2004 is an important date for the Vale of Taunton Deane and for you to put in you diaries! In AD 904, King Edward the Elder granted a charter to the Bishop of Winchester making him the Lord of many thousands of acres in the Vale of Taunton Deane. The charter is the foundation stone of Taunton's civic history, and is crucial in the history of the Vale as a whole. Taunton became the centrepiece of one of the richest ecclesiastical estates in Europe, and ownership by the bishops continued until 1822.

To mark the 1100th anniversary of the Charter, a group of people, including representatives from Somerset County Council, Taunton Deane Borough Council, have formed a Project Group in the hope to celebrate the anniversary with a series of events during May 2004. Various events are in the planning stages including exhibitions and re-enactments.

2004 also marks the Centenary Year for Hestercombe Gardens with many special events planned.