Watchet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Watchet | |
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  Watchet shown within Somerset |
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| Population | 4400[1] |
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| OS grid reference | |
| District | West Somerset |
| Shire county | Somerset |
| Region | South West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WATCHET |
| Postcode district | TA23 |
| Dialling code | 01984 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| European Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | Bridgwater |
| List of places: UK • England • Somerset | |
Watchet is a harbour town in West Somerset, England, situated 15 miles (24 km) west of Bridgwater, and 15 miles north west of Taunton. In 2002, the town's population was estimated to be 4,400.[1] The town lies at the mouth of the River Washford on Bridgwater Bay, part of the Bristol Channel, and on the edge of Exmoor National Park.
It is believed to be the place where Saint Decuman was killed and the 15th century, grade I listed, church is dedicated to him.[2]
According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records the early port at Watchet being plundered by Danes led by Ohtor and Rhoald[3] in 987 and 997. It is known that it was in frequent use by small boats in 1564 possibly for the import of salt and wine from France.[4] During the English Civil War Royalist reinforcements for the siege of Dunster Castle was sent by sea, but the tide was on the ebb and a troop of Roundheads rode into the shallows and forced the ship to surrender, so a ship at sea was taken by a troop of horse.[5]
The primitive jetty was damaged in a storm of 1659 and a larger, stronger pier was built in the early 18th century supported by local wool merchants, although by 1797 the largest export was kelp made by burning seaweed for use in glass making. In the 19th century trade increased with the export of iron ore from the Brendon Hills, paper, flour and gypsum.[4] This was aided by the coming of the West Somerset Railway. In the mid-1860s two independent railways terminated at Watchet railway station. The West Somerset Mineral Railway ran down from the iron mines on the Brendon Hills, and the West Somerset Railway came up from the Bristol & Exeter Railway at Norton Fitzwarren. Both lines made extensive use of the harbour at Watchet from where the iron ore was shipped across the Bristol Channel for smelting at Ebbw Vale in South Wales. The mines and railway closed in 1898 and in 1900 and 1903 a series of gales breached the breakwater and East Pier with the loss of several vessels each time and subsequent repairs.[4]
Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner was written whilst travelling through Watchet and the surrounding area. Cleeve Abbey lies a short distance away.
There are several museums in the town including the Market House Museum which explores the town's history and the Watchet Boat Museum with local boats and associated artefacts.
[edit] Other usage
The word "Watchet" or "Watchet Blue" was used in the 16th century to denote a pale, greenish blue colour, based on the coloured alabaster found in the cliffs between Watchet and Blue Anchor.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ a b West Somerset Parish Population data (PDF) (2002). Retrieved on 2007-06-09.
- ^ Parish church of St Decuman. Images of England. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.
- ^ Waite, Vincent (1964). Portrait of the Quantocks. London: Robert Hale. ISBN 0709111584.
- ^ a b c Farr, Grahame (1954). Somerset Harbours. London: Christopher Johnson, 125-137.
- ^ a b Leete-Hodge, Lornie (1985). Curiosities of Somerset. Bodmin: Bossiney Books, 41-42. ISBN 0906456983.
[edit] External links
- Watchet Town Council
- The Somerset Urban Archaeological Survey: Watchet, by Clare Gathercole
- The Watchet Boat Museum - the world's largest collection of flatner boats
- Watchet Carnival
- Photos of Watchet in 3D (Anaglyphs)
- History of Watchet Harbour development
- Watchet at the Open Directory Project
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