THIS is Taunton … but not as we know it.

These photos were submitted by reader David Salter who took them during a visit to our county town’s namesake in Massachusetts, USA – and while he was there he had some shocking news for some of the inhabitants.

He said: “I spent a couple of days in the City of Taunton, in the county of Bristol.

“North East of Taunton is the town of Bridgewater – spelt with an ‘e’ – and to the south is the town of Somerset. Other places nearby are Weymouth, Plymouth, Braintree, Mansfield, Swansea and so on.

“I was amazed to learn that some Americans believed that there were places in England named after places in America!”

For more photos from the visit, see this Thursday's County Gazette.