Located on the major communication routes around southwest England, there is little doubt that Bridgwater is an important town in the grand scheme of things. To be sure, it is a leading industrial town in the county of Somerset as well as the administrative center of the Sedgemoor District. With a healthy population of over thirty four thousand people, Bridgwater is also a very important and very beneficial part of the country in nearly all respects.
Interestingly enough, Bridgwater's landscape is not what many would at first suspect of a town this size and with such an important economic responsibility. For one, the scenery is far more beautiful and natural than many other comparable towns. The illustrious Mendip range rises to the north and creates a scenic picture of beauty that at once puts Bridgwater into postcard-quality territory and the Quantock Hills to the west further cement the city's reputation for being a picturesque treasure trove of natural beauty. Funnily enough, the history of Bridgwater's industry further adds to the confusion surrounding its pretty landscape. As mentioned above, the city is an indispensable part of Somerset's economy and has been since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. In the late 1800s bricks and tiles were the main trade and they brought large and healthy amounts of income into the already wealthy city. By the dawn of the nineteenth century there were already more than fifteen brick and tile companies operating within the city and the total amount of bricks sold and exported in the 1890s exceeded twenty four million! Sadly such fortune was not meant to last and the industry saw a heavy collapse after the end of World War II.
Fortunately Bridgwater was always ready with another trick up its sleeve and this time the savior would prove to be the manufacture of cellophane. This new and exciting technology exploded into prominence in 1937 and continued with intermittent success all the way up to the closing of the factory in 2005. These days Bridgwater employs many different types of trades and industries to ensure that the town's economy never encounters a particularly dry spell. Aside from shipping and export one can find many modern businesses that use computer engineering to create the next generation of electronic devices. The city is also careful to make sure that its legacy extends far beyond simply providing jobs and manufacturing goods. The burgeoning art scene in Bridgwater is quickly garnering large amounts of acclaim from surrounding towns as, bit by bit, the town has been welcoming artists and creative types and fostering their growth with grants and special events. The world famous Willow Man sculpture is but one recent development that helps to advertise this new and more creative side of Bridgwater although residents of the town point out that Bridgwater has always been careful to pay proper heed to arts. After all, the Bridgwater Arts Centre has been open since 1946. Either way, it is comforting to know that there are still towns out there that are willing to pay homage to their residents and treat them to enlightening media.
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