Editing River Parrett (section)

== History ==
The origin of the name Parrett is unclear, but several derivations from the [[Celtic languages]] used in [[Wales]] have been suggested. Priestley-Evans suggests, "Parrett has been said to be a form of the [[Welsh language|Welsh]] ''pared'', a partition, and that it was the name which the Welsh people of Somerset and Devon gave to that river because it was at one time the dividing line between themselves and the Saxons".<ref>{{harvnb|Priestley Evans|1931|p=6}}</ref> Another spelling, ''parwydydd'', is also translated as `partition'.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geiriadur.net/index.php?page=ateb&term=parwydydd&direction=we&type=all&whichpart=exact |title=Department of Welsh |publisher=University of Wales, Lampeter |access-date=4 May 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606064643/http://www.geiriadur.net/index.php?page=ateb&term=parwydydd&direction=we&type=all&whichpart=exact |archive-date= 6 June 2011 }}</ref> Another explanation from Welsh, ''Peraidd'', meaning ''the sweet or delicious river'', has also been suggested.<ref>{{harvnb|Arthur|1857|p=213}}</ref> An alternative explanation, based on Celtic, is a derivation from ''Pedair'' or ''Pedride'' from ''pedr'', meaning four and the [[Cornish language|Old Cornish]] ''Rit'' meaning `flow', which in this case would relate to the four flows or streams: the Tone, Yeo, Isle and Parrett.<ref name="crowden (1996)">{{harvnb|Crowden|1996|p=133}}</ref> This is based on the explanation given in Ekwall's 1928 book ''English River-Names''.<ref>{{harvnb|Ekwall|1928|pp=320–322}}</ref> Whichever derivation is correct, the name Parrett and its spelling variations have been in use since the [[Anglo-Saxon]] era, as evidenced by the addition of ''-tun'' onto river names as seen in the local towns [[North Petherton]] and South Petherton.<ref>{{harvnb|Costen|1992|p=37}}</ref> The spelling ''Pedred''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/stream/cu31924028058208/cu31924028058208_djvu.txt |title=The Place Names of Somerset |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629080949/http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924028058208/cu31924028058208_djvu.txt |archive-date=29 June 2011 |first=JS |last=Hill |publisher=St. Stephen's printing works |location=Bristol |year=1914}}</ref> and ''Pedrida'' are also mentioned in connection with the Parrett.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/anglosaxonchroni02thoruoft/anglosaxonchroni02thoruoft_djvu.txt The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, according to several original authorities, Vol. II] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425085255/http://www.archive.org/stream/anglosaxonchroni02thoruoft/anglosaxonchroni02thoruoft_djvu.txt |date=25 April 2016 }} Edited & translated by B Thorpe, Longman, Green, Longman and Roberts, published 1861</ref> The Oxford Dictionary of British Place-Names states only that the name is a 'pre-English river-name of obscure origin'.<ref>A Dictionary of British Place-Names, Revised Edition, editor David Mills, {{ISBN|978-0-19-960908-6}}</ref>

