Bridgwater & Taunton Canal

In 1824 James Hollinsworth was appointed engineer for the construction of the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal connecting Taunton to Huntworth. The canal was a little over 14 miles long with five locks and was officially opened on 3 January 1827. Until 1841 activity at Bridgwater was focused on the quays along the River Parrett and the cast iron bollards can still be seen today. However, in response to competition from the Bristol & Exeter Railway an improvement scheme was carried out to extend the canal terminating in a tidal basin in Bridgwater.

The Bridgwater & Taunton Canal passes through flat, countryside on the edge of the Somerset Levels. There are 16 Grade II listed structures along the canal including Bridgwater Dock and Tidal Basin, a warehouse, a stone lined cutting, bridges, locks, and a pumping station. The Bridgwater Dock is a rare example of a southern canal dock and retains original fabric, basin formations, ancillary equipment and associated buildings. Other significant elements along the canal corridor include the ball and chain paddle gearing and concrete balance beams on locks such as Maunsel Lock and the Albert Street Cutting with sandstone walling and timber shoring.

The 15-mile Bridgwater & Taunton Canal is bursting with wildlife. Its unique character results from its location in the heart of Somerset where natural and man-made wetlands have co-existed for generations. The canal is intimately linked with the rivers Parrett and Tone, numerous ditches and rhynes and associated wet grassland.

In 2004 spot check surveys confirmed that water voles are present through the canal length, including in the heart of Bridgwater. Rare and vulnerable, the water vole is dependant on a habitat which also supports a much wider range of attractive wildlife. Otter activity along the canal is increasing and kingfishers are commonly seen. The canal towpath grasslands support a significant population of slow-worms far in excess of the surrounding area. There are also confirmed records of common lizard and grass snake.

A preliminary survey of the canal edge flora demonstrated the large number of wildflowers, grasses and sedges present whilst the marginal fringe of emergent plants has an important role in stabilising and protecting the canal banks. The channel flora is luxuriant and has to be managed to keep the navigation open but the rooted plants also lock up nutrients which would otherwise feed free-floating blanketweed growth, a greater nuisance.

In the 1980s and earlier, a very rare grass called Cut-grass was recorded at several sites on the canal whilst the only other known UK sites were in Sussex and Hampshire.