IChurch · listed 1952St Mary MagdaleneOn the list as Church of St Mary MagdalenePhoto: Ken Grainger · CC BY-SA 2.0
Nos. 1-10 Grays Alms Houses · Photo: Harrias · CC BY-SA 4.0A−History Grade
History of Taunton · Historic England
375 listed buildings, 6 of them Grade I
Historic England counts them inside Taunton’s built-up area, 61 for every 10,000 residents. It also has 2 scheduled monuments. We have photos of 35 of its listed buildings and 5 old views of the town. 15% of its homes were built before 1919. Taunton grades A− for history: #20 of 49 in Somerset.
Listed buildings
375
61 per 10,000 residents
Grade I
6
exceptional interest
Grade II*
31
more than special interest
Scheduled monuments
2
nationally important sites
Homes built before 1919
15%
typical UK town 15%
In pictures
Taunton in 41 photos and old views
Nearly every Grade I and II* building, photographed, and the town before 1950. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Church of St Mary MagdaleneGrade I listed
No. 15 Fore Street and cottage at rearGrade I listed
Stone Cider Mill (In Garden Between the Public Library and Somerset College of Art)Grade II listed
New InnGrade II listed
Tone BridgeGrade II listed+36See all photosPhotos from Wikimedia Commons and Geograph, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its licence; names open the building’s page or its official list entry.
Through time
Taunton from 1890 to 1910
5 old photos and postcards, in date order. All public domain, made before 1950.
1890
1890
c. 1904
1906
c. 1910Public domain, from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server. Each credit opens the image’s page with its full description and history.
The map
Where Taunton’s history is
Every Grade I and II* building, monument and historic park, over the age of each neighbourhood’s homes.
Grade IGrade II*Scheduled monument400 m from Castle Bow
Homes built before 1919, by neighbourhoodunder 10%10–25%25–50%50%+
5 of 6Grade I buildings stand within 400 m of Castle Bow, a five-minute walk. So do 162 of the 375 listed buildings.
3 of 37neighbourhoods have mostly pre-1919 homes; in the oldest, 74% were built before 1919.
Hover a dot for its name; tap one with a photo to open it.
375 listed buildings by grade
6 Grade I31 Grade II*338 Grade II
Historic England lists buildings in three grades: Grade I for buildings of exceptional interest (about 2.5% of all listed buildings), Grade II* for particularly important buildings of more than special interest (about 5.8%), and Grade II for buildings of special interest (about 91.7%). Listing protects the whole building, inside and out.
Every entry on the National Heritage List for England whose point lies inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary. One list entry can cover a terrace or a group of buildings. Neighbourhood dots: the population-weighted centre of each Census 2021 output area, coloured by its neighbourhood’s (LSOA’s) share of homes built before 1919 (Valuation Office Agency, March 2025).
Grade I
The 6 Grade I listed buildings in Taunton
Buildings of exceptional interest, about 2.5% of all listed buildings; 5 of these stand within 400 m of Castle Bow. Every one is photographed. Each opens its own page, with the official list entry.
IHouse · listed 1952Gray's AlmshousesOn the list as Nos. 1-10 Grays Alms HousesPhoto: Harrias · CC BY-SA 4.0
IHouse · listed 1952Tudor TavernOn the list as No. 15 Fore Street and cottage at rearPhoto: Unknown photographer · CC BY-SA 2.0
IPublic · listed 1952Castle BowPhoto: Simon Burchell · CC BY-SA 4.0
IChurch · listed 1952Church of St John the EvangelistPhoto: Geof Sheppard · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPublic · listed 1952The Castle (the Inhabited Parts Only)On the list as Taunton Castle: Standing Buildings of the Inner CourtPhoto: Simon Burchell · CC BY-SA 4.0
Grade II*
The 31 Grade II* listed buildings in Taunton
Particularly important buildings of more than special interest. 26 are photographed.
