| Watchet | |
|---|---|
 View overlooking Watchet | |
  Watchet Location withinSomerset | |
| Population | 3,785 [1] |
| OS grid reference | ST074431 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| 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 |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°10′46″N3°19′27″W / 51.1795°N 3.3242°W /51.1795; -3.3242 | |
Watchet is aharbour town,civil parish andelectoral ward in thecounty ofSomerset, England, with a population in 2011 of 3,785.[1] It is situated 15 miles (24 km) west ofBridgwater, 15 miles (24 km) north-west ofTaunton, and 9 miles (14 km) east ofMinehead. The town lies at the mouth of theWashford River onBridgwater Bay, part of theBristol Channel, and on the edge ofExmoor National Park.
The original settlement may have been at theIron Age fort,Daw's Castle. It then moved to the mouth of the river and a small harbour developed. After the Saxon conquest of the area the town developed, becoming known as Weced or Waeced,[2] and was attacked byVikings in the 10th century. Trade using the harbour gradually grew, despite damage during several severe storms, with import and exports of goods including those fromWansbrough Paper Mill until the 19th century when it increased with the export ofiron ore, brought from theBrendon Hills via theWest Somerset Mineral Railway, mainly toNewport for onward transportation to theEbbw Vale Steelworks.
TheWest Somerset Railway also served the town and port bringing goods and people from theBristol and Exeter Railway. The iron ore trade reduced, finally ceasing in the early 20th century. The port continued a smaller commercial trade until 2000 when it was converted into amarina. In 2016, Watchet joined the rest of West Somerset in receiving 'Opportunity Area' status.[3]
The church is dedicated toSaint Decuman who is thought to have died here around 706. An early church was built near Daw's Castle and a new church was erected in the 15th century. It has several tombs and monuments toSir John Wyndham and his family who were the lords of the manor.Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poemThe Rime of the Ancient Mariner, which was written in the area, is commemorated by a statue on the harbourside.
East Quay Watchet is a purpose-built art gallery and arts centre that opened in 2021.[4]
The name of Watchet is attested in a number ofcharters and in theAnglo-Saxon Chronicle during the tenth century, in theOld English formsweced,wæced, andwæcet. It appears in theDomesday Book of 1086 asWacet. Twenty-first-century authorities mostly agree that the name comes from theCommon Brittonic words that survive in modern Welsh asgwo- ("under-") andcoed ("woodland"). Thus the name once meant "under the wood".[5][6][7]: 332
Daw's Castle (Dart's Castle orDane's Castle) is an Iron Age sea cliffhill fort about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) to the west of the town. It was built and fortified, on the site of an earlier settlement, as aburh byAlfred the Great, as part of his defences againstViking raids from theBristol Channel around 878AD.[8][9] It is situated on an east–west cliff about 80 metres (260 ft) above the sea, on a tapering spur of land bounded by theWashford River to the south. Its ramparts would have formed a semicircle backing on to the sheer cliffs, but only about 300 metres (980 ft) are visible today.[10] A Saxon mint was established here in 1035, probably within the fort.[11] It is ascheduled monument.[12]
There is no sign of Roman occupation, but the Anglo-Saxons took Watchet from the native Britons around AD 680. UnderAlfred the Great (AD 871−901) Watchet became an important port, and coins minted here have been found as far away asCopenhagen andStockholm. TheAnglo-Saxon Chronicle records the early port being plundered by Danes led by EarlOttir and a 'Hroald' (possibly Ottir's kingRagnall) in 987 and 997.[13]
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Watchet is believed to be the place whereSaint Decuman was killed around 706 and its parish church is dedicated to him. At the time of theDomesday Book Watchet was part of the estate held byWilliam de Moyon.[14] The parish of Watchet was in theWilliton and FreemannersHundred in theMiddle Ages.[15]
With access to wood from theQuantock Hills, records show that paper making was established by 1652.[16] In the 15th century, a flour mill was established by the Fulford and Hadley families near the mouth of theWashford River. By 1587 the Wyndham estate had established afulling and grist mill to the south west.[10] By 1652, the mill had started to produce paper.[16][17] In 1846 business partners James Date, William Peach and John Wansbrough bought the business and introduced mechanised-production using awater wheel-powered pulley system.[16][18]
In the 1860s, the factory was converted to steam power and the local harbour was used to import raw materials and export finished goods.[17][19] Most of the mill was destroyed by fire in 1889, but it was rebuilt, and less than ten years later five paper-making machines were operating. The mill became the largest manufacturer of paper bags in the UK.[17][18] In 1896, the business became the Wansbrough Paper Company, alimited liability company, and the building became known as theWansbrough Paper Mill.[16] With an annual capacity of 180,000 tonnes of product and employing 100 people, it was the UK's largest manufacturer ofcoreboard, and also producedcontainerboard, recycledenvelope,bag and kraft papers. In December 2015 the paper mill ceased production and closed.[20]
| Watchet Harbour Act 1707 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act for repairing the Harbour and Key of Watchett, in the County of Somerset. |
| Citation | |
| Territorial extent | Great Britain |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 11 March 1708 |
| Commencement | 25 March 1708[c] |
| Repealed | 2 September 1857 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by | |
| Repealed by | Watchet Harbour Act 1857 |
