The Art Centre in Castle Street is the oldest such institution in all of Britain. It opened on the 10th of October 1946 and the effort was led by Mrs. Gwen Pollard. The house was chosen as it had been used by the Bridgwater Young Men’s Association, who had built a theatre at the rear in the 1930s. In the early years the Arts Centre was host to the largest acts of the day, such as the poet John Betjeman, who was delighted by the town and especially the village of Wembdon.
Castle Street was an ambitious project by the Duke of Chandos. He aimed to redevelop the formal gardens of Harvey’s House into prestigious housing. The project did not go according to plan and when Chandos sold his interests in Bridgwater only the northern half had been completed, as there was not enough interest in the houses to generate enough revenue to extend or even complete the project. It remains the finest street in Bridgwater and on days when there are no parked cars it really is a sight to behold. Notice the fine and elaborate doorways, especially on the northern side.
