What to See in Taunton - Top Sights and Attractions

Sports ground. The County Ground, known for sponsorship reasons as Cooper Associates County Ground, and nicknamed Ciderabad, is a cricket ground in Taunton, Somerset. It is the home of Somerset County Cricket Club, who have played there since 1882. The ground, which is located between Priory Bridge Road and St James Street, has a capacity of 8,500. The ground was originally built as part of a sports centre by Taunton Athletic Club in 1881, and became the home of the previously nomadic Somerset County Cricket Club soon after. Having leased the ground for ten years, the club bought the ground in 1896, under the guidance of club secretary Henry Murray-Anderdon. The ground ends are the River End to the north and the Somerset Pavilion End to the south.

Somerset played their first match of first-class cricket on the ground over 8–10 August 1882, beating Hampshire County Cricket Club by five wickets. Later in the same month, the touring Australia national cricket team played a match against Somerset, becoming the first international side to play at the ground. The first international cricket to be played on the ground was in the 1983 Cricket World Cup, for a group-stage match between England and Sri Lanka. The ground also hosted two group-stage matches during the 1999 Cricket World Cup and venue for the tournament in 2019. Since 1997, women's international cricket has been played at the ground, and in 2006 it became the home of the England women's cricket team. The ground saw (men's) international cricket in 2017, with a Twenty20 International (T20I) tie between England and South Africa.^[1]

Building in Cheddon Fitzpaine, England. Hestercombe House is a historic country house in the parish of West Monkton in the Quantock Hills, near Taunton in Somerset, England. The house is a Grade II* listed building and the estate is Grade I listed on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.

Originally built in the 16th century, the house was used as the headquarters of the British 8th Corps in the Second World War. Somerset County Council assumed ownership in 1951 and use the property as an administrative centre. Hestercombe House served as the Emergency Call Centre for the Somerset Area of Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service until March 2012.

Hestercombe House is surrounded by gardens which have been restored to Gertrude Jekyll's original plans (1904–07) and have made it "one of the best Jekyll-Lutyens gardens open to the public on a regular basis", visited by approximately 70,000 people per year. The site also includes a 0.08 hectare (8,600 sq ft) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset, notified in 2000. The site is used as a roost site by lesser horseshoe bats.^[2]

Park in Taunton, England. Vivary Park is a public open space in Taunton, Somerset, England.

The Sherford Stream, a tributary of the River Tone, flows through the 7.5 hectares (19 acres) park, which is located near the centre of the town. It contains two main wide open spaces, as well as a war memorial dating from 1922, a miniature golf course, tennis courts, two children's playgrounds, a model railway track which was added in 1979, and an 18-hole, 4,620-yard (4,220 m), par-63 golf course. The park includes trees, rose beds and herbaceous borders, with around 56,000 spring and summer bedding plants being used each year. The rose garden includes the Royal National Rose Society Provincial Trial Ground.

The park is a garden of the European Garden Heritage Network.^[5]

Church in Taunton, England. Taunton Unitarian Chapel is on Mary Street, Taunton, Somerset, England. It was built in the early 18th century as a Baptist chapel, but later adopted Unitarianism. The exterior was extensively renovated in the 19th century in an Italianate style. The chapel has been designated as a Grade II* listed building.

Despite suffering significant persecution from their peers and the state, Baptists erected their first chapel in Taunton in 1670, on or near the current site. This was replaced in 1712 with the building that still stands today. During the 18th century, probably during the ministry of Joseph Jeffries, the chapel's form of worship became Unitarian, although this was forbidden by Parliament until 1813. The Presbyterians of Taunton merged with the Unitarian church in 1814, and later that century the chapel underwent significant renovation.

In the early 21st century a range of structural and decorative restoration works were carried out on the building, which continues to serve the Taunton congregation, who meet for services twice a month at the chapel.^[6]

The Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre is the largest theatre and arts centre in Taunton, a town in Somerset, England.

The building opened 28 March 1977, on the banks of the River Tone, and offers a 350-seat auditorium and supporting studio and exhibition spaces. Its first professional production was Alan Ayckbourn’s The Norman Conquests, starring the then unknown David Jason.