| Relates to | Watchet Harbour Act 1860 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Watchet Harbour Act 1720 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act for continuing the Duties granted by several Acts made in the Sixth and Tenth Years of Her late Majesty's Reign, for repairing the Harbour and Key of Watchett, in the County of Somerset. |
| Citation | 7 Geo. 1. St. 1. c. 14 |
| Territorial extent | Great Britain |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 7 June 1721 |
| Commencement | 8 December 1720[d] |
| Repealed | 2 September 1857 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amends | |
| Repealed by | Watchet Harbour Act 1857 |
| Relates to | Watchet Harbour Act 1860 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Watchet Harbour Act 1857[e] | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act for the Maintenance, Regulation, and Improvement of Watchet Harbour in the County of Somerset; and for other Purposes. |
| Citation | 20 & 21 Vict. c. cxli |
| Territorial extent | United Kingdom |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 10 August 1857 |
| Commencement | 2 September 1857[f] |
| Repealed | 5 September 1860 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amends | West Somerset Mineral Railway Act 1855 |
| Repeals/revokes | |
| Repealed by | Watchet Harbour Act 1860 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Watchet Harbour Act 1860[g] | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
| |
| Long title | An Act for making better Provision for the Maintenance, Regulation, and Improvement of Watchet Harbour; and for other Purposes. |
| Citation | 23 & 24 Vict. c. cli |
| Territorial extent | United Kingdom |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 23 July 1860 |
| Commencement | 5 September 1860[h] |
| Other legislation | |
| Repeals/revokes | Watchet Harbour Act 1857 |
| Amended by | |
| Relates to | |
Status: Amended | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
Watchet developed as a town thanks to its closeness to the minerals within theBrendon Hills, and its access to theRiver Severn for onward shipping. Aside from local ships plying trade across the river, from 1564 onwards the port was used for import of salt and wine fromFrance.[21]
In 1643 during theEnglish Civil War, aRoyalist ship was sent to Watchet to reinforce for the siege ofDunster Castle.Parliamentarian (Roundhead) Captain Popham ordered his troops into the sea with the tide on the ebb, and with the ship unable to move, attacked the ship with fire from theircarbines. Taken by surprise and under heavy attack, the Royalist commander surrendered the ship, resulting in a ship technically at sea being captured by troops on horseback.[22][23]
The primitive jetty was damaged in a storm of 1659, so that in 1708 leading local wool merchant SirWilliam Wyndham built a new harbour costing £1,000, with a stronger pier.[24][25] The main export at this time waskelp, made by burning seaweed for use in glass making.[24] In the 19th century trade increased with the export ofiron ore from theBrendon Hills mainly toNewport for onward transportation to theEbbw Vale Steelworks,[19] paper, flour and gypsum.[21] In 1843 the esplanade was built byGeorge Wyndham, 4th Earl of Egremont, and in 1855 a new harbour was commissioned to cope with increased iron ore trade. The existing harbour was damaged and several vessels wrecked by theRoyal Charter Storm on 26 October 1859.[26] A new east pier and wharf was completed in 1861−62 byJames Abernethy. This allowed shipping movement to reach a peak, with over 1,100 ship movements per annum.[24] Harbour trade was aided by the coming of the railway, with two independent railways terminating at Watchet from the mid 1860s. TheWest Somerset Mineral Railway ran down from the iron mines on the Brendon Hills, and theWest Somerset Railway came up from theBristol and Exeter Railway atNorton Fitzwarren.[21] At the peak in the trade during the late 19th century 40,000 tons of ore were exported annually.[25]
In 1862, the cast-ironWatchet Harbour Lighthouse was built byHennet, Spinks and Else ofBridgwater. In September 2012,Princess Anne unveiled a plaque to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the lighthouse.[27] The mines and West Somerset Mineral Railway closed in 1898. The West Somerset Railway, extended from Watchet toMinehead in 1874, survived as part ofBritish Rail until 1971. Reopened as a heritage railway, it still operates today. 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.[21]
After theFirst World War, the Cardiff Scrap and Salvage company Ltd. took a lease on part of the harbour, from 1920 to 1923. In autumn 1923, the company scrapped the second classprotected cruiserHMSFox of theAstraea-class of theRoyal Navy, which at 320 feet (98 m) is still the largest vessel ever to enter the harbour.[28] Before theSecond World War, a gunnery range was established for various army units to practice anti-aircraft gunnery at a site between Watchet andDoniford. Unmanned target aircraft were towed by planes fromRAF Weston Zoyland, and later were fired from catapults over the sea.[29] Little of the camp buildings survives, and it is now the site of a holiday park.[30]
The port remained open to service the papermills, importing wood pulp andesparto grass fromRussia andScandinavia, using mainly East European registered vessels after the Second World War.[31] Requiring a return load, the result was that Watchet became a leading UK port for the export of car parts, tractors and other industrial goods. However, with the replacement of coal with oil from the mid-1960s, the port traffic began to terminally decline. The harbour was in commercial use until 2000, it has now been converted into amarina for pleasure boats.[25] It is surrounded by renovated quaysides and narrow streets. The commercial esplanade has been refurbished with new shelters, information points, and the provision of new paving in some areas, as well as railings, lamps, curved benches, planters and new tree plantings.
