Taunton railway station is a junction station on the route from London to Penzance, 163 miles 12 chains (263 km) west of London Paddington station, measured via Box. It is situated in Taunton, Somerset, and is operated by Great Western Railway. The station is also served by CrossCountry trains and by the West Somerset Railway on special event days and by mainline steam excursions.
The main buildings in 2021
A westbound train in 1892 when part of the platform was covered by a roof
Outside the engine shed in 1949
Seen from the "Forty steps" footbridge, which crosses the line (and many former sidings) at the west end. Platform 5 is on the left, while a CrossCountry train to Plymouth is at platform 2.
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. It is a market town and has a minster church. Its population in 2011 was 64,621. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the Bishops of Winchester. Parts of the inner ward house were turned into the Museum of Somerset and Somerset Military Museum. For the Second Cornish uprising of 1497, Perkin Warbeck brought an army of 6,000; most surrendered to Henry VII on 4 October 1497. On 20 June 1685 in Taunton the Duke of Monmouth crowned himself King of England in a rebellion, defeated at the Battle of Sedgemoor. Judge Jeffreys led the Bloody Assizes in the Castle's Great Hall.
Image: St. Mary's, Taunton geograph.org.uk 1217534
Image: The Old Grammar School, Corporation Street, Taunton geograph.org.uk 1235403
Image: Taunton, The Crescent geograph.org.uk 181181
Image: Vivary fountain 3 2793