=== Landscape ===
[[File:River Parrett north of Petherton Bridge.jpg|alt=Small water-filled ditch between grassy banks.|thumb|left|The river near the [[A303 road|A303]] at [[South Petherton]]]]
The River Parrett, the Bristol Channel and the Severn Estuary are believed to have been used for riverine bulk transportation of people and supplies in Somerset under [[Roman Empire|Roman]] and later Anglo-Saxon and [[Norman dynasty|Norman]] occupation.<ref>{{harvnb|Leach|2001|pp=73–83}}</ref> Roman Somerset, which lasted for over 250&nbsp;years until around the beginning of the 5th century,<ref>{{harvnb|Page|1906|p=210}}</ref> had various settlements, including [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] (''[[Aquae Sulis]]''), [[Ilchester]] (''[[Lindinis]]'') and lead mines at [[Charterhouse Roman Town|Charterhouse]];<ref name="rajan">{{cite news|first=Amal |last=Rajan |title=Around a county in 40 facts: A (very) brief history of Somerset |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/around-a-county-in-40-facts-a-very-brief-history-of-somerset-462828.html |work=The Independent |location=UK |date=24 August 2007 |access-date=21 October 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214141911/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/around-a-county-in-40-facts-a-very-brief-history-of-somerset-462828.html |archive-date=14 February 2009 }}</ref> and four roads surrounding the Somerset Levels. There is evidence of two Roman ports on the Parrett. The port at Combwich, on the west bank, was ill-recorded before its destruction by quarrying and erosion. The other at Crandon Bridge on the east bank near where the current King's Sedgemoor Drain enters the Parrett,<ref name="rippon(1997)-53-55">{{Harvnb|Rippon|1997|pages=53–55}}</ref><ref name="rippon(2007)-8">{{harvnb|Rippon|2007|pp=207–227}}</ref> was in use between the first and the fourth centuries.<ref name="dunning-183">{{Harvnb|Dunning|1992|page=183}}</ref> Evidence of an extensive site with storehouses was found in the mid-1970s, during motorway construction works.<ref name="rippon(1997)-53-55"/> The Crandon Bridge site may have been linked by a probable Roman road over the [[Polden Hills]] to the [[Fosse Way]], at Ilchester.<ref name="rippon(1997)-53-55"/><ref name="dunning-183"/><ref name="hollinrakes">{{harvnb|Hollinrake|Hollinrake|2007|pp=228–234}}</ref> Ilchester, the largest Roman town in Somerset, was a port with large [[Granary|granaries]], sited where the Fosse Way crossed the [[River Yeo (South Somerset)|Ilchester Yeo]] by means of a paved ford.<ref>{{harvnb|Dunning|1974|pages=179–203}}</ref> The Yeo was navigable by small craft all the way to the Parrett allowing military supplies to be brought by boat directly to Ilchester; however, disembarkation at Crandon Bridge and use of the Polden Hills roadway allowed more rapid movement to Ilchester. The Yeo may already have been straightened and [[canal]]ised before Roman occupation.<ref name="hollinrakes"/>

The Parrett was established as the border between the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of [[Wessex]] and the [[Britons (Celtic people)|Brythonic]] kingdom of [[Dumnonia]] in 658, following the Dumnonians' defeat at the [[Battle of Peonnum]] that year.<ref>{{harvnb|Stenton|1971|p=63}}</ref><ref name="Hawkins 1982 36">{{harvnb|Hawkins|1982|p=36}}</ref> This natural border endured for almost a century until further fighting between the Anglo-Saxons and Britons in the mid-8th century, when the border shifted west to its current location between the modern [[Ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial counties]] of Somerset and [[Devon]].<ref>{{harvnb|Dunning|2002|pp=17–18}}</ref> It is thought a [[Ford (crossing)|ford]], usable only at low tide, crossed the river near its mouth, between Combwich and Pawlett (east bank). This crossing, at the western end of the Polden Hills, was known since Roman times and lay on the route of a Saxon ''[[herepath]]''.<ref name="dunning-73-75">{{Harvnb|Dunning|1992|pp=73–75}}</ref> It was here, or in the immediate vicinity, that Hubba, the Danish raider, was defeated and killed by [[Odda, Ealdorman of Devon|Odda]] in 878.<ref name="robinson">{{harvnb|Robinson|1992|p=50}}</ref> In the ''[[Domesday Book]]'' Combwich was known as Comich, which means "the settlement by the water", from the Old English ''cumb'' and ''wic''. The ford was later replaced by a ferry, one of which was in operation from at least the 13th century.<ref name="dunning-73-75"/> In the 15th century the ferry was regarded as part of the ''King's Highway'', and both passengers and cattle were carried in the 16th and 17th centuries.<ref name="dunning-73-75"/><ref name="dunning-267-268">{{Harvnb|Dunning|1992|pp=267–268}}</ref> Records of the joint [[Manorialism|Manorial]] ownership and costs of the ferry exist for 1589 and 1810.<ref name="dunning-267-268"/> The ''White House Inn'', a [[licensed victualler]] and part-owner of the ferry, traded on the Pawlett bank from 1655 to 1897; the building was retained as a farm dwelling for another 20&nbsp;years.<ref name="dunning-267-268"/> The Combwich river crossing, which was a main route until the 18th century, fell out of use due to [[turnpike trusts]] improving what were to become the [[A38 road|A38]] and [[A39 road]]s, and traffic went via Bridgwater; the former inn was demolished c.&nbsp;1930.<ref name="dunning-267-268"/><ref>{{Harvnb|Fitzhugh|1993|p=69}}</ref>

