Bridgwater Arts Centre

Bridgwater is a historic market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the River Parrett at the edge of the Somerset Levels. The parish had a population of 38,310, at the time of the 2021 census, while the wider built-up area had a population of 47,860. The town plays host to an annual carnival in November, the largest of the Somerset carnivals. A town was already established here by the time of the Domesday Book census. It first became a borough and a castle was built in 1200, although the castle was destroyed after the English Civil War. The town had a politically radical tendency and the Battle of Sedgemoor was fought nearby in 1685, ending the Monmouth Rebellion. At one time it was the largest port in Somerset. It developed as an industrial centre with brick and tile works, ship building and railway engineering. Its many notable buildings include the Church of St Mary, which played a part in the Battle of Sedgemoor, and the Blake Museum, which was the birthplace of Admiral Blake in 1598.