Taunton
| Taunton,Somerset
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Contents |
Locations
The Taunton area includes military facilities at the following locations:
- Taunton
and the main married quarter areas are:
Area Overview
40 CDO RM is situated in the market town of Taunton, in the County of Somerset. Norton Manor Camp (NMC) has been the home of 40 CDO RM since 1983. This beautiful area is home to areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty - The Blackdown and Quantock Hills, the Somerset Levels to name but a few, and of course, an area famous for its cider. The Heart of Somerset offers many different activities from country walks to hot air ballooning, fishing, and of course shopping.
The town has over 1,000 years of religious and military history, and is now undergoing a regeneration project.
Taunton is home to the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO)which is an organisation within the Ministry of Defence responsible for providing navigational and other hydrographic information for national, civil and defence requirements. The UKHO is located on Admiralty Way and has a workforce of approximately 850 staff.
Children and Education
The base has an Education Centre, Library and an Internet Suite.
Transport and Travel
Trains
Taunton railway station is on the London to Penzance Line and the Cross-Country Route. It is served and operated by First Great Western and served by CrossCountry, with services to Manchester, Birmingham Cardiff, Bristol, London, Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance, as well as the rest of the West Country. There are generally one fast and one slow trains each hour to both Bristol Temple Meads and Exeter St Davids and one train to London Paddington.
Roads
Taunton also has good road links, having the M5 motorway junctions 25 (Taunton) and 26 (Wellington) close to the town, as well as other major roads such as the A38 and A358. Taunton Deane services are located between junctions 25 and 26 on the M5 but be warned, not the cheapest petrol in the world.
Air travel
Taunton is within easy reach of both Bristol International Airport - approximately 55 min drive via the A38 and M5, and Exeter International Airport, which is around 38 miles or half an hour's drive down the M5.
Bus services & Coaches
Buses and coaches Two storey brick building with a row of windows on each floor, surrounded by cars and busses Taunton Bus Station
Local bus services in Taunton's zone 1 and 2 services are provided by First Avon and Somerset. Local bus services are frequent, with peak time services running as frequent as every 4–9 minutes.
Webberbus runs Service 15 and 18. 15 is an express service connecting Burnham on Sea with Taunton via Bridgwater, calling at stops including Taunton railway station, Park Street, Musgrove Park Hospital and Somerset College. 18 is a service from Minehead to Taunton, similar to that of First's X28 service.
Taunton Coach Station's operators include National Express, whom run regular London and Heathrow coaches. Local coach operator Berrys of Taunton, runs a number of day excursions and offers the London Superfast service from the Taunton and the West County to London every day.
Cooks Coaches operate two Park and Ride schemes into the town centre known as the Taunton Flyer. One operates from Silk Mills park and ride site in Silk Mills Road to the west of the town. The other from Taunton Gateway park and ride site, close to Junction 25 of the M5 to the east of the town.
Pets
Some vets in the area include the following
Morley Veterinary Centre maps.google.co.uk - 01823 276 959
Priory Close Practice maps.google.co.uk - 01823 271 042 Isle Valley Veterinary Group - 01823 444 234
County Veterinary Clinic- 01823 326 222
Medical and Dental
The base also has a Medical Centre and a Dental Surgery.
Sports and Leisure
40 CDO RM provides a large fully equipped gymnasium, with a wide range of weight training and cardiovascular machines and a separate indoor gym for football, basketball etc. There is also an indoor swimming pool, squash and tennis courts, outdoor climbing tower, an all weather pitch, football and rugby pitches. One popular training activity is the 2.2mile camp circuit (trim trail), which has a number of exercise stances situated around the camp perimeter track.
Shopping and Tourism
There are a lot of historical places of interest in Taunton and the surrounding areas, with St Mary Magdalene's Tower (above) being one. St Mary's church was probably established as part of the reorganisation of Taunton by Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, by 1180, and has been the town church since 1308.
It is built of sandstone and has a painted interior. Most of the statues and stained glass date from the Victorian restoration. Within the church are a variety of memorials and tablets including War Memorials for soldiers from Somerset, including the Somerset Light Infantry.
There are 38 Grade I listed buildings in Taunton Deane. The oldest buildings are churches built before the end of the 12th century, and the Castle Bow, which has been incorporated into the Castle Hotel in Taunton but was originally a gateway into Taunton Castle. The castle was created between 1107 and 1129, when William Giffard, the Chancellor of King Henry I, fortified the bishop's hall. It was his successor, Henry of Blois, who transformed the manor-house into a castle in 1138, during the Civil War that raged during the reign of his brother, King Stephen. Taunton is also the site of Gray's Alsmhouses, which dates from 1635 and two buildings in Fore Street from the 16th century. Most of the Grade I listed buildings in Taunton Deane are Norman or medieval era churches, many of which are included in the Somerset towers, a collection of distinctive, mostly spireless Gothic church towers. Many of the more recent structures in the list are manor houses such as Cothay Manor and Greenham Barton which were built in Stawley in the 15th century. Poundisford Park and Cothelstone Manor were both built in the 16th century and Hatch Court in 1755. The most recent building included in the list is Hestercombe House, which was rebuilt in 1909.
Shopping
With the focus on Project Taunton - the town's regeneration plan - there are a host of shops in Taunton. Most that you'd expect to see in any major town, including a Debenham's, Marks & Spencer's, Next, Mothercare, Lush, BhS amongst many others. The Orchard Shopping Centre There are also a lot of "surf" type shops in Taunton, which seems to please a few people who like the Fat Face style of casual clothing wear.
