BRIDGWATER Town Council produced a town guide titled 'Visit Bridgwater' which has been widely circulated in a bid to bring visitors to the town.

Having been given a copy of the brochure, Exeter resident Nerina Frampton was enticed and journeyed to visit Bridgwater, and she felt compelled to write an open letter to the town council about what she found...

On Thursday (August 1) a friend and I, having been given your tempting 'Visit Bridgwater' 2019 guide, bought rail tickets from Exeter to do just that.

With so much to see, the return rail fare would surely be worth it.

On arrival at the railway station not only were there no buses, but there was no indication where they could be found, no pointers to the town centre and two taxi drivers who had never heard of the Brick & Tile Museum.

As usual, a town dedicated to motor traffic with non-car owners virtually ignored.

Half an hour's walk through some of the dreariest streets I have seen in England, full of rubbish in places, a friendly local lady pointed us in approximately the right direction.

We stopped briefly to look at an interesting church but it was locked and apparently derelict, but young people were socialising in small groups in the graveyard.

Eventually we found almost by chance the bus station where a bus driver indicated the location of The Brick & Tile Museum, another dreary walk but not so far.

Then - and not mentioned in 'Visit Bridgwater', we discovered from its padlocked premises that it does not open on Thursdays.

Using the unmistakable spire of the parish church as a reliable indicator of the town centre location we came across an interesting footbridge, apparently an industrial relic, impossible to discern quite what and or when due to the total absence of any form of notice board.

The machinery was almost totally covered in thorny weeds and rubbish, and the bridge itself rapidly returning to nature.

Only later did we discover that it, too, stars in 'Visit Bridgwater', as part of your industrial heritage.

The historic buildings exteriors are superb but even in prestigious Castle and Bond Streets they need restoration, as does the potentially wonderful Lions House.

The restored crane looks like "job done, now let it rust", but the flower baskets lining the canal could not be bettered, and they, if nothing else, lifted our spirits.

The volunteers in both the Arts Centre and Blake Museum, where we spent the rest of our time, could not have been more welcoming and both places were well worth leisurely visits.

From the tourist office we were told about and given leaflets on nearby tempting things at Westonzoyland, all on Sundays.

There are no bus services to Westonzoyland we discovered once back home...

All councils are squeezed for money, and it is clear Bridgwater has its retail economic problems like many other towns.

But what would it cost to truly welcome non-car owning visitors to your town with simple things like signage?

And why Mr Mayor, civic society, councillors and others, can you not organise local volunteers with secateurs, hoes and the like to spend a few hours tidying up your tourist attractions?

These things would cost virtually nothing.

Until then, 'Visit Bridgwater' should be withdrawn.

Nerina Frampton

Exeter