Top 15 Attractions in Bridgwater, Somerset

After the Industrial Revolution, Bridgwater in the Somerset Levels emerged as a thriving inland port, facilitating the unloading of coal from South Wales while exporting the town’s renowned bricks and tiles.

The West Quay along the River Parrett, accompanied by Castle Street and King Square, is characterized by flat-fronted Georgian townhouses from that period.

An additional highlight of Bridgwater is its Guy Fawkes Carnival, renowned for an extravagant illuminated procession followed by fireworks that transform the High Street into a dazzling display.

This celebration commenced immediately after the Gun Powder Plot of 1605 and was only interrupted during the Second World War.

Bridgwater’s town museum is situated in the birthplace of 17th-century naval commander Robert Blake, whose statue is prominently featured at Cornhill in the town’s center.

1. Bridgwater Blake Museum

Bridgwater’s most illustrious figure, Robert Blake (1598-1667), is believed to have been born in this house adjacent to the Bridgwater Town Mill.

Often referred to as the “Father of the Royal Navy,” Robert Blake is acknowledged for establishing England as a formidable naval power in the 17th century, earning him respect comparable to that of Nelson.

A museum dedicated to the surrounding area commenced operations here in 1926. A notable attraction is the Tudor interiors, featuring a panelled ceiling segmented by chamfered beams, alongside a fireplace with a Tudor oak lintel.

In the Blake Room, visitors can familiarize themselves with the naval icon, while the Bridgwater Room exhibits the Medieval chest that once stored borough documents.

Moreover, deeper insights can be gained into the numerous battles fought near Bridgwater, as well as meticulous studies of Neolithic skulls dating back 10,000 years, retelling the narrative of Bridgwater’s significance as a key inland port for global tile and brick shipments.

2. EDF’s Hinkley Point Visitor Centre

Generating significant interest in the broader Bridgwater area is a complex of three nuclear power stations: Hinkley Point A (1957-2000), B (1976-2023), and C, currently an impressive construction site projected for completion in 2025. The Visitor Centre is located at the Angel Place Shopping Centre in central Bridgwater.

The Centre operates from Monday to Saturday and serves as the starting point for guided tours to the power stations.

Due to the special nature of the attraction, pre-registration for a tour is required three weeks in advance.

Guest will gain an understanding of the monumental project at Hinkley Point C. Meanwhile, at Hinkley Point B, trained guides will escort visitors to the reactor viewing gallery, turbine hall, and a control room simulator.

3. Bridgwater and Taunton Canal

Connecting the River Parrett with the River Tone, the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal was established in the early 19th century as a part of an initiative to connect Taunton with Bristol through a waterway.

The primary cargo was coal from the mines across the Bristol Channel in South Wales, while agricultural products were loaded onto barges for the return journey.

Following its closure in 1907, the canal was revived in 1994. It now features 14.5 navigable miles with a walkable towpath adorned by willows, meandering through tranquil, lush countryside with distant views of Exmoor and the Quantock Hills.

A unique aspect is the Somerset Space Walk, which features a scale model of the sun at Maunsel Lock, with planets spaced at proportional distances across six miles on either side.

4. Westonzoyland Pumping Station Museum

Located in the Levels, just a short distance from Bridgwater, the village of Westonzoyland is the site of Somerset’s first steam-powered pumping station.

Established in 1831, this Grade II* building is now a museum preserving one of the largest collections of steam engines and pumps in the UK.

Dominating the site is the station’s own pumping engine, the Easton & Amos, installed in 1861 to replace the station’s original engine.

The museum also restores and maintains an extensive selection of other engines, pumps, and boilers, with a narrow-gauge railway serving the old station, transporting wood for the main engine’s boiler.

The museum is open for free every Sunday afternoon but truly shines during steaming days held every few weeks, when these impressive machines are revitalized.

5. Walled Gardens of Cannington

A Royal Horticultural Society Partner Garden is situated in the nearby village of Cannington, within the grounds of an enchanting Medieval priory.

Many of the priory’s buildings and structures remain intact, including the walls that encase this exquisite garden.

The Walled Gardens of Cannington combine traditional and contemporary features, such as a herbaceous border, a Victorian-style fernery, a sub-tropical walk, an Australasian garden, and a botanical glasshouse housing arid and tropical plants.

The gardens also include a tearoom (offering free WiFi), a gift shop, and a plant nursery.

6. Corn Exchange

Adding a sense of grandeur to the center of Bridgwater, the Corn Exchange is a Grade I-listed structure, originally completed in 1834 and later extended in 1875. The building encompasses Bridgwater’s original market hall, dating back to 1795, characterized by a striking circular portico adorned with Ionic columns at its east end.

The Corn Exchange is currently home to various local and national retailers, with the adjacent Cornhill Market offering an assortment of independent shops, including a watchmaker, butcher, clothing store, and jeweller.

Across the road from the portico at the end of Fore Street stands a commanding statue of Robert Blake, unveiled in 1900, depicting him in Parliamentarian soldier attire.

Details of Blake’s naval victories are inscribed on three sides of the statue’s plinth.

7. Somerset Brick and Tile Museum

Located at the only traditional brick kiln still operating in the South West, the Somerset Brick and Tile Museum preserves the history of one of Bridgwater’s many traditional industries that have gradually diminished.

Saved from demolition in the 1990s, the kiln was last fired in 1965 and remains the sole surviving original structure of six at the former Barham Brothers’ Yard on Bridgwater’s East Quay.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, visitors can view this Scheduled Ancient Monument while learning about how the tiles and bricks produced here have shaped the appearance of Somerset over generations.