II*Church · listed 1955Church of St Peter and St Paul, Bishop's HullOn the list as Church of St Peter and St PaulPhoto: Derek Harper · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*House · listed 1952Conservative ClubPhoto: Harrias · CC BY-SA 3.0
II*Inns & shops · listed 1952County HotelPhoto: Jonathan Thacker · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*House · listed 1955Manor HousePhoto: Derek Harper · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Public · listed 1952Masonic HallPhoto: Harrias · CC BY-SA 3.0
II*Public · listed 1952Taunton Grammar SchoolOn the list as Municipal Building (West End) Municipal Buildings (East End) (Incorporating the Old Grammar School)Photo: Ken Grainger · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Church · listed 1975Somerset Cricket MuseumOn the list as Priory BarnPhoto: Harrias · CC BY-SA 3.0
II*Public · listed 1975Queens CollegePhoto: Barbara Cook · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Church · listed 1975St George's Roman Catholic ChurchOn the list as Roman Catholic Church of St GeorgePhoto: Harrias · CC BY-SA 3.0
II*Church · listed 1952St George's ChurchPhoto: Harrias · CC BY-SA 3.0
II*Church · listed 1952Church of St. JamesOn the list as St James ChurchPhoto: Geof Sheppard · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*Public · listed 1975St Joseph's ConventPhoto: Harrias · CC BY-SA 3.0
Show the other 19
II*Public · listed 1952St Margaret's AlmshousesOn the list as St Margaret's HospitalPhoto: Ken Grainger · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Public · listed 1952The Market HousePhoto: Geof Sheppard · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*Church · listed 1952Taunton Unitarian ChapelOn the list as Unitarian ChapelPhoto: Harrias · CC BY-SA 3.0
II*House · listed 1975Wheatleigh HousePhoto: Nick Chipchase · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*House · listed 19521-5, The CrescentPhoto: Harrias · CC BY-SA 3.0
II*House · listed 19521-6, CheapsidePhoto: Jonathan Thacker · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*House · listed 1973115 and 117, Galmington RoadPhoto: Harrias · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*House · listed 195212, Middle StreetPhoto: Harrias · CC BY-SA 3.0
II*House · listed 195215, The CrescentPhoto: Martin Bodman · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*House · listed 197516-20, Park StreetPhoto: Harrias · CC BY-SA 3.0
II*House · listed 195218, Fore StreetPhoto: Geof Sheppard · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*House · listed 195224-28, Silver StreetPhoto: Harrias · CC BY-SA 3.0
II*House · listed 19524-8, Hammet StreetPhoto: Jonathan Thacker · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*House · listed 195248, East StreetPhoto: Simon Burchell · CC BY-SA 4.0
Public · listed 1955Pyrland Hall
House · listed 1952Sherford House
House · listed 1975Summerhouse at Language Centre
House · listed 195213-17, Hammet Street
House · listed 19529-12, Hammet Street
Historic streets
The Fore Street and High Street have the most listed buildings
Streets by the listed entries with an address on them. One entry can be a whole terrace, so long rows count once.
Fore Street14 listed · 1 II*
High Street14 listed
East Reach11 listed
Middle Street10 listed · 1 II*
East Street9 listed · 1 II*
North Street9 listed
Silver Street8 listed · 1 II*
Staplegrove Road7 listed
Mount Street6 listed
Canon Street5 listed
Park Street5 listed · 1 II*
St James Street4 listed
Of the 375 entries, 140 are named by a street address; the rest are named buildings such as churches, halls and bridges.
What’s protected
Most of Taunton’s listed buildings are homes
Every listed building sorted by what its list name says it is.
Houses, terraces & villas271
Public & civic buildings37
Walls, gates & bridges25
Churches, chapels & priories19
Inns, shops & warehouses18
Memorials, crosses & tombs3
Street furniture2
271 entries (72%) are houses, terraces and villas. 19 are churches, chapels and priories, including 2 of the 6 Grade I buildings.
Buildings are sorted by words in each entry’s name (church, gate, inn, memorial…): the list’s open data has no building type. An entry named only by its address counts as a house.
Grade II
338 Grade II listed buildings
Most listed buildings are in this grade, which covers buildings of special interest. Open any building to read its official list entry.
