Taunton: A Potted History

Taunton’s history goes back to Anglo-Saxon times, when it was an important burh and the site of a monastery. The manor was owned by the bishops of Winchester and in the 13th century the borough of Taunton became the county town of Somerset. The town and its castle were fought over in the Civil War, changing hands several times, and it was also in Taunton that the Duke of Monmouth crowned himself king in his rebellion in 1685. Judge Jeffrey held a session of the Bloody Assizes in Taunton Castle following the crushing of the rebellion. Taunton entered a period of prosperity in the Georgian era, boosted in the next century by the arrival of the canal system and the railways. Industry came into the town, mainly along the river, housing increased so did the need for infrastructure and the Shire Hall, courts, churches, hospitals, schools and leisure facilities were built, including today’s Brewhouse Theatre and County Cricket Ground. Taunton was granted the status of a Garden Town in 2017 and plans are evolving to extend its housing and develop its spaces into a town fit for the 21st century. Illustrated throughout, this accessible historical portrait of the transformation that Taunton has undergone through the ages will be of great interest to residents, visitors and all those with links to the town.