Places to see in ( Watchet - UK )
Places to see in ( Watchet - UK )
Watchet is a harbour town, civil parish and electoral ward in the English county of Somerset, with a population of 3,785. It is situated 15 miles west of Bridgwater, 15 miles north-west of Taunton, and 9 miles east of Minehead. The parish includes the hamlet of Beggearn Huish. The town lies 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 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, named by the celts as Gwo Coed meaning Under the Wood. After the Saxon conquest of the area the town developed and was known as Weced or Waeced and was attacked by Vikings in 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 the town and port bringing goods and people from the Bristol and Exeter Railway. The iron ore trade reduced and ceased in the early-20th century. The port continued a smaller commercial trade until 2000 when it was converted into a marina.
The church is dedicated to Saint Decuman who is thought to have died here around 706. An early church 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.
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 defense against Viking raids from the Bristol Channel around 878 AD. Watchet is believed to be the place where Saint Decuman was killed around 706 and its parish church 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.
Watchet developed as a town thanks to its closeness to the minerals within the Brendon Hills, and its access to 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.
The foreshore at Watchet is rocky, with a high 6 metres (20 ft) tidal range. The cliffs between Watchet and Blue Anchor show 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 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).
Adjacent to the harbour is Watchet station. This 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, as part of the commercial aim of the WSR was to provide a wider and cheaper distribution route for goods from the then major port of Watchet. On 16 July 1874 the line was extended westwards by the Minehead Railway Company, with an industrial railway siding provided at the same time into the Wansbrough Paper Mill.
( Watchet - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Watchet . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Watchet - UK
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A WALK FROM BLUE ANCHOR TOWARDS DUNSTER BEACH WITH STEAM TRAINS
on 17 July 2018.
Exford Village (Exmoor)
A brief visit to the village of Exford.
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West Somerset Railway 'SPRING STEAM GALA' (S&D Closure 50th Anniversary) - 2016
In 1996, the West Somerset Railway held their first major Steam Gala which celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the closure of the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway on March 6th 1966. In 2006 they held a bigger event for the 40th Anniversary, and now in 2016, they held the gala for the 50th Anniversary of the closure.
This was a two weekend event covering March 5th & 6th and then from the 9th through to the 13th. There were eight locomotives working the services whilst two little Industrial Locos performed additional duties at Minehead and Washford. The stations were also renamed after ones along the S&D route.
The locomotives featured were...
- SR rebuilt 'Battle of Britain'-class 4-6-2 No.34053 Sir Keith Park (running as 'West Country'-class 4-6-2 No.34098 Templecombe and visiting from the Severn Valley Railway)
- SR 'Battle of Britain'-class 4-6-2 No.34070 Manston (visiting from the Swanage Railway)
- LMSR 4F-class 0-6-0 No.44422 (fresh from overhaul and starting a 25-year loan to the WSR)
- LMSR 8F-class 2-8-0 No.48624 (visiting from the Great Central Railway and replacement for the unavailable 'Black 5'-class 4-6-0 Nos.45379 & 44871.
- SDJR 7F-class 2-8-0 No.53808 (fresh from overhaul)
- SDJR 7F-class 2-8-0 No.53809 (fresh from overhaul and visiting from the Midland Railway - Butterley)
- BR 'Standard 4'-class 2-6-4T No.80072 (running as No.80043 and visiting from the Llangollen Railway
- BR 9F-class 2-10-0 No.92214 (visiting from the Great Central Railway)
- 'Andrew-Barclay' 0-4-0ST W/No.1219 (giving shunting demonstrations at Washford)
- 'Peckett' 0-4-0ST W/No.1788 Kilmersdon (running shuttles at Minehead)
Shots and locations featured are as follows...
- 1219: Washford Yard x2
- 1788 Kilmersdon: Minehead x2
- 34098+44422: Blue Anchor
- 34098: Williton, Doniford Halt, Kentsford and Dunster x2
- 34070: Crowcombe Heathfield, Washford Playing Fields, Splash Point and Dunster
- 44422: Dunster x2, Washford and Blue Anchor Beach x2
- 44422+34070: Washford and Williton
- 44422+53809: Washford
- 48624+34098: Roebuck Gate
- 48624: Crowcombe Heathfield, Washford, Minehead, Blue Anchor Beach, Bye Farm, Watchet, Washford Playing Fields and Nornvis
- 53808+34070: Dunster Marsh and Nornvis
- 53808: Stogumber, Crowcombe Heathfield, Bye Farm, Minehead, Washford, Splash Point and Williton
- 53809+53808: Crowcombe Heathfield
- 53809+34070: Washford
- 53809: Minehead, Williton and Cleeve Hill
- 53809+48624: Williton
- 80043: Stogumber, Crowcombe Heathfield, Minehead, Kentsford, Williton and Dunster
- 92214: Dunster x2, Minehead x2, Blue Anchor Beach, Nornvis and Splash Point
Filmed from Thursday 10th - Sunday 13th March.
