8940 Space Walk 17/8/07 12:16 Page 1

do the S o m e r s e t S p a c e The Somerset Space Walk was opened m e r s e on the 9th August 1997 by the British S o t Astronomer Heather Couper. Since then W a l k many, many people have walked the walk. a c e What has been their reaction? S p

Well many people has meant many reactions but one theme has remained constant. a l k People were surprised by what they saw and W Somerset Space Walk is a joint venture between what they felt. Solar Model Group and I feel that this alone justifies the existence of British Waterways Board the space walk... because one has to ask why are visitors surprised? After all we live on Discover for yourself the Funded by and we have eyes? We can see the vast emptiness of space and Moon and the stars, so why should a model surprise us? Taunton Deane Borough Council We could of course try to answer that with valuable support from: question in this leaflet, but far better that you Somerset County Council come and see for yourself, for knowing that Taunton Deane Borough Council you are being deceived is no substitute for Somerset Waterways Development Trust (SWDT) actually seeing the truth! Come and see the The Boat and Anchor Inn, Bathpool Inn enormity of the Sun, experience the vast (Both family Inns with food & play areas) emptiness of space and be amazed by the The Handy Shop, Taunton Maunsel Lock Canal Centre distance of the nearest Star. (tea shop open Spring-Autumn) As to exactly why your eyes have been deceiving you, you will find all that in a leaflet available in the Maunsel Canal Centre at Lower Maunsel Lock. The leaflet will also give Contacts: all the facts and figures of the space walk. British Waterways 01452 318000 The Canal Centre also has a cafe, where you www.britishwaterways.co.uk can have cream teas on the lawn SWDT overlooking the working lock. 01823 442654 www.somerset-waterways.org Pip Youngman The Space Walk Man 'This edition of the leaflet is produced in memory of Deane Design & Print 8940.8.07 Pip Youngman who was the driving force behind the establishment of the Somerset Spacewalk.' 8940 Somerset Space Walk 17/8/07 12:16 Page 2

Where is it ? S o m e r s e t p a c S e

a l k What else ? Brid W gwat er a nd You do not have to walk all 22 kilometres ! Centred Ta u on the Sun at Higher Maunsel Lock, the model shows n t o the planets in their orbits on both sides of the sun n Neptune Junction What is it ? (see map). C 24 a Take your choice, heading to Taunton or Bridgwater n

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the distance to Pluto is 11 kilometres (6.8 miles), and l The Somerset Space Walk is a true scale by some strange cosmic coincidence, either way A38 model of our with the the nearest pub is 5 miles! For the less hardy the planets placed along the Bridgwater inner planets make a comfortable stroll and there is a tea garden at the lock. to Taunton Canal. We give no little pictures of the model - pictures are what we are getting away from, instead we M5 Motorway show the Canal, the We believe that the little pictures of the planets we NORTH Inner countryside and the find in our encyclopedias and atlases, like the PETHERTON good hostelries at Planets pictures on our cover, leave us all with a totally which you may refresh M Follow signs for ● false picture of the space in which we live - no ● E MAUNSEL ● V yourselves. canal side ● great problem day to day, but a M LOCK car park ● M Sun ● V poor basis for understanding our FREE to the general ● E home planet. public, always open, it ● M This is not the fault of our atlas is only asked that you makers. The true picture simply respect the canal and it’s environment and Jupiter cannot be put on one sheet of other canal users. People wishing to use A38 A361 paper. A true scale plan of the boats or to bicycle in parties should contact CREECH ST Saturn solar system printed in the biggest British Waterways.(Details overleaf). MICHAEL atlas would just be plain white ! The images would be too small to P Uranus print. We have 22 kilometres at our disposal. This allows NeptuneJunction A358 us, unlike museum models, to use one scale for Pluto 25 both the planets and the distances between them. There are no figures to work out, just the chance to TAUNTON Key to Inner Planets walk, cycle or boat through the true- scale model; to experience the true emptiness of space, and M Mars E Earth the uniqueness of our Planet Earth. V Venus M Mercury