Bridgwater Carnival is one of the world’s greatest carnival spectacles. In fact it is regarded as the largest and best illuminated procession in the world. It owes its existence to Guy Fawkes when Bridgwater and Somerset went completely over the top in celebrating the failure of the Gunpowder Plot, when King James I decreed that the realm should celebrate with the lighting of bonfires.
Nowadays, during October and November, Somerset carnival comes alive and the Bridgwater Carnival at the beginning of November is the most magnificent of them all. In the old days, it was more a celebration than a carnival with everyone gathering around a huge bonfire on the Cornhill in the centre of town. Many wore masks to hide their identity and so were able to get up to all sorts of harmless mischief. However, in 1880, it all went horribly wrong when the event turned into a night of rioting.
There are now carnivals in most of the major towns in Somerset, all on different dates. It’s not unusual for traffic to be very slow moving as huge carnival floats make their way from one town to another. However, it’s Bridgwater Carnival that is the biggest and best. People travel from all over the world to witness the mesmerizing display of light, sound and the visually spectacular. The carnival floats, each illuminated by hundreds of light bulbs, are awe inspiring.
There’s nowhere more appropriate to stay than one of the great castle hotels of England, the luxury hotel near Bridgwater Carnival.
Other activities to enjoy whilst staying at The Castle include watching the cricket at the Somerset County Cricket Ground, enjoying the thrill of the races at Taunton Racecourse, taking a nostalgic trip to Minehead on the West Somerset Railway…then there's the Fleet Air Arm Museum. |
