Langport

Langport lies on the east bank of the River Parrett, on the ancient way from Glastonbury to Taunton. The Parrett flows on to the Somerset Levels, passing Bridgwater, and below Langport it is tidal. Langport has a population of 3,578, and Huish Episcopi is a separate parish that includes much of the town’s outskirts.

The town has one building people remember: the Hanging Chapel. An archway crosses the road, bearing a Perpendicular building known as The Hanging Chapel. The Great Bow Bridge, which now carries the A378, is a three-arched bridge. Langport was also the site of a Civil War battle, where the last effective Royalist field army was destroyed.

Muchelney Abbey, in the village of Muchelney on the Somerset Levels, lies close to Langport. The monks surrendered it to Henry VIII in 1538, and its ruins are a scheduled monument. The Abbot’s House is the only intact building. The Office of Works took the site over in 1927, and it is now cared for by English Heritage; check its website for current opening days before you go.

For travel on to other towns, Glastonbury and Taunton lie at either end of the old way through Langport. The nearby village of Curry Rivel has Langport as its post town and about 2,300 people at the 2021 census.