The canal begins in the centre of Bridgwater (OS Grid Ref ST 298376) at the docks which were created when the canal was extended in 1841. The docks were once ranked 5th amongst Britain’s ports, as well as a transhipment wharf they were also used as a safe haven for fishing vessels from the Bristol Channel, some 9 miles downstream via the River Parrett.
There are two basins at the docks, a large non-tidal "inner" basin and a smaller tidal one. Redevelopment in recent years has changed the docks dramatically. Today there is little to be seen of the old wharves, warehouses or other canal buildings. The area is surrounded by new housing - built to look like old warehouses. One of the only structures which has survived is Ware’s warehouse which was completely derelict until the 1980’s when it was transformed into flats, offices and a pub. It now forms the centrepiece of the redeveloped docks.
The old warehouse and new housing stand alongside the larger of the two basins, this is now a modern marina complete with lots of mooring pontoons. However, there are hardly any boats here because the lock into the basin from the River Parrett is kept closed to prevent the basin from silting up. This means that only boats which use the canal can enter the basin and because the canal can only be entered via a slipway (there is no connection to any other navigation), there aren’t many boats at present.
Between the two basins is an original bascule (lift) bridge which has been restored to full working order just as it was in 1841. From the bridge it is easy to see the smaller (outer) basin. You can also see the tidal gates which were once used by coasters though these are now closed, blocked by a concrete dam. The old barge lock can also be seen, also blocked. The smaller basin is surrounded by sluices which are needed to flush out the mud which the Parrett brings in with the tide.
The River Parrett runs alongside the docks with a footpath along its bank. Across the far side of the river is a bottle shaped kiln which has survived from a former brick works. Just a short walk upstream on the Parrett is an unusual bridge called the Telescopic Bridge. This strange structure is a former railway bridge which had a central section that could slide away, allowing boats to pass through the gap. Today the bridge is fixed in place but it is still used by pedestrians. Further upstream are a number of other bridges; some very old, some very new.
Back at the larger canal basin, boats can now leave Bridgwater Docks and enter the canal through the restored Newtown Stop Lock. A new swing bridge has been installed beside the lock, replacing a fixed bridge which used to block the canal. Bowerings Animal Feed Mill stands close by and although the mill is old (and its name seems to reflect this), it is actually still a working mill, still producing feed for animals.
The canal curves anti-clockwise around Bridgwater, starting by heading south west with the towpath on the western side. The route soon enters a shallow cutting and passes under a large bridge (the A39, Wembdon Road) where towrope markings can clearly be seen on its arches.
The cutting deepens as the canal continues to curve left, now facing south east and eventually straightening out into Albert Street Cutting. This cutting is nothing like those seen on such canals as the Shropshire Union where the waterway was cut through a hill which now towers above on each side, covered in trees and plants. Albert Street Cutting is made of stone and brick! Huge walls line each side of the narrow canal, making it look like a tunnel with its roof removed (like Rose Hill Tunnel at Marple on the Peak Forest Canal). Half way along the cutting there actually is a small tunnel (which is really just a very long road bridge). Emerging from the bridge you would be forgiven if your first thought was "get me out of here"! At this point, the huge stone walls of the cutting are (apparently) only prevented from coming down on top of you by huge wooden cross-buttresses which stretch across the waterway above your head.
Beyond Albert Street Cutting the surroundings open up and you can see as far as the Quantock Hills some 5 miles away to the south west. The towpath is well used by locals at this point, it is wide and nicely surfaced. On the east bank of the canal is a YMCA which has provided moorings and a slipway. Next to it is a supermarket which also has moorings alongside it. On the towpath side is a small brick building which is the extraction point for Bridgwater’s water supply. Do they really drink canal water in Bridgwater? (Still, anything is better than cider I suppose!!!!).
The canal passes under 3 bridges (one of which is the A38, Taunton Road) and then passes moorings used by the Somerset Navigators Boat Club. The route then curves right (south) to come right alongside the west bank of the River Parrett - or, to be more precise, it comes alongside the flood bank which runs along the west bank of the River Parrett. On this stretch, near Hamp (ST 304357), there is a weir (on the east side) which allows excess water to run into the river and there is also a pond (on the towpath side) which is actually a flooded clay pit.
About ½ a mile past Hamp Bridge is Crossways Swing Bridge (which was the first on the canal to be restored). This is on Marsh Lane near Huntworth (ST 309353). All the new swing bridges on the B&T Canal have instructions on them which look awfully complicated. They tell boat crews how to operate the hydraulic gear though when I was here the gear on Crossways Bridge was not in place and all a boatman had to do was lower the "Stop" barriers on the road and then push the bridge open!
