# Taunton becomes national property hotspot.



## Hollis (Dec 30, 2021)

Sorry, this is only going to happen once in my lifetime, so I couldn't let it go..

Like the ugly duckling that never gets invited to the ball... Taunton's time has come.. 

‘People seem to be looking for another way of living’: how Taunton became property hotspot

 Guardian readers across the nation are this evening sitting down and contemplating a 'new way of living'... in Taunton..

👍👍👍


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## farmerbarleymow (Dec 30, 2021)

Never been to Taunton - is it as shit as it sounds?

Where actually is Taunton anyway?


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## Hollis (Dec 30, 2021)

The jewel in the crown.. of Somerset..


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## cyberfairy (Dec 30, 2021)

farmerbarleymow said:


> Never been to Taunton - is it as shit as it sounds?
> 
> Where actually is Taunton anyway?


It's a bit of a shit town in Somerset  but has some nice cider.


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## Puddy_Tat (Dec 30, 2021)

cyberfairy said:


> It's a bit of a shit town in Somerset  but has some nice cider.



and some fairly nice countryside (if you like that sort of thing) not very far away - i tend to get to that part of the world once a year or so (or did in the days before teh plague)


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## Kevbad the Bad (Dec 30, 2021)

This may no longer be true, but when I visited Taunton some years back a pub there claimed to be the longest pub in England. It was certainly very long indeed. Great for social distancing.


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## farmerbarleymow (Dec 30, 2021)

Hollis said:


> The jewel in the crown.. of Somerset..


Somerset is one of the few counties I've never had the pleasure.


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## keybored (Dec 30, 2021)

Kevbad the Bad said:


> This may no longer be true, but when I visited Taunton some years back a pub there claimed to be the longest pub in England. It was certainly very long indeed. Great for social distancing.


Do you mean longest bar? Could be the 'spoons on East Street.


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## farmerbarleymow (Dec 30, 2021)

Kevbad the Bad said:


> This may no longer be true, but when I visited Taunton some years back a pub there claimed to be the longest pub in England. It was certainly very long indeed.


Beer googles obvs.


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## cyberfairy (Dec 30, 2021)

Puddy_Tat said:


> and some fairly nice countryside (if you like that sort of thing) not very far away - i tend to get to that part of the world once a year or so (or did in the days before teh plague)


I have lived vaguely nearby- it is not as bad as Tiverton in Devon, the worst town I have ever had to suffer living in. I like the Somerset levels as there is one Reiki practitioner to every local gun nut. Makes for an interesting queue in a Spar.


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## farmerbarleymow (Dec 30, 2021)

cyberfairy said:


> I like the Somerset levels as there is one Reiki practitioner to every local gun nut. Makes for an interesting queue in a Spar.


Sort of 'are you going to shoot me or wave your hands over me' sort of thing?

Are some parts of England really that fucked up?  Round here the choice is just being shot.


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## Elpenor (Dec 30, 2021)

Trull is a nice village near to Taunton


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## High Voltage (Dec 30, 2021)

The last time me and Mrs Voltz went to Taunton we wandered round like a couple of slack jawed yokels - it's a hell of a step up from Wells, I can tell you


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## Elpenor (Dec 30, 2021)

farmerbarleymow said:


> Beer googles obvs.


You’d need some very high powered goggles to see the pub all the way from Beer, in East Devon, it must be at least 35 miles as the crow flies


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## cyberfairy (Dec 30, 2021)

farmerbarleymow said:


> Sort of 'are you going to shoot me or wave your hands over me' sort of thing?
> 
> Are some parts of England really that fucked up?  Round here the choice is just being shot.


Somerset is mad for it due to house prices going up so much and a lot of hippy stuff going on along with local people still having the temerity to live there.. I remember going to a pub in Peasedown St John and being offered both speed and a poached  (stolen not cooked) eel. The pub down the road had salt baked artichoke for 16 quid.


