 1 °C (33. 8 °F) and 2 °C (35. 6 °F). July and August are the warmest months in the region with mean daily maxima around 21 °C (69. 8 °F).

The south-west of England has a favoured location with respect to the Azores high pressure when it extends its influence north-eastwards towards the UK, particularly in summer. The Azores ( Açores ɐˈsoɾɨʃ or) is a Portuguese Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, about 1500 km (950  mi) from Convective cloud often forms inland however, especially near hills, reducing the number of hours of sunshine. Convection in the most general terms refers to the movement of molecules within Fluids (i The average annual sunshine totals around 1,600 hours.

Rainfall tends to be associated with Atlantic depressions or with convection. A low pressure area, or " low " is a region where the Atmospheric pressure is lower in relation to the surrounding area The Atlantic depressions are more vigorous in autumn and winter and most of the rain which falls in those seasons in the south-west is from this source. Average rainfall is around 31 inches (787 mm)–35 inches (889 mm). Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. The Millimetre ( American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to About 8–15 days of snowfall is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, with June to August having the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west. ^[21]

Yeovilton climate: Average maximum and minimum temperatures, and average rainfall recorded between 1971 and 2000 by the Met Office. For the UKMET model see Tropical cyclone forecast model. The Met Office (originally an abbreviation for Meteorological Office, Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Average max. temperature °C (°F) 8. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 1 (46. 6) 8. 3 (46. 9) 10. 6 (51. 1) 12. 9 (55. 2) 16. 5 (61. 7) 19. 3 (66. 7) 21. 7 (71. 1) 21. 5 (70. 7) 18. 6 (65. 5) 14. 8 (58. 6) 11. 1 (52. 0) 9. 0 (48. 2) 14. 4 (57. 9) Average min. temperature °C (°F) 1. 4 (34. 5) 1. 3 (34. 3) 2. 7 (36. 9) 3. 7 (38. 7) 6. 8 (44. 2) 9. 7 (49. 5) 11. 9 (53. 4) 11. 7 (53. 1) 9. 6 (49. 3) 6. 9 (44. 4) 3. 6 (38. 5) 2. 4 (36. 3) 6. 0 (42. 8) Rainfall inches (mm) 2. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. The Millimetre ( American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to 84 (72. 0) 2. 19 (55. 6) 2. 23 (56. 6) 1. 86 (47. 3) 1. 93 (48. 9) 2. 25 (57. 2) 1. 93 (48. 9) 2. 23 (56. 6) 2. 54 (64. 5) 2. 67 (67. 9) 2. 59 (65. 8) 3. 28 (83. 3) 28. 52 (724. 5) Source: Met Office

Demography

Population Profile[22]
UK Census 2001	Taunton Deane	South West England	England
Total population	102,299	4,928,434	49,138,831
Foreign born	4. A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 Taunton Deane is a local government district with Borough status in Somerset, England. South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland 1 %	9. 4%	9. 2%
White	98. 4 %	97. 7%	91%
Asian	0. 4 %	0. 7%	4. 6%
Black	0. 2 %	0. 4%	2. 3%
Christian	75. 9%	74. 0%	72%
Muslim	0. 3%	0. 5%	3. 1%
Hindu	0. 1%	0. 2%	1. 1%
No religion	15. 7%	16. 8%	15%
Over 75 years old	9. 5%	9. 3%	7. 5%
Unemployed	2. 4%	2. 6%	3. 3%

Taunton civil parish has a population of 44,050. A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology ^[23] Suburbs of the town include Bishop's Hull, Staplegrove and Galmington, giving a total population for the "Taunton Urban Area" of 58,241^[24] according to the 2001 census, up 4. South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. Bishop's Hull is a village and Parish in Somerset, England, situated in the western Suburbs of Taunton in the Taunton Deane Staplegrove is a village and Parish in Somerset, England, situated in the northern Suburbs of Taunton in the Taunton Deane Galmington is a Parish in Somerset, England, situated in the south western Suburbs of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district 4% since 1991.

The figures below are for the Taunton Deane area.

Population since 1801 - Source: A Vision of Britain through Time
Year	1801	1851	1901	1911	1921	1931	1941	1951	1961	1971	1981	1991	2001
Population Taunton Deane[25]	33,139	51,844	53,759	55,666	56,161	56,661	62,745	69,492	75,320	81,639	84,795	95,791	102,304

Economy

Taunton has a low unemployment rate at 2. 4% compared with the national average of 5. 6%.