GOING TO THE WSR STEAM FAYRE 4 AUGUST 2018
We travel to BL from Williton and then on to NFW on the first day of the event.
STEAM TRAIN ACTIVITY NEAR MINEHEAD STATION WSR 21 JUNE 2017
Can anyone tell us what the loco was on that first train? The video was taken in a hurry as the train was not expected, being ten minutes late!
(HD) A day out in West Somerset. Sun 13th April 2014.
))))) best in 1080 HD Full Screen.((((((
Today i decided to continue my quest to find interesting video locations on The WSR. I went back to Old Cleeve, a favourite place for many wanting a long panning shot. But this time i went above the village as high as was possible; up lots of back lanes until i find a spot purely by chance.....with a panoramic view towards Minehead, as shown in the first clip. As is normal lately it's quite breezy and i take 3 clips from this spot. The 2nd clip i took was of the DMU...iv'e left it out...too quiet !! The 3rd clip is of SDJR 7F 2-8-0 No 88 tender first heading towards Washford. NOTE: I used The 30X Zoom on The Panasonic as Blue Anchor is some distance away , there is an evident heat haze in the clip until 88 passes below Old Cleeve Church !!
My better half decided she would then treat me to lunch and afternoon tea as it was the LAST day i was 57 !! ...... We drive past Minehead and Porlock to The Culbone a very nice pub/restaurant on the A39 before Lynmouth. I have taken a 360' clip here. Afterwards we drive back to Selworthy to the Periwinkle Tea Room which is a place a few miles before Minehead, and is up a winding lane...but the views are spectacular from there. I took some footage here to give you an idea what Selworthy is like...Owned by The National Trust and is part of The Holnicote Estate. Well worth the visit for the cream teas etc etc.. I hope you enjoy a look at our day out, i had a great time...thanks to my wonderful other half for making it so special for me !!
Filmed on a Panasonic HC X800.
The Cannington Bypass extension, Somerset. Wed 6th January 2016.
**Watch in full screen 1080 HD.
The new Cannington Bypass extension opened on Thursday 17th December 2015. The Extension designed to completely avoid the village was paid for by EDF Energy amongst several other projects in the area...like Washford Roundabout near Watchet, and will take away all the Heavy Construction Traffic of the future Hinkley Point 'C' Reactor. The Road links the A39 at the Cannington West Roundabout to the C182 Hinkley Road at The Cannington North Roundabout. The Road slices through several notable local places, Brymore School, Withiel Farm and Drive, Sandy Lane and latter parts of Chads Hill which lead to Castle Hill Quarry. These are some of my customers and where Withiel Drive ends i have a little detour to the new Road for access...
The Road is One Mile long and really smooth... quite an enjoyable drive. Hopefully the Road will fulfill it's purpose long term and keep Heavy Traffic away from our Village.
**This video is a remake of one i filmed on Saturday 19th December 2015...I didn't release it as the Weather was so dour !!
Filmed on a Panasonic HC X920
With a Mini Tripod.
Music: And the Wheels of change(inst)-Heavy Hitters Music.
by Son of Levi.
A STEAM TRAIN AND A LAST LOOK AT WATCHET MARINA'S CARGO SHED
Description Viewers may be interested to see how busy Watchet Harbour was in 1988 when I filmed the video titled WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY MANY YEARS AGO Part 4. The next part 3 of the WSR Autumn Gala will be next in line to upload.
West Somerset Railway Autumn Steam Gala 2015 - Thursday ft. 60163 Tornado
Another West Somerset Railway Gala but it was a pretty special gala. The event was to celebrate the opening section of the line on Good Friday 28th March 1976 with initial public service trains running between Minehead and Blue Anchor. The West Somerset Railway then extended to Williton on 29th August of the same year. Then the extension to Stogumber was completed on 7th May 1978 before finally reaching Bishops Lydeard on 9th June 1979.
The gala was to feature a return to the line of 60163 Tornado as will as two GWR engines visiting the WSR from the Severn Valley Railway which are Manor Class no. 7812 Erlestoke Manor and 2-8-0 Freight engine no. 2857. The rest of the fleet were the WSR residents which coincidently weren't there when the WSR was extended to the whole route we see today.
Here are the engines included in this video:
- 60163 Tornado
- 7812 Ertlestoke Manor
- 4160
- 4936 Kinlet Hall
- 7828 Odney Manor
The day was just a warm up to find the best locations for my return visit on Sunday for the finale.
Hope you enjoy.