Somerset College of Art

Somerset College of Arts and Technology was a further education college in Taunton, established in 1974 through the merger of two long-established institutions: Taunton Technical College and Somerset College of Art. Somerset College of Art can trace its roots back to the School of Science and Art, which was established in Bath Place, Taunton, in 1856 following the inspiration of the Great Exhibition of 1851. Taunton Technical College also had a history going back over a century before the 1974 merger.

In 2016, Somerset College of Arts and Technology (then known simply as Somerset College) officially merged with Bridgwater College in June 14 of that year to form a single body initially called Bridgwater & Taunton College. The merger was intended to strengthen the educational landscape, ensure financial sustainability, and enhance university-level provision in the county of Somerset. The Taunton campus is now one of the main centres of the unified institution, which also operates campuses in Bridgwater and nearby Cannington. The higher education offerings across all campuses have been rebranded as University Centre Somerset.

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