Taunton is home to the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office which is an organisation within the UK government responsible for providing navigational and other hydrographic information for national, civil and defence requirements. The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (or UKHO) is an organisation within the UK government responsible for providing Navigational and other hydrographic Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at Navigation is the process of reading and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another Hydrography focuses on the measurement of physical characteristics of Waters and marginal land The UKHO is located in Taunton, Somerset on Admiralty Way and has a workforce of approximately 850 staff. Taunton is the County town of Somerset, England. The Unparished area (or former Municipal borough) of Taunton has a Population At the start of the Second World War chart printing moved to Taunton but the main office did not move until 1968. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including ^[26]

Avimo is now part of Thales Optics. It has been announced twice, in 2006 and 2007, that manufacturing is to end at Thales Optics' Taunton site,^[27] but the Trade Unions and Taunton Deane District Council are working to reverse or mitigate these decisions. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming

Taunton is also home to the Debenhams Head Office based in Bedford House on Park Street. Debenhams plc ( is a British -based retailer operating under a Department Store format in the UK and franchise stores in other countries

Corporation Street, TA1 is noted for its large number of law and accountancy firms. Moreover, the street is home to Defra. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs ( Defra) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for environmental protection

Taunton is also involved with the production of cider. For the non-alcoholic beverage commonly known in the US as "cider" see Apple cider.

Landmarks

Gray's Almshouses on Fore street were founded by Robert Gray in 1615 for poor single women. Robert Gray may refer to Robert Gray (bishop (1809–1872 first Anglican Bishop of Cape Town Robert Gray (sea-captain (1755–1806 American ^[28] The red brick buildings bear the arms of Robert Gray, dated 1635, and another arms of the Merchant Tailors. A small room is used as chapel and has original benches and a painted ceiling. It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building. English Heritage is a Non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government ( Department for Culture Media and Sport) with a broad remit of A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance ^[29]

The grounds of Taunton Castle^[30] include the Somerset County Museum and The Castle Hotel. Taunton Castle was built to defend Taunton in Somerset. It has origins in the Anglo Saxon period and was later the site of a priory and then a Somerset County Museum is located in the 12th century great hall of Taunton Castle, in Taunton Somerset, England. The Castle Hotel at Taunton is on the site of former 12th century Taunton Castle a Norman fortress located in Taunton, Somerset.

Together with the municipal buildings they form a three-sided group of buildings just beyond an archway off Fore Street. The centre of the square is used as a car park, and a plain brick edifice of Mecca Bingo hall makes up the west side of it.

The area by the river north of the centre is surrounded by Morrisons supermarket, retirement housing and the Brewhouse Theatre. Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC ( is the fourth largest chain of Supermarkets in the United Kingdom. Towards the centre, is the Dellers Wharf Nightclub, Bridge Street and Goodlands Park. Currently a regeneration programme is being executed, north of Bridge Street, which will include redeveloping the County Cricket Ground. The County Cricket Ground, is the most southwesterly of the English First Class Cricket grounds located in Taunton, Somerset. The area has hosted a concert by Elton John in 2006. Sir Elton Hercules John CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947 is an English pop / rock Singer, Composer

Hankridge Farm is a retail park close to the M5 motorway, with large stores including PC World and Halfords. This article is about PC World the UK computer retailer For the British magazine Personal Computer World Halfords Group plc ( is a leading retailer of car parts car enhancements and Bicycles operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Czech In addition, there is a 'Venue' on the park, with restaurants, the Odeon cinema and Hollywood Bowl bowling.

The Old Market was a farmers market but this moved to the Firepool area. The Old Market is now a large indoor shopping centre in the centre.

The County Walk is an indoor shopping complex in the centre with an anchor supermarket, Sainsburys. J Sainsbury plc ( is the parent company of Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd commonly known as Sainsbury's (also Sainsbury and JS) the third largest

Public parks

There are 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 an 18 hole golf course. Flowing through the park is a tributary of the River Tone.

