BRIDGWATER Guy Fawkes Carnival 2024 celebrates a special 100th anniversary this year.

1924 marked the last time the Cornhill bonfires took place, an event which occurred for more than three and a quarter centuries to celebrate Guy Fawkes’ failed Gunpowder Plot in 1605.

It was here that Bridgwater Carnival was conceived, and where it would prosper into one of the world’s largest illuminated processions.

Originally, Bridgwater folk gathered around the tall flames of the Cornhill bonfires for centuries. The bonfire itself was enormous and was created from old tar barrels. But by 1925, new asphalt roads were laid in the town centre, making the bonfires an impractical possibility.

The commemorate plaque outside Lloyds Bank in BridgwaterThe commemorate plaque outside Lloyds Bank in Bridgwater (Image: Seth Dellow)

In earlier centuries, revellers advanced their love for bonfires and fireworks by organising into ‘Gangs’, crafting costumes and devising homemade ‘Bridgwater Squibs’, which were lit at breaks during the evenings. Today, many people attend Bridgwater Carnival to watch the spectacular Squibbing Display, which takes place after the last procession entry crosses the finish line.

Gradually, ‘Gangs’ started to travel to the Cornhill on carts drawn by horses. It offered the chance to display their costumes and provided a platform for performance.

The history of the Cornhill bonfires remains an important part of the evolution of Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival. In 1880, the volunteer fire brigade was instructed to extinguish the bonfire despite opposition from the crowd of around 300 people.

This small uprising resulted in the formation of a carnival committee, who in 1881, organised the ‘first’ Bridgwater Carnival parade. One man, Frank Squire, wrote to the Bridgwater Mercury, suggesting the committee be formed with annual processions.

On the wall of the Lloyds Bank in Bridgwater is a plaque, erected in 1999, which commemorates the last Cornhill bonfire held on November 6, 2024. The inscription adds: “Around its flames, Bridgwater’s Guy Fawkes Carnival evolved to become the largest illuminated carnival procession in the world.”