Tuesday, 15 September 2020

The Anchors of Watchet

Watchet is a historic port and so it is no surprise that anchors have been used as decorations all over the town.  These are the anchors I have found so far but I am sure there are other around the town.  Some of them are real anchors, which have found a new use and other are purely decorative.

Enormous blue anchor by the side of the B3191 at St Decumans
I'm not sure why it is located here, rather than at Blue Anchor!

Large anchor on display at the west end of the Esplanade
This anchor from an unknown sailing ship was caught on the anchor of local fishing boat 2 miles offshore from Watchet in 1993.  It was presented to Watchet Museum by Skipper Stephen Yeandle.  It is made of wrought iron and weighs 6 cwt.  It may be about 200 years old. The original wooden stock had eroded away, so a replica stock was made and fitted by local craftsmen.

Wooden anchor on the platform of the railway station

Anchor on display outside Watchet Boat Museum
This anchor was caught in local fisherman Steve Yeandle's own anchor in the Bristol Channel off Watchet.  It is probably about 100 years old and is the type and size that was used by the local sailing ketches.

Anchor on Sammy Hake's Cottage on West Quay

Sammy Hake's Cottage

Anchor displayed on a house close to Watchet Market House Museum

Anchor and cross - a small part of the enormous Pat Dennis mural painted on the concrete wall of the Old Mineral Yard car park in 2016

Boatman and anchor on the mural painted by Pat Dennis in 2019 on the garden wall of Esplanade House

Pebble anchor outside the Market House Museum

Anchor Street

Display of anchors in the Boat Museum