Goodlands Park, located in the centre of the town, is behind the Debenhams department store and behind Taunton Castle Hotel. Debenhams plc ( is a British -based retailer operating under a Department Store format in the UK and franchise stores in other countries

Transport

Taunton railway station is on the Great Western Main Line and the Cross-Country Route. Taunton railway station is a junction station on the London to Penzance Line, from London Paddington station. The Great Western Main Line is a main line Railway in England that runs westwards from London Paddington station to Temple Meads The North-East/South-West route (sometimes simply The Cross-Country Route) is the major British rail route running from South West England via Bristol, Birmingham It is served and operated by First Great Western and served by CrossCountry, with services to Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Bristol, London, Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance, as well as the rest of the West Country. First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup, which operates CrossCountry is a Train operating company, the brand name of XC Trains Limited owned by Arriva, that has operated Great Britain ’s Cross Country rail franchise Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Exeter ( (IPA ˈeksɪtər is a city, district and County town of Devon, England. Plymouth ( is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England about south west of London. Penzance (Pensans also Penzans, IPA: /pɛnˈzæns/ is a town Civil parish, and Port in the Penwith district of Cornwall The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region The former railway route to Minehead has become the heritage West Somerset Railway, with a regular express bus service providing the normal link between Taunton and Minehead. Minehead is a coastal Town and Civil parish in the west of the the English county of Somerset. The West Somerset Railway (WSR is a Heritage railway that runs along the edge of the Quantock Hills in Somerset, England, between Bishops Special rail events allow trains to run from Taunton along the heritage line to Minehead.

Taunton also has good road links, having the M5 motorway junctions 25 and 26 close to the town, as well as other major roads such as the A38 and A358. This article is about the M5 motorway in England See M5 for other roads numbered "M5" The A38 is a major Trunk road in England. Though formally known as the Exeter - Leeds Trunk Road it actually runs from Bodmin in Cornwall Taunton Deane services are located between junctions 25 and 26 on the M5. Taunton Deane services is a Motorway service station on the M5 motorway near Taunton.

The nearest airports are Exeter and Bristol, both within an hour's car journey of Taunton. Exeter International Airport is an airport close to the city of Exeter in the County of Devon, England. Bristol International Airport is the commercial Airport serving the city of Bristol, England and the surrounding area

Taunton's zone 1 and 2 services and most of the outer zone services are provided by First, who have regular services on routes across the town. FirstGroup plc ( is a Scottish Transport company operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Canada, USA

The Taunton Coach and bus station is next to the Taunton Castle Hotel.

The Taunton Coach Station's coach operators include National Express, whom run regular London and Heathrow coaches. National Express Group plc ( is a UK -based Transport group with headquarters in London that operates Bus, coach, rail Local coach operator Berrys of Taunton runs a number of day excursions and offers the London Superfast service from the Taunton & the West County to London every day.

Cooks Coaches operate the Park and Ride scheme on the west side of the town called the 'Taunton Flyer', including a dedicated service to Musgrove Park Hospital named the 'Musgrove Flyer'. Park and ride (or incentive parking) facilities are Public transport stations that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into Musgrove Park Hospital is a large NHS hospital located in Taunton, Somerset. There are plans to expand this service from the Motorway at Junction 25.

Webber Bus runs the number 15, providing an express service connecting Bridgwater with Taunton, calling at stops including the Taunton Railway Station, Park Street, Musgrove Park Hospital and SCAT. Taunton railway station is a junction station on the London to Penzance Line, from London Paddington station. Musgrove Park Hospital is a large NHS hospital located in Taunton, Somerset.

Historically, Taunton was served by electric trams between 1901 - 1921. These trams ran from Rowbarton along Kingston Road (for the rail station), to Castle Hotel, Parade down to East Reach. However Taunton Tramways was closed following disagreements with the electricity bill after World War I. ^[31]

Education

State secondary schools in Taunton include Heathfield Community School, The Castle School, Bishop Fox's Community School and Ladymead Community School. King's College is a British Coeducational, secondary boarding school in Taunton, Somerset, England. Heathfield Community School is a state Secondary school located in the outskirts of Taunton, England. The Castle School is a co-educational Comprehensive school in Taunton State-funded Sixth Form teaching is provided by Richard Huish College. Richard Huish College is named after Richard Huish who originally established the college as a Grammar school for boys in the 18th century The coeducational independent schools in Taunton are King's College, Queen's College and Taunton School. An independent school in the United Kingdom is a school relying upon private sources for all of its funding predominantly in the form of school fees King's College is a British Coeducational, secondary boarding school in Taunton, Somerset, England. Queen's College is a co-educational public school located in Taunton, the County town of Somerset, England. Taunton School is an Independent school in Taunton, Somerset, England Further education is provided by Somerset College of Arts and Technology. Somerset College of Arts and Technology is a community college based in Taunton, in the county of Somerset, England.

