Watchet
Watchet is a harbour community, civil parish and also electoral ward in the English area of Somerset, with a population of 3,785. It is situated 15 miles (24 kilometres) west of Bridgwater, 15 miles (24 km) north-west of Taunton, and also 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 on the edge of Exmoor National Park. The original negotiation may have been at the Iron Age fort Daw's Castle. It after that relocated to the mouth of the river as well as a small harbour created, called by the celts as "Gwo Coed" meaning Under the Wood. After the Saxon conquest of the area the community developed as well as was referred to as Weced or Waeced and also was assaulted by Vikings in the 10th century. Profession using the harbour slowly grew, despite damage throughout numerous serious storms, with import and also exports of products including those from Wansbrough Paper Mill until the 19th century when it enhanced with the export of iron ore, brought from the Brendon Hills through the West Somerset Mineral Railway, mainly to Newport for onward transportation to the Ebbw Vale Steelworks. The West Somerset Railway likewise served the town as well as port bringing items and also people from the Bristol and Exeter Railway. The iron ore profession lowered and discontinued in the early-20th century. The port continued a smaller commercial profession up until 2000 when it was converted into a marina. The church is dedicated to Saint Decuman who is believed to have died here around 706. A very early church was built near Daw's Castle and a new church was erected in the 15th century. It has a number of tombs as well as monoliths to Sir John Wyndham and his family who were the lords of the chateau. Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner which was written in the area is honored by a statue on the harbourside.