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## cyberfairy (Dec 30, 2021)

High Voltage said:


> The last time me and Mrs Voltz went to Taunton we wandered round like a couple of slack jawed yokels - it's a hell of a step up from Wells, I can tell you


Wells is amazing!


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## Hollis (Dec 30, 2021)

keybored said:


> Do you mean longest bar? Could be the 'spoons on East Street.



It's probably also laying claim to being the shitest Wetherspoons in Britain..  .

Personally prefer the Coal Orchard.


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## cyberfairy (Dec 30, 2021)

Puddy_Tat said:


> and some fairly nice countryside (if you like that sort of thing) not very far away - i tend to get to that part of the world once a year or so (or did in the days before teh plague)


There is a wonderful walk down the Strawberry line to Thatchers cider farm shop and pub- interestingly the Thatchers factory actually looks like the pic on the bottles- loads of lovely orchards. The Bulmers factory in Shepton Mallet looks like an industrial morgue


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## platinumsage (Dec 30, 2021)

I once drove to Yeovil solely to visit the drive-thru KFC. That's the closest I've been to Taunton as an adult apart from driving on the M5.


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## High Voltage (Dec 30, 2021)

cyberfairy said:


> Wells is amazing!


If you are bored with Wells you are bored with life


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## ska invita (Dec 30, 2021)

Got a friend in Taunton, he's had people messaging him all day 
It is in a great location re roads/trains/countryside etc


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## marty21 (Dec 30, 2021)

Hollis said:


> The jewel in the crown.. of Somerset..


Us Bathonians disagree.


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## cyberfairy (Dec 30, 2021)

High Voltage said:


> If you are bored with Wells you are bored with life


I went there with my mum and dad and I wasn't allowed to go to a lovely looking veggie cafe but had to go to Wetherspoons instead then was not allowed to look around because of the parking prices. I was 40.


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## ska invita (Dec 30, 2021)

Wells has a fine cathedral


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## High Voltage (Dec 30, 2021)

cyberfairy said:


> I went there with my mum and dad and I wasn't allowed to go to a lovely looking veggie cafe but had to go to Wetherspoons instead then was not allowed to look around because of the parking prices. I was 40.


You probably weren't allowed to look around because the least amount of parking you could've got was one hour

Wells doesn't take an hour


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## Hollis (Dec 30, 2021)

High Voltage said:


> If you are bored with Wells you are bored with life



Chard.


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## discokermit (Dec 30, 2021)

buying property in somerset with sea levels rising is stupid.
edit to add, unless its frog island. i wouldnt mind a house on frog island.


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## cupid_stunt (Dec 31, 2021)

Lived there for years, it used to have a great live music scene, often 3 or 4 pubs with bands on and within a very short walking distance of each other, and some pubs turned a blind eye to people smoking hash, which was handy. Good free party scene too. 

It had plenty of character, relaxed pace of life, surrounded by beautiful countryside, and nice nearby village pubs.

I miss it as it was, but it's changed so much, all my fav independent pubs are gone, and loads of house building, with these 'garden villages' popping up around it, not the same feel at all.


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## rubbershoes (Dec 31, 2021)

Hollis said:


> It's probably also laying claim to being the shitest Wetherspoons in Britain..  .
> 
> Personally prefer the Coal Orchard.



I think the Coal Orchard has closed or is closing


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## Hollis (Dec 31, 2021)




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## Skim (Dec 31, 2021)

It’s no Shepton Mallet though.


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## xenon (Dec 31, 2021)

My dad used to go on a workmates jolly to an x colleague's pub just outside Taunton. I went too once and got horribly drunk in the beer garden,. Think it was the 3 Horse Shoes. This was 20 odd years ago. You could get a gerry can of rough as fuck cider brewed at their "sergery." 

Never had cause to go into the town.


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## cupid_stunt (Dec 31, 2021)

Skim said:


> It’s no Shepton Mallet though.



Nor is it Bridgwater or Chard.


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## Hollis (Dec 31, 2021)

The last time I was back pre-pandemic, a mate decided to take me out for a ride in his car.  We ended up in the Wetherspoons in Chard.


