market town in Somerset, England, UK
Bridgwater is a town in Somerset. Notable buildings include the Church of St Mary and Blake Museum, which is a largely restored house in Blake Street and was the birthplace of Admiral Blake in 1598. The town has an arts centre and plays host to the annual Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival.
Understand
editMuch like Bridgnorth, it is notable for its lack of 'e' in its first syllable.
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Get in
editBy car
editBridgwater is next to the M5.
By train
edit1 Bridgwater station is on the Bristol to Exeter line. From Taunton it is possible to reach London Paddington and Birmingham New Street.
Get around
editSee
edit- 1 Burrow Mump.
- 2 Walled Gardens of Cannington, Church St, Cannington, TA5 2HA, ☏ +44 1278 655042. 10AM-3PM.
- At the shore of the Bristol channel, the Hinkley Point Nuclear Power Station is worth a visit to those with an interest in science and technology. Visitors must register at the 3 EDF Visitor Centre in Bridgwater. An identity check is part of the pre-visit registration process, so do not forget to bring your passport.
- 1 Hinkley Point B Nuclear Power Station, ☏ +44 1278 654600, annelise.cowie@edf-energy.com. An active nuclear power station with 2 operational 650 MW reactors of the AGR (Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor) type, the first of their kind to be connected to the British power grid in 1976. After an introduction, visitors are taken on a tour through the power station, visiting the turbine hall, the reactor hall, and the control room. The tours are guided by Bob, a retired plant operator with over 50 years of experience in nuclear technology, who is able to answer almost any question. A tour takes about 4 hours (including safety checks) and requires a fair bit of walking. Decent shoes and proper clothing are required. Free.
- 2 Hinkley Point C (HPC). Construction site of the Hinkley Point C power station, to be commissioned in 2025. Tours are organised around the site where this megastructure is being erected, including the concrete factory producing the concrete required to pour the reactors continuously for over 50 hours, the excavations for the turbine hall and back-up generators, and the 3-km-long pipeline with a 3.5-m diameter to suck in cooling water.
Museums
edit- 4 Blake Museum (Bridgwater Museum), 5 Blake St, TA6 3NB, ☏ +44 1278 456127. Su M closed, Tu-Sa 10AM-4PM.
- 5 Somerset Brick & Tile Museum, East Quay, TA6 4DB, ☏ +44 1278 426088. Tu Th 10AM-4PM, F-M closed.
- 6 Westonzoyland Pumping Station Museum, Hooper's Ln, Westonzoyland, TA7 0LS, ☏ +44 1278 691595. M-Sa closed, Su 1PM-5PM.
Do
edit- 3 WWT Steart Marshes, Stert Drove, Stockland Bristol, TA5 2PU, ☏ +44 1278 651090. 9AM-4:30PM.
- 4 Bridgwater Town FC, Fairfax Park, Bath Rd, TA6 4TZ.
- 5 Bridgwater Arts Center, Castle Street, ☏ +44 1278 422700.
- Get a guided tour around the Hinkley Point B nuclear power station at the coast of the Bristol channel.
Buy
edit- 1 Blackmore Farm Shop, Blackmore Ln, Cannington, TA5 2NE, ☏ +44 1278 651154. 9AM-5PM.
Eat
editDrink
edit- 1 The Carnival Inn, 37 St Mary St, TA6 3LY, ☏ +44 1278 726180. Su-Th: 8AM-midnight, F-Sa: 8AM-1AM.
- 2 Rich's Cider, Mill House, Highbridge TA9 4RD, ☏ +44 1278 794537. Apple farm and authentic cider shop.
Sleep
edit- 1 Gurney Manor Mill, Gurney St, Cannington, TA5 2HW, ☏ +44 1278 653582. A watermill of 15th-century origins converted into a B&B. Comfortable rooms with character. Pleasant grounds with water features. Good quality home cooked breakfasts. £30-45 per person per night including breakfast.
- 2 Travelodge, First Motorway Services, M5 Service Area, Huntworth Business Park, TA6 6TS, ☏ +44 8719 846243. Part of Bridgwater services.
- Blackmore Farm (see Buy) is also a B&B with 14 rooms, gets great reviews, B&B double from £120 in 2020.
Connect
editGo next
editMap of places with Wikivoyage articles nearby
Routes through Bridgwater |
Exeter ← Taunton ← | SW NE | → Weston-super-Mare → Bristol |
Follows to Exeter ← | SW NE | → Mendip Hills → Bristol |
Minehead ← Watchet ← | W E | → Glastonbury → Wells |