Photo: Rodw · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Watchet Market House Museum

Volunteer-run town museum in Watchet’s former Market House of 1819–20, with displays on local history, Coleridge, maritime life, railways and fossils.

Ask the museum for opening hoursFree admission Partially accessible

Website Directions

About the museum

The museum occupies the ground floor of Watchet’s former Market House, a two-storey stone building put up in 1819–20 where the Esplanade meets Market Street. A market ran there on Saturdays until the 1830s. From the 1920s the upper floor served as a mission church, which is now the Holy Cross Chapel, and the lock-up of the Court Leet stands at the rear.

The museum opened in 1979, after an ironmongery shop in the building closed in the 1970s, and its first curator was Leslie Wedlake. Watchet Town Council is the trustee, with two councillors on the museum committee, and volunteer stewards supervise the museum during its seasonal opening.

The displays cover the history of Watchet and include local objects, paintings and photographs. Themes include Coleridge and Watchet, the town’s maritime history, the railways, social history, and Watchet and the military, as well as fossils, prehistory, and Saxons and Vikings. A shop sells local-interest books, postcards and other items.

Highlights

Local history of Watchet in objects, paintings and photographs
Coleridge and Watchet
Maritime history and railways
Fossils, prehistory and Saxon and Viking finds
Historic Market House of 1819–20

Founded: 1979
Operated by: Watchet Town Council (trustee)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free, and donations are welcome.

Accessibility

Partially wheelchair accessible
Elevator: no information
Accessible restroom: no information
Accessible parking: no information
Service dogs welcome: no information
Tactile models & exhibits: no information
Sign language tours: no information
Easy-to-read materials: no information
Audio description: no information

The museum has a portable ramp for wheelchair access, improved handrails at the entrance, and lower display cases for children and wheelchair users. Visitors can phone the museum to ask about access.