Before the construction of the Bridgwater extension in 1841, Crossways Swing Bridge was where the canal joined the River Parrett. The old basin has long since been filled in but it was situated close to the WW2 pillbox which can be seen on the east side of the canal. The towpath changes to the east bank at Crossways Swing Bridge and the River Parrett now moves away in a south easterly direction. It is possible to take a path alongside a row of cottages which roughly follows the line of the former canal basin down to the river. A footbridge crosses the Parrett beside Somerset (railway) Bridge and a path runs along the river bank back towards Bridgwater. However, this is not the greatest of waterside walks, the river runs alongside industrial buildings and at low tide the banks become very muddy.
Back on the canal, the route continues south. Within another ½ mile the M5 motorway bridge crosses over. Very close to this large bridge is the much smaller Mead’s Swing Bridge with the Boat & Anchor pub nearby, now with boat moorings and a picnic area. South of here the canal becomes more and more rural though the railway from Bridgwater can be seen, and heard, over to the east.
Huntworth Lane bridge is next (ST 317343), followed by Fordgate Swing Bridge and then Standards Lock (ST 315316). The locks on the B&T are different to those seen elsewhere in the country. Their ground paddles are fitted with metal counterweights on a chain and pulley. This makes it much easier to work the paddles (in theory anyway). I have also seen a description which says the lock balance beams are "unusual" because they are made of concrete. The word "unique" also springs to mind. Something else unusual is that the locks must always be left empty (when not in use!) with the bottom gates left open.
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Up until now the route has been passing through the flat landscape of the Somerset Levels. Standards Lock marks the end of this and the route now begins to climb up, around and through rolling countryside. Beyond Standards Lock the canal deviates from its mainly southern course to curve around (anti-clockwise) close to North Newton (ST 302311). Church Road runs close to the canal on the east side and eventually crosses the canal close to Kings Lock. The "Alfred Jewel" (a Saxon ornament and the oldest surviving crown jewel) was found in North Newton churchyard. However, I have seen two different references as to when it was found. One book says 1693 and another say 1963! You can easily(?) find out as the jewel is on display in Oxford at the Ashmolean Museum.
North Newton is a lovely village with a pleasant pub called the Harvest Moon.
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Beyond the village the waterway regains a southerly direction and near the settlement of Hedging it arrives at Maunsel Lock (ST 308295) with its adjacent lock keepers cottage - the only one left on the canal. Just a few yards further south is the lock which takes the canal up to its summit level.
The B&T now passes over a high embankment with excellent views all around. On this stretch is Black Hut bridge named after a former building used by canal lengthsmen (maintenance workers). At the A361 bridge (ST 302281) the railway line comes close to the canal. A few hundred yards to the east there was once a station and a pub called the Railway Hotel - now both long gone.
To the south of the A361 the canal does a quick right-left-right meander. Over to the east is Cogload Viaduct and an impressive elevated railway junction. On this section (between trains) the canal is amongst the most peaceful to be found anywhere in Britain.
Next the canal passes the small settlement of Charlton and the Charlton Engine House (ST 291265), now standing almost completely derelict. It dates back to 1827 and it used to house steam engines which were used to pump water from the River Tone into the canal. The Tone is now within ½ a mile to the south east (on the far side of the railway). It is worth remembering that the Tone was navigable long before the canal was built and was still officially navigable until after WW2.
The canal now reaches the village of Creech St. Michael 
(ST 272255) which is well worth a visit. Apart from being very pleasant, it has two pubs and a strangely large Baptist Church. On the canal at Creech St. Michael is the site of the former junction with the Chard Canal which was opened in 1842 (the last "small" canal to be built in Britain) but was closed just 26 years later. It was 13½ miles long with just 2 locks. However, it also had 4 inclined planes, 3 tunnels, 2 aqueducts and a number of high embankments. Today there is not a great deal of this waterway left and there is absolutely no chance that it will ever be fully restored. All the same, much of its route can be followed on foot. At the junction there used to be a towpath bridge, a stop lock and a lock keeper’s cottage. Nearby are the remains of the buttressed walls of an embankment that carried the Chard Canal onto an aqueduct over the River Tone. The embankment and aqueduct can still be seen by walking across the railway to the bridge which crosses the river. From here the Chard Canal can be seen over to the right.
