41º54N 71º06W, pop (2000e) 56 000. Seat of Bristol Co, SE Massachusetts, USA; on the R Taunton, 52 km/32 mi S of Boston; birthplace of Isaac Babbitt, William Z Foster, Paul Mackendrick; railway; cotton, iron foundries, plastics.
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. 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 4.3% since 1991.
The town has a weekly cattle market, and is home to Somerset County Museum and the County Cricket Ground where Somerset County Cricket Club play.
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. 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. 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. From the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
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.
Attractions
The Almshouses along East Street, an attractive row of 17th century dwellings, are still occupied.
The Mary Street Unitarian Chapel, located on Mary Street in Taunton has an interesting history. In the later part of the 17th century, Taunton had two dissenting places of worship: "Paul’s Meeting" and the Baptist Meeting. 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.
Since the 18th century, the congregation of Mary Street Chapel has been Unitarian. While Coleridge was living at Nether Stowey (16 miles away from Taunton), Coleridge came to the chapel to preach on several occasions. 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.
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 makes its peace with the sky not just with a coronet but with the entire crown jewels cast in red-brown stone.”
The area by the river suffers from a disappointing lack of development, with supermarkets and car parks predominating.
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.
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 and Scoop by Evelyn Waugh. 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.
Twinning
The town is twinned with:
Lisieux Koenigslutter
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