What You Need to Know Before Hunting Taunton's Hidden Art
Most people drive straight past the stuff. They see a weathered stone carving on a side street and think it is just old masonry. They pass the bronze plaque tucked behind a hedge in the market area without a second glance. I have spent years tracking down these pieces, and the problem is not that they are hard to find. The problem is that nobody tells you what to look for. The Gazette did a run on this a while back, and it was the closest thing we have to an official map of the scattered works. But the article itself only scratched the surface. If you actually want to track these pieces down in person, you need a different approach than just reading a news piece and wandering around with your phone camera. I started looking into this after reading the Gazette feature. What I found was that most of the documented pieces are sitting in places that are either poorly signed or completely unmarked. There is a medieval misericord in the chancel of St James that most visitors never notice because it is on a seat folded against the wall. There is a pair of 19th century ironwork panels on a side gate near the castle grounds that look like plain fencing until you step close enough to read the maker's mark. The Gazette piece pointed toward these, but it did not explain how to access them properly.
The main issue with these hidden pieces is access. A lot of them are on private property or in areas that are locked after hours. I learned this the hard way when I spent an entire afternoon trying to photograph a set of stained glass fragments that were installed in a former chapelry off Bath Street. The door was padlocked, and there was no contact information posted. I ended up emailing the Taunton Deane heritage group, and they finally got me a keyholder number. That is the realistic path for a lot of these sites. You cannot just walk in. Another thing the Gazette article glossed over is attribution. Several of the pieces listed have disputed creators. One of the larger bronze reliefs near the riverwalk has been credited to different sculptors over the years depending on which guidebook you read. The plaque on the piece itself was worn down to the point where you can barely make out initials. When I finally got a clear rubbings of the maker's mark, it turned out to be a local foundry from the 1920s that most people do not know existed. That kind of detail does not show up in a standard newspaper feature.
How to Actually Track These Pieces Down
You need to start with primary sources instead of secondary news articles. The Somerset Heritage Service has archives that list many of these installations with original commission dates and locations. The Taunton Castle Museum holds plans and correspondence for several of the larger public works. Those records are not always digitized, so you may need to visit in person or request copies through their enquiries process. I also keep a file of contact details for the people who maintain these sites. Church wardens, groundskeepers, and local historical societies. When I am planning a hunt, I text ahead to see if doors will be open or if there are restrictions. This saves you from wasting a trip. One time I drove out to a remote garden sculpture near Bishops Lydeard based on a Gazette reference, and the property was sold and the piece had been removed. The article was six months old. The sale happened three months before publication. I should have called the current owners first. The best time to go is weekday mornings. Weekends bring crowds to the main attractions, and the quieter pieces get blocked from view or photographed by others. If you are trying to get clean shots of anything with inscriptions, you need unobstructed light and space to move around the work. Morning gives you that. It also means fewer people asking what you are doing when you are kneeling in the mud reading a faded stone date.
Get the Full Details
What to Bring and How to Document
A decent macro lens or your phone with a good close focus setting. Most of these pieces have small details that define them. A polarizing filter helps cut glare off bronze and glass. I also carry a soft brush and a spray bottle with distilled water for cleaning grime off plaques and carvings before photographing. Some surfaces accumulate decades of bird droppings and pollution residue that obscure the actual work. Keep a notebook or a notes app open with GPS coordinates for each site. The Gazette article gave street names, but some of these works are set back from the road or around corners where a general location is not precise enough. I mark whether the piece is on public land, private property, or in a restricted access zone. That information matters if you ever want to return or share your findings with others. Do not touch the artwork. This sounds obvious, but I have seen people lean on stone carvings for support or wipe moss off bronze assuming they are helping. Oils from your hands damage patina. Moisture promotes corrosion. A quick photo is all you need. If a piece is too dark or blocked to photograph, move on and come back later or contact the relevant authority for access.
Pieces Worth Prioritizing
Based on what I have found, these are the ones that tend to get overlooked but are worth the effort: Relying on old maps without checking for changes. Taunton has undergone significant redevelopment over the last few decades. A piece listed in a 1990 guide may have been moved, removed, or demolished. Always verify current location through recent sources or by contacting local heritage groups before heading out. Assuming everything is freely accessible. I already mentioned the padlocked chapelry. There are other sites with similar restrictions. Do not trespass. If a piece is not publicly accessible, reach out through proper channels. Most people are willing to help if you are respectful and patient.
Not recording the context. The surroundings matter. A sculpture in its original setting tells a different story than one moved to a museum courtyard. Note the environment, the lighting, the adjacent architecture. These details add value to your documentation and help others understand the work better.
Where to Find Updated Information
The Taunton Gazette article is a starting point, not a complete guide. For more current information, check the Somerset Heritage Service website and the Taunton Deane Borough Council planning and conservation pages. Local historical societies often post updates about rediscovered or restored pieces. The TA1 library also has a small but useful collection of local art records. If you want to share your own findings, reach out to these organizations. They appreciate documented additions to the record. The Gazette did good work bringing attention to these hidden treasures, but the job of tracking them down accurately falls to anyone willing to put in the time.
