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Taunton, England
"About ..."
Taunton is a smaill town of approximately 61,000 people (2001 census - including suburbs). It is Somerset's largest town. A very historic area for religion and military history - the town is taking on a new regeneration especially with its economy, commerce, and transportation hubs. Home to the Musgrove Park Hospital, Somerset County Cricket Club's County Ground, as well as over 40 Commando Royal Marines. It is home to the annual West Country Carnival and the Taunton flower show. The town is named after "Town on the River Tone" or "Tone Town". It now envelopes what was once the Romano-British village of Holway that was a burh with its own mint. The town once hosted earthen castles since 700, that was destroyed in 722. By 904 it became home to a monastery. Winchester bishops originally owned the manor and chartered "men of Taunton" from King Edward in 904 to free them from all royal and county tribute. 1451 was impacted by the wars of the Roses seeing skirmish between Thomas de Courtenay the 13th Earl of Devon and Baron Bonville. Queen Margaret and her troops passed through in 1471 to defeat at Battle of Twekesbury. 1497 saw the Second Cornish Uprising. Taunton's Castle changed hands several times during the Civil War from 1642-45 and it was with Robert Blake's Sieze of Taunton that in 1645 that it suffered severe destruction. After war, the keep was demolished. June 1685 asw the Duke of Monmouth crowning himself as the king of ENgland at Taunton during the Monmouth Rebellion and it was that year that Judge Jeffreys based in the town during the Bloody Assizes following the Battle of Sedgemoor. 1627 the town was chartered until its lapse in 1792 due to vacancies for members of the corporate body until it was reincorporated in 1877. Medieval fair markets have become a big part of the town, ranging from weekly marets to large annual fests - and was one of the prime places that a woolen cloth called "Tauntons" were sold (obviously named after the town) When the England wool industry waned, silk-weaving took over in the 18th century. 1839 saw the addition of the Grand Western Canal later enhanced by the railway in 1842. The town was also notorious as a 'stop line' to prevent German invasion during WWII. Project Taunton was formed in 2006 to revitalize the area and regenerate areas such as Firepool, Tangier, and bring in business. This will in the near future improve transportation links and hubs, more park and rides, ande by 2018 should be technologically innovataive.