After the departure of the Romans, the low-lying Somerset Levels appear to have been abandoned, as the [[archaeological record]] shows that they were flooded and the former Roman landscape covered with a thick layer of [[Alluvium|alluvial]] deposits.<ref name="rippon-178">{{Harvnb|Rippon|1997|page=178}}</ref> Recovery of the levels involved both the construction of sea walls and the containment of the Parrett.<ref name="rippon-178"/> [[Celtic Christianity]] came to the remoter areas of the Somerset Levels, making use of "island" sites. [[Glastonbury Abbey]], possibly founded in the 7th century (or earlier), was nearby and had undertaken extensive water management to enable it to bring materials by boat to Glastonbury, albeit not via the Parrett. Muchelney Abbey, founded in the mid-8th century,<ref name="williams-2">{{Harvnb|Williams|1970|pp=6–24}}</ref> was sited at the confluence of the Parrett and its tributaries, the rivers [[River Isle|Isle]] and Yeo; and [[Athelney Abbey]] lay on another tributary, the [[River Tone]].<ref name="hollinrakes"/> These three abbeys together with the [[Bishop of Bath and Wells]] were major landowners with fishing and [[Riparian zone|riparian]] rights, often conflicting, on these rivers. They gained financially from improvements to land and waterways due to the resulting greater fertility of their lands and the increased [[renting|rents]] that they were able to charge their tenants.<ref name="hollinrakes"/><ref name="williams-3"/>

[[File:Southlakemoor.jpg|alt=Photograph from elevation of flooded river flowing between snow-covered fields. Hills in the distance.|thumb|right|The flooded [[Southlake Moor]] in the winter of 1985]]

Continuing land reclamation and control of the Parrett was a long-running cycle of neglect followed by improvement. Work was carried out on the upper River Parrett basin in the [[Middle Ages]] by Glastonbury Abbey.<ref name="williams-3">{{Harvnb|Williams|1970|pp=25–81}}</ref> Abbot Michael's survey of 1234 showed {{convert|722|acre}} of [[meadow]] recovered around the "island" of Sowy; from the accounts in the Abbey's rent books, this had increased to {{convert|972|acre}} by 1240.<ref name="williams-3"/> Flooding of adjacent moor land was partially addressed in the 13th century by building a number of embankment walls to contain the Parrett. These included Southlake Wall, Burrow Wall and Lake Wall.<ref name="williams-3"/> The River Tone was also diverted by the Abbot of Athelney and other land owners into a new embanked channel, joining the Parrett upstream from its original confluence.<ref name="hollinrakes"/><ref name="williams-3"/> After the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries|dissolution of the monasteries]] in the 16th century, much of the former abbey lands came under the control of the Crown, particularly [[King's Sedgemoor]], which had been wholly owned by Glastonbury Abbey, with [[Henry VI of England|Henry VI's]] Courts of Sewers made responsible for maintaining existing drainage and various Commissions made responsible for land improvements.<ref name="williams-4"/> Further reclamation work was carried out over the next 500&nbsp;years. In 1597, {{convert|50|acre}} of land were recovered near the Parrett estuary; a few years later {{convert|140|acre}} near Pawlett were recovered by means of embankments; three further reclamations, totalling {{convert|110|acre}}, were undertaken downstream of Bridgwater by 1660.<ref name="williams-4">{{Harvnb|Williams|1970|pp=82–122}}</ref> Kings [[James VI and I|James I]], [[Charles I of England|Charles I]], and [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] continued to improve King's Sedgemoor.<ref name="williams-4"/>

[[File:Westonzoylandpumpingstation.jpg|alt=Red brick building with tall chimney.|left|thumb|[[Westonzoyland Pumping Station Museum]]]]

