About Watchet Harbour

Introduction

Watchet Harbour is on the north coast of Somerset at 51°11.022’N, 003°19.702’W, offering an historic maritime setting along the Bristol Channel. It is a small tidal harbour characterised by a drying foreshore, traditional piers, and an active marina that supports leisure boating.

The harbour lies on a rocky foreshore that dries out for up to half a mile at low tide. Both the outer harbour and its approaches dry completely, meaning the visible landscape changes dramatically between high and low water.

Watchet Harbour offers a distinct maritime character shaped by:

• The powerful Bristol Channel tides
• Exposed coastal conditions
• Historic harbour structures
• A vibrant leisure boating community

Watchet remains an important focal point for coastal recreation and heritage on Somerset’s northern shoreline.

The Watchet Harbour Marina, operated by Western Marinas Ltd, occupies the southeastern corner of the harbour and provides sheltered berthing for leisure vessels.

Harbour structure

Watchet Harbour is defined by two protective piers and a narrow entrance:

• Western Pier – approx. 210m, curving NE then ENE
• Eastern Pier – approx. 110m, extending NW
• Entrance Width – 28m between the piers

Both piers are marked by a lighthouse or beacon to assist navigation.

Harbour Limits

The Watchet Harbour Act of 1860 defines the seaward harbour limits as:

• A line 3,000 feet north of the beacon
• Two lines one nautical mile east and west of the beacon

Tides and tidal range

The tides in Watchet are extremely influential in day to day activity:

• The harbour dries on every tide
• Depths change frequently due to siltation and erosion

Mean tidal ranges (metres above Chart Datum):

• MHWS: 11.3
• MHWN: 8.5
• MLWN: 3.6
• MLWS: 1.0

Chart Datum is 5.8m below Ordnance Datum Newlyn.

Local Anchorage

The nearest suitable anchorage is at:

• Blue Anchor Roads – 51°12’N, 003°24’W
• Depth: 7 metres
• Seabed: firm mud
• Distance: 2.5 miles North West of Watchet

Approaches and navigation

Watchet Harbour has a clearly defined navigational approach:

• Waypoint: 51°12’N, 003°19’W (approx. 1.1 miles from the entrance)
• Entry recommended 2.5 hours either side of high water
• Avoid Culver Sands, approx. 6 miles NNE
• Tidal streams reach 4–5 knots at springs

Prominent visual marks include:

• Two lit radio masts (206m high)
• Hinkley Point Power Station 7.3 miles east

Wrecks

There are no wrecks in the harbour approaches or within the harbour itself.

Contact Harbour Master

Email: harbourmaster@somerset.gov.uk
Phone: 0300 123 2224