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## stavros (Dec 31, 2021)

Puddy_Tat said:


> and some fairly nice countryside (if you like that sort of thing) not very far away - i tend to get to that part of the world once a year or so (or did in the days before teh plague)


This. It's a great base to go road cycling from. You've got the Levels to the East, the Blackdowns to the South and the Quantocks to the North. I had many a great ride when I lived in Taunton.

However it's a fairly forgettable town otherwise. Basically the halfway point between Bristol and Exeter.


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## bellaozzydog (Dec 31, 2021)

Having resided in Norton Fitzwarren I can confirm Taunton is a really dull place for a night out


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## SpookyFrank (Dec 31, 2021)

Even my mum was thinking about moving there, from a much nicer town here in far superior Devon.

Not spent much time in Taunton but it seems like a very dreary place. Handy for the M5 though I guess.


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## Carvaged (Dec 31, 2021)

I was recently contemplating a move to the area given transport links and cheapness. No longer it seems!


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## Hollis (Jan 2, 2022)

Robin Gould, of buying agents Prime Purchase, said: 'I've been recommending Taunton to clients for years. It has long been the place where you can get more for your money, although predictably property prices are now rising.

'If you look at a map, it looks a long way from everything and yet it's less than two hours on the train from London Paddington so it's very quick. If you don't have to commute every day, it's incredibly accessible.

'*Although Taunton was bombed during the war and so much of it is modern and ugly*, it has everything you could possibly want – good schools, shops, and Exmoor on the doorstep. It offers that balance between London and country, and with more people searching by lifestyle, it ticks all the boxes.'

Do you live in one of these areas with the biggest house price rises?

So the Estate Agents are blaming it on the Germans.. 

I don't recall hearing of this anywhere before..


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## WouldBe (Jan 2, 2022)

cyberfairy said:


> I have lived vaguely nearby- it is not as bad as Tiverton in Devon, the worst town I have ever had to suffer living in. I like the Somerset levels as there is one Reiki practitioner to every local gun nut. Makes for an interesting queue in a Spar.


Never stopped in Taunton but quite like Tiverton as I had relatives there.


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## Elpenor (Jan 2, 2022)

WouldBe said:


> Never stopped in Taunton but quite like Tiverton as I had relatives there.



I’m newish to Devon but all my colleagues make knowing jokes about Tivvy. Not actually been there though.


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## stavros (Jan 3, 2022)

I remember when Waitrose opened in Wellington, and it was like the social event of the year.


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## hermitical (Jan 5, 2022)

rubbershoes said:
			
		

> I think the Coal Orchard has closed or is closing



The husband of someone I work with might be buying the Coal Orchard building.

Taunton?  Not sure I understand the hype about the town itself, though it is within easy reach of some beautiful places - the Somerset Levels, the Quantocks, the Blackdowns, Exmoor, Bridgewater Bay and the coast.

We're about 6 or 7 miles away in Wellington, next junction down the motorway, lovely little town. Hopefully getting the train station back in 3 years.


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## hermitical (Jan 5, 2022)

stavros said:


> I remember when Waitrose opened in Wellington, and it was like the social event of the year.


We were told the town was almost at the point of collapse and it really revived the area - does that ring true?


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## MBV (Jan 5, 2022)

Went to a very nice veggie cafe that also did good coffee in Taunton. There's worse places to live


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## Idaho (Jan 5, 2022)

Taunton is a middle ranking Somerset town. There are nicer places, and much worse.


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## Puddy_Tat (Jan 5, 2022)

hermitical said:


> The husband of someone I work with might be buying the Coal Orchard building.



what was it before it was a pub?  i've seen it but don't think i've ventured in


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## DaveCinzano (Jan 5, 2022)

discokermit said:


> edit to add, unless its frog island. i wouldnt mind a house on frog island.


Think I saw something about that online somewhere... Reddit?


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## DaveCinzano (Jan 5, 2022)

cyberfairy said:


> Wells is amazeing!


