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Bridgwater Walks - Near and Around

3.7 miles (6 km)

Ordnance Survey Map Open Streetmap This large Somerset market town has some nice waterside walking trails to try. There's also some fine architecture with a number of Georgian houses and the attractive Market Hall.
This circular waterside walk takes you along the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal and the River Parret Trail which run through the town.
The walk starts in the town centre at the Bridgwater Docks Marina in the town centre. Here you can pick up the canal towpath and follow it south. The route then crosses to the river where you can pick up another waterside trail and follow it back into the town. To extend the walk you could follow the waymarked River Parrett trail north to meet with the river at Combwich. The route then continues to the Bridgwater Bay National Nature Reserve.

Bridgwater OS Map Ordnance survey map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Bridgwater Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Walks near Bridgwater

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

The Somerset Space Walk runs along the towpath of the Bridgwater canal. The route is lined with a number of interesting sculptures representing the planets of the Solar System. You can see the scale model of the sun at Maunsel Lock and the description panels next to the sculptures to find out more.
The North Petherton Walk skirts the edge of the town. The circular route explores the area surrounding the small town which is located just to the south on the edge of the Quantocks .
For more walking ideas in the area see the Somerset Walks pages.

Photos

Bridgwater Docks - geograph.org.uk - 925650

Bridgwater Docks Bridgwater Docks, now a marina. The first stage of an abortive project to link the Bristol Channel with the south coast by canal.

Bridgwater and Taunton Canal - geograph.org.uk - 1006591

Bridgwater and Taunton Canal. Where it enters the old dock.

Bridgwater cornexchange staute and church

Bridgwater corn exchange staute and church

Cornhill, Bridgwater - geograph.org.uk - 1721681

Cornhill, Bridgwater. The way in which Fore Street funnels out to give this view of St Mary's church and the rotunda of the market hall is worthy of an Italian townscape, though the modest scale of the church supporting the fine spire is very English provincial. The market hall has been described as a "spectacular shallow-domed circular portico".

Eastquay, Bridgwater - geograph.org.uk - 940142

Eastquay. From the west bank of the River Parrett

Bridgwater Market Hall - geograph.org.uk - 1721880

Bridgwater Market Hall. One of Somerset's most charming buildings. It has Ionic columns, and is surmounted by a domed drum with a hexagonal lantern and finial . It's now occupied by Prezzo, but the market hall behind it remains in use as such. Pevsner (1958) says "the whole seems just right in scale and modest formality for a country town of some pride and traditions". 

Town bridge, Bridgwater - geograph.org.uk - 1721572

Town bridge. The one that gives the town its name. But this is the third on the site; a stone bridge was replaced by a cast-iron one in 1797; this structure dates from 1883

East Quay, Bridgwater - geograph.org.uk - 1721608

East Quay seen from West Quay. Each of the buildings is listed, though Pevsner feels that only no 4, the white Georgian house with blue window surrounds, is worthy of note, and it is earlier (C18) than the others. Number 2, however, is remarkable for its parapet with volutes

Video

GPS Files

GPX File

Bridgwater.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)

Memory Map Route

Bridgwater.mmo (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold >Download Linked File)