Taunton Treasures: Echoes of History and Heritage

Explore Taunton at your own pace

A medieval castle rises above modern Taunton like a memory refusing to fade. Beneath these ancient walls and the bustling curve of County Hall, stories of rebellion, scandal, and whispered secrets wait in the shadows for curious ears.

Set out on a self-guided audio adventure through the heart of Taunton. Discover drama most visitors pass by-from storm-battered newsrooms to council chambers shaped by ambition. Find hidden tales layered beneath centuries-old stones.

Which secret meeting inside County Hall sparked a local uproar that echoes today? What mysterious signal once haunted BBC Radio Somerset's broadcasts and who risked everything behind those castle walls during a siege? Why did 500 men face fate in the shadow of Judge Jeffreys' deadly bench?

Photo: Dina Halawa, Unsplash

Tour details

• Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes, entirely at your own pace
• Distance: around 3.4 km (2.1 miles)
• Stops: 13 landmarks, including County Hall, Taunton, BBC Radio Somerset, Taunton Castle
• Audio: up to 33 minutes of narration
• Starts at: County Hall, Taunton

Map data by Mapbox and OpenStreetMap contributors

How it works

• Book here and a redemption code arrives by email within minutes.
• Download the free AudaTours app on your phone and enter the code.
• Download the tour once and the whole thing works offline.
• Walk to the first stop and press play. The audio for each landmark starts automatically as you approach it, so your phone can stay in your pocket.

There is no fixed date and no start time. The date you pick at checkout does not matter, and the tour stays on your phone permanently, so you can use it whenever you next visit and walk it again as often as you like.

What is included

• Professionally narrated audio that plays automatically at each stop
• An interactive map showing the walking route between landmarks
• Full offline access once downloaded, so you need no data or signal
• Freedom to start, pause and resume whenever you like
• Lifetime access - your code never expires

Where you will stop

• County Hall, Taunton
• BBC Radio Somerset
• Taunton Castle
• Castle Hotel, Taunton
• Municipal Buildings, Taunton
• Taunton Minster
• Church of St. James, Taunton
• The Brewhouse Theatre & Arts Centre
• County Ground, Taunton
• Somerset Military Museum
• St George's Roman Catholic Church, Taunton
• Taunton Unitarian Chapel
• Jellalabad Barracks, Taunton

Image: AudaTours

What is AudaTours?

AudaTours turns a walk through a city into a story. Our guides bring landmarks to life with the history, the scandals and the detail you would never get from a plaque.

• Immersive: real stories about the places in front of you, not a dry commentary
• Offline: download once and use it with no data, anywhere
• At your own pace: start, pause and resume whenever you want
• Accurate: every story is built from verified historical sources and checked before release

Good to know

• This is a self-guided audio tour on your own phone. There is no in-person guide.
• It does not include entry to any building or site along the route.
• The landmarks on the tour are not affiliated with AudaTours.
• You need a smartphone with Android 7.0 or later, or iOS 16 or later.
• Bring headphones and start with a charged phone.

Who it suits

Solo travellers, couples, families and small groups who would rather explore on their own schedule than follow a guide and a fixed departure time. It suits a first visit, and it suits anyone who has already seen the famous sights and wants to know what actually happened in them.

Image credits

Photos: Dina Halawa (Unsplash); Rodw (Wikimedia Commons, public domain); AudaTours.