Watchet
Watchet is a harbor town in the county of Somerset in England. It gets its name either from the blue wacet dye found in the cliffs, or from British gwo coed or waeced, "under the wood".
History
It is first recorded in the 7th century, when Saint Decuman crossed over from South Wales on a raft with a cow to help the people there. Legend says he was killed there by a violent man who cut off his head. There is a spring of water dedicated to him there.
Coins were minted here for Ethelred II and five other Saxon kings. They have been found as far away as Scandinavia, probably because they were part of the Danegeld - payments made to the Vikings, who attacked Watchet in 918, 977, 988, and destroyed part of it in 997. Harold Godwinson's mother Eleanor fled through this port in 1066.
Watchet is the only place in England to still have the Court leet system, but only in name, with people chosen for ceremonial jobs like port reeve and ale taster.
Watchet Media
View along Swain Street, Watchet
Looking down on Wansborough Papermill
Commercial shipping in the harbour in 1973
The marina at Watchet, Somerset, England.
The former lifeboat station which is now the library.
No.34007 Wadebridge, a former-SR West Country class 4-6-2 Pacific, arrives into Watchet railway station from Minehead, heading a passenger train on the heritage West Somerset Railway
The medieval parish church of Watchet is dedicated to St Decuman
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Other websites
- Watchet's rich heritage Archived 2007-02-22 at the Wayback Machine
- Somerset Urban Archaeological Survey Archived 2008-05-12 at the Wayback Machine
- Watchet
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