60-489: The Market House Museum is a small museum in Watchet , Somerset , England. The building on Market Street 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. It is a Grade II listed building . 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
120-403: A burh. He built a network of well maintained army roads, known as herepaths , that interconnected the burhs, allowing the population quick access to shelter (in their local burh). The herepaths enabled Alfred's troops to move swiftly to engage the enemy. It also meant that reinforcements could be called up easily, from other burhs if needed. Ryan Lavelle believes that each burh would have had
180-442: 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. Artefacts include those relating to: Archaeology, Coins and Medals, Land Transport, Maritime, Natural Sciences, Science and Technology and Social History. At the rear of the museum building is the old town lock-up for the temporary detention of people, often drunks who were usually released
240-548: 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. A fragment of a lower jaw from a Phytosaur longirostrine archosaur has been described from early Hettangian strata. Kentsford Bridge is a packhorse bridge over the Washford River. It existed before the Reformation , possibly being
300-666: A later date. Æthelstan granted these burhs the right to mint coinage and in the tenth and eleventh centuries the firm rule was that no coin was to be struck outside a burh. A tenth-century document, now known as the Burghal Hidage and so named by Frederic William Maitland in 1897, cites thirty burhs in Wessex and three in Mercia. At the time, Mercia was ruled by the West Saxon kings. These burhs were all built to defend
360-409: A massive series of banks fronted by a ditch. The bank was typically timber faced and timber revetted . This was topped by a wooden palisade of stakes, up to 10 feet (3.0 m) high, with a walkway. At towns such as Tamworth, the ramparts would decay and push outwards over time, meaning that the ditch and bank would deteriorate. To solve this, the banks were faced with stone, thus further reinforcing
420-456: A motor lifeboat that could cover the area around Watchet. 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. Since closure the boat house has been converted into a library. The civil parish of Watchet is governed by a town council , having previously been Watchet Urban District . Administratively,
480-636: A mounted force that would be ready for action against the Vikings. It is probable that there was a system of beacons on the high hills of Wessex that gave advance warning of any invader. Thus with this integrated network of fortifications and defence with the burhs at its centre, Alfred was able to make it difficult for the Vikings to seize strategically important towns and ports. Burhs also had secondary roles as economic centres, safe havens in which trade and production could take place. Armouries, blacksmiths, royal mints and trading posts were all located within
540-468: A new east pier and rebuilt the west pier; the work was finished in 1862, and 500 ton vessels could enter the harbour. 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. It briefly reopened in the early 20th century. The trackbed of the old West Somerset Mineral Railway now forms
600-749: A path, which can be followed from the harbour at Watchet to Washford station , also on the West Somerset Railway. 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 the Knights Templar . Middle and an upper schools are available in Williton and Minehead including The West Somerset Community College , which provides education for 1298 students between
660-448: A plaque to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the lighthouse. 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 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. After
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#1732787901016720-603: A route to Cleeve 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). Samuel Taylor Coleridge 's poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner was written in 1797 whilst travelling through Watchet and the surrounding area. He lived at Coleridge Cottage in Nether Stowey and while living there he wrote " This Lime-Tree Bower My Prison ", part of " Christabel ", Frost at Midnight and The Rime of
780-421: A site between Watchet and Doniford . Unmanned target aircraft were towed by planes from RAF Weston Zoyland , and later were fired from catapults over the sea. Little of the camp buildings survives, and it is now the site of a holiday park. The port remained open to service the papermills, importing wood pulp and esparto grass from Russia and Scandinavia , using mainly East European registered vessels after
840-538: A stronger pier. The main export at this time 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 mainly to Newport for onward transportation to the Ebbw Vale Steelworks , paper, flour and gypsum. In 1843 the esplanade was built by George Wyndham, 4th Earl of Egremont , and in 1855 a new harbour
900-682: Is attested in a number of charters and in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle during the tenth century, in the Old English forms weced , wæced , and wæcet . It appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Wacet . Twenty-first-century authorities mostly agree that the name comes from the Common Brittonic words that survive in modern Welsh as gwo - ("under-") and coed ("woodland"). Thus the name once meant "under
