The Town of Watchet

The first recorded evidence of settlement on the site that is now known as Watchet emerges in the Dark Ages with the arrival of one of those Celtic holy men who acted as pastor, arbitrator and physician to remote communities. His name was St Decuman and legend has it that he arrived from what is now South Wales, on a raft with a cow as companion. Take time to see the pebble stone mosaic besides the library on the Esplanade, which depicts his journey.

St Decuman is still remembered today through the dedication of the local church in his name and to the continued existence of the Holy Well where some of his healing took place.

Watchet's importance as a strategic site grew as evidenced by the remains of an iron age fort at Daw's Castle to the west of the Town and to the east of the town at Doniford, traces of Roman settlement have been unearthed. Watchet's natural harbour made it an early trading centre and in the 10th century coins were minted for Ethelred II and thereon for five more Saxon Kings and three Norman Kings, ending with Stephen.

Some of the earlier minted coins are on display in Stockholm museum, representing the haul from Viking raids along the coast, the most notable being in 998.

With the Norman invasion of 1066 and the death of King Harold, his mother Eleanor fled to Watchet where she then took a boat to Flatholm Island. The Norman successors were given parcels of land throughout the country and in this area the manor of Dunster was created and a castle built to ensure the dominance and military might of the invader. Watchet is unique in that to this day it still maintains the Court Leet system of medieval local administration, today albeit symbolic, where post holders are still appointed to the various tasks such as Ale Taster and Portreeve.

The Civil War and the Monmouth Rebellion came and went as reigns changed and the centuries marched on. In the First and the Second World Wars Watchet sent its men to fight for their country and their sacrifice is still fittingly remembered on the open space of the Memorial Ground on which a lot of the sporting, cultural and recreational activities and events of today take place.

The harbour area has always been the hub of the town and it is from here that a lot of Watchet's early prosperity was based. Small locally owned vessels traded coastally and to Ireland with a host of commodities that can be seen in the cargo manifests still held in the Market House Museum. In the 19th century iron ore was exported from the mines in the Brendon Hills to the smelters at Ebbw Vale in South Wales. Latterly wood pulp was imported from Scandinavia and Portugal for the local paper mill and general cargo passing through the harbour included sand, cement, fertilizer, lead ingots, tractors, potatoes and coal.

A cyclical decline in coastal traffic led to a call for the port to be closed in favour of creating a Marina. After a Public Enquiry the inspector approved a bill for the decommissioning of the Harbour after a millennium of activity and new challenges face us all for the future.

Today Watchet is a bustling town with lots to see and do. The towns main commercial artery, Swain Street, has many shops to attract and cater for the visitor and resident alike - from clothes, shoes, hairdressers, DIY and antiques to curios, gifts and fishing tackle; from financial services to food; from ice creams to fine art!