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Leaving Creech St. Michael (now heading west) the canal passes an ivy-clad pillbox and there are houses on the north bank. The M5 is reached again within a mile and then the B&T Canal arrives at the eastern outskirts of Taunton. The A38, Bridgwater Road, crosses over at Bathpool (ST 254260) where there is a BW maintenance yard. A small marina has now been developed here.
Beyond the A38 the canal runs westward until it comes close to the A361, Priorswood Road. It then begins to curve south west to Priorswood Bridge (ST 238258). This bridge used to block the canal and was one of the last obstacles which the council had to remove, which they did in 1993.
Beyond Priorswood Bridge the canal passes under another new road bridge (A358, Obridge Viaduct). After another 300 yards the route passes under the railway line which has been close to the canal throughout the route - so close that it put the canal out of business before buying it out and finally closing it down in 1907.
The final section of the B&T curves west, passing through an industrial area which includes an old GWR water tower (to the north) which was once supplied with water from the canal. Nearby are the remains of limekilns which were also served by the canal, this time with coal and lime.
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The canal ends at Firepool Lock (ST 230253), which lifts boats into the River Tone. This is a very easy place to find in Taunton - it’s at the end of Canal Road! A small bridge crosses the canal close to the lock.
Navigation does not end here however because the river is navigable for about one more mile, upstream to French Weir (ST 219249). This takes boats through Priory Bridge and the main town bridge which carries the A3027. The town authorities have done a lot in recent years to make Taunton’s waterfront very pleasant indeed. For those wanting to visit the canal by car, there are numerous car parks near to the waterfront.
Firepool Lock was also the site of the junction with the Grand Western Canal, a waterway which contained 7 vertical boat lifts and an inclined plane. The first of the lifts, Taunton Lift, was situated just to the north of the junction but has now been wiped out by railway lines and a depot. The lift raised boats about 20ft, up from the level of the B&T to that of the GWC which then headed west out of Taunton and eventually south west towards Tiverton.
ACCESS POINTS
Accessing the B&T is very easy, because it is now a navigable waterway it can be walked from end to end - the towpath is in very good condition. Cycling is allowed but you should obtain a permit from a BW office. It is possible to reach the towpath from almost every road bridge that crosses the route. Many new car parks have been placed along the canal and some of these have picnic sites close to them. The locations listed below are just a small example of places which can be visited....
Bridgwater Docks (ST 298376). Accessed from Russell Place, the old dock is now a newly developed marina with mostly new buildings. As well as being able to walk around the marina, there is a pub housed in an old warehouse and it is possible to access the River Parrett footpath.
Crossways Swing Bridge, Marsh Lane, Huntworth (ST 309353). Site of the former junction with the River Parrett. There is a car park and picnic area by the bridge.
Mead’s Bridge (ST 313348). A swing bridge, car park and picnic site close to the M5 viaduct north east of Huntworth. The Boat and Anchor pub stands on the canalside.
Kings Lock, Church Road, near North Newton (ST 306314). There is a car park near the lock.
Maunsel Lock, Bankland Lane, near Hedging (ST 308295). Site of the last remaining lock cottage.
Charlton Engine House (ST 291265). Charlton Road ends at a bridge over the canal. The engine house is a derelict pumping station.
Creech St. Michael, St. Michael Road (ST 272255). A nice village and the site of the old junction onto the Chard Canal. There is a car park close to the canal bridge. On the same road is a bridge over the River Tone from where the old Chard Canal aqueduct can be seen.
Bathpool, Dyers Lane, Taunton (ST 253262). A marina and a BW yard situated near to a swing bridge.
Firepool Lock, Canal Road, Taunton (ST 230253). Junction with the River Tone and site of the junction with the Grand Western Canal. It is possible to park on Canal Road but much better to park at one of the many car parks in town. This also gives you the opportunity to see the River Tone and the town itself.
FURTHER INFORMATION.
Cycling
Some of the towpath is part of the Parrett Way and is on route 3 of the National Cycleway. Other parts of the towpath can also be cycled but a permit should be obtained from a BW office.
Boat Licences
Obtained from the YMCA in Bridgwater.
Maps
OS landranger 193 (Taunton & Lyme Regis) and 182 (Weston Super Mare & Bridgwater)
Related Web Sites
http://www.taunton-angling.co.uk/
http://www.riverparrett-trail.org.uk/
additional photo's ©Andrew Norris : tauntoninpictures
Welcome to Canals & Waterways: Roots & Routes, the website dedicated to the history and routes of Britain's Inland Waterways. Almost every British canal, whether navigable, derelict or under restoration is described here. Many river navigation's (including all of the Norfolk Broads waterways) are also included.