Attempts were also made to improve navigation on the lower river. Between 1677 and 1678, Sir John Moulton cut a new channel at "Vikings Creek" on the Horsey Levels to remove a large [[meander]]; the old river bed soon silted up, providing {{convert|120|acre}} of new land.<ref name="williams-4"/><ref name="dunning-252">{{Harvnb|Dunning|1992|page=252}}</ref> A further scheme was proposed in 1723 to improve navigation, shorten the journey time for boats, and recover land by obtaining an [[act of Parliament]]{{which|date=February 2025}} to make an artificial cut across the Steart Peninsula.<ref name="williams-4"/> Eventually, after much debate, the cut was not made due to lack of land owner support and concerns over costs and risks.<ref name="williams-4"/> The [[English Civil War]] put a stop to most reclamation work; however, in 1764 a [[clyse]] was built at [[Dunball]] to contain tidal influences on a run-off stream near King's Sedgemoor.<ref name="williams-4"/> Extensive land recovery was undertaken in the Somerset Levels by land owners between 1770 and the end of the [[Napoleonic Wars]] in 1815, as part of a general scheme of [[British Agricultural Revolution|agricultural improvements]],<ref name="williams-5">{{Harvnb|Williams|1970|pp=123–168}}</ref> including improvements to the Brue Valley and to King's Sedgemoor.<ref name="williams-5"/> The latter involved the connection of various drainage schemes into a new hand-dug channel connected to the clyse at Dunball&nbsp;– the King's Sedgemoor Drain.<ref name="williams-5"/> Further drainage improvements were needed in the 19th century, which involved the use of mechanical [[Beam engine|pumping engines]], originally steam powered but later powered by electricity.<ref name="williams-7">{{Harvnb|Williams|1970|pp=197–236}}</ref> In January 1940, further improvements were funded by the [[Ministry of Supply]], during the Second World War, as "Priority War Work" during the construction of [[Royal Ordnance Factory]] (ROF) [[ROF Bridgwater|Bridgwater]]. This involved doubling the width of the King's Sedgemoor Drain at its western end and the excavation of the [[River Huntspill]]. In the longer-term this provided a drain for the Brue valley, but in war-time the scheme provided a guaranteed daily supply of {{convert|4500000|impgal|m3}} of water for the ROF.<ref name="williams-8">{{Harvnb|Williams|1970|pp=237–260}}</ref>

The town of [[Bridgwater]], from ''Brigewaltier'' (place at) the bridge held by [[Walter of Douai]],<ref>{{harvnb|Mills|1998|p=54}}</ref> or alternatively "Brugie" from Old English ''brycg'' meaning gang plank between ships, or from [[Old Norse]] ''brygja'' meaning quay,<ref>{{harvnb|Dunning|1992b|p=4}}</ref> was founded as a new [[borough]] about 1200; it had a castle and a market and became a port in its own right.<ref name="rippon-234-237">{{Harvnb|Rippon|1997|pages=234–237}}</ref> It was the major port for Somerset which, around the [[Quantock Hills|Quantocks]], the [[Brendon Hills]] and the Tone valley, was mainly agricultural, producing [[arable land|arable]] crops and vegetables to supply the new industrial towns.<ref name="Hussey-4-5">{{Harvnb|Hussey|2000|pages=4–5}}</ref> Combwich was the traditional River Parrett [[Maritime pilot|pilots']] harbour from at least the 14th century.<ref name="rippon-234-237"/><ref name="Hussey-10">{{Harvnb|Hussey|2000|page=10}}</ref> It also served as a port for the export of local produce and, from the 15th century, the import of timber. Until the late 1930s, when the creek silted up, coastal shipping served Combwich's local brick and coal yard.<ref name="somharbours-117-118">{{Harvnb|Farr|1954|pages=117–118}}</ref>

In the medieval era the river was used to transport [[Hamstone]] from the quarry at [[Ham Hill, Somerset|Ham Hill]] for the construction of churches throughout the county.<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> Later, in the 19th century, coal from south Wales, for heating, [[Bath brick]]s, bricks and [[tile]]s would be carried.<ref name="farr-111-112">{{Harvnb|Farr|1954|pages=111–112}}</ref> Brick making, which had been carried out intermittently in Bridgwater from the 17th century, by the late 18th century had expanded into an industry based on permanent brickyards in the Bridgwater area adjacent to the Parrett.<ref name="murless-5-13">{{harvnb|Murless|2000|pages=5–13}}</ref> The brick and tile industry made use of the local alluvial clays and the Parrett's coastal trade, using [[ketch]]es mostly based at Bridgwater to transport their products, which were heavy and bulky, and to bring in coal to heat the [[kiln]]s.<ref name="murless-5-13"/> The 19th century [[Industrial Revolution|industrial revolution]] opened up mass markets leading to further expansion of the industry, particularly beginning in 1850 when the duty (tax) on bricks was abolished.<ref name="murless-5-13"/> Brick and tile works, making use of river transport, were opened in the 1840s and 1850s south of Bridgwater at North Petherton and Dunwear, in Bridgwater itself, and downstream at Chilton Trinity, Combwich, [[Puriton]] and Pawlett.<ref name="murless-5-13"/><ref name="waite">{{harvnb|Waite|1964|p=118}}</ref> Numerous brickworks were also opened elsewhere in Somerset, but many of them used the railways to transport their products; some 264 sites are listed in the Somerset Industrial Archaeological Society's ''Gazetteer of sites''.<ref name="murless-g">{{harvnb|Murless|2000|pages=32–54}}</ref> Silt was also dredged from the river over a {{convert|2|mi|km|adj=on}} stretch between Somerset Bridge and Castle Fields, Bridgwater, to make Bath bricks, an early abrasive cleaning material patented in 1827.<ref name="Hawkins 1982 36"/><ref name="murless-13">{{harvnb|Murless|2000|page=13}}</ref>