The first 150 of 338 Grade II listed buildings, A to Z
A Block County Hall and Entrance Forecourt and PavementsAgriculture HouseAshfield HouseBaptist ChurchBarton HouseBath HouseBelmont HouseBishop's Hull War MemorialBishops Hull House, Walls Enclosing Forecourt and GatepiersBishopsmeadBlack Horse and Myrtle Tree InnsBlock 'B' to Southeast of Somerset and Bath Constabulary HeadquartersBloomfield LodgeBoundary Marker at Ngr St 2129 2455Boundary Marker at Ngr St 2168 2290Bramdean and The Coach House, and archway to northBrendon BarBrick Wall Running East from Reat Ofno 14 and Dragon Book Shop, Corporation StreetBrick Wall with Gateway Attached to Cottage at the VicarageBridge HouseBurma War Memorial to the North of the Market HouseCamelot ClubCast Iron Triangular Boundary Post Outside No 47 Shoreditch RoadCastle HotelCastle LodgeCentral County Primary SchoolChapel and Attached Ancillary Areas at Taunton Deane CrematoriumChurch of the Holy TrinityCircular Memorial Chapel at Taunton Deane CrematoriumClune HouseComeytrowe ManorCongregational ChurchCorner House HotelCottage Attached to South East Corner of VicarageCottage Inn (Centre Building)Creech Castle HotelDetached Outbuilding at Tudor and Manor Farm CottagesDouble SixDragon Book ShopElms ParadeElms ParadeEntrance Gates and Gatepiers to Vivary ParkEntrance Gates to Infant SchoolFairwaterFirepool Pumping StationFons George HouseFootbridge and Wall Abutting on North West Side at Ngr St 2213 2295Forde HouseFormer Club PremisesFormer Entrance to Comeytrowe Manor, Approximately 40 Metres to South of Junction with Comeytrowe RoadFormer Great Western HotelFullands HouseGarden Wall Along Street at Number 14 Wellington RoadGarden Wall at the PrioryGarden Walls Along Street at Numbers 16 to 20Garden Walls Along Street at Numbers 21 to 25Gate Piers and Gate at Entrance to Rumwell ParkGatepiers and Gates at Grove LodgeGatepiers and Walls Along Street at King's CollegeGatepiers at Weir LodgeGates and Piers with Railings at West End of the Church of St Mary MagdaleneGateway and Gates at Cemetery of St Mary Magdalene and Bishop's HullGeorge HotelGreenleavesGrove LodgeGurdsHalcon CentreHall Adjoining No 2 Old School CottagesHankridge FarmhouseHaydon HouseHighclereHodge Carpet SaleroomHooksHouse Adjacent to Jellalabad House on the Northeast SideIna CottageIvor CottageIvor HouseKing's CollegeLaurel HouseLilac CottageLower Holway FarmhouseLowlandsLyngford HouseMaidenbrook Farmhouse with Attached Barn and WallsMain Entrance Block of Trinity HospitalMary Street HouseMary Street Memorial SchoolsMeadow BankMeryan House HotelMiddle Street HouseMilestone West of Number 51 Trull RoadMount TerraceMountswoodMusgrove ManorNational Westminster BankNaval and Military InnNerrols FarmhouseNetherclay HouseNew InnNo 16 and Midland BankNorthtown House Yarde HouseNos 1 and 2 (Former Almshouses)Numbers 24A to 29 and Numbers 1 to 6 Vivary ApartmentsObridge HouseOkehillsOld Council HouseOld School CottagesOrnamental Column in Garden to South East of Wilton HouseOsborne HouseOutbuilding in Yard of J Coles and Sons, Builders. Wall Along StreetPhoenix HotelPowlett HousePremises of Somerset Child Guidance and Schools Psychological ServicePriory Close, 17 Canon Street and wall attached to leftPriory LodgePrudential AssurancePublic House Public LibraryPyrland FarmhouseQueen Anne CottageRailings and Gates to Churchyard of the Church of St JamesRailings, Gates and Gatepiers on Street at Congregational ChurchRectory, Gateway, Garden Building and Boundary RailingsRichard Huish HomesRoman Catholic Church of St Teresa of Lisieux and attached presbyteryRumwell HallRumwell Park Rumwell Park NorthService Box at Junction with Staplegrove RoadSherford LodgeShire HallShute CottageShuttern HouseSix Lamp Standards to South of the Market House, Between the Market House and the Tudor TavernSomerset College of ArtSomerset HouseSomerset Nuffield HospitalSomerset and Bath Constabulary HeadquartersSomerset and Wilts Savings BankSouthfieldSt Andrew's ChurchSt Mary's VicarageSt Pauls House (Corporation Offices)Stables and Coachouse, About 10 Matres North of Lyngford HouseStaplegrove HouseStone Cider Mill (In Garden Between the Public Library and Somerset College of Art)Swan InnSwiss CottageTauntfieldTaunton Head Post OfficeTaunton SchoolTaunton Station (South Block)
Conservation areas
11 conservation areas cover 5% of Taunton
Areas the council protects as a whole: demolition and changes to how buildings look need consent, and trees are protected.