There are several museums in the town, including theMarket House Museum, which explores the history of the town and its harbour. The building was constructed in 1820 on the site of the previous market house which had been demolished in 1805. It was converted into a museum in 1979.[32] It houses a collection of exhibits about the natural history of Watchet and the surrounding area. The focus is on nautical and maritime history of the port.[33] Artefacts include those relating to: Archaeology, Coins and Medals, Land Transport, Maritime, Natural Sciences, Science and Technology and Social History.[34] At the rear of the museum building is the old townlock-up for the temporary detention of people, often drunks who were usually released the next day or to hold people being brought before the local magistrate. TheWatchet Boat Museum, which is housed in the 1862Victorian architecture former railway goods shed, displays the unusual localflatner boats and associated artefacts.[35]
TheRoyal National Lifeboat Institution stationed alifeboat at Watchet in 1875. The station was closed in 1944 by which time the nearby station atMinehead had been equipped with a motor lifeboat that could cover the area around Watchet.[36] The boat was launched from the slipway at the western corner of the harbour, but the boat house was at the southern corner near the railway station and the boat was taken along the quay on a carriage.[37]
The building was gifted to the town in 1951 and opened as a library in May 1953. In 2019 the ownership was transferred from the county council to Watchet town council.[38][39]
The civil parish of Watchet is governed by atown council. In 2011, the parish had a population of 3,785.[1][40]
Forlocal government purposes, since 1 April 2023, the parish comes under theunitary authority ofSomerset Council.[41] Prior to this, the village fell within thenon-metropolitan district ofSomerset West and Taunton, which was established on 1 April 2019. It was previously in the district ofWest Somerset, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under theLocal Government Act 1972, and part ofWatchet Urban District before 1974.[42]
Watchet forms part of theTiverton and Mineheadcounty constituency represented in theHouse of Commons of theParliament of the United Kingdom. It elects oneMember of parliament (MP) by theFirst-past-the-post system of election.Liberal Democrat,Rachel Gilmour was elected to represent the constituency at the 2024 general election.[43]
The foreshore at Watchet is rocky, with a high 6 metres (20 ft)tidal range. The cliffs between Watchet andBlue Anchor show a distinct pale, greenish blue colour, resulting from the colouredalabaster found there. The name "Watchet" or "Watchet Blue" was used in the 16th century to denote this colour.[44][45] A fragment of a lower jaw from aPhytosaurlongirostrine archosaur has been described from earlyHettangian strata.[46]
Kentsford Bridge is apackhorse bridge over the Washford River. It existed before theReformation, possibly being a route toCleeve Abbey and was repaired in 1613. The bridge is 54 inches (1,400 mm) wide and has a total span of 16 feet (4.9 m).[47]
Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poemThe Rime of the Ancient Mariner was written in 1797 whilst travelling through Watchet and the surrounding area. He lived atColeridge Cottage inNether Stowey and while living there he wrote "This Lime-Tree Bower My Prison", part of "Christabel",Frost at Midnight andThe Rime of the Ancient Mariner.[48]
It is claimed that the sight of harbour, from St. Decuman's Church, was the primary inspiration for Coleridge to start the poem. In September 2003, a commemorative statue, by Alan B Herriot ofPenicuik, Scotland, was unveiled at the harbour.[49]
Local traditions include Lantern Night, which is held on 16 September and involves children in the town with candle lanterns made from hollowed out root vegetables such asmangelwurzel orswede. It was the last remaining reminder of the Watchet Fair (also known as St Decuman's Fair).[50] Another tradition is Queen Caturn's Day on the last Saturday of November. Watchet was famous for its blue dye and Queen Caturn was so impressed she bestowed the town's folk with cider and cakes as a reward for this. The tradition is carried on with costumes and celebrations.
