Watchet
| Watchet | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Population | 4,401 |
| OS grid reference | ST074431 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire 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 | |
Watchet is a harbour town and civil parish in the English county of Somerset, with an approximate population of 4,400. It is situated 15 miles (24 km) west of Bridgwater, and 15 miles north west of Taunton. 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.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner was written whilst travelling through Watchet and the surrounding area.
History
It is believed to be the place where Saint Decuman was killed and the 15th century, grade I listed, church is dedicated to him.[1]
According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records the early port at Watchet being plundered by Danes led by Ohtor and Rhoald[2] 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.[3] 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.[4]
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.[3]
Harbour trade was aided by the coming of the railway. In the mid-1860s two independent railways terminated at Watchet. 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 iron ore was shipped across the Bristol Channel for smelting at Ebbw Vale in South Wales.[3]
The mines and West Somerset Mineral Railway closed in 1898. The West Somerset Railway, extended from Watchet to Minehead in 1874, survived as part of British Rail until 1979. 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.[3]
Governance
Administratively, the civil parish falls within the West Somerset local government district within the Somerset shire county, with administrative tasks shared between county, district and parish councils. In 2002, the parish was estimated to have a population of 4,401.[5]
Watchet forms part of the Bridgwater county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. Following its review of parliamentary representation in Somerset, the Boundary Commission for England has finalised the proposals which expands the existing Bridgwater seat into a new Bridgwater and West Somerset division. The current MP is Ian Liddell-Grainger, a member of the Conservatives.[6]
Residents of Watchet also form part of the electorate for the South West England constituency for elections to the European Parliament.[7]
Landmarks
The principal landmark in Watchet is the town's harbour and the surrounding quaysides and narrow streets. In commercial use until 2000, the harbour has now been converted into a marina. There are several museums in the town, including the Market House Museum, which explores the history of the town and its harbour, and the Watchet Boat Museum, which displays the unusual local flatner boats and associated artefacts.
Adjacent to the harbour is Watchet station. This is now an intermediate stop on the West Somerset Railway, a largely steam operated heritage railway that links Bishops Lydeard, near Taunton, with Minehead. The trackbed of the old West Somerset Mineral Railway now forms a path, which can be followed from the harbour at Watchet to Washford station, also on the West Somerset Railway.[8]
The foreshore at Watchet is rocky, with a high 6 metres (20 ft) tidal range. The cliffs between Watchet and Blue Anchor show a distinct pale, greenish blue colour, resulting from the coloured alabaster found there. The name "Watchet" or "Watchet Blue" was used in the 16th century to denote this colour.[4][9]
Daw's Castle, about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) to the west of Watchet, is a hill fort situated on a sea cliff about 80 metres (260 ft) above the sea. The fort may be of Iron Age origin, but was (re)built and fortified as a burh by King Alfred, as part of his defense against Viking raids from the Bristol Channel around 878 AD. Cleeve Abbey lies a short distance away.
References
- ^ "Parish church of St Decuman". Images of England. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
- ^ Waite, Vincent (1964). Portrait of the Quantocks. London: Robert Hale. ISBN 0709111584.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c d Farr, Grahame (1954). Somerset Harbours. London: Christopher Johnson. pp. 125–137.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b Leete-Hodge, Lornie (1985). Curiosities of Somerset. Bodmin: Bossiney Books. pp. 41–42. ISBN 0906456983.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) Cite error: The named reference "curio" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ "West Somerset" (PDF). Parish Population Estimates for 2002. Somerset County Council. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
- ^ "Alphabetical List of Constituencies and Members of Parliament". House Of Commons Information Office. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
- ^ "UK MEPs for the South West". European Parliament UK Office. Retrieved 2008-01-11.
- ^ "Things to do". Watchet Town Council. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
- ^ "Article from Issue Number 12/1 February 2005". Open University Geological Society (London Branch). Retrieved 2008-10-08.
External links
- Watchet Online - Directory of News, Events, Photos and more
- Watchet Town Council
- The Somerset Urban Archaeological Survey: Watchet, by Clare Gathercole
- Watchet Carnival
- Photos of Watchet in 3D (Anaglyphs)
- History of Watchet Harbour development
- Watchet at Curlie
