Editing Bridgwater (section)

===Port of Bridgwater===

{{main|Port of Bridgwater}}
[[File:Bridgwater Town Bridge.jpg|thumb|right|Bridgwater Town Bridge, the original highest point of navigation on the [[River Parrett]]]]
[[File:West Quay, Bridgwater from the old town bridge - geograph.org.uk - 1459534.jpg|thumb|right|The former West Quay within the town. Some of the buildings show [[Dutch architecture|Dutch]] architectural influence, showing how far regular trade routes led from the town]]
In the medieval period the River Parrett was used to transport [[Hamstone]] from the quarry at [[Ham Hill, Somerset|Ham Hill]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Gerrard |first=Christopher M. |year=1985 |title=Ham Hill Stone: A medieval distribution pattern from Somerset |journal=Oxford Journal of Archaeology |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=105–116 |doi= 10.1111/j.1468-0092.1985.tb00234.x }}</ref> Bridgwater was part of the [[Port of Bristol]] until the Port of Bridgwater was created in 1348,<ref name="somharbours"/> covering {{convert|80|mi|km}} of the Somerset coast line, from the [[Devon]] border to the mouth of the [[River Axe (Bristol Channel)|River Axe]].<ref name="lawrence-8">Lawrence, J.F. (revised and completed by Lawrence, J.C.) (2005). ''A History of Bridgwater''. Chichester: Phillimore. {{ISBN|1-86077-363-X}}. Chapter 8: "The Medieval Port of Bridgwater".</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Farr|first=Grahame |title=Somerset Harbours |publisher=Christopher Johnson |location=London |year=1954 |page=104|isbn=0-900131-15-2}}</ref> Under an 1845 [[Act of Parliament]] the Port of Bridgwater extends from [[Brean Down]] to [[Hinkley Point]] in [[Bridgwater Bay]], and includes parts of the River Parrett (to Bridgwater), [[River Brue]] and the [[River Axe (Bristol Channel)|River Axe]].<ref name="port"/>

Historically, the main port on the river was at Bridgwater; the river was bridged at this point: the first bridge was built in 1200.<ref name="DunningRobert">{{cite book |last=Dunning |first=Robert |year=1992b |title=Bridgwater: History and Guide |location=Stroud |publisher=Alan Sutton |isbn=0-7509-0192-6 |page=193}}</ref> [[Quay]]s were built in 1424; another quay, the ''Langport slip'', was built in 1488 upstream of the Town Bridge.<ref name="DunningRobert" /> A [[Custom house|Customs House]] was sited at Bridgwater, on West Quay; and a [[dry dock]], launching slips and a boat yard on East Quay.<ref>{{cite book|last=Farr |first=Grahame |title=Somerset Harbours |publisher=Christopher Johnson |location=London |year=1954 |pages=102–113|isbn=0-900131-15-2}}</ref> The river was navigable, with care, to Bridgwater Town Bridge by {{convert|400|to|500|tonne}} vessels.<ref>{{cite book|last=Fitzhugh |first=Rod |year=1993 |title=Bridgwater and the River Parrett: in old photographs |location=Stroud |publisher=Alan Sutton Publishing |isbn= 0-7509-0518-2 |pages=6–7}}</ref> By trans-shipping into barges at the Town Bridge the Parrett was navigable as far as [[Langport]] and (via the [[River Yeo (South Somerset)|River Yeo]]) to [[Ilchester]]. After 1827, it was also possible to transfer goods to [[Taunton]] via the [[Bridgwater and Taunton Canal]] at Huntworth.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hawkins |first=Desmond |title=Avalon and Sedgemoor |year=1982 |publisher=Alan Sutton Publishing |location=Gloucester |isbn=978-0-86299-016-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/avalonsedgemoor0000hawk/page/52 52] |url=https://archive.org/details/avalonsedgemoor0000hawk/page/52 }}</ref> A floating harbour was constructed between 1837–1841 and the canal was extended to the harbour.<ref name="lawrence-21">Lawrence, J.F. (revised and completed by Lawrence, J.C.) (2005). ''A History of Bridgwater''. Chichester: Phillimore. {{ISBN|1-86077-363-X}}. Chapter 21: "Victorian Times".</ref> The harbour area contained [[flour mill]]s, timber yards and [[Ship chandler|chandlers]].<ref name="lawrence-21"/>