Haines Hill and Trull Road 202324 ha
South Road, Taunton 197514 ha
Staplegrove Road, Taunton 197512 ha
Saint Mary and Saint James, Taunton 19758 ha
Bishops Hull 19777 ha
Mount Street and Vivary Park, Taunton 19756 ha
Park Street and Wellington Road, Taunton 19754 ha
Castle Green and Bath Place, Taunton 19754 ha
Fons George, Taunton 19982 ha
The Crescent, Taunton 19751 ha
Staplegrove 19981 ha
83 hain conservation areas, of 1,671 ha inside the built-up area.
The first, South Road, Taunton, Staplegrove Road, Taunton and Saint Mary and Saint James, Taunton, were designated in 1975; the newest, Haines Hill and Trull Road, in 2023. 195 of the 375 listed buildings stand in one.
Historic England’s conservation areas layer, supplied by councils (incomplete in places, so a page fact, never graded). Hectares are the part of each area inside the built-up area.
How the list grew
More than half of Taunton’s listed buildings were added in one year, 1975
The year each building now on the list was first listed.
1975 · 2371952 · 48
19501960197019801990200020102020
The first 48 entries were listed in 1952, 6 of the 6 Grade I buildings among them. 237 came in 1975, in the national resurvey of the 1970s and 80s. Only 6 have been added in the last 15 years.
Monuments & landscapes
Monuments, parks and gardens
Designations that overlap the town by a tenth of their area or half a hectare.
2 scheduled monuments
Nationally important archaeological sites and monuments, protected by law; work on them needs consent from the Secretary of State, advised by Historic England.
History Grade
Taunton grades A− for history
Protected heritage and the age of the town’s homes, against all UK towns.
Protected heritage, for its size and in all (422 points, 68 per 10,000 residents)More than 80% of UK towns
Homes built before 1919 (15%)More than 44% of UK towns
Two measures, each ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more, with protected heritage counting twice as much as the age of homes. Protected heritage counts each listed building by its grade (Grade I three points, II* two, II one), each scheduled monument and battlefield two, and each registered park or garden by its grade; it is ranked both per 10,000 residents and as a total, so a village with one fine church doesn’t outrank a historic city. The second measure is the share of homes built before 1919, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records. History is a character grade: it describes the town and isn’t part of the overall grade.
Born here
40 notable people born in Taunton before 1900
The 20 best known on one timeline, earliest first.
Richard Mico
Thomas Savage
John Hurford Stone
Harry Toulmin
Edwin Norris
Charles Edward Trevelyan, 1st Baronet
Alexander William Kinglake
William Duppa Crotch
Alfred B. Mullett
George Robert Crotch
Johnson Symington
William Henry Hamilton Trood
Alexander Barrett
Fred Coyle
Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard
Frank Montague Moore
Oswald Samson
Ned Sale
James Maxwell
Colleen Clifford
155016001650170017501800185019001950
Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard1873–1956 · Royal Flying Corps commander and first Royal Air Force Chief of the A…
Alexander William Kinglake1809–1891 · English travel writer and historian (1809-1891)
Charles Edward Trevelyan, 1st Baronet1807–1886 · Colonial administrator and historian (1807-1886)
George Robert Crotch1842–1874 · British entomologist (1842-1874)
CC
Colleen Clifford1898–1996 · Australian actress (1898-1996)
FM
Frank Montague Moore1877–1967 · American artist (1877-1967)
RM
Richard Mico1590–1661 · English composer and organist
EN
Edwin Norris1795–1872 · British philologist and orientalist
Everyone born in Taunton → Birthplaces from Wikidata; portraits from Wikimedia Commons.