960-656: Is dedicated to him. At the time of the Domesday Book Watchet was part of the estate held by William de Moyon . The parish of Watchet was in the Williton and Freemanners Hundred in the Middle Ages . T With access to wood from the Quantock Hills , records show that paper making was established by 1652. In the 15th century, a flour mill was established by the Fulford and Hadley families near
1020-550: 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 station was first opened on 31 March 1862, when the West Somerset Railway was opened from Norton 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
1080-481: The Brittonic * -dunon and Welsh caer , as at Salisbury . Burhs were originally built as military defences. According to H. R. Loyn , the burh "represented only a stage, though a vitally important one, in the evolution of the medieval English borough and of the medieval town". The boundaries of ancient burhs can often still be traced to modern urban borough limits. Most of these were founded by Alfred
1140-478: The Caen stone reredos was erected. The church was described by Francis 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 the perpendicular window tracery in the south isle. The series of wagon roofs with rich carving are above the rood screen in the nave and south aisle . The Wyndham Chapel occupies
1200-639: The East Anglian region of England and Scotland ) " burgh ". Byrig was the plural form of burh and burg : "forts", "fortifications". It was also the dative form: "to the fort" or "for the fort". This developed into "bury" and "berry", which were used to describe manor houses , large farms, or settlements beside the fortifications. In addition to the English foundations described here, these names were sometimes used in Old English calques or variants of native placenames, including
1260-766: The First 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 class protected cruiser HMS Fox of the Astraea -class of the Royal Navy , which at 320 feet (98 m) is still the largest vessel ever to enter the harbour. Before the Second World War , a gunnery range was established for various army units to practice anti-aircraft gunnery at
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#17327879010161320-687: The First-past-the-post system of election. The current MP is Ian Liddell-Grainger , a member of the Conservatives . Until Brexit in 2020, residents of Watchet formed part of the electorate for the South West England constituency for elections to the European Parliament . The foreshore at Watchet is rocky, with a high 6 metres (20 ft) tidal range . The cliffs between Watchet and Blue Anchor show
1380-468: The Mendip TV transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC 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. The town is served by local newspapers, West Somerset Free Press and Somerset County Gazette . Adjacent to the harbour is Watchet station . This
1440-594: The River 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 from France . In 1643 during the English Civil War , a Royalist ship was sent to Watchet to reinforce for the siege of Dunster Castle . Parliamentarian (Roundhead) Captain Popham ordered his troops into the sea with the tide on the ebb, and with
1500-541: The Wansbrough Paper Mill . With an annual capacity of 180,000 tonnes of product and employing 100 people, it was the UK's largest manufacturer of coreboard , and also produced containerboard , recycled envelope , bag and kraft papers. In December 2015 the paper mill ceased production and closed. Watchet developed as a town thanks to its closeness to the minerals within the Brendon Hills , and its access to
1560-529: The 10th century. Trade using the harbour gradually grew, despite damage during several severe storms, with import and exports of goods including those from Wansbrough Paper Mill until the 19th century when it increased with the export of iron ore , brought from the Brendon Hills via the West Somerset Mineral Railway , mainly to Newport for onward transportation to the Ebbw Vale Steelworks . The West Somerset Railway also served
1620-473: The Ancient Mariner . 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 of Penicuik , Scotland, was unveiled at the harbour. 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 as mangelwurzel or swede . It
1680-569: The Church of St Decumen there is also a Methodist church in Watchet. It was built as a Wesleyan chapel in 1871. The Baptist church was built in 1824. Cleeve Abbey , one of the best preserved medieval monasteries in England, lies about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Watchet, in the village of Washford . Burh A burh ( Old English pronunciation: [burˠx] ) or burg
1740-460: The Great (AD 871−901) Watchet became an important port, and coins minted here have been found as far away as Copenhagen and Stockholm . The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records the early port being plundered by Danes led by Earl Ottir and a 'Hroald' (possibly Ottir's king Ragnall ) in 987 and 997. Watchet is believed to be the place where Saint Decuman was killed around 706 and its parish church
1800-569: The Great in a consciously planned policy that was continued under his son Edward the Elder and his daughter, Æthelflæd , the 'Lady of the Mercians', and her husband Æthelred, Ealdorman of Mercia . The Mercian Register tells of the building of ten burhs by Æthelflæd, some as important as Tamworth and Stafford , others now unidentifiable. Some were based upon pre-existing Roman structures, some newly built, though others may have been built at