Health Services

Taunton is within Somerset Primary Care Trust and is home to Musgrove Park Hospital, within Taunton and Somerset Foundation NHS Trust. Musgrove Park Hospital is a large NHS hospital located in Taunton, Somerset. This is the main district hospital within Somerset apart from Yeovil District Hospital. A Nuffield Hospital is also situated within the town, run privately by Nuffield Hospitals. The town is also home to several doctor's surgeries as well as a family planning clinic and occupational health centre.

Religious sites

The Mary Street Unitarian Chapel, which dates from 1721,^[32] is located on Mary Street in Taunton. The County Cricket Ground, is the most southwesterly of the English First Class Cricket grounds located in Taunton, Somerset. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, while living Nether Stowey 16 miles (26 km) away, came to the chapel to preach on several occasions. Samuel Taylor Coleridge ( 21 October 1772 &ndash 25 July 1834) was an English Poet, Critic and philosopher Nether Stowey is a small village in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, South West England. Dr. Malachi Blake, who founded the Taunton and Somerset Hospital in East Reach, Taunton, was also a preacher at the chapel, attending in 1809 in celebration of the fiftieth year of George the Third's reign. George III (George William Frederick 4 June 1738 George III's long reign was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdom much of the rest of Europe and places The Chapel still has the original interior including Flemish oak pillars in the Corinthian style. Flanders (Vlaanderen Flandre Flandern is a geographical region located in parts of present day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. The Corinthian order is one of the Classical orders of Greek and Roman Architecture, characterized The pews and pulpit are also in oak, and there is an early 18th century candelabra. A pew is a long bench used for seating members of a church 's congregation A pulpit (from Latin pulpitum "scaffold" "platform" "stage" is a small elevated platform where a member of the clergy stands Candelabra is the term traditionally referring to a pair (or more of large decorative candlesticks often shaped as a Column or pedestal and having several ^[33]

In the latter part of the 17th century, Taunton had two dissenting places of worship: "Paul’s Meeting" and the Baptist Meeting. Nonconformism is the refusal to conform to common standards conventions rules customs traditions norms or laws ^[34] 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. Looting ( Hindi lūṭ akin to Sanskrit luṭhati steals also Latin latro, latronis Nonconformism is the refusal to conform to common standards conventions rules customs traditions norms or laws 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. See also William III of England, Mary II of England The phrase William and Mary usually refers to the joint sovereignty over the Kingdom of England The Act of Toleration was an act of the English Parliament ( 24 May, 1689, citation 1 Will The Baptist Meeting became the Baptist New Meeting was registered in 1691 and rebuilt in 1721 as Mary Street Chapel.

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 and 16th century tower (rebuilt in the mid-19th century), which is one of the best examples in the country and a 163 feet (50 m) tall^[35] landmark. ^[36] It was described by Simon Jenkins, an acknowledged authority on English churches, as “the finest in England. Sir Simon Jenkins (born 10 June 1943) is a British Newspaper Columnist currently associated with The Guardian 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. Two of the hammers on the clock mechanism are not striking.

The Parish church of St. James is also located near the centre of Taunton quite close to St. Mary Magdalene. The oldest parts of St. James Church are early 14th Century and there are fragments of 15th Century glass in the West end. Like St. Mary's it also has a sandstone tower but built to a much less impressive design. The tower was also like St. Mary's rebuilt in the 19th century (in this case thought to be due to building defects in the original tower)^[37]. The church backs onto the Somerset County Ground and forms a familiar backdrop to the popular Cricket ground. The County Cricket Ground, is the most southwesterly of the English First Class Cricket grounds located in Taunton, Somerset.