Towns its size
Taunton has the 20th most Grade I buildings of 179 towns its size
Places of 37,000–99,000 people outside London, by Grade I listed buildings.
Taunton6
#19 of 179for listed buildings per resident (61 per 10,000). Bath, Bury St Edmunds and Canterbury lead.
19 have more. Taunton is level with Trowbridge, Boston and Grimsby. The typical town its size has 1.
Neighbours
Listed buildings in the places around Taunton
| Town | People | Listed | Grade I | History |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taunton | 61,667 | 375 | 6 | A− |
| Trull | 1,427 | 15 | 1 | B+ |
| Norton Fitzwarren | 3,770 | 9 | 0 | C− |
| Monkton Heathfield | 4,584 | 2 | 0 | D− |
| Ruishton | 1,476 | 12 | 1 | B− |
| Creech St Michael | 2,327 | 16 | 1 | B− |
| Cotford St Luke | 2,411 | 2 | 0 | D |
| Bishops Lydeard | 2,050 | 32 | 1 | B+ |
In brief
Taunton in brief
Per resident, Taunton has more listed heritage than 80% of UK towns. All told, the list holds 375 listed buildings, 6 of them Grade I, including St Mary Magdalene. Castle Bow sits at the heart of it all, with 5 of the town’s Grade I buildings within 400 m. Only 19 of the 179 towns nearest its size have more Grade I buildings.
On Fore Street alone there are 14 listed buildings. Its older streets lie in 11 conservation areas, the first designated in 1975. Of the whole list, 72% are houses, terraces and villas. The rest is about typical: it also has 2 scheduled monuments; and 15% of its homes were built before 1919, close to the 15% in the typical UK town.
Questions about Taunton’s history
How many listed buildings are there in Taunton?
Historic England lists 375 buildings inside Taunton’s built-up area: 6 Grade I, 31 Grade II* and 338 Grade II.
What are the Grade I listed buildings in Taunton?
6, including Castle Bow, Church of St John the Evangelist, Church of St Mary Magdalene, No. 15 Fore Street and cottage at rear, Nos. 1-10 Grays Alms Houses and Taunton Castle: Standing Buildings of the Inner Court.
Which street in Taunton has the most listed buildings?
Fore Street (14), High Street (14) and East Reach (11) have the most listed entries named by an address. One entry can be a whole terrace.
Are there scheduled monuments in Taunton?
Yes, 2 scheduled monuments, including Borough Bank, a section of medieval town defences 70m north of St Mary Magdalene Church and Taunton Castle: a motte and bailey castle, part of the outer bailey, an Anglo-Saxon cemetery and a Civil War artillery platform.
How many conservation areas are there in Taunton?
11, covering about 83 hectares of the town. The largest are Haines Hill and Trull Road and South Road, Taunton.
When were Taunton’s buildings listed?
The first in 1952; the most, 237, in 1975.
Are there old photos of Taunton?
Yes: 5 public-domain photos and postcards from 1890 to 1910, all on this page.
Who was born in Taunton?
Among people born before 1900: Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard (1873), Alexander William Kinglake (1809), Charles Edward Trevelyan, 1st Baronet (1807), George Robert Crotch (1842) and Colleen Clifford (1898).
How old are the homes in Taunton?
15% of homes were built before 1919 and 27% before 1940, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records (March 2025).
© Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. The National Heritage List for England is the official, up-to-date register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites in England; check an entry on Historic England’s website before relying on it.
Sources: Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only · Historic England conservation areas (supplied by local planning authorities; October 2026). All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.