=== Port of Bridgwater ===
{{main|Port of Bridgwater}}
[[File:Bridgwater Town Bridge.jpg|alt=Metal bridge over the river. In the background are coloured houses and several trees.|thumb|Bridgwater Town Bridge]]
Bridgwater was part of the [[Port of Bristol]] until the Port of Bridgwater was created in 1348, covering {{convert|80|mi|km}} of the Somerset coast line, from the Devon border to the mouth of the 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>{{Harvnb|Farr|1954|p=104}}</ref> Under an 1845 act of Parliament{{which|date=February 2025}} 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.<ref name="port"/>

Historically, the main port on the river was at Bridgwater, where a span crossed the river from 1200 AD onwards.<ref name=dunning-193>{{Harvnb|Dunning|1992|p=193}}</ref> [[Wharf|Quay]]s were built at Bridgwater in 1424, with another quay, the ''Langport slip'', being built in 1488 upstream of the Town Bridge.<ref name=dunning-193/> A [[custom house]] was sited at Bridgwater, on West Quay, and a [[dry dock]], launching slips and a boat yard on East Quay.<ref>{{Harvnb|Farr|1954|p=102}}</ref><ref name="farr-113">{{Harvnb|Farr|1954|p=113}}</ref> Bridgwater built some 167 ships, the last one being the ''Irene'' launched in 1907.<ref name="farr-113"/>

The river was navigable, with care, to Bridgwater Town Bridge by {{convert|400|to|500|tonne|LT|adj=on}} vessels.<ref>{{Harvnb|Fitzhugh|1993|pp=6–7}}</ref> By trans-shipping goods into barges at the Town Bridge, the Parrett was navigable as far as Langport and (via the River Yeo) to Ilchester. After 1827, it was also possible to transport goods to [[Taunton]] via the [[Bridgwater and Taunton Canal]] at Huntworth.<ref>{{harvnb|Hawkins|1982|p=52}}</ref> A [[floating dock (impounded)|floating harbour]], known as the "docks", was constructed between 1837 and 1841, and the canal was extended through Bridgwater to the floating harbour.{{harvnb|Lawrence|Lawrence|2005|pages=157–158}} The dock area contained [[flour mill]]s, timber yards and [[Ship-chandler|chandlers]].<ref name="Lawrence 2005 pages=157–158">{{harvnb|Lawrence|Lawrence|2005|pages=157–158}}</ref>

Shipping to Bridgwater expanded with the construction of the docks, which opened on 25 March 1841,<ref>{{Harvnb|Farr|1954|p=110}}</ref> and reached a peak in the 19th century between 1880 and 1885, with an average of 3,600 ships per year entering the port.<ref name="Lawrence 2005 pages=157–158"/> Peak [[tonnage]] occurred in 1857, with 142 vessels totaling {{convert|17800|tonne|LT}}.<ref name="farr-109">{{harvnb|Farr|1954|page=109}}</ref> In the short term, the opening of the docks increased the profitability of the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, which carried {{convert|81650|tonne|LT}} of cargo in 1840.<ref name="Lawrence 2005 pages=157–158"/> This peaked in 1847 at {{convert|88000|tonne|LT}} of cargo; however, by the mid-1850s the canal was bankrupt due to competition from the railways.<ref name="Lawrence 2005 pages=157–158"/>