The administrative offices are on the first floor of a Georgian Grade II listed building which gives the theatre its name.

In 2005, Arts Council England announced that it would cut regular funding to The Brewhouse from 2006, following a drop in artistic output. In September 2005 a new director Robert Miles was appointed to lead the artistic reinvigoration of the organisation, which now plays host to experimental theatre companies such as DEREVO, and No Fit State Circus. It was also the first theatre, apart from the Royal Court Theatre, to stage Caryl Churchill's controversial play Seven Jewish Children.

In 2009, ongoing under funding, combined with the impact of recession and a subsequent threat of cuts meant the venue was once again put under threat of closure. With support from its stakeholders The Brewhouse overcame these immediate funding concerns, and in March 2010 it was announced that the organisation had been awarded £487,500 from Arts Council England's Sustain fund to allow it to continue to programme arts and participatory activities during the economic downturn.

A feasibility study by ArtsService recommends the current site be expanded to create a 600- to 750-seat auditorium, a larger gallery space and arthouse cinema with improved bar and catering provision as part of a new "Coal Orchard" - Taunton’s cultural quarter.

The venue closed in February 2013 and went into administration.

The venue reopened in April 2014 by the Taunton Theatre Association (TTA), having been granted the lease from Taunton Deane Borough Council, who bought the 61-year lease of the site and its contents from administrator BDO.^[7]

Building in Trull, England. The Church of All Saints in Trull, Somerset, England has a tower dating from the 13th century; the rest is 15th-century. The building has been designated as a Grade I listed building.

The church was served by the monks of Taunton Priory until 1308.

The east window, dating from the 15th century, depicts the crucifixion with St John and the Mother of Jesus at the foot of the Cross. The pulpit is believed to date from the 16th century, moving to its current position from the north arcade as part of a Victorian restoration around 1863. The extensive mid-16th century benchends include a unique pre-Reformation procession.

The lower portion of the tower is the oldest part of the building, with the south aisle being built in the 14th century and the north aisle in the 15th. The tower holds six bells, two of which were cast before Protestant Reformation.

The parish is part of the benefice of Trull with Angersleigh within the Taunton deanery.

In 1899 a stained glass window by Charles Eamer Kempe in memory of Alexander and Juliana Horatia Ewing was installed in the church, overlooking their graves.^[10]

Anglican church in Taunton, England. The Church of St James is a Church of England parish church in Taunton, Somerset, England. It dates from the early 14th century, although an earlier church, associated with Taunton Priory, was located on the same site in the 10th century. The church is dedicated to St. James the Greater. It is a Grade II* listed building.

The church backs onto the Somerset County Ground and forms a familiar backdrop to the Cricket ground.

The waggon roof above the nave and north aisle is medieval. The south aisle and the south porch were rebuilt between 1836 and 1837, with the 111 feet (34 m) west tower following in the 1870s and the chancel being rebuilt in 1884. The font dates from the 15th century and the pulpit from 1633. There are fragments of 15th century stained glass in the West end. Other stained glass is from Clayton and Bell in the 19th century.

The iron railings around the churchyard are from the early 19th century.

The parish is part of Diocese of Bath and Wells.^[11]

Catholic church in Taunton, England. The Church of St George is a Roman Catholic church in Taunton, Somerset, which dates from the mid-19th century. It was the second Catholic church to be built in Taunton after the Reformation, replacing the much smaller St George's Chapel. The main church building is designated by Historic England as a Grade II* listed building, while the rectory is Grade II listed.

The Catholic community in Taunton grew throughout the 19th century and within 40 years of the completion of St George's Chapel, it was considered too small. The Church of St George was built on land donated by the town's Franciscan Convent, with funding raised by the rector, Rev John Mitchell. It was opened in 1860, although building work continued over the following decades, and a rectory and school were both added to the site. The church was not consecrated until 1912.

St George's was built during the Gothic Revival, and bears resemblance to the Somerset towers. It currently serves as one of two Catholic churches in Taunton, along with the Church of St Teresa's.^[15]