Local news and television programmes areBBC West andITV West Country. Television signals are received from theMendip TV transmitter.[51]
Local radio stations areBBC Radio Somerset on 95.5 FM,Heart West on 102.6 FM,Greatest Hits Radio South West on 102.4 FM, and West Somerset Radio, community based radio station that broadcast from the town on 104.4 FM.[52]
The town is served by local newspapers, West Somerset Free Press andSomerset County Gazette.[53][54]
Adjacent to the harbour isWatchet station. This is now an intermediate stop on theWest Somerset Railway, a largelysteam-operatedheritage railway that linksBishops Lydeard, nearTaunton, withMinehead. The station was first opened on 31 March 1862, when the West Somerset Railway was opened fromNorton Junction. The station was built as a terminus, for part of the commercial aim of the WSR was to provide a wider and cheaper distribution route for goods from the then major port of Watchet. The line was extended westwards by theMinehead Railway Company on 16 July 1874, with anindustrial railway siding provided at the same time into theWansbrough Paper Mill.[55] The GWR undertook many projects to increase the capacity of the line in the 1930s.Nationalisation in 1948 saw the GWR become theWestern Region of British Railways. Freight traffic was withdrawn on 6 July 1964, and passenger trains on 4 January 1971. The station was reopened by the new West Somerset Railway on 28 August 1976.[56]
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The harbour was also linked, with aseparate station, to the independentWest Somerset Mineral Railway, that ran toiron ore mines in theBrendon Hills south west of the town. From Watchet the ore was carried across the Bristol Channel by ship toNewport and thence toEbbw Vale for smelting to extract the iron. The line was ready for traffic from Watchet to Roadwater by April 1857,[57][58] Although the outward terminal of the line was to be the quay at Watchet, the pier had been practically unusable for some considerable time, and boats were beached and loaded direct from carts brought on to the foreshore.[21] After considerable public pressure, the Watchet Harbour Act was passed in 1857, placing it under the control of Commissioners; they built a new east pier and rebuilt the west pier; the work was finished in 1862, and 500 ton vessels could enter the harbour.[58] Passenger services were also provided from Watchet, however these were not financially successful and with the declining output from the Iron ore mines the line closed in 1898.[59][57] It briefly reopened in the early 20th century.[60]
The trackbed of the old West Somerset Mineral Railway now forms a path, which can be followed from the harbour at Watchet toWashford station, also on the West Somerset Railway.[35][61]
The Knights Templar Church of England/Methodist Community School in Liddymore Road was built in 1990. It takes its name from the land on which it was built which was owned by theKnights Templar.[62]Middle and anupper schools are available inWilliton andMinehead includingThe West Somerset Community College, which provides education for 1298 students between the ages of 13 and 18.[63]
TheAnglicanSt Decuman's church is probably on an ancient pre-Christian site, on a hill top between Watchet and Williton. An earlier church was situated by the sea atDaw's Castle (probably the original site of Watchet) but was abandoned because of sea erosion. When the church was rebuilt in the 12th century it appears that the bones of St Decuman were moved. The chancel of the present church is unusually wide and may have housed the tomb of St Decuman. The "Translation of Saint Decuman" used to be celebrated. The 15th century, Grade Ilisted,Church of St Decuman is dedicated to him.[64] TheNorman church was rebuilt in the 15th and 16th centuries when the central tower was demolished and the present one built at the west end. It wasrestored and reseated byJames Piers St Aubyn between 1886 and 1891, with further internal alterations being made in 1896 when theCaen stonereredos was erected.[64][65]
The church was described byFrancis Carolus Eeles ("St Decuman's Church") in 1932. He highlighted a fine geometrical east window with original tracery dating from the end of the 13th century and theperpendicular window tracery in the south isle. The series of wagon roofs with rich carving are above therood screen in thenave and southaisle. The Wyndham Chapel occupies the east end of the north aisle and is dedicated to the Wyndham family of nearbyOrchard Wyndham House, formerlords of the manor. Included is a memorial to SirJohn Wyndham (1558–1645), who played an important role in the establishment of defence organisation in theWest Country against the threat of theSpanish Armada. Next to his monument is one to his parents, and the chest tomb of his grandparents, withmonumental brasses, serves to separate the chapel from the chancel. A mural monument exists with kneeling effigies of two of Sir John's sons, Henry and George, as well as other monuments to the later family of Wyndham. The organ was presented to the church in 1933 by W. Wyndham.
St Decuman's well is below the church. It is a 19th-century reconstruction of the earlier well on the site which dates from theMiddle Ages.[66] In addition to the Church of St Decumen there is also a Methodist church in Watchet. It was built as aWesleyan chapel in 1871.[67] TheBaptist church was built in 1824.[68]Cleeve Abbey, one of the best preservedmedievalmonasteries in England, lies about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Watchet, in the village ofWashford.
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