That's what Tim used to say before the place ended up doing his head in


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## discokermit (Jan 6, 2022)

DaveCinzano said:


> Think I saw something about that online somewhere... Reddit?


dunno. dont do reddit.

Its the hill you see from the m5, Brent Knoll - Wikipedia


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## Carvaged (Jan 6, 2022)

Elpenor said:


> I’m newish to Devon but all my colleagues make knowing jokes about Tivvy. Not actually been there though.



How very dare they!  Tiverton's a lovely little town with a cute canal to go walking along. It has some crummy elements but so do most places. One thing I feel about the South West compared to the South East is that people in general seem more open, friendly and inclusive of outsiders. Towns tend to feel like proper communities and you can easily get to know people and they seem to want to include you. I've rarely felt like that the further east I travel. Some of those real Tory hotspots are hella unfriendly.


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## [62] (Jan 6, 2022)

Carvaged said:


> How very dare they!  Tiverton's a lovely little town with a cute canal to go walking along. It has some crummy elements but so do most places. One thing I feel about the South West compared to the South East is that people in general seem more open, friendly and inclusive of outsiders. Towns tend to feel like proper communities and you can easily get to know people and they seem to want to include you. I've rarely felt like that the further east I travel. Some of those real Tory hotspots are hella unfriendly.



I used to go and watch Tiverton Town FC quite regularly in the early 00s and went back again for the first time in a while around four-five years ago when Torquay had a pre-season game there. The town did seem to have gone very slightly upmarket. 

I think Tivvy's reputation is increasingly historical nowadays. It was quite an industrial town for a long time, then a post-industrial one, in an area that was otherwise very agricultural. That said, it does have its moments (see local news for details) and I'll be staying in Exeter thanksverymuch.


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## Idaho (Jan 6, 2022)

Tiverton is ok. It's no worse than crediton, which is considered more des-res.


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## Hollis (Jan 6, 2022)

Puddy_Tat said:


> what was it before it was a pub?  i've seen it but don't think i've ventured in



It used to be the location of the much missed go-to DIY shop in the 70s and 80s "Spiller and Webber".

Remember the 119-year-old Taunton firm whose premises were taken over by the Coal Orchard pub?

I think up to the 80s there was also a livestock market near the station every Saturday - could go along and see the cows etc being auctioned off.


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## cupid_stunt (Jan 6, 2022)

Hollis said:


> It used to be the location of the much missed go-to DIY shop in the 70s and 80s "Spiller and Webber".
> 
> Remember the 119-year-old Taunton firm whose premises were taken over by the Coal Orchard pub?
> 
> I think up to the 80s there was also a livestock market near the station every Saturday - could go along and see the cows etc being auctioned off.



I remember "Spiller and Webber", going in there was like stepping back in time, I loved it.

And, yes the livestock market was near the station, on the Firepool site, off Priory Bridge Rd.


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## stavros (Jan 6, 2022)

hermitical said:


> We were told the town was almost at the point of collapse and it really revived the area - does that ring true?


No idea. I left Zummerzet not long after it opened, and I only ever went to Wellie for evening classes.


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## Elpenor (Jan 6, 2022)

Idaho said:


> Tiverton is ok. It's no worse than crediton, which is considered more des-res.


Think I’d choose Tiverton given a choice if they’re equal as it’s the right side of Exeter for me. Crediton is quite nice but I’d be further away from everyone I know.


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## Elpenor (Jan 6, 2022)

Carvaged said:


> How very dare they!  Tiverton's a lovely little town with a cute canal to go walking along. It has some crummy elements but so do most places. One thing I feel about the South West compared to the South East is that people in general seem more open, friendly and inclusive of outsiders. Towns tend to feel like proper communities and you can easily get to know people and they seem to want to include you. I've rarely felt like that the further east I travel. Some of those real Tory hotspots are hella unfriendly.


I seem to recall BillRiver (RIP  ) went to Tiverton last year and thought it was a nice place. It’s probably on my radar for somewhere to buy as at heart I’m more of a town than a city person.