1860-604: The Second World War. 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 a marina for pleasure boats. It is surrounded by renovated quaysides and narrow streets. The commercial esplanade has been refurbished with new shelters, information points, and
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1920-409: The ages of 13 and 18. The Anglican St 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 at Daw'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
1980-503: The burh. They would be used as supply depot for the Anglo-Saxon army when it was in the field, thus ensuring that the Anglo-Saxon troops had a continual supply of weapons, fresh horses and food. During Alfred's reign there was a definite demarcation between the royal fyrd (royal army) and those of the local fyrd (local defence force). The local fyrd were responsible for the construction and defence of their burh, whereas members of
2040-401: 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 the Middle Ages . In addition to
2100-794: The civil parish falls within the Somerset West and Taunton local government district and the Somerset shire county . Administrative tasks are shared between county, district and town councils. In 2011, the parish had a population of 3,785. Watchet forms part of the Tiverton and Minehead county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of parliament (MP) by
2160-482: The defences and improving their life span. The purpose was primarily to provide defence for a port or town, and the surrounding farms, villages and hamlets. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , Alfred constructed a series of burhs, listed in the Burghal Hidage numbering over 30. Apparently, it was Alfred's intention that no English farm or village be any more than 20 miles (32 km) away from
2220-640: The east end of the north aisle and is dedicated to the Wyndham family of nearby Orchard Wyndham House, former lords of the manor . Included is a memorial to Sir John Wyndham (1558–1645), who played an important role in the establishment of defence organisation in the West Country against the threat of the Spanish Armada . Next to his monument is one to his parents, and the chest tomb of his grandparents, with monumental brasses , serves to separate
2280-685: The interior of the kingdom for attackers in shallow- draught vessels such as longships . Burhs also had a secondary role as commercial and sometimes administrative centres. Their fortifications were used to protect England's various royal mints . Burh and burg were Old English developments of the Proto-Germanic word reconstructed as * burg-s , cognate with the verb * berg-an ("to shut in for protection"). They are cognate with German Burg , Dutch burcht and Scandinavian borg and, in English, developed variously as " borough ", " burg ", and (particularly in
2340-488: The local harbour was used to import raw materials and export finished goods. 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. In 1896, the business became the Wansbrough Paper Company, a limited liability company , and the building became known as
2400-573: The mid 1860s. 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 and Exeter Railway at Norton Fitzwarren . At the peak in the trade during the late 19th century 40,000 tons of ore were exported annually. In 1862, the cast-iron Watchet Harbour Lighthouse was built by Hennet, Spinks and Else of Bridgwater . In September 2012, Princess Anne unveiled
2460-639: The mouth of the Washford River on Bridgwater Bay , part of the Bristol Channel , and on the edge of Exmoor National Park . The original settlement may have been at the Iron 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, and was attacked by Vikings in
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2520-412: The mouth of the Washford River . By 1587 the Wyndham estate had established a fulling and grist mill to the south west. By 1652, the mill had started to produce paper. In 1846 business partners James Date, William Peach and John Wansbrough bought the business and introduced mechanised-production using a water wheel -powered pulley system. In the 1860s, the factory was converted to steam power and
2580-438: The next day or to hold people being brought before the local magistrate. The Watchet Boat Museum , which is housed in the 1862 Victorian architecture former railway goods shed, displays the unusual local flatner boats and associated artefacts. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution stationed a lifeboat at Watchet in 1875. The station was closed in 1944 by which time the nearby station at Minehead had been equipped with
2640-606: The origins of urban life in England. In most cases, Alfred's rebuilding of a burh did not cause any change of name, as the sites chosen had already been some sort of fortified structure. The burhs were made in a variety of different ways, depending on materials available locally, and the size of the settlement or area it was intended to defend. Frequently, a burh was built on the site of pre-existing fortifications. Sometimes, old Roman walls were simply repaired, as in towns such as Winchester , Exeter , York , Burgh Castle , Portchester and Dover . At other times, they would build on
2700-562: The port. Artefacts include those relating to: Archaeology, Coins and Medals, Land Transport, Maritime, Natural Sciences, Science and Technology and Social History. At the rear of the museum building is the old town lock up . Watchet Watchet is a harbour town, civil parish and electoral ward in the county of Somerset , England, with a population in 2011 of 3,785. It is situated 15 miles (24 km) west of Bridgwater , 15 miles (24 km) north-west of Taunton , and 9 miles (14 km) east of Minehead . The town lies at
