The Town of LANGPORT in the County of Somerset

Langport is a small town of approx 1150 residents, and is surrounded by the parish of Huish Episcopi, approx 3500 residents.
The main street is Called Bow Street, the streer is approx 20 thick and dates back before the Romans. It has settled down that much over the years due to soft ground. Further to rumours the town does not flood, as it is surrounded by a bund, called the town flood bank.
The road travel West and is a series of sunken bows, which connected under the town by sluices and ditches. Long been neglected by The Environment Agency.
The town used to mint currency for Somerset. Vessels used to travel up the River Parrett, and discharge cargoes into the town.
The fishing is excellent, in a very peaceful environment.

The maps shown, indicate a blue area, assumed for flooding. This is incorrect, the town does not flood, the area South of the river does. It is designed & built as a flood alleviance area.

Langport's history is marked by strategic importance, royal ties, and resilience through turbulent events.

The town was originally known as "Lamport" derived from the Celtic word "llan" meaning church,.

Situated on the River Parrett, Langport's location made it a key transit point for trade, especially during the Napoleonic Wars, when it served as a landing site for river vessels.

In Saxon times, it was a royal borough held by Edward the Confessor, later granted to the Rivel family in the 12th century and passing to the Beauforts in the 15th, including Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII.

Langport faced the devastation of the Black Death in 1348-49, losing much of its population and clergy.

The town also had a mint and once sent representatives to Parliament in the early 14th century, although it lost its borough status later on.

By the 1500s, the town was involved in the flourishing cloth trade, trading goods with merchants from Bridgwater and Bordeaux. The town's Hanging Chapel, built over one of its gates, became a symbol of local governance, hosting the town hall and, later, the grammar school.

During the English Civil War, Langport was garrisoned for the Royalists until 1645, when Lord Goring's troops, notorious for pillaging, held the town.

Following Cromwell's victory at Naseby, Sir Thomas Fairfax's Parliamentary forces defeated the Royalists at Langport, pushing them toward Bridgwater. This led to the town’s eventual alignment with Parliament.

The Hanging Chapel, St. Mary Magdalene's Hospital, and Langport's ancient Grammar School reflect the town's religious and educational history.

The grammar school, endowed in 1675, taught local boys free of charge.

Langport maintained its civic pride until the late 19th century when its corporation was dissolved in 1886, commemorated by a final, muffled peal of bells.

Langport's historical artifacts, including a town mace dating back to Charles I