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## Carvaged (Jan 7, 2022)

Elpenor said:


> I seem to recall BillRiver (RIP  ) went to Tiverton last year and thought it was a nice place. It’s probably on my radar for somewhere to buy as at heart I’m more of a town than a city person.



Crediton's also a good place check out with a strong sense of community, nice range of local/niche shops, cheap housing, reasonable transport links and a short drive to Exeter for the bigger outlets.


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## rubbershoes (Jan 7, 2022)

cupid_stunt said:


> Nor is it Bridgwater or Chard.



Bridgwater has had huge housing developments since you were around. The town now extends all the way down to junction 24 .

The population has gone up hugely and loads of money has gone into the town on the back of the new Hinkley station. The smell has gone since cellophane closed. It's still a shithole though.

People can discuss the relative merits of different towns but everyone agrees that Bridgwater is a dump.


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## cupid_stunt (Jan 7, 2022)

rubbershoes said:


> Bridgwater has had huge housing developments since you were around. The town now extends all the way down to junction 24 .
> 
> The population has gone up hugely and loads of money has gone into the town on the back of the new Hinkley station. The smell has gone since cellophane closed. It's still a shithole though.
> 
> People can discuss the relative merits of different towns but everyone agrees that Bridgwater is a dump.



That smell used to be horrific.

I remember when people were given the right to access their medical records, and several were angry with 'NFB' being marked on records by staff at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, when they discovered it meant 'Normal For Bridgwater'. 

ETA - as hinted at in this article.



> There’s a long-standing joke in Somerset that people in Bridgwater are different. Many will have come across the abbreviation NFB – Normal for Bridgwater –* used ungenerously by those who should know better over the years.*
> 
> 
> 
> ...



And, there's even an album. 



See edit, rubbershoes.


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## rubbershoes (Jan 7, 2022)

A lot of the villages near Bridgwater are really nice though. It's a shame the town hasn't improved.


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## cupid_stunt (Jan 7, 2022)

rubbershoes said:


> A lot of the villages near Bridgwater are really nice though. It's a shame the town hasn't improved.



When I worked at Somerset Life magazine, we would get complaints from subscribers in those villages, because we had added 'Bridgwater' in CAPS to their addresses 😲 , we had to explain that to get the bulk mailing discounts, addresses had to be correct and include the postal town in caps, they were not happy.  🤷‍♂️


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## hermitical (Jan 7, 2022)

MBV said:


> Went to a very nice veggie cafe that also did good coffee in Taunton. There's worse places to live


We're lucky to have a great vegan cafe in Wellington. The owners ran what was our local pub here as well as the Prince of Wales in Bishopston, Bristol.



[62] said:


> I used to go and watch Tiverton Town FC quite regularly in the early 00s and went back again for the first time in a while around four-five years ago when Torquay had a pre-season game there. The town did seem to have gone very slightly upmarket.
> 
> I think Tivvy's reputation is increasingly historical nowadays. It was quite an industrial town for a long time, then a post-industrial one, in an area that was otherwise very agricultural. That said, it does have its moments (see local news for details) and I'll be staying in Exeter thanksverymuch.


I think it is a similar story to Wellington, turned around in the last few years when it could quite easily have slowly died.
It also has its moments, we thought it was quaint when the local police went door-to-door because a bike had been stolen from a back garden. We had a major incident just before Christmas as well:








						Police appeal after window smashed near Wellington town centre
					

POLICE are appealing for help to identify the person who smashed this window in a building off Wellington town centre.




					www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk
				






stavros said:


> No idea. I left Zummerzet not long after it opened, and I only ever went to Wellie for evening classes.


Might have been a few paces from where we are, there is a Somerset learning centre, looks like a small old school.



Carvaged said:


> Crediton's also a good place check out with a strong sense of community, nice range of local/niche shops, cheap housing, reasonable transport links and a short drive to Exeter for the bigger outlets.


