Watchet is a remarkable little seaside town and the railway has played a significant role in it's history. The line travels north from Bishops Lydeard until it hits the coast at Watchet, then changes direction running west towards Minehead. Unlike all the other stations on the line, the ticket office at Watchet stands at right angles to the rails, and this is because Watchet was originally the terminus of the West Somerset Railway (WSR) when it was opened in 1862, as the line only ran to Watchet from (what is now) Norton Fitzwarren, near Taunton.
Watchet was an exceptionally important place then - in fact, it had been since the Middle Ages. Lying on the Bristol Channel, it was an important gateway port for the west country's trade in and out of the region. Indeed, when Coleridge sat on the harbour wall in the 1830's, he heard stories from sailors gathered there from all across the world and it was there that he found the inspiration to write the Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
A second rail line stopped at it's own station on Watchet harbour at that time. The independent West Somerset Mineral Railway brought iron ore from mines in the Brendon Hills south west of the town, with the mineral railway tracks running further inland, roughly paralleled with the main line as far as Washford.
In July 1874 the line was extended westwards by the Minehead Railway Company, and an industrial railway siding was also provided for Wansbrough Paper Mill - a company that only ceased trading here in the town in 2016! Both lines were operated by the Bristol and Exeter Railway which became a part of the Great Western Railway (GWR) in 1876. The Minehead Railway was taken over by the Great Western in 1897, but the West Somerset Railway remained an independent company until 1922 when it too was absorbed by the Great Western.
The GWR increased the capacity of the line in the 1930s and nationalisation in 1948 saw the GWR become the Western Region of British Railways. On 24 August 1952 the signal box at Washford closed, and the one at Kentford remained open until 7 May 1964 when it also closed. Freight traffic was withdrawn on 6 July 1964 and passenger trains on 4 January 1971. However, this really has been 'the little line that refused to close' and on 28th. August 1976, Watchet Staion sprang into life once more, as part of the new West Somerset Railway.
WATCH OUT FOR WATCHET DRAGONS! 
About 4 years ago we created a trail for small children and their parents to give them an activity around the town. This year, we've gone virtual! The QR code will give you access to currently 2 DRAGON TRAILS to expand your enjoyment of the town... and we are currently finishing off 3 more trails, so watch this space. Our dragon family are Ruby and Rory - the parents - and their children - big brother dragon Lucas, and the 5 babies - Rosco, Matilda, Oliver, Eleanor and Felix. All our young dragons are named after the grandchildren of our volunteers and they're becoming increasingly well known in the area as Watchet residents! You can usually see the parents flying inside the station building window, very close to the cache! Placed with the kind permission of WSR, Kevin Smith (Station Master) and the staff of Watchet Station.The cache is accessible whether the station is open or closed and is a small cliplock box with room for swaps.
This is one of a series of caches at stations on the West Somerset Railway. The rest were placed by Fisherfamily6 but I placed this one as I volunteer here at the station - I'm the dragon keeper!
NB; This cache should be wheelchair accessible, although when the Booking Office is open, station 'dressing' such as portable bookstands, boxes of magazines etc may inhibit this access. However, most of the staff are aware of the cache's location and would always be happy to help.
The volunteers at Watchet Staion work tirelessly to maintain the fabric of the buildings and echo the days when the station was run by GWR. The Booking Office often has a coal fire blazing and you can enjoy a cup of tea and cake in the buffet, or read or buy books, railway magazines and DVDs, local history and walking guides and purchase gifts and snacks. For the young at heart, you can even help our mother dragon Ruby by following a trail around Watchet to help you round up her five baby dragons who have scampered off into the town to have fun. With an excellent park, a boat museum, the harbour, a small beach and shops all very close by, Watchet has a lot to enjoy by the seaside, even if the weather is less than perfect.