Watchet
Watchet is a harbour community, civil parish and selecting ward in the English region of Somerset, with a population of 3,785. It is located 15 miles (24 km) west of Bridgwater, 15 miles (24 km) north-west of Taunton, as well as 9 miles (14 kilometres) east of Minehead. The town exists at the mouth of the Washford River on Bridgwater Bay, part of the Bristol Channel, and also on the edge of Exmoor National Park. The initial settlement might have been at the Iron Age fort Daw's Castle. It after that moved to the mouth of the river as well as a little harbour established, called by the celts as "Gwo Coed" indicating Under the Wood. After the Saxon conquest of the area the town developed and was referred to as Weced or Waeced as well as was struck by Vikings in the 10th century. Trade making use of the harbour gradually expanded, in spite of damage during several severe storms, with import as well as exports of products including those from Wansbrough Paper Mill till the 19th century when it raised with the export of iron ore, brought from the Brendon Hills through the West Somerset Mineral Railway, generally to Newport for onward transportation to the Ebbw Vale Steelworks. The West Somerset Railway additionally served the community as well as port bringing items and also people from the Bristol and Exeter Railway. The iron ore profession lowered and also discontinued in the early-20th century. The port continued a smaller industrial trade till 2000 when it was converted into a marina. The church is dedicated to Saint Decuman who is believed to have actually died right here around 706. An early church was built near Daw's Castle as well as a brand-new church was erected in the 15th century. It has numerous tombs as well as monuments to Sir John Wyndham and his family members who were the lords of the manor. Samuel Taylor Coleridge's rhyme The Rime of the Ancient Mariner which was written in the location is memorialized by a statuary on the harbourside.