Yep, again similar to Wellington. Great sense of community, lots of local/independent shops (as well as some small supermarkets, Asda, Waitrose and it looks like Lidl might be getting the go-ahead).  The transport links could be better but we are near the motorway, National Express and Falcon (Plymouth <> Bristol 24 hrs a day) stop here and as I mentioned above there is a target opening date of May 2025 for the train station, Cullompton likewise.


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## stavros (Jan 7, 2022)

hermitical said:


> Might have been a few paces from where we are, there is a Somerset learning centre, looks like a small old school.


That's right, just off the road towards Milverton, next to the sports centre.


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## hermitical (Jan 7, 2022)

Yep, that's us, right at that end of the street where the car park entrance is. As for Milverton, it's where we both work.


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## Elpenor (Jan 7, 2022)

I may go over and take a look at Wellington one weekend. I don’t think I want to live in Exeter long-term, and it seems to have the tick boxes I want from a town - cinema, swimming pool, rugby club, running club. 

The station will be a game changer I think.


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## stavros (Jan 8, 2022)

Elpenor said:


> I may go over and take a look at Wellington one weekend. I don’t think I want to live in Exeter long-term, and it seems to have the tick boxes I want from a town - cinema, swimming pool, rugby club, running club.
> 
> The station will be a game changer I think.


Is there a station going in? It was always somewhat amusing that Wellie has a Station Road, but no station.


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## cupid_stunt (Jan 9, 2022)

stavros said:


> Is there a station going in? It was always somewhat amusing that Wellie has a Station Road, but no station.



Looks like it's going ahead.



> The full Budget and Spending Review document has revealed that the Government will continue "to spend £500 million to restore transport services lost in the Beeching cuts of the 1960s and improve local connectivity".
> 
> This will include £5 million of development funding to re-open railway stations in Wellington, Somerset and Cullompton, Devon.











						Budget 2021: Development funding announced for Wellington train station
					

DEVELOPMENT funding has been announced in the Autumn Budget to progress plans to re-open railway stations in Wellington and Cullompton.




					www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk


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## hermitical (Jan 10, 2022)

There was an update in the last week or so, May 2025 is targeted opening date.





						Target date for new railway station – Around Wellington
					






					www.aroundwellington.co.uk
				



Not going to be site of original station (basically at the end of our road) but I think near new estate just as you enter from the Taunton/M5 side.


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## hermitical (Jan 10, 2022)

Elpenor said:


> I may go over and take a look at Wellington one weekend. I don’t think I want to live in Exeter long-term, and it seems to have the tick boxes I want from a town - cinema, swimming pool, rugby club, running club.
> 
> The station will be a game changer I think.


In case it's your thing there is also a members only open air swimming pool in Wellington and also one in Wiveliscombe, a few miles away.
Cinema is an old-fashioned one screen affair so don't go expecting lots of interesting art-house stuff, but it is sweet and over the last year me and a mate have tried to go most weeks as a small way of supporting it.
Since The Dolphin closed (only five minutes walk from us) I've not been into town much for the pubs, there is the ubiquitous Wetherspoons (which I've not set foot in yet), some standard pubs and one that opened last year, just called The Pub which I think was aiming a bit more towards the craft ale side of things - doing pretty well afaik.

If there's anything you might need to know just drop me a line....


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## Ground Elder (Jan 10, 2022)

Should I include an SAE?


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## hermitical (Jan 18, 2022)

or a SASE if you will


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## Dogsauce (Feb 8, 2022)

kilve is great for an easy day out from there. Really rocky bit of coast with tons of ammonites, like whole seams of them in the cliffs.


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## ska invita (Feb 9, 2022)

Dogsauce said:


> kilve is great for an easy day out from there. Really rocky bit of coast with tons of ammonites, like whole seams of them in the cliffs.


love that place....i swam there last year....bit tricky to get into the sea though! and get out
lovely spot though, and also love the clifftop walk there

ive got some photos now i think of it

Beach:


zero people there

view from the cliff:



Filter achieved by sticking sunglasses infront of phone cam


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