Combwich Pill, a small creek near the mouth of the river, had been used for shipping since the 14th century. From the 1830s, with the development of the brick and tile industry in the Combwich area, the wharf was used by two local brickyards to import coal and export tiles to Wales and parts of Gloucestershire.<ref name=dunning-86>{{Harvnb|Dunning|1992|p=86}}</ref> This traffic ceased in the 1930s; in the late 1950s the wharf was taken over and upgraded by the [[Central Electricity Generating Board]] (CEGB) to bring in heavy materials for the Hinkley Point nuclear power stations.<ref name=dunning-86/> Construction of [[Hinkley Point A nuclear power station]] was ordered in 1957, with a scheduled completion date of 1960, but was not completed until 1965.<ref name="hannah-243">{{Harvnb|Hannah|1982|p=243}}</ref> This was followed by [[Hinkley Point B Nuclear Power Station|Hinkley Point B nuclear power station]], which began operation in 1976.<ref name="hannah-284-285">{{Harvnb|Hannah|1982|pp=284–285}}</ref> It is proposed to use the wharf again for the construction of [[Hinkley Point C nuclear power station|Hinkley Point C]].{{sfn|Body|Gallop|2015|p=92}}

[[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 name="somharbours-116">{{Harvnb|Farr|1954|p=116}}</ref> and was linked to the [[Bristol and Exeter Railway]] by a rail track which crossed the A38. The link was built in 1876, also by coal merchants, and was originally operated as a horse-drawn [[tramway (industrial)|tramway]]. In 1875, the local landowner built The Dunball Steam Pottery & Brick & Tile Works adjacent to the wharf.<ref name="murless-11-38">{{harvnb|Murless|2000|pages=11&nbsp;&&nbsp;38}}</ref>

The Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, which had been bought out by the Bristol and Exeter Railway in 1866 and later passed into the control of the [[Great Western Railway]] had, by the beginning of the First World War, fallen into disrepair due to lack of trade. This trade, particularly the Wales-Somerset traffic after the opening of the [[Severn Tunnel]] in 1886, had been lost to the railways; the canal continued to be used as a source of water.<ref name= haskell-ch-9>{{Harvnb |Haskell|2007| pages=154–188}}</ref> In the mid-1950s, the Port of Bridgwater was importing some {{convert|80050|to|106800|tonne|LT}} of cargo, mainly sand and coal by tonnage, followed by timber and flour.<ref name="somharbours-114">{{Harvnb|Farr|1954|p=114}}</ref> It was also exporting some {{convert|7300|tonne|LT}} of bricks and tiles.<ref name="somharbours-114"/> By then, Bridgwater's brick and tile industry was in terminal decline. In the 1960s, [[British Rail]], the owner of the docks, which were limited by the size of its locks to boats of maximum size {{convert|180|by|31|ft}},<ref name="somharbours-115">{{Harvnb|Farr|1954|p=115}}</ref> decided that they were commercially non-viable.<ref name= haskell-198-199>{{Harvnb|Haskell|2007| pages=198–199}}</ref> British Railways offered to sell the docks to any buyer; however, there were no takers, so the docks were closed to river traffic.<ref name= haskell-198-199/>

Although ships no longer dock in the town of Bridgwater, {{convert|90213|tonne|ST}} of cargo were handled within the port authority's area in 2006, most of which was stone products via the wharf at Dunball.<ref>{{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=12 December 2008 |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 in the 1960s as part of the railway closures following the [[Beeching cuts|Beeching Report]]. [[Dunball railway station]], which had opened in 1873, was closed to both passengers and goods in 1964.<ref name="oakley">{{harvnb|Oakley|2002|p=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 |url=http://www.sedgemoor.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=2825&p=0 |title=Port waste management plan 2007 |year=2007 |publisher=Port of Bridgwater |access-date=11 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622003110/http://www.sedgemoor.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=2825&p=0 |archive-date=22 June 2011 }}</ref> Marine sand and gravel accounted for {{convert|55754|tonne|ST}} of the total tonnage of {{convert|90213|tonne|LT}} using the Port facilities in 2006, with salt products accounting for {{convert|21170|tonne|LT}} in the same year,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sedgemoor.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=3078&p=0 |title=Port of Bridgwater Trade Figures, 2006 |publisher=Sedgemoor District Council |access-date=22 December 2009 |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> while the roll-on roll-off berth at Combwich is used occasionally for the transfer of heavy goods for the two existing Hinkley Point nuclear power stations. With the possible future construction of the two [[Hinkley Point C nuclear power station]]s by [[EDF Energy]], it is proposed that Combwich wharf be employed to transfer heavy goods to the sites.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hinkleypoint.edfconsultation.info/websitefiles/PPS_SW_3031_EDF_HINK_POINT_PROPOSAL_SUM_Final.pdf |title=Hinkley Point C Proposed Nuclear Development: Initial Proposals and Options Summary Document November 2009 |pages=6–7  |publisher=EDF energy |date=November 2009 |access-date=31 December 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218104043/http://hinkleypoint.edfenergyconsultation.info/websitefiles/PPS_SW_3031_EDF_HINK_POINT_PROPOSAL_SUM_Final.pdf|archive-date=18 February 2012 }}</ref> Combwich Pill is the only site where recreational moorings are available in the estuary.<ref name="port"/>

