Bridgwater: Somerset Town on the Parrett That Never Quite Shook Off the Carnival Spirit
Bridgwater has the largest illuminated carnival in Europe. Every November, the Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival processes through the town with enormous illuminated floats, squib firing, and tens of thousands of spectators lining the route. It has been running since 1605, making it one of the oldest annual events in Britain. The town sits on the River Parrett in the Somerset Levels, about 10 miles from the coast at Burnham-on-Sea and 32 miles south of Bristol. The population is around 41,000. Robert Blake, Cromwell's Admiral-General who never lost a naval battle, was born in Bridgwater in 1598; his house on Fore Street is now a museum.
The town centre on Fore Street, Cornhill, and St Mary Street has a busy market. The brick and tile making tradition, using clay from the Somerset Levels, continues at a smaller scale. The M5 junction 23 is just west of town, and junction 24 is to the south, putting Bristol about 40 minutes away by car. Bridgwater station is on the Taunton to Bristol line, with connections to London Paddington via Taunton. Hinkley Point C, the nuclear power station currently under construction about eight miles to the northwest, has been a significant driver of local employment and housing demand. For those interested in adult companionship in central Somerset, Bridgwater's position on the M5 puts Taunton, Bristol, and the wider West Country within reasonable reach.
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Bridgwater has the largest illuminated carnival in Europe. Every November, the Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival processes through the town with enormous illuminated floats, squib firing, and tens of thousands of spectators lining the route. It has been running since 1605, making it one of the oldest annual events in Britain. The town sits on the River Parrett in the Somerset Levels, about 10 miles from the coast at Burnham-on-Sea and 32 miles south of Bristol. The population is around 41,000. Robert Blake, Cromwell's Admiral-General who never lost a naval battle, was born in Bridgwater in 1598; his house on Fore Street is now a museum.
The town centre on Fore Street, Cornhill, and St Mary Street has a busy market. The brick and tile making tradition, using clay from the Somerset Levels, continues at a smaller scale. The M5 junction 23 is just west of town, and junction 24 is to the south, putting Bristol about 40 minutes away by car. Bridgwater station is on the Taunton to Bristol line, with connections to London Paddington via Taunton. Hinkley Point C, the nuclear power station currently under construction about eight miles to the northwest, has been a significant driver of local employment and housing demand. For those interested in adult companionship in central Somerset, Bridgwater's position on the M5 puts Taunton, Bristol, and the wider West Country within reasonable reach.
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