Williton

Williton was a rural district in Somerset, England, from 1894 to 1974. It was created in 1894 under the Local Government Act 1894. In 1974 it was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 when it became part of West Somerset. The parishes which made up the Rural District included Bicknoller, Brompton Ralph, Carhampton, Clatworthy, Crowcombe, Cutcombe, Dunster, East Quantoxhead, Elworthy, Holford, Kilve, Luccombe, Luxborough, Minehead, Minehead Without, Monksilver, Nettlecombe, Oare, Old Cleeve, Porlock, Sampford Brett, Selworthy, Stogumber, Stogursey, Stringston, Timberscombe, Treborough, West Quantoxhead, Williton, Withycombe and Wootton Courtenay.

Williton railway station in Williton, Somerset, England, was opened by the West Somerset Railway in 1862 and closed by British Rail in 1971. It was reopened in 1976 as a heritage line. The locomotive workshops here are the headquarters of the Diesel and Electric Preservation Group (DEPG).

Sampford Brett is a village and civil parish situated at the south-western edge of the Quantock Hills, Somerset, England, less than 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Williton, just off the A358 road to Taunton.

The Anglican Church of St George in Sampford Brett, Somerset, England was built around 1300. It is a Grade II* listed building.

Doniford Halt railway station is a request stop situated on the West Somerset Railway, England. It is situated near the Doniford Beach on Helwell Bay between Watchet and Williton.

Battlegore Burial Chamber is a Bronze Age burial chamber located in Williton, Somerset. It is composed of three round barrows and possibly a long, chambered barrow. The site was excavated in 1931 by George Gray. The name "Battlegore" comes from this site being attributed to the location of a Danish raid in 918 AD or 988 AD. At least as early as the 14th century, the site was referred to as "Bytelgore", a predecessor of the word "Battlegore". Along with three nearby round barrows it has been scheduled as an ancient monument.

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, 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.

Watchet is a harbour town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is situated 15 miles (24 km) west of Bridgwater, 15 miles (24 km) north-west of Taunton, and 9 miles (14 km) east of Minehead. 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. At the 2021 census, the parish had a population of 3,948. 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. After the Saxon conquest of the area the town developed, becoming 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, finally ceasing in the early 20th century. The port continued a smaller commercial trade until 2000 when it was converted into a marina. In 2016, Watchet joined the rest of West Somerset in receiving 'Opportunity Area' status. 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. East Quay Watchet is a purpose-built art gallery and arts centre that opened in 2021.

Orchard Wyndham is a historic manor near Williton in Somerset, centred on the synonymous grade I listed manor house of Orchard Wyndham that was situated historically in the parish of Watchet and about two miles south of the parish church of St Decuman's, Watchet. Parts of the manor house are medieval. It has been owned for more than 700 years by the prominent Wyndham family, who continue there as of 2015.

Watchet Lifeboat Station was located at the eastern end of The Esplanade at Watchet, a harbour town on the edge of Exmoor National Park approximately 8 miles (13 km) east of Minehead, which sits at the mouth of the Washford River, overlooking Bridgwater Bay and the Bristol Channel, on the Somerset coast. A lifeboat station was first established at Watchet in 1875 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). After 69 years of operation, Watchet Lifeboat Station closed in 1944. The building is in use as a public library.

Watchet railway station is a station on the West Somerset Railway, a heritage railway in Somerset, England. It is situated in the small harbour town of Watchet.

The Watchet Harbour Lighthouse is a marine navigational aid marking the entrance to a Marina within the town of Watchet, in Somerset, England.