8. Willow Man

Standing alongside the M5 just north of Bridgwater, the Willow Man is a monumental sculpture by Serena de la Hey, first erected in 2000. Towering 12 meters, the Willow Man celebrates the long-standing tradition of willow cultivation in the Somerset Levels, constructed from thousands of locally sourced black mall willow stems woven around a steel frame.

The Somerset Levels are uniquely known for commercial basket willow cultivation.

The Willow Man has been dubbed the South West’s equivalent to the Angel of the North and was initially intended to remain for only three years.

9. WWT Steart Marshes

In response to rising sea levels attributed to climate change, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, in collaboration with the Environment Agency, has established the largest new coastal wetland in the UK, situated just north of Bridgwater.

The Steart Marshes encompass diverse landscapes, including freshwater grazing marsh, brackish marsh, and an extensive tidal zone, all positioned between the mouth of the River Parrett and the Bristol Channel.

The varying tides significantly influence the landscape, creating different views over time.

In terms of wildlife, the area hosts a diverse array of wildfowl and waders throughout the year, including golden plovers, wigeons, and teals during winter, alongside thousands of shelducks and nesting lapwings, avocets, and little ringed plovers in summer.

10. Coleridge Cottage

Consider a literary excursion to Nether Stowey at the edge of the Quantock Hills, where a cottage once leased by the Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge is maintained by the National Trust.

Coleridge resided here from 1797 to 1799, marking a productive period during which he composed several of his major poems, including “Frost at Midnight,” “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” “This Lime-Tree Bower My Prison,” and portions of “Christabel.”

Once Coleridge departed, the cottage was converted into an inn, and in 1908, after extensive campaigning, the property was acquired for public benefit.

The earlier rooms in the cottage now mirror their original appearance from Coleridge’s time, while visitors may examine some of his personal correspondence, locks of hair, and his inkstand.

Outside, audio stations play recordings of the works he composed during his residency, complemented by an 18th-century vegetable plot and a patch for wildflowers.

11. Battle Of Sedgemoor Visitor Centre

In July 1685, the village of Westonzoyland witnessed a violent attempt by the Duke of Monmouth to dethrone King James II, concluding tragically within just five hours.

The Battle of Sedgemoor is frequently referred to as the last battle fought on English soil, and the subsequent response to the Monmouth Rebellion was exceedingly brutal.

By September, the Duke of Monmouth and over 300 of his supporters faced execution, with many enduring the gruesome fate of being hanged, drawn, and quartered.

The Church of St Mary in Westonzoyland contains a visitor center dedicated to the battlefield, which elaborates on the causes of the Monmouth Rebellion, the critical battle, and the violent response enacted by James II, who would be deposed three years later.

An interactive kiosk provides a film depicting a re-enactment of the battle.

12. Burrow Mump

A few miles upstream from the River Parrett, adjacent to Southlake Moor, stands Burrow Mump, a hill that has been fortified intermittently from Roman times until the late Medieval period.

The terracing and scarping observed on the slopes likely originate from a Norman motte-and-bailey castle, with a plateau at the summit measuring 45 by 25 meters.

At the pinnacle lie the ruins of the Church of St Michael, initiated in the 15th century and occupied consecutively by Royalist troops and those of James II during the Civil War and the Monmouth Rebellion.

During summer, the slopes of Burrow Mump are grazed by sheep, while visitors at the summit can enjoy expansive views across the Levels towards the Quantock and Blackdown Hills.

13. Oatley Vineyard

This family-run vineyard offers a refreshingly authentic experience, welcoming visitors for relaxed tours and tasting sessions starting around Easter.

Established in 1989, Oatley Vineyard cultivates two grape varieties: Madeleine Angevine and Kerling, both of which thrive in milder, damp climates.

These varieties produce Oatley’s “Leonora’s” (Kerling) and “Jane’s” (Madeleine Angevine) wines, both celebrated for their crispness and dryness.

The vineyard eschews herbicides, instead opting for responsible vine management to combat disease.

Tours are conducted on Fridays, Saturdays, and during Bank Holiday weekends until September.

Throughout the tour, visitors can engage with the owners to learn about managing their 30-year-old vines and may be inclined to purchase a bottle or two from the vineyard shop.

14. Bridgwater Carnival

The town commemorates Guy Fawkes with great flair, hosting one of the largest illuminated carnival processions globally.

The event occurs on the Saturday preceding Guy Fawkes Night (November 5) and attracts approximately 150,000 attendees from various locales.

The procession features over 100 vehicles, many of which are elaborate floats measuring up to 30 meters in length.

Illuminated by thousands of light bulbs, these floats exhibit meticulous attention to detail and carry dancers donning costumes that align with a specific theme.

Following the procession, spectators can enjoy another striking spectacle known as “squibbing,” where around 150 performers line the High Street, simultaneously igniting squibs (fireworks) to create an enchanting river of fire.

15. Bridgwater Carnival Centre

The Bridgwater Carnival is deeply ingrained in the town’s culture, prompting the establishment of a visitor center for the event located within the Town Hall complex.

This center was inaugurated in 2010 to promote the carnival and facilitate fundraising efforts for the event, which grows increasingly costly with each iteration.

Visitors can explore displays featuring information about the carnival, including costumes, posters, photographs, and non-live squibs.

Additionally, ample information regarding the numerous fundraising events held throughout the year can be accessed.