The church of St John was built in 1864 to designs by Sir George Gilbert Scott. Sir George Gilbert Scott ( 13 July 1811 &ndash 27 March, 1878) was an English Architect of the Victorian Age ^[38]

Popular culture references

Taunton is mentioned in The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, Scoop by Evelyn Waugh and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré. The Remains of the Day ( 1989) is the third published Novel by Japanese-British author Kazuo Ishiguro. Kazuo Ishiguro (カズオ・イシグロ ( Kazuo Ishiguro) or ja 石黒 一雄 ( Ishiguro Kazuo) born November 8, 1954) is a British Scoop is a 1938 novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh, a Satire of sensational journalism and foreign correspondence Arthur Evelyn St John Waugh (ˈiːvlɪn ˈwɔː (28 October 1903 &ndash 10 April 1966 was an English Writer, best known for such darkly humorous and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a Spy novel by John le Carré, first published in 1974 John le Carré is the Pseudonym of David John Moore Cornwell (born October 19, 1931 in Poole, Dorset, England Taunton also features in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series So Long and Thanks for All the Fish ( 1984, ISBN 0-345-39183-7 is the fourth book of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series written Douglas Noël Adams (11 March 1952 &ndash 11 May 2001 was an English author comic Radio dramatist

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. Monty Python’s Flying Circus (also known as Flying Circus or during the final series just Monty Python) is a BBC Sketch comedy Blackadder is the generic name that encompasses four series of an acclaimed BBC One historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments Men Behaving Badly is a British comedy --created and written by Simon Nye--that follows the lives of beer-guzzling flatmates Gary Strang and Tony Smart Vic Reeves (b 24 January 1959 as James "Jim" Roderick Moir) is an English Comedian, best known for his Double act with Bob Mortimer The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer was a BBC TV sketch show written by and starring double act Vic Reeves & Bob 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. Mark Bailey where he was initially an academic pupil winning most of the prizes Mark Bailey where he was initially an academic pupil winning most of the prizes Taunton was also mentioned in a 2007 Doctor Who episode, "The Shakespeare Code". Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. " The Shakespeare Code " is an episode of the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who.

Thomas Hardy created an imaginary Wessex and renamed Taunton as Toneborough in his books and poems. Thomas Hardy OM (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928 was an English novelist Short story writer and poet of the naturalist movement though he saw He called the area Outer Wessex.

Sport

Taunton is home to a number of sport clubs and venues. Sir Ian Terence Botham, OBE (born 24 November 1955) is a former England Test Cricketer and Test team captain and current

The County Ground was originally home to Taunton Cricket Club, which was formed in 1829 and playyed at The County Ground until 1977 before moving to Moorfields, Taunton in conjunction with Taunton Vale Hockey Club, after which it was solely used by Somerset County Cricket Club. The County Cricket Ground, is the most southwesterly of the English First Class Cricket grounds located in Taunton, Somerset. Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic Cricket structure representing the historic county ^[39] Somerset CCC was formed in 1875, but the club did not achieve first class status until 1891. Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The County Ground has a capacity of 6,500 and the ends are called the River End and the Old Pavilion End, and one of the main stands is named after Ian Botham. Sir Ian Terence Botham, OBE (born 24 November 1955) is a former England Test Cricketer and Test team captain and current ^[40] The ground houses the Somerset County Cricket shop and museum, which also has various conference rooms ^[41]

Taunton Town F. Taunton Town Football Club are a football club based in Taunton, Somerset, England. C. are a football club, who play at Wordsworth Drive in the town. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered They were formed in 1947 by a few local businessmen as Taunton F. C. , changing to the current name in 1968, and played their first friendly fixture in 1948. For most of their history, Taunton were members of the Western League. They spent a six-season spell in the Southern League from 1977, and after a further period in the Western League, returned to the Southern League in 2002, after winning the FA Vase in 2001. History Professional football (and Professional sport in general developed more slowly in Southern England than in the north. History Professional football (and Professional sport in general developed more slowly in Southern England than in the north. The Football Association Challenge Vase is an annual football competition for teams playing in the lower regional leagues of England. After the latest re-organisation of the English football league system, the club are currently members of the Southern League Division One South & West. The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in England (although

