The Somerset Space Walk on the Bridgwater/Taunton
Canal cleverly puts everything into perspective and shows how
insignificant our little planet is in the vastness of the Solar
System. The Sun can be found at Maunsel Locks and from there the
planets are arranged both towards Bridgwater and towards Taunton at
a size and distance ratio 530,000,000:1.
The Space Walk challenges our perceptions of space that have been
formed from the printed page. If you represented the sun and
planets to their relative sizes on the printed page, the planets
would be so small that you would be unable to see them. Using the
towpath as the linear scale, see where we really are in the great
scheme of things and remember that this is only our solar system --
a tiny part of the vast Universe.
There is parking for a few cars at N51.06.277 W002.58.505 and
then an even walk/cycle alongside the canal towpath for about two
thirds of a mile.
On your way , you will notice a number of 'Pill Boxes', a
reminder that the canal was intended to be a line of defence for
the South West had Hitler planned an attack from mainland
England.
From the suggested parking spot you will see one 'Iron Bird' just
after you have started the path, the second is just before you get
to the cache.
I asked an old fisherman nearby if he knew the origin of the
birds and he said that they were put there in the war when the
Boxes were manned 'to make it a seem a bit more homely'...or was
that just another fisherman's tale?