[[Sedgemoor|Sedgemoor District Council]] acts as the Competent Harbour Authority for the port, and has provided 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]]. 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. Most commercial shipping travels upriver as far as Dunball wharf, which handles bulk cargoes.<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>

=== Parrett Navigation ===
{{River Parrett map}}

The Parrett Navigation was a series of improvements to the river to allow increased boat traffic between Burrowbridge and Thorney. The work, done in the 1830s and 1840s, was made mostly obsolete by the coming of railways in 1853, though some aspects survive to this day.

==== Background ====
Trade on the river upstream of Bridgwater had developed during the 18th century, with {{convert|20|LT|ST|adj=on}} barges operating between Bridgwater and Langport, while smaller barges carrying {{convert|6|to|7|long ton}} operated on the upper reaches between Langport and Thorney, and along the River Yeo to Long Load Bridge and Ilchester.<ref name="body3-4">{{Harvnb|Body|Gallop|2006|pp=3–4}}</ref> The channel below the junction with the [[River Tone]] had been improved as a result of Acts of Parliament passed in 1699 and 1707, "for making and keeping the River Tone navigable from Bridgewater to Taunton", and a third act with a similar purpose was passed in 1804.<ref name=priestley638>{{harvnb|Priestley|1969|p=638}}</ref> Traffic on the higher reaches was hindered by [[shoal]]s in the river and by the Great Bow Bridge at Langport, which consisted on nine small arches, none of them big enough for navigation. All cargoes heading upstream had to be off-loaded from the bigger barges, carried to the other side of the bridge, and reloaded into the smaller barges. Traffic above Langport was sporadic, as the water levels were often inadequate, forcing boats to wait several days for the right conditions before proceeding.<ref name=body10-12>{{Harvnb|Body|Gallop|2006|pp=10–12}}</ref>

The abortive [[Ivelchester and Langport Navigation]] scheme had sought to avoid the Great Bow Bridge by making the Portlake Rhine navigable, rebuilding Little Bow Bridge in the centre of Langport, and making a new cut to Bicknell's Bridge. Seven locks, each with a small rise, were planned, but the scheme foundered in 1797 due to financial difficulties.<ref name="body13-15"/> After the cessation of hostilities with France at the beginning of the 19th century, there was renewed interest in canal building in Somerset; the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal was authorised in 1824,<ref name=priestley093>{{harvnb|Priestley|1969|p=93}}</ref> the [[Glastonbury Canal]] in 1827,<ref>{{harvnb|Dunning|2002|pp=100–101}}</ref> and the [[Chard Canal]] in 1834.<ref name="hadfield66-71">{{Harvnb|Hadfield|1967|pp=66–71}}</ref>

When the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal was opened in 1827, it joined the Parrett by a lock at Huntworth, where a [[Canal basin|basin]] was constructed, but in 1841 the canal was extended to the new floating harbour in Bridgwater, and the Huntworth link was filled in.<ref name="hadfield55-56">{{Harvnb|Hadfield|1967|pp=55–56}}</ref> The canal and river were not re-connected at this point when the canal was restored,<ref>{{harvnb|OS-Nicholson|2003|p=30}}</ref> because the tidal Parrett, at Huntworth, is a [[Brackish water|salt water]] river laden with silt whereas the canal contains [[fresh water]]. Not only is there a risk of silt entering the canal, but the salt water cannot be allowed to contaminate the fresh, as the canal is still used for the transport of [[drinking water]] for Bridgwater's population.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wow4water.net/media/images/2007116111743.pdf|title=Bridgwater and Taunton Canal Information Pack|work=Wow4Water|publisher=British Waterways|pages=4|access-date=6 January 2010|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218132658/http://www.wow4water.net/media/images/2007116111743.pdf|archive-date=18 February 2012}}</ref>

