Wellington

Wellington is 7 miles south west of Taunton, near the border with Devon, and a royal charter of 1215 gave it its status as a town. The built-up area has a population of 13,815. The parish as a whole had a population of 16,678. The M5 is close, at junction 26, which makes it a handy base for arrivals from the north or east.

The Blackdown Hills run along to the south of the town, and on a point of them stands the Wellington Monument. It is a 175-foot triangular obelisk, the tallest three-sided obelisk in the world, with a base 80 feet wide, built to celebrate the Duke of Wellington’s victory at the Battle of Waterloo. Building began in 1817 and finished in 1854. It is owned by the National Trust. An internal staircase climbs to a viewing platform with three circular windows. The monument was closed to the public in 2007 over safety concerns and reopened in August 2021, so check current access before planning a walk around it. It is 3 km south of the town.

The town’s industrial past survives at Tonedale, where the mill complex includes two listed buildings. Around Wellington are several dependent villages, including West Buckland, Langford Budville and Nynehead.