2760-501: 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 I listed , Church of St Decuman is dedicated to him. The Norman 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 was restored and reseated by James Piers St Aubyn between 1886 and 1891, with further internal alterations being made in 1896 when
2820-488: 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 the Market 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. It houses
2880-656: The region against Viking raids. Only eight of the burhs achieved municipal status in the Middle Ages : Chester , Bridgnorth , Tamworth , Stafford , Hertford , Warwick , Buckingham and Maldon . The largest were at Winchester , Wallingford and Warwick , whilst Wallingford and Wareham are the best-preserved examples, with substantial ditches and banks still visible. It has been estimated that construction of Wallingford's 9,000 feet (2,700 m) of bank would have taken more than 120,000 man hours. Burh towns also usually had regular street layouts, some of which are still preserved. Burhs are widely thought to have been
2940-506: The sea, on a tapering spur of land bounded by the Washford 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. A Saxon mint was established here in 1035, probably within the fort. It is a scheduled monument . There is no sign of Roman occupation, but the Anglo-Saxons took Watchet from the native Britons around AD 680. Under Alfred
3000-459: The ship unable to move, attacked the ship with fire from their carbines . 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. The primitive jetty was damaged in a storm of 1659, so that in 1708 leading local wool merchant Sir William Wyndham built a new harbour costing £1,000, with
3060-432: The site of old Iron Age forts, such as Dover, utilising the old ditches and ramparts. However, many of the burhs were entirely new fortified sites, built on strategic sites on the coast, near ports or overlooking roads and trade routes. Substantial new towns were built on flat land with a rectangular layout, at for example Oxford , Wallingford , Cricklade and Wareham . Traditionally, burhs were constructed first with
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#17327879010163120-667: The then major port of Watchet. The line was extended westwards by the Minehead Railway Company on 16 July 1874, with an industrial railway siding provided at the same time into the Wansbrough Paper Mill . The GWR undertook many projects to increase the capacity of the line in the 1930s. Nationalisation in 1948 saw the GWR become the Western Region of British Railways . Freight traffic was withdrawn on 6 July 1964, and passenger trains on 4 January 1971. The station
3180-446: The town and port bringing goods and people from the Bristol 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 a marina . In 2016, Watchet joined the rest of West Somerset in receiving 'Opportunity Area' status. The church is dedicated to Saint Decuman who is thought to have died here around 706. An early church
3240-430: The wood". Daw's Castle ( Dart's Castle or Dane's Castle ) is an Iron Age sea cliff hill 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 a burh by Alfred the Great , as part of his defences against Viking raids from the Bristol Channel around 878 AD . It is situated on an east–west cliff about 80 metres (260 ft) above
3300-530: Was an Anglo-Saxon fortification or fortified settlement. In the 9th century, raids and invasions by Vikings prompted Alfred the Great to develop a network of burhs and roads to use against such attackers. Some were new constructions; others were situated at the site of Iron Age hillforts or Roman forts and employed materials from the original fortifications. As at Lundenburh (medieval London ), many were also situated on rivers : this facilitated internal lines of supply while aiming to restrict access to
3360-442: Was built near Daw's Castle and a new church was erected in the 15th century. It has several tombs and monuments to Sir John Wyndham and his family who were the lords of the manor. Samuel Taylor Coleridge 's poem The 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. The name of Watchet
3420-512: Was commissioned to cope with increased iron ore trade. The existing harbour was damaged and several vessels wrecked by the Royal Charter Storm on 26 October 1859. A new east pier and wharf was completed in 1861−62 by James Abernethy . This allowed shipping movement to reach a peak, with over 1,100 ship movements per annum. Harbour trade was aided by the coming of the railway, with two independent railways terminating at Watchet from
3480-495: Was ready for traffic from Watchet to Roadwater by April 1857, 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. After considerable public pressure, the Watchet Harbour Act was passed in 1857, placing it under the control of Commissioners; they built
3540-467: Was reopened by the new West Somerset Railway on 28 August 1976. The harbour was also linked, with a separate station , to the independent West Somerset Mineral Railway , that ran to iron ore mines in the Brendon Hills south west of the town. From Watchet the ore was carried across the Bristol Channel by ship to Newport and thence to Ebbw Vale for smelting to extract the iron. The line
3600-539: Was the last remaining reminder of the Watchet Fair (also known as St Decuman's Fair). 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 are BBC West and ITV West Country . Television signals are received from
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