Shipping to Bridgwater expanded with the construction of [[Bridgwater Docks]], and reached a peak between 1880 and 1885; with an average of 3,600 ships per year entering the port.<ref name="lawrence-21"/> Bridgwater also built some 167 ships; the last one was the ''Irene'', launched in 1907.<ref>{{cite book|last=Farr |first=Grahame |title=Somerset Harbours |publisher=Christopher Johnson |location=London |year=1954 |page=113|isbn=0-900131-15-2}}</ref> Peak [[tonnage]] occurred in 1857, with 142 vessels totalling {{convert|17800|tonne}}.<ref>{{cite book|last=Farr|first=Grahame |title=Somerset Harbours |publisher=Christopher Johnson |location=London |year=1954 |page=108|isbn=0-900131-15-2}}</ref>
[[File:Dunball Wharf.jpg|alt=A cargo boat moored at a wharf with cranes and others machines. To the right is a metal gate opening to the water which flows past the boat.|thumb|left|Dunball Wharf. To the right is Dunball clyce where the [[King's Sedgemoor Drain]] flows into the River Parrett]]
[[Dunball]] wharf was built in 1844 by Bridgwater coal merchants,<ref>{{cite book |last=Fitzhugh |first=Rod |year=1993 |title=Bridgwater and the River Parrett: in old photographs|page=116 |location=Stroud |publisher=Alan Sutton Publishing |isbn= 0-7509-0518-2 }}</ref> and was formerly linked to the [[Bristol & Exeter Railway]] by a rail track which crossed the [[A38 road|A38]]. In 1875, the local landowner built The Dunball Steam Pottery & Brick & Tile Works adjacent to the wharf.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Murless |first=Brian J |year=2000 |title=Somerset Brick & Tile Manufacturers: A Brief History & Gazetteer |series=SIAS Survey no. 13 |publisher=The Somerset Industrial Archaeological Society |isbn=0-9533539-2-3 }}</ref>

Although ships no longer dock in the town of Bridgwater, {{convert|90213|tonne}} of cargo were handled within the port authority's area in 2006, most of which was stone products via the wharf at Dunball.<ref name="porttrade">{{cite web |url=http://www.sedgemoor.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=3078&p=0 |title=Port of Bridgwater Trade Figures&nbsp;– 2006 |publisher=Sedgemoor Council |access-date=14 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110603235140/http://www.sedgemoor.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=3078&p=0 |archive-date=3 June 2011 }}</ref> It is no longer linked to the railway system. The link was removed as part of the railway closures made as a result of the [[Beeching Axe|Beeching Report]] in the 1960s. [[Dunball railway station]], which had opened in 1873, was closed to both passengers and goods in 1964.<ref>{{cite book|last=Oakley |first=Mike |title=Somerset Railway Stations |publisher=Dovecote Press |location=Stanbridge |year=2002 |isbn=978-1-904349-09-9 |page=54}}</ref> All traces of the station, other than "Station Road" have been removed. The wharf is now used for landing stone products, mainly marine sand and gravels dredged in the [[Bristol Channel]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Somerset Minerals Local Plan|url=http://www.somerset.gov.uk/EasySiteWeb/GatewayLink.aspx?alId=98609|publisher=Somerset County Council|access-date=12 November 2018}}{{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Marine sand and gravel accounted for {{convert|55754|tonne}} of the total tonnage of {{convert|90213|tonne}} using the Port facilities in 2006, with salt products accounting for {{convert|21170|tonne}} in the same year.<ref name="porttrade"/>

[[Somerset Council]] acts as the Competent Harbour Authority for the port, and has provided [[Maritime pilot|pilotage services]] for all boats over {{convert|98|ft|m|0}} using the river since 1998, when it took over the service from [[Trinity House]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=About the Port of Bridgwater |url=https://www.somerset.gov.uk/beaches-ports-and-flooding/the-port-of-bridgwater/ |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=www.somerset.gov.uk}}</ref> Pilotage is important because of the constant changes in the navigable channel resulting from the large tidal range, which can exceed {{convert|39|ft|m|1}} on spring tides.<ref name="port">{{cite web|url=http://www.sedgemoor.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2392|title=Facts on the Port of Bridgwater|publisher=Sedgemoor District Council|access-date=22 December 2009|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071024055019/http://www.sedgemoor.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2392 |archive-date = 24 October 2007}}</ref>

Its historic estates include the [[manor of Sydenham]].