▁problems ▁with ▁water ▁supply ▁and ▁water log ged ▁pe at ▁causing ▁the ▁cl ay ▁p ud d ling ▁to ▁f ract ure ▁meant ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁sold ▁to ▁the ▁Br istol ▁and ▁Ex eter ▁Railway . ▁They ▁used ▁the ▁canal ▁to ▁transport ▁materials ▁for ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁Som erset ▁Central ▁Railway ▁which ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 4 . ▁ ▁Background ▁G last on bury ▁is ▁situated ▁in ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁low - lying ▁land , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Som erset ▁Level s , ▁through ▁which ▁rivers ▁and ▁d rain age ▁d itch es ▁( loc ally ▁called ▁" rh yn es ") ▁run . ▁There ▁is ▁evidence ▁that ▁the ▁town ▁was ▁served ▁by ▁a ▁medieval ▁canal ▁connecting ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁river ▁system ▁in ▁the ▁Sax on ▁period , ▁and ▁the ▁water ways ▁were ▁later ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁mon ks ▁who ▁were ▁located ▁at ▁G last on bury ▁Ab bey , ▁both ▁for ▁dra ining ▁the ▁land ▁and ▁for ▁transport ▁of ▁produce . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 7 5 0 s , ▁the ▁town ▁became ▁a ▁sp a ▁town , ▁when ▁the ▁waters ▁of ▁the ▁Chal ice ▁Well ▁spring ▁were ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁medic inal ▁properties , ▁but ▁this ▁did ▁not ▁last ▁for ▁long , ▁while ▁the ▁pre domin ant ▁w ool ▁and ▁cloth ▁indust ries ▁decl ined ▁as ▁the ▁mill s ▁of ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁England ▁took ▁the ▁trade . ▁ ▁The ▁area ▁was ▁hit ▁by ▁severe ▁flo ods ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 4 , ▁as ▁a ▁result