Somerset Vikings are a Rugby League Club who were formed at the beginning of 2003 as part of the RFL's plans to develop the game further beyond the traditional areas in the north of England. Somerset Vikings RLFC are a Rugby league team from the county of Somerset in England. History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games History See also History of rugby league On 27 August 1895 as a result of an emergency meeting in Manchester prominent Lancashire clubs Broughton Rangers Initially the side was made up of a mixture of Royal Marines based in Taunton and Exeter together with a number of local rugby union players keen to try the 13-man code. The Royal Marines ( RM) are the marine corps and amphibious Infantry of the United Kingdom and along with the Royal Navy Exeter ( (IPA ˈeksɪtər is a city, district and County town of Devon, England. The Vikings play at Hyde Park which is the home of the Taunton Rugby union club, which was formed in 1874. ^[42]

The Taunton Tigers is a semi-professional basketball team competing in the English Basketball League Men's Division 1. The Taunton Tigers is a semi-professional Basketball team competing in the English Basketball League Men's Division 1 Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m The team play all their home games at Wellsprings Leisure Centre, which has a capacity of 500 seats.

Taunton Racecourse is close to the Blackdown Hills and about 2 miles (3 km) from the centre of Taunton. Taunton Racecourse is a Thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Orchard Portman, just outside Taunton, Somerset, England. The Blackdown Hills are a range of hills along the Somerset - Devon border in south-western England, which were designated an Area of Outstanding Although racing had been held in the area previously, the first race at the present site was held on 21 September 1927. Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The stands are called the Orchard Stand and the Paddock Stand which provide catering facilities and are used for meetings and conferences on days when racing is not taking place.

There is an oval motor racing circuit at Smeatharpe which is close to the Somerset/Devon border, it is frequently referred to as the Taunton Banger racing circuit although it is around 11 miles from central Taunton.

Notable residents

The following people were born or have lived in Taunton:

• Colin Addison - former professional footballer and manager
• Jenny Agutter - actress
• Pattie Boyd - former wife of George Harrison and Eric Clapton
• Andrew Caddick - former England fast-bowler
• Arthur C. Clarke - late science fiction author
• Lee Martin - Footballer who plays for Manchester United
• James Purefoy - actor, one of the stars of the joint HBO-BBC series, Rome
• Gary Rhodes - celebrity chef who was head chef at the The Castle Hotel. Colin Addison (born 18 May 1940 in Taunton, Somerset) is an English former professional footballer and manager Jennifer Ann "Jenny" Agutter (born 20 December 1952) is a BAFTA - and Emmy award-winning English actress best Patricia Anne "Pattie" Boyd (born 17 March 1944 was the first wife of George Harrison of The Beatles, after whom she married Eric Clapton George Harrison, MBE (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001 was an English rock Guitarist Singer - Songwriter, Author Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born 30 March 1945 is an English Blues-rock Guitarist, singer Songwriter and Composer Andrew' ("Andy" Richard Caddick' (born 21 November 1968 is a domestic and former international fast-medium bowler. Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE (16 December 1917–19 March 2008 was a British Science fiction Author, Inventor, and Lee Robert Martin (born 9 February 1987 in Taunton, England) is an English footballer who currently plays as a winger for James Brian Mark Purefoy (born June 3 1964) is an English Actor. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Gary Rhodes OBE (born April 22, 1960) is an English restaurateur cookery writer, and Celebrity chef, known for his The Castle Hotel at Taunton is on the site of former 12th century Taunton Castle a Norman fortress located in Taunton, Somerset.
• Andy Robinson - former England rugby union international and head coach
• Joe Strummer - Musician, former frontman of British band The Clash
• Marcus Trescothick - England cricketer, given Taunton Deane Citzenship Award in 2005. Andy Robinson OBE (born 3 April 1964 in Taunton, Somerset) is a former English Rugby union footballer who played openside flanker Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002 better known as Joe Strummer, was the co-founder lyricist Rhythm guitarist and lead singer of the For the debut album by The Clash see The Clash (album The Clash were Marcus Edward Trescothick MBE (born 25 December 1975 in Keynsham, Somerset) is an English Cricketer He plays first-class ^[43]
• Frederick Porter Wensley - chief constable of Scotland Yard CID
• Henry John Woodcock - Italian magistrate

Twinning

Taunton is twinned with:

• Lisieux
• Koenigslutter

References

External links

• Taunton Deane official tourism website
• Taunton Community Site
• Taunton at the Open Directory Project

The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory

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