Discover 4 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Watchet (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Watchet Harbour Lighthouse, Market House Museum, and Church of St Decuman. Also, be sure to include Watchet Boat Museum in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Watchet (England).
Table of Contents
Watchet Harbour Lighthouse
Lighthouse in the United Kingdom. The Watchet Harbour Lighthouse is a marine navigational aid marking the entrance to a Marina within the town of Watchet, in Somerset, England.[1]
Market House Museum
Museum. The Market House Museum is a small museum in Watchet, Somerset, England.
The building was constructed in 1820 on the site of the previous market house which had been demolished in 1805. It was converted into a museum in 1979. It is a Grade II listed building.
It houses a collection of exhibits about the natural history of Watchet and the surrounding area. The focus is on nautical and maritime history of the port.
Artefacts include those relating to: Archaeology, Coins and Medals, Land Transport, Maritime, Natural Sciences, Science and Technology and Social History.
At the rear of the museum building is the old town lock up.[2]
Church of St Decuman
Building in Watchet, England. The Church of St Decuman in Watchet, Somerset, England has a 13th-century chancel with the rest of the church being from the 15th century. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building.
The dedication is because Watchet is believed to be the place where Saint Decuman was killed.
The church stands on a prominent site overlooking the town. It was restored and reseated by James Piers St Aubyn in 1886–1891, with further internal alterations being made in 1896 when the Caen stone reredos was erected.[3]
Watchet Boat Museum
Museum in Watchet, England. Watchet Boat Museum is a small museum in Watchet, Somerset, England.
It is housed in the 1862, Victorian, former railway goods shed of Watchet railway station, which is today located on the heritage West Somerset Railway.
The exhibits include several types of boats found locally and associated artefacts, photographs and charts, plus nets and other items associated with their use. There are displays of maps, knotwork and boards showing the various uses of withy. There is also an example of a mudhorse which is a wooden sledge is propelled across the mudflats to collect fish from nets.
The museum specialises in the shallow draft Flatner, a form of vessel once prevalent in Bridgwater Bay and adjacent coastal areas. Flatners are small double-ended boats with no keel.
Withy Boats and Turf Boats, which were between 16 feet (4.9 m) and 20 feet (6.1 m) long, were used on the Somerset Levels to carry peat and withies to market. They were built from elm boards or clinker and were pulled along the banks of the drainage ditches on the levels.
River boats had a similar construction, but the bottom was curved to allow them to be launched down sloping muddy banks of rivers including the River Parrett, where they were used for salmon fishing.
Slightly larger boats, known as Bay or Gore Boats, have also been fitted with a simple sprit- or jib-headed sail, long rudder and dagger board for fishing use in inland waters.[4]