==== Construction ====
With the prospect of the Chard Canal in particular damaging trade on the Parrett, four traders from Langport including Vincent Stuckey and [[Walter Bagehot]], who together operated a river freight business, commissioned the engineer Joseph Jones to carry out a survey for the Parrett Navigation which was then put before Parliament. It was supported by [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel|Brunel]] and a large quantity of documentary evidence. Objections from local landowners were handled by including clauses in the Parrett Navigation Act to ensure that surplus water would be channelled to the Long Sutton Catchwater Drain by culverts, siphons, and sluices, and the act of Parliament{{which|date=February 2025}} was passed on 4 July 1836.<ref name=body13-15/>

The Parrett Navigation Act allowed the proprietors, of whom 25 were named, to raise £10,500 in shares and £3,300 by mortgage, with which to make improvements to the river from Burrow Bridge to Langport, to reconstruct the restrictive bridge at Langport, and to continue the improvements as far as Thorney. The River Isle, which joined the Parrett at Muchelney, was to be improved for its first mile, and then the [[Westport Canal]] was to be constructed from there to [[Westport, Somerset|Westport]]. Locks were planned at Stanmoor, Langport, and Muchelney, with a half-lock at Thorney.<ref name="hadfield83-91"/> An extra lock was added at [[Oath, Somerset|Oath]], when tests revealed that the depth of water would not meet that specified in the act without it. Costs were considerably higher than expected, and a second act of Parliament{{which|date=February 2025}} was obtained in 1839, to allow an extra £20,000 to be raised.<ref name="hadfield83-91"/><ref name="body13-15">{{Harvnb|Body|Gallop|2006|pp=13–15}}</ref><ref name="body16-20">{{Harvnb|Body|Gallop|2006|pp=16–20}}</ref> The lock at Oath has since been replaced by a sluice gate to control flooding.<ref name="Paper by the Environment Agency"/>

The section below Langport opened on 28 October 1839; the section to Thorney and the Westport Canal were completed in August 1840.<ref name="hadfield83-91"/> The Langport Bridge was not finished until March 1841; of the £3,749 cost of construction, £500 came from the Langport Corporation and the rest was raised by a bridge toll operated from March 1841 until January 1843. The total cost of the works was £38,876, and no dividends were paid until 1853, as all profits were used to repay the loans which had been taken out. There are no records of traffic, but it has been estimated at {{convert|60000|to|70000|long ton}} per year, based on the toll receipts and the knowledge that the Stuckey and Bagehot boats carried about three-quarters of the total tonnage.<ref name=body16-20/>

==== Decline ====
The Bristol and Exeter Railway opened in late 1853, and the effects on the Parrett Navigation were immediate. Despite petitions from users of the Westport Canal to keep their section open for navigation, the Commissioners opted to abandon the entire navigation; the canal was maintained for drain purposes only.<ref name=russell-65-66>{{Harvnb|Russell|1971|pp=65–66}}</ref> Some boats continued to use the river to reach Langport and beyond until the early years of the 20th century.<ref name="hadfield83-91"/> There is still a public right of navigation as far as Oath Lock, but very few private boats use the river, largely due to the fierce tides in the estuary and a lack of moorings along its route.<ref>{{harvnb|OS-Nicholson|2003|p=25}}</ref>

In 2019, the town of Langport obtained a grant of £179,000 from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the [[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]] (Defra). With a contribution from the town council and other sources, over £200,000 was available to improve access to {{convert|7.6|mi|km}} of the river from Oath Lock to Thorney Bridge. The grant funded the construction of pontoons and access ramps, and improvements to the riverside pathway between Langport and Huish Bridge. The project covered {{convert|6.5|mi|km}} of the upper Parrett, together with {{convert|1|mi|km}} of the River Yeo and a tiny section of the River Isle.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Funding for River Parrett project |magazine=Waterways World |date=May 2019 |issn=0309-1422 |page=41}}</ref>{{sfn |Mead |2022 |p=78}} Langport councillor Ian Macnab launched a former ferry from Devon onto the upper Parrett on 5 July 2017, with a view to running it as a community boat. The launch of ''The Duchess of Cocklemoor'' was witnessed by over 200 local people,{{sfn |Mumby |2017}} and the vessel has since had its diesel engine replaced by a {{convert|1.5|kW|hp|abbr=on}} electric motor, powered by solar panels mounted on the roof.{